Country Roads of Croatia – Small Group
Travel through Croatia in a Small Group on a journey that combines historic cities, island stays and some of the Adriatic’s most distinctive landscapes. Start in Zagreb’s parks and funicular-linked Upper Town before stepping underground at Slovenia’s Postojna Cave, into the Roman arena at Pula and along the lakes and boardwalks of Plitvice. Follow the coast through Zadar and Trogir to Split’s Diocletian’s Palace, then slow the pace with stays on Hvar and Korčula, a shellfish tasting in Mali Ston and time inside Dubrovnik’s walled Old Town.
- 15 Apr 2027 – 28 Apr 2027
from $9,950 pp twin share * - 29 Apr 2027 – 12 May 2027
from $10,625 pp twin share * - 13 May 2027 – 26 May 2027
from $10,850 pp twin share * - 27 May 2027 – 09 Jun 2027
from $11,450 pp twin share * - 10 Jun 2027 – 23 Jun 2027
from $11,695 pp twin share * - 24 Jun 2027 – 07 Jul 2027
from $11,975 pp twin share * - 08 Jul 2027 – 21 Jul 2027
from $12,750 pp twin share * - 22 Jul 2027 – 04 Aug 2027
from $12,295 pp twin share * - 05 Aug 2027 – 18 Aug 2027
from $12,295 pp twin share * - 19 Aug 2027 – 01 Sep 2027
from $12,025 pp twin share * - 02 Sep 2027 – 15 Sep 2027
from $11,695 pp twin share * - 16 Sep 2027 – 29 Sep 2027
from $11,225 pp twin share * - 30 Sep 2027 – 13 Oct 2027
from $10,750 pp twin share * - 14 Oct 2027 – 27 Oct 2027
from $10,075 pp twin share * - 28 Oct 2027 – 10 Nov 2027
from $9,850 pp twin share *
* Prices and category availability are subject to change without notice.
Itinerary
- Day 1 – Welcome to Zagreb:
Arrive in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, where 19th-century park-lined boulevards of the Lower Town lead up to the historic Upper Town around Ban Jelačić Square and Dolac Market. Meet your Travel Director and your small group over dinner, sharing dishes and getting to know the people you’ll be travelling with across the country. - Day 2 – Explore Cultural Zagreb:
Start with an experience at Kolekcionart Gallery, meeting the curator and a local artist to hear how they collaborate on presenting contemporary art in Zagreb. Join your Local Expert to explore Zagreb’s compact centre on foot, starting with the Art Pavilion, the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the tree-lined paths of Zrinjevac Park. Ride the short funicular up to the Upper Town to see St. Mark’s Church and the Lotrščak Tower before descending through the Stone Gate towards the main square. The afternoon is at leisure to follow Zagreb’s cafe-lined streets, visit a small museum or return to Dolac Market, or join an Optional Experience into the countryside at Kumrovec. - Day 3 – Postojna Caves and On to the Coast:
Leave Zagreb and cross into Slovenia to visit the Postojna Cave system, one of Europe’s best-known karst landscapes. Travel by underground train and on foot through a sequence of vast chambers, where stalactites and stalagmites show how water shapes this limestone plateau over millions of years. Continue to the Adriatic and arrive in Opatija, a former Habsburg resort town on the Kvarner Gulf. In the evening, walk the lungomare and choose a seafront restaurant for grilled fish or Kvarner prawns, or look for a simple konoba, a traditional Croatian tavern, tucked behind the villas. - Day 4 – Roman Pula and Rovinj in Istria:
Travel into Istria with your Local Expert, a region shaped by Roman, Venetian and Habsburg rule. In Pula, visit the 1st-century Pula Arena, one of the world’s largest surviving Roman amphitheatres, once hosting crowds of up to 20,000 for gladiatorial games. Walk the stone terraces and look out towards the harbour that kept this port connected to the wider empire. Continue to Rovinj, a former island town later linked to the mainland. Narrow cobbled lanes climb towards St. Euphemia’s Church, while working fishing boats still line the quays. Use the rest of the day to wander the peninsula, climb to the church square or follow the waterfront paths towards the beaches. - Day 5 – Plitvice Lakes National Park:
Leave Opatija and follow the Adriatic coast, with views of bays, islands and small harbour towns, before turning inland through the forests and karst scenery of the Lika region. On arrival at Plitvice, Insight Choice offers two MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences. Join a Local Expert in Plitviče Lakes National Park to learn about habitat conservation and the work taking place to protect this UNESCO-listed landscape, or meet women from the Tara community at your hotel to hear their stories and see the traditional handicrafts they create. - Day 6 – Zadar’s Roman Streets, Trogir Lanes and onto Split:
Leave Plitvice and travel back towards the Adriatic, arriving in Zadar, a city where Roman ruins, medieval churches and everyday markets share the same compact peninsula. Walk past the remains of the Roman forum and through the market, where stalls stack local cheese, smoked ham and seasonal fruit. Afterwards, use free time to listen to the Sea Organ on the promenade, step into St. Donatus Church or climb a bell tower for harbor views. Continue south to Trogir for an orientation with your Travel Director, taking in St. Lawrence’s Cathedral and the Cipiko Palace, before reaching Split. In the evening, perhaps choose a local konoba, where simple Dalmatian dishes offer a clear taste of everyday cooking in this part of Croatia. - Day 7 – Inside Split’s Diocletian’s Palace and Across the Sea to Hvar:
Meet your Local Expert in Split where you’ll explore Diocletian’s Palace, the 4th-century fortified retirement complex that still forms the heart of the city. Walk through its cellars and Peristyle as you hear how an emperor from nearby Salona reshaped this harbour. You’ll visit St. Duje’s Cathedral, once his mausoleum, then continue to the Golden Gate at the northern edge of the old town. There’s time to find lunch in a palace courtyard or along the Riva. Board your ferry to Hvar and settle into one of Croatia’s best-known island harbours. Before dinner at the hotel, there may be time to walk the waterfront, taste local wine from the island’s vineyards or climb to the hilltop fortress for views across the Pakleni Islands. - Day 8 – Exploring the Island of Hvar:
A full day on Hvar gives room to explore the island at your own pace. Around Hvar Town’s main square, you’ll find cafes and bars for a morning coffee, bakeries serving burek and konobas offering grilled fish, black risotto and simple seafood lunches. Coastal paths lead to small swimming coves or boats out to the Pakleni Islands. Inland, visit the Franciscan monastery or browse shops for lavender, olive oil and local wine. Alternatively, join an Optional Experience to Stari Grad and Vrboska, including a visit to a wine cellar to taste island specialities. - Day 9 – The Islands of Dalmatia:
Leave Hvar by ferry, crossing back past the central Dalmatian islands towards the Pelješac and Korčula channels. On arrival in Korčula Town, you’ll settle into a compact walled centre set on a small peninsula, with streets fanning out from St. Mark’s Cathedral. There is time to explore at your own pace: walk part of the walls or find a swim spot just beyond the Old Town. In the evening, come together for dinner at the hotel, with a chance to try Dalmatian dishes and local Korčula wines. - Day 10 – Discover Korcula:
In Korčula Town, you’ll join a Local Expert for a walking tour inside the compact walled Old Town. You’ll see St. Mark’s Cathedral and the main square, then continue past the Town Museum, the Bishop’s Palace and the Town Hall, where Venetian coats of arms still show centuries of rule from across the Adriatic. You’ll also visit the ruins linked to Marco Polo’s birth house, hearing how this long-standing tradition grows around the island’s trading past. The rest of the day is free to walk the seafront walls, swim from nearby platforms, or find a konoba for grilled fish, brodet or a glass of local Pošip. - Day 11 – Dubrovnik, Pearl of the Adriatic:
Leave Korčula and travel along the Pelješac Peninsula, an area known for vineyards and shellfish farms. Weather permitting, board a private boat across the bay to Mali Ston and begin with a glass of traditional brandy. At a local shellfish farm, meet an oyster farmer, learn how Ston Bay oysters and mussels are cultivated and taste fresh shellfish with a glass of local wine. Continue to Dubrovnik and join a Local Expert for a walking tour of the Old Town, passing Onofrio’s Fountain, St. Blaise’s Church, the cathedral and the Franciscan Monastery. Afterwards, time is free to turn into the side streets, walk a section of the city walls or take the cable car to Mount Srđ for views over the harbour and islands. - Day 12 – Dubrovnik, Your Way:
Enjoy a full day in Dubrovnik with the choice to explore independently or join an Optional Experience to Montenegro. If staying in the city, you’ll find quieter corners beyond the Old Town: walk or take a local bus to the Lapad peninsula for an easy coastal path, spend time on beaches such as Uvala Lapad or Sveti Jakov, or join a sea-kayaking trip along the coastline. In town, you might visit the Rector’s Palace or Franciscan pharmacy, or look for local sweets such as rožata in a small bakery. Alternatively, you can travel to Montenegro, following the Bay of Kotor to Kotor, a UNESCO-listed town. - Day 13 – Dubrovnik at Leisure:
Spend your final full day in Dubrovnik at your own pace. Return to the Old Town’s limestone streets, walk a section of the city walls or browse for local products such as olive oil, sweets or handmade textiles. Those looking to slow the pace can head for one of the city’s swimming spots or take a quieter route along the coastline outside the walls. In the evening, weather permitting, you’ll have the chance to join a short cruise across the Bay of Dubrovnik before sitting down to dinner together with your small group, marking the end of your journey through Croatia. - Day 14 – Farewell Dubrovnik:
Transfer to Dubrovnik Airport after breakfast, saying goodbye to your Travel Director and small group, and bringing your journey through Croatia to a close.
Highlights
- Explore Zagreb’s parks and funicular-linked Upper Town.
- Marvel at Plitvice’s lakes and boardwalks.
- Slow the pace with stays on Hvar and Korčula islands.
Travel through Croatia in a Small Group on a journey that combines historic cities, island stays and some of the Adriatic’s most distinctive landscapes. Start in Zagreb’s parks and funicular-linked Upper Town before stepping underground at Slovenia’s Postojna Cave, into the Roman arena at Pula and along the lakes and boardwalks of Plitvice. Follow the coast through Zadar and Trogir to Split’s Diocletian’s Palace, then slow the pace with stays on Hvar and Korčula, a shellfish tasting in Mali Ston and time inside Dubrovnik’s walled Old Town.
Inclusions
- Enjoy the comfort of Insight’s luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom.
- Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards.
- Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert’s fascinating commentary.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included – you’ll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency.
FAQs
- AC by Marriott
- Amfora, Hvar Grand Beach Resort
- Dubrovnik Palace
- Liburna, Korcula
- Lyra, Ličko Petrovo Selo
- Opatija Marriott Resort & Spa
- Sheraton Zagreb
How long is this journey?
This itinerary runs for 14 days and 13 nights.
When can I travel?
Departures are currently scheduled between 15 Apr 2027 and 10 Nov 2027, subject to live availability.
Are there different departure options?
Yes, multiple departures may be available depending on your preferred travel period.
Are discounts available?
Seasonal or loyalty discounts may be available on selected departures at the time of enquiry.
What is generally included?
Inclusions typically cover guided touring and selected experiences, with exact details listed in the itinerary.
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