Ultimate Balkan Adventure

Our Balkan Adventure starts in Porec, a beautiful ancient town in the region of Istria, Croatia. This town is not far from the airports and harbors of Pula, Rijeka, Trieste and Venice. You will be responsible for arranging your own transportation to Porec, but we are happy to provide assistance and recommendations. Additional arrival details will be provided during the booking process. Our groups usually get together in the morning, which gives us enough time to have a brief orientation, discuss the upcoming holiday and get to know our guides and fellow travelers. In the afternoon we will do sea kayaking around Porec Islands and have dinner together to talk some more about the exciting trip ahead of us.

Accommodation: Porec guesthouse; Meals: Dinner.

The Istrian Peninsula is well known for its gorgeous coastline, but some of the region’s most beautiful landscapes lie inland. We will cycle through medieval Istrian towns built on top of the region’s rolling hills, as well as through vineyards, fields and forests. This cycling tour is around 5 hours long and includes stops in Oprtalj and Groznjan, charming hillside towns where we will have time for lunch and exploring. We will get the chance to cycle the Parenzana, an old rail road bed now popular among cyclists and hikers. As we slowly travel down to the Mirna River Valley, we will enjoy spectacular views of the countryside from our bikes. Our trip ends with a short drive to the picturesque hillside town of Motovun, where we will stay for the night. Before a delicious dinner filled with local specialties, we will walk along Motovun’s defense walls and have some time to relax.

Accommodation: Motovun guesthouse; Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Today we leave Croatia and drive towards Lake Bled in Slovenia. The area has been a world-renowned paradise for centuries, impressing visitors with its natural beauty, wealth of legend, and special powers to restore well-being. With its emerald-green lake, picture-postcard church on an islet, a medieval castle clinging to a rocky cliff and some of the highest peaks of the Julian Alps, Bled is Slovenia’s most popular resort.

We will reach Bled around lunchtime and you will have a free afternoon to explore the whole area. Your guide will give you detailed information on what to do and where to go. For those who want to do some activities like kayaking, SUP or cycling, there will be an option to rent the gear.

We will meet again for dinner at our Lake Bled guesthouse to go through our plan for the next day.

Accommodation: Lake Bled guesthouse; Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

After breakfast we will drive from Lake Bled area to the charming little city of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. This is a city with a green soul and a high level of environmental awareness. The picturesque Ljubljanica river that runs through the center of the city is one of the rare places in the world where you can do Stand Up Paddle boarding in the middle of a city. This trip is suitable for beginners and advanced paddlers and will give you the opportunity to explore Ljubljana from a unique perspective.

The afternoon and evening are reserved for exploring and enjoying lovely Old Town Ljubljana.

Accommodation: Ljubljana; Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Today we leave Slovenia and drive back into Croatia towards Plitvice Lakes National Park, located in the mountain area of the country. On our drive we will go next to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, and make a few longer stops. The first stop will be at the War Museum near the city of Karlovac. At this open-air museum, you can find old planes, tanks and different types of weapons used by Croatian soldiers during the war. Your guide will tell you a bit more about events after the fall of Yugoslavia.

Our next stop will be Rastoke – a picturesque village placed on top of waterfalls where the crystal clear waters of Slunjcica River flow into the Korana River. Because of its extraordinary natural beauty and historical tradition, Rastoke village fell under the protection of the State Directorate for cultural and historical heritage in 1962. We will have lunch here and then continue our drive to Plitvice Lakes. We will arrive in the afternoon so that you can relax and explore the area before dinner.

Accommodation: Plitvice NP guesthouse; Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

After breakfast we will be visiting one of the most beautiful and unique natural areas in Europe – Plitvice Lakes National Park. The park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 due to its stunning sequence of turquoise lakes separated by travertine barriers and over 90 waterfalls.

As we walk along the park’s wooden paths and bridges, we’ll take in views of 16 gorgeous lakes, fairy-tale forests and cascading waterfalls fed by both the Black and White Rivers. The seemingly endless beech and pine forests surrounding the lakes are home to extensive wildlife including deer, brown bears and wolves, numerous caves and an interesting karst landscape. There is an option to enjoy a picnic lunch in this pristine, natural area. After the hike, we’ll have the chance to admire the lakes from a different perspective on a short bus ride that will take us back to the starting point.

After our visit to Plitvice Lakes we will start a 3-hour drive towards Starigrad Paklenica, a small town placed just next to the Adriatic Sea at the entrance of Paklenica National park.

Accommodation: Starigrad Paklenica guesthouse; Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Today we hike through Paklenica National Park, one of the oldest national parks in Croatia. The park is part of the Velebit Mountain Range and is famous for its exceptional hiking and rock climbing. This relatively small area has an abundance of diversity of flora and fauna, unique landscapes and pristine nature. We will hike through Velika Paklenica, the park’s main canyon, towards Ramica Dvori mountain hut. At the top, we’ll enjoy a traditional lunch prepared using a time-honored cooking technique called “peka,” or “under the bell.” You’ll have time to relax and enjoy views of the largest and best-preserved forest complex in the territory of Dalmatia before we hike back down.

This is a round-trip hike that will bring us back through the canyon to the parking area. We will then take a short drive to Skradin, a small town placed at the entrance of Krka National Park. You will be able to relax and explore the town on your own in the evening. Your guide will recommend the best places for dinner.

Accommodation: Skradin; Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Our adventure starts after breakfast with cycling to Krka River National Park. The park is famous for its amazing travertine waterfalls and turquoise water. After an easy cycling trip that takes us to the main area of the park via local roads with stunning views, we will leave our bikes and continue to explore the area on foot. An easy walk around the park’s main attractions will take us back to our bikes. We will then cycle to the van and start a 30 minute drive to another part of the national park for lunch and swimming.

In the afternoon we will go back to the van and drive to Split, where we will spend the next two nights.

Accommodation: Split; Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Today we are taking you on a white water rafting trip on the gorgeous Cetina River. We will start with a 40-minute drive to the starting point for rafting. You will paddle through crystal clear water over waterfalls and through the forest that is so dense in places it can look like a jungle. This outing is exciting, but still suitable for families with children and absolute beginners.

After the rafting trip we will head back to your accommodation in Split, where you can continue to explore the historic city before and after dinner.

Accommodation: Split; Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

A 3-hour drive from Split will take us to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We will take a walk around Old Town Mostar over the famous stone bridge and stop at one local museum to learn more about the town’s history. You will have some time to explore Mostar on your own and grab lunch at some of the local restaurants – your guide will give you a few suggestions based on your preferences.

After visiting Mostar we will continue our drive towards Dubrovnik. We will arrive at the guesthouse with time to relax before a visit to the Old Town and dinner.

Accommodation: Dubrovnik; Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

This day is almost entirely up to you – you are free to explore Old Town Dubrovnik on your own. You can walk atop the impressive stone walls, meander through the streets and have lunch and a refreshing drink while you soak up the local vibes in this unique city.

Late afternoon is reserved for a short hike (around 1.5 hours) to the top of Mount Srd, where you will have the best view of Dubrovnik and, if the weather is good, one of the most beautiful sunsets of your life. The nicest view of Dubrovnik and the surrounding Elaphiti Islands is from the restaurant at the top where we will have the chance to get food and drinks. After enjoying the sunset, we will take a cable car down to the town.

Accommodation: Dubrovnik; Meals: Breakfast.

It is time to leave Croatia and head to another new country as we approach the end of our adventure. We will drive from Dubrovnik to Kotor in Montenegro where you will experience sea kayaking in beautiful Kotor Bay.

Kotor is a coastal town surrounded by fortress walls and interesting history. The Old Town of Kotor is an ancient trade center, due to its fortified entrance to the sea. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Montenegro’s most famous town. From your kayaks, you will have a unique view of the town, and you will get a different experience in the afternoon and evening when you explore the local streets by foot.

Accommodation: Kotor; Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Today is the last full day of the tour and we will take it easy – relaxing on the beach with some Stand Up Paddle boarding and soaking up the sun. Feel free to browse around the streets of Kotor, grab some coffee or a refreshing drink on the terrace next to the sea and reminisce about all of the amazing places you have visited on this adventure. In the late afternoon we will take a short hike up to the old castle above Kotor to watch the sunset. We will come back to the town for our last dinner of the trip and will celebrate the end of our journey together.

Accommodation: Kotor; Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

You are welcome to schedule your homeward transportation for any time. Departing transfers are not included in the price of the tour. If you decide to spend more time in some of the countries we have visited, your guide will be happy to recommend other wonderful things to do and places to visit – especially local favorites that you won’t find in tourist guidebooks.

Meals: Breakfast.