Italy, Slovenia & Croatia
VENICE – POSTOJNA – PREDJAMA – LJUBLJANA – BLED – BOHINJ – PLITVICE – SPLIT – TROGIR – DUBROVNIK – ZAGREB
8 days / 7 nights
Highlights:
3 historical cities: Venice, Ljubljana, Dubrovnik
The pearl of Slovenia: one of the 10 most beautiful islands in the world, lake Bled
Romantic sceneries on picturesque islands
A chance to encounter world celebrities
The best shopping and clubbing experience in this part of Europe
16 lakes & 92 waterfalls in Lake Plitvice
Itinerary:
DAY 1 Venice
DAY 2 Venice, Postojna, Predjama, Ljubljana
DAY 3 Ljubljana, Bled, Bohinj, Ljubljana
DAY 4 Ljubljana, Plitvice, Split
DAY 5 Split, Trogir, Dubrovnik
DAY 6 Dubrovnik, Šipan, Lopud and Koločep Islands
DAY 7 Dubrovnik, Zagreb
DAY 8 Departure from Zagreb
DAY 1: VENICE
/Venice airport – hotel/
14h00: Arrival at Marco Polo Airport, after immigration transfer to hotel.
Venice is a cluster of over one hundred small islands with its marble palaces built on water and it has numerous souvenir shopping opportunities.
Check-in at hotel in Venice.
Leisure time for the rest of the day.
Dinner.
Overnight in Venice.
DAY 2: VENICE, POSTOJNA, PREDJAMA, LJUBLJANA
/Venice – Postojna 200km, 2h30min/
/Postojna – Predjama 15km, 30min/
/Predjama – Ljubljana 70km, 1h30min/
After breakfast departure to Postojna, which at the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire constituted the only exit to the Adriatic Sea. You will visit Postojna cave, which is a network of 23 kilometres of tunnels, galleries and halls, in which experienced guides have accompanied more than 30 million visitors in over 200 years. This is the biggest classical karst cave and the most visited tourist cave in Europe. The cave train will take you into the depths where, thanks to the electric lighting, you can appreciate all the dimensions and nuances of the underground karst, where the geological past is written in a unique way.
After lunch and a wine tasting at a wine cellar in the karst region, you will visit Predjama castle, a castle built directly into a cliff edge, with an underground tunnel through the mountain.
You will then drive to Ljubljana, specifically to BTC City – a shopping, sports and cultural centre on the outskirts of Ljubljana. BTC City is the largest shopping centre in Slovenia with specialized shops, supermarkets, and more than 450 stores. It has the largest selection of world famous brands like Hugo Boss, Desigual, Bershka, Guess, Massimo Dutti, and many more. Free time to shop ‘til you drop! In addition to shopping, you will have the opportunity to visit the entertainment centre Arena, where under one roof you have low endurance sports activities and programs for relaxation, shopping and film entertainment with educational and playful content. The amusement centre covers an area of 9,000 m2. The centre includes a billiards and bowling centre with its central entertainment centre serving as the XPAND cinema with 3D stereoscopic projection, representing the most innovative technology in the field cinematography in this part of Europe. This is the most modern equipped cinema for digital projection in 3D and its dynamic seats enable a new and unique experience on screen. Atlantis Water Park is also at your disposal for pampering you. This is a water park with a wide variety of facilities with dynamic architecture including a 15,000 m2 room for entertainment, relaxation, gathering new strength and recreation. It also includes 16 swimming pools, three of which are outdoor, and offers visitors plenty of fun, adventure, and 15 thematic saunas.
For dinner, try the biggest burger in Europe, the notorious horse burger. It’s a hamburger made from horse meat with all the toppings you can imagine, to make your dinner delicious and memorable!
Check-in at hotel in Ljubljana.
Overnight in Ljubljana.
DAY 3: LJUBLJANA, BLED, VINTGAR GORGE, BOHINJ, LJUBLJANA
/Ljubljana – Bled 60km, 1h/
/Bled – Vintgar Gorge 5km, 20min/
/Vintgar Gorge – Bohinj 30km, 1h/
/Bohinj – Ljubljana 90km, 1h30min/
Depart to the magnificent north-western region Slovenia – the town of Bled. This town is one of the most prestigious Slovenian resorts with its glacier-formed Alpine lake, the famous island of the Slavic goddess of life, Živa, and the oldest castle in Slovenia. In the 19th century, the Swiss doctor Arnold Rikli discovered the beneficial natural resources here and established a spa centre, making Bled one of the most popular touristic places in Austria-Hungary. The lake can be traversed in a traditional boat called pletna towards Bled Island, which was visited by pilgrims in as early as ancient times. From Bled castle, you will admire the fairy-tale lake and the high limestone peaks of the Julian Alps.
You will then continue to visit the magnificent, 1.6 km-long natural gorge Vintgar, through which the turquoise Radovna River flows.
After lunch, the tour will proceed to another mountain village called Bohinj, where you will see the largest natural glacial lake in Slovenia, Lake Bohinj.
Return to Ljubljana with an evening sightseeing walking tour. Ljubljana has everything that modern capitals have to offer, and on top of that, it has managed to keep the pleasant and relaxing atmosphere of a smaller city. You will visit the old part of town along the Ljubljanica River and you will see the most important cultural and historical monuments including the Three Bridges and the New and Old Markets where you will be delighted with boutique shops and nice restaurants. We will also stop at the famous bridge and learn a few secrets of the medieval city before continuing to the town square with the Town Hall and the city icon – a fountain symbolizing the three rivers of Carniola. We will also visit the nearby baroque church of St. Nicholas, the food market and the Dragon Bridge with its four dragons that protect the city while also serving as its trademark.
Dinner.
Ljubljana really comes to life at night. Going out with friends for a beer is one the most popular ways to start the night, since a half-litre glass of beer in a bar only costs 2.5€! Everybody then continues towards one of the nightclubs. Try the hippest drink among young people right now – Aperol Spritz, an aperitif cocktail with a very unique taste. You will party the night away in one of Ljubljana’s classy nightclubs – Cirkus. The club Cirkus offers a unique and exclusive nightclub experience for enthusiastic groups of partygoers during the week and especially on weekends and is able to cater to the needs of up to 1000 guests. The club was designed in an old enchanting cinema-theatre and it stretches across 2 stories of lavishing galleries, including an intimate and cosy VIP area. The focal point is an elevated DJ booth, showcasing top international and regional DJs, singers, musicians and other artists as they spin and perform a blend of various urban genres, topped with colourful entertainers, such as dancers and live acts.
Overnight in Ljubljana.
DAY 4: LJUBLJANA, PLITVICE, SPLIT
/Ljubljana – Plitvice 270km, 3h30min/
/Plitvice – Split 270km, 3h30min/
After breakfast, departure towards the Plitvice Lakes National Park and tour of the Park in the afternoon. It is composed of 16 blue and green lakes, connected with more than 90 waterfalls and rapids. For the beauty and the attraction of the Plitvice Lakes, travertine and the plants of travertine take the credit. With the formation of travertine and the partition of the river bed, lakes have formed. This is a magnificent architectonic phenomenon of nature, surrounded by thick woods in which bears, wolves, wild hares, martens, and partridges live. The park has belonged to UNESCO Cultural Heritage since 1979.
Lunch.
Arrival in Split. Dinner.
Overnight in Split.
DAY 5: SPLIT, TROGIR, DUBROVNIK
/Split – Trogir 30km, 1h/
/Trogir – Dubrovnik 300km, 4h/
After breakfast, you will go on a guided tour of Split. The city got its reputation by the building of Diocletian’s palace in the 3rd century. Today the palace is one of the largest and best preserved late Gothic buildings in the world. The tour of the city centre will include Diocletian’s Palace, the Cathedral of St. Duje built during the Middle Ages using the materials of an ancient mausoleum, Jupiter’s Temple and a walk along the Riva, the main coastal promenade, where tourists from around the world gather in picturesque cafes.
After lunch, the tour will proceed towards the coastal town of Trogir, situated in central Dalmatia, only 30 km from Split. The Old Town covers an area of only 1 km2, but the island in it is intertwined with numerous palaces, churches and bell towers of different styles, from Romanesque-Gothic and Renaissance to Baroque. The most beautiful architectural work is that of the cathedral of St. Lorenzo, which was built in the 13th century. This rich cultural village has been protected since 1997 under UNESCO.
Late arrival in Dubrovnik. Dinner. Check-in at hotel.
Overnight in Dubrovnik.
DAY 6: DUBROVNIK, ŠIPAN, LOPUD AND KOLOČEP ISLANDS
After breakfast, a sightseeing tour of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik has always been Croatia’s richest city, but today it is one of the best tourist cities in the Mediterranean, known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic.” The city is located in the extreme south of Croatia, at the foot of the hill Holy Wrath, just 35 km from the border with Montenegro. The Old Town is upheld by high city walls and joined UNESCO in 1979. Although it was heavily destroyed in the 1667 earthquake, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains.
After lunch, the tour will continue by boat, visiting the three most beautiful Elaphiti Islands situated off the coast of Dubrovnik: Šipan, Lopud and Koločep. Šipan is famed for its numerous palm tree species that grow on the island. In the times of the Republic of Ragusa, Koločep was an important shipbuilding site. Two members of Christopher Columbus’ crew on the Santa Maria were sailors from the island. Archaeological remnants of ancient European conquerors have been found on the island: from the ancient times of Greece and Rome to the Napoleonic times.
Free time before dinner. Take a stroll along the main street in Dubrovnik, called Stradun, and you might run into Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt!
Overnight in Dubrovnik.
DAY 7: DUBROVNIK, ZAGREB
/Dubrovnik – Dubrovnik airport 25km, 1h/
/Zagreb airport – Zagreb 20km, 45min/
Early afternoon flight to Zagreb. Arrival to Zagreb at 14h00. Zagreb is a city of parks, palaces, museums and universities. The city lies on the south-western part of the Pannonian Basin and extends between the Sava River and Mount Medvednica. It represents an important link between Central Europe and Asia Minor and the shortest link between the Pannonian Plain and the Adriatic Sea. Departure on a tour of the biggest attractions of the city such as the Cathedral, the picturesque and bustling marketplace Dolac, the Church of St. Mark – the symbol of Zagreb, the vantage point of the tower Lotrščak, which offers a splendid view over Zagreb, the stone gate where you can light a candle, and Bana Jelačič Square, which is not only the crossroads of the upper and lower parts of the city but also the heart of the city, connecting the young and old residents of Zagreb.
Lunch.
Afternoon free at leisure. Spend it shopping in Arena Centar. Conveniently located in the south-western part of Zagreb, Arena Centar is known as Croatia’s premier shopping centre. The most prestigious brands of the world are all represented and everyone who’s anyone shops there. This newest and most modern 4th generation shopping-entertainment centre in the region is an architecturally impressive building featuring wide hallways, glass ceilings and conveniently located elevators and escalators.
Dinner before a crazy night of partying. You will celebrate your last night in one of Zagreb’s famous nightclubs. With plenty of dancing and drinking, the party doesn’t stop until the early hours of the morning. Whether you will choose Saloon, Route 66, Gallery or Aquarius Club, you will end your trip in style.
Overnight in Zagreb.
DAY 8: Departure from Zagreb
/Zagreb – Zagreb airport 20km, 1h/
Drop-off at Zagreb airport. Flight to Mumbai at 13h15.