Croatia Familiarity Trip – October 2024
7 Day EXCLUSIVE Adventures Croatia Familiarity Trip
Visiting: ZAGREB – PLITVICE LAKES – SPLIT – HVAR – KORCULA – STON – DUBROVNIK
October 1 – 7, 2024
for Qualified Agents – Limited spaces available! (Find the pricing on ADDITIONAL INFORMATION tab)
Fill out our Agent Verification Form on this page to join! One of our agents will contact you after you submit it.
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Travel in 2024
We LOVE working with agents and we’re sure you’ve been getting a lot of requests for trips to Croatia! Let’s get the 2024 travel season off to a great start – trust us to show you firsthand the beauty and culture of Croatia so you can share your experience with your clients!
Seeing Croatia is a life-changing experience. Blessed with magnificent scenery, incredible history, delicious regional foods and wines, and enriched with folk traditions, this is a country so divine that it has been named one of the best travel destinations in the world. It’s no wonder that Croatia is becoming one of the most requested destinations.
That’s why we created our Familiarity Tours. They’re crammed full of some of Croatia’s most impressive destinations, islands, ancient cities, UNESCO national parks, and historical sites.
FAM Tour 2024
The FAM tours provide an opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with places and experiences to recommend to your customers, aspects of their they will remember for a lifetime. Moreover, so you may personally experience how we carefully attend to traveling guests with high-touch service. This is NOT a parade of hotel inspections. Members of the Adventures Croatia team will be with you to share our industry insights, intense localized knowledge, and additional recommendations in the area, and help you understand the details and finesse in each of our itineraries.
If you would like to apply to join our Familiarity Tour, we encourage you to complete our short form. Or call us to discuss any questions you may have.
In the meantime, here’s a flavor of what you can expect from our Familiarity Tours and the destinations they encompass, as well as how best to sell them.
Zagreb
Croatia’s capital city is split into three parts – the 1,000-year-old Gornji grad (Upper Town), which contains the Presidential Palace, the iconic St Mark’s Church, the Croatian parliament (Sabor), and museums and galleries which are all set in cobbled streets lit by gas lamps; the 19th-century Donji grad (Lower Town) with its shops, restaurants, cafes, theatres, and parks; and the modern post-World War II area of Novi Zagreb (‘new Zagreb’). Zagreb is often referred to as the City of Museums as there are more of them per square foot than any other city in the world.
Unique selling points:
• The capital of Croatia
• The upper town (Gornji grad) boasts buildings and historical sites that are 1,000 years old
• Zagreb has more museums per square foot than any other city in the world
Plitvice Lakes National Parks
This unique and visually stunning UNESCO World Heritage site features natural dams, which, over time (and thanks to water flowing over the limestone and chalk) have created a series of connecting lakes, waterfalls, and caves. The nearby forests are home to bears, wolves, and many rare bird species.
Unique selling points:
• A UNESCO World Heritage site
• The park boasts 16 lakes, interconnected by waterfalls
• Unique topography created by natural phenomenon
• Croatia’s most popular tourist attraction
Split
Split is the second-largest city in Croatia, and there are some fantastic sights in the city, both Roman and more modern, as well as plenty of excellent options for dining, drinking, and dancing the night away. Being on the coast, there are also plenty of beaches to enjoy and lots of choices for those wanting day trips to some of the nearby islands.
Unique selling points:
• Croatia’s second city
• Great mixture of historic sites and modern amenities
• Excellent beaches
• Hub for traveling to nearby islands
Hvar
Hvar is the fourth largest of Croatia’s islands but arguably the most popular. With stunning beaches and an average of 2,800 hours of sunshine per year, it’s the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the Adriatic. With fields full of lavender, rosemary, sage, marjoram, and thyme, and vineyards aplenty, it has a unique mixture of the rural and the bouji, and also boasts the Stari Grad Plain – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this agricultural landscape was created by ancient Greek colonists in the fourth century BC. Otherwise, Hvar is an upmarket, luxury destination.
Unique selling points:
• Upmarket destinations often visited by celebrities
• Croatia’s fourth-largest island
• picture-postcard Old Town
• Perfect beaches and romantic restaurants and bars
Dubrovnik
Nicknamed the ‘Pearl Of The Adriatic’ this city was once a prosperous maritime republic in the Middle Ages, and once rivaled Venice in importance, wealth, and strategic significance. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Old Town is something to behold – think an enchanting labyrinth of narrow, cobbled streets, cafes and bars, and restaurants. Pristine beaches await nearby for a change of pace.
Unique selling points:
• UNESCO World Heritage site Old Town
• One of Croatia’s best-known (and loved) destinations
• Nicknamed the Pearl Of The Adriatic
We want you to fall in love with Croatia – and then spread the word! Croatia is amazing and your clients will thank you for your expertise. Contact us if you would like to apply for our Familiarity Tours!
If you already have clients interested in traveling to Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and the region, we’re eager to extend our extensive experience and expertise to you.
Adventures Croatia will always be here to demystify the region for our preferred agents!
Travel with Adventures Croatia
We’re here to make sure you learn everything there is to love about Croatia so you’ll be able to share your expertise with your clients.
Join us for this exclusive Familiarity trip, and experience firsthand how we take good care of your clients, and WOW them every step of the way.
Day 1 – October 1 ZAGREB
Itinerary |
Arrive on your own to Zagreb, and check into the hotel. Join your Tour Leader to explore Zagreb on a walking tour to learn about the city Start with exploring the capital’s historic center, Gornji Grad (“Upper Town”), to see the top tourist attractions, find the most Instagram-worthy spots and walk on picturesque cobblestone streets. St. Mark’s Church is one of Zagreb’s most emblematic buildings. Not surprising as just a glance at the gorgeous, tiled roof can take your breath away. Dolac Market is a farmer’s market located in Gornji Grad, just a few meters away from the main city square, Ban Jelačić Square. Here you can find anything from fresh fruit and vegetables to flowers and souvenirs, like Licitars. Time at leisure to explore the city on your own, as well as find other hotels for inspection and enjoy your evening. In the evening, meet the group for a Welcome Dinner at your hotel. Overnight in Zagreb. |
Day 2 – October 2 ZAGREB – PLITVICE LAKES NP – SPLIT
Itinerary |
Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. Meeting with your tour leader & driver for a private transfer from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes NP, and the final destination of Split. Upon arrival to Plitvice Lakes National Park, meet with the local guide for a guided visit to the NP. Plitvice Lakes is one of the most unique places to visit in Croatia. With easy walking trails, boardwalks suspended over the turquoise water, stunning viewpoints, and photogenic waterfalls, this is the type of place that is perfect for visitors of all ages. With different levels of lakes, four different hiking trails, seven routes through the park, and two different entrances, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out how to spend your time here. Along with Dubrovnik, and possibly Split, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Plitvice Lakes National Park is Croatia’s most visited tourist attraction. Situated 130km south of Zagreb, the national park is one of the largest and oldest in the country. It is renowned for its scenic lakes which are clustered in certain areas of the park and best viewed from above and/or via purpose-built wooden walkways that cut through and around the edge of the most accessible pools of water. The oldest (since 1949) and largest (294,82 km2) National Park in Croatia. The only National Park in Croatia on UNESCO’s list of protected natural and cultural heritage (for almost 30 years). The riches of sixteen wonderful, interlinked azure-green-colored crystalline lakes. The constant formation of the barrier modeled the appearance of the lakes today and is the main feature of the National Park. The water of Plitvice Lakes is a prime category of drinking water (a rarity in Croatia). Free time on your own, we suggest having lunch at Lika Kuca. A unique place with an ambiance of a traditional house in Lika, in which authentic dishes are prepared. Traditional, local food is a lamb roasted on a spit, or food specialties from Lika prepared “under iron cover”. Ham, “basa” cottage cheese, lamb under iron cover, grilled meats, baked potatoes, trout, sour milk, the Lika fritters, and the Lika strudels made of cheese, apple, or plum, are just some of the specialties that you will have the chance to taste. The final drive to your hotel in Split for check-in will follow. Time at leisure and overnight in Split. |
Day 3 – October 3 SPLIT
Itinerary |
Breakfast at the hotel. Time at leisure (TBD) Meet your local English-speaking guide for a walking tour of Split and Diocletian’s palace, and the guide will introduce you to the heritage and history of charming Split during your private walking tour. The second-largest city in Croatia, Split (Spalato in Italian) is a great place to see Dalmatian life as it’s lived. Always buzzing, this exuberant city has just the right balance of tradition and modernity. Step inside Diocletian’s Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world’s most impressive Roman monuments) and you’ll see dozens of bars, restaurants, and shops thriving amid the atmospheric old walls where Split life has been going on for thousands of years. Split is more than just a gateway to the islands. Discover the best things to do in Split, from lazing on Bačvice beach to sightseeing. There are plenty of things to do in Split now that – thankfully – its days as a departure point to the nearby islands are gone. Brimming with recently opened high-quality bistros, antiquities aplenty, and the best bar scene on the Adriatic coast, Croatia’s main ferry port is also the country’s most promising all-round city-break destination. Split’s focal embankment officially titled Obala Hrvatskog narodnog Preporoda, the Riva is where the city meets over coffee. As the sun moves across the sky, and thoughts turn to the night ahead, customers on the dozen or so café terraces tend to start ordering stiff drinks rather than coffee. Order up a cold drink, maybe a signature doorstep sandwich of prosciutto and cheese, and take in the last of the day’s rays. After the walking tour, time at leisure to explore the town further on your own and an overnight in Split |
Day 4 – October 4 SPLIT – HVAR
Itinerary |
Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. Join your tour leader & driver for a private transfer from your hotel to Split Port. Embark on the fast ferry from Split to Hvar Upon arrival to Hvar assistance with your luggage will be provided by the hotel staff. (Early check-in is not guaranteed) Meet your Tour Leader and the rest of the group for a walking tour of Historic Old Town Hvar. After the tour, you’ll have free time for your lunch, on your own. After lunch, meet your guide and depart on a special wine-tasting tour of Hvar. Taste Croatia’s first and only wines that won the Paris World Wine Contest and the Decanter World Wine Awards in London! Our Taste of Hvar, the island of wine tour introduces you to two of Croatia’s most distinguished winemakers, including wine tastings. The ancient Greeks and Romans were already growing grapes and producing wine on Hvar 300 years well before Christ was born. This gave them safety, food, and medicinal wealth. Vineyards are all over the island. Strong wind and sun are ideal conditions for producing the best quality wine. Plavac mali is the most indigenous grape in the Dalmatian region. Our wine tasting begins with a drive to the other side of the island to the island’s most important wine region. Once you are picked up from Hvar, travel to Jelsa or Vrboska where you’ll visit one of the most famous Croatian winemakers. Vina Carić Residing in Vrboska, the Carić family has been involved with vineyards for as long as they remember, however it was not before Vino Hvar d.o.o. was established that they started producing their wines, “Carič wines”. Their work in the vineyards is just as important to them as their work in the winery. They have 5 hectares of vineyards in a specially designated wine-growing area known as “Vinogorje Hvar.” They also purchase a minimal number of grapes from contract growers to complement their crops. They also grow indigenous varieties: Plavac Mali, Bogdanjuša, Kuč, Maraština, Darnekuša, and Pošip. Their wines have an individual story from the vineyard to the winery. Bastijana – Drink for hours, not on liters Situated in Jelsa, a small coastal town that has a very proud and long wine-making tradition. The Tomić family and ten other people from the island of Hvar work in the winery. They cultivate indigenous grapes but experiment with new ones as also. They are constantly enhancing the production of red, white, and rose varieties with modern technologies, but pay particular attention to Prošek, the original Dalmatian wine made from selected and dried grapes of the highest quality local varieties. Duboković – 2718 hours in the bottle Situated also in Jelsa, you will have a chance to taste what it’s like to try ”2718 hours in the bottle”. Young and ambitious” wine newcomers” without vineyards or with very small land plots. Their feeling belief is that basing wine production on grapes purchased from other farmers can’t possibly be as good as coming from your vineyard. Here in Croatia, Dubokovic wines have become a” must-have” in the finest restaurants, hotels, and specialized wine shops. Dubokovic – Medvid wines now have the distinction of being the most expensive regular vintage wines in the country. PLEASE NOTE: Hvar wine-tasting tour includes one of the above-mentioned wineries. You will have the opportunity to taste 7 – 8 different wines together with a specific wine guide, who will describe the individual wines and provide all the information needed about the island’s finest local appetizers. Return to the hotel, time at leisure to explore the town further or for dinner (on your own) and overnight in Hvar. |
Day 5 – October 5 HVAR – KORČULA – STON – DUBROVNIK
Itinerary |
Breakfast at the hotel and check-out Assistance with your luggage from the hotel to Hvar Port is provided by the hotel staff Embark on a fast ferry from Hvar to Korčula town. You will have a little bit of time to get just a taste of Korcula while you find your next ferry to continue on to the Pelješac Peninsula, with its long history, ingenious building strategies, peculiar building layout, and a legend of a great merchant traveler Marco Polo that was born and spent his childhood in the streets of Korcula. Korčula town enjoys a reputation as an area of ancient beauty, with great beaches and a cluster of snazzy restaurants. After arriving in Orebic, meet your driver. We’ll continue our journey via the Pelješac peninsula and head to Dubrovnik. Your next stop is village Hodilje or Mali Ston where your local host will take you to an oyster harvesting experience. Enjoy the time spent with the local oyster and mussel producer and a traditional Dalmatian light lunch Stop in Ston – a medieval city famous for its great city walls – second-largest preserved fortification system in the world, charming gothic center, and its salt pains – a major money generator in medieval times (salt was very dear and in demand in those days). Tour the Walls on your own. (tickets not included) As the car heads further, you will have a great opportunity to enjoy the picturesque hillside of Dalmatia’s magical interior: a unique blend of high mountains and small patches of fertile fields. It is part of the country that looks as if it was stopped in time. Final drive to Dubrovnik and check into your hotel. Time at leisure and overnight in Dubrovnik. |
Day 6 - October 6 DUBROVNIK
Itinerary |
Breakfast at the hotel Meet your Tour Leader and the group for a morning transfer to the Konavle region for a cultural cooking class and lunch. Return to Old Town Dubrovnik accompanied by your tour leader and meet with your local guide for a private walking tour of Old Town Dubrovnik. Take in all the main sights and explore the architecture and history of this famous city. Accompanied by our experienced guide, the story of Dubrovnik's golden age will unfold before your eyes. The walking tour route takes you around the Old Town via Onofrio's Fountain and up Prijeko Street to the Old Port - the key to Dubrovnik's trading and maritime success. Along the way, you will pay a visit to St. Saviour's, the grandiose Franciscan and Dominican church, and see wine-producing vines believed to be more than 100 years old. Ships from Dubrovnik were renowned throughout the Mediterranean and galleons from the Republic could be found in navies across Europe and beyond. These ships were built and loaded in the legendary Arsenal, which is another stop on the tour. Once in the "Old Port", your guide will relate the intriguing stories of the famous Quarantine and the nearby fortresses of St. Luke and St. John as well as fascinating legends about the Church of St Blaise, the Cathedral, the Rector's Palace, Sponza Palace, and Orlando's Column. Time at leisure to explore the town further on your own Tickets included: Visit the Dubrovnik City Walls - the city walls are considered to be one of the most grandiose fortification monuments in Europe. The first fortifications were built already in the 8th century, but the most intense construction took place from the mid-15th to the end of the 16th century. The huge earthquake in 1667 did not do much damage. The ramparts encompass the city in an irregularly shaped polygon, with Fort Minčeta at the highest northwestern landward corner of the city and with Fort St. Johns on the southeastern seaside. Strong forts, such as Fort Lawrence at Pile and Fort Revelin at Ploče, are also part of the defense system, even though they are separated from the ramparts. The ramparts are 22 meters high in places, and from 4 to 6 m. thick on the landward side and from 1-1/2 to 3 m. thick on the seaside. In front of the main wall on the mainland, side is an outer wall with 10 semi-circular bastions, in front of which used to be a moat. The main wall has 14 quadrangular and 2 circular towers, 2 angular fortifications, and 4 bastions. There are three entrances to the city ramparts: on Stradun by the Pile gate, by Fort St. Johns, and by Fort St. Luke, Od Sv. Dominika street. Tickets included: Take the Dubrovnik Cable Car and reach a unique viewpoint above the city. Glide through the air on a scenic adventure. The Cable Car ride offers breathtaking views of the Old Town of Dubrovnik, stunning coastal sights, and magnificent sunsets. Once you reach the top, take your time, relax, and enjoy the unique views of Dubrovnik and the Adriatic. WEATHER PERMITTING Return to the hotel on your own, time at leisure, and overnight in Dubrovnik. Self-arranged final dinner with the group (not included), on your own if you feel like organizing it with each other to say farewell. |
- ALL PRIVATE and ENGLISH-SPEAKING GUIDES AND DRIVERS
- VAT TAX INCLUDED
- 24hr concierge and in-Croatia assistance
- 1 night in a 4* hotel in Zagreb, BB basis
- Private transfer from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes NP in a modern, air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance fees for Plitvice Lakes NP and a guided visit to the NP
- Private transfer from Plitvice Lakes to Split in a modern, air-conditioned vehicle
- English-speaking guide for a private walking city tour of Split (entrance fees not included)
- 1 night in a 4* hotel in Split, BB basis
- Private transfer and luggage assistance from your hotel to Split Port in a modern, air-conditioned vehicle
- Fast ferry tickets for transfer from Split to Hvar
- English-speaking guide for a private walking city tour of Hvar (entrance fees not included)
- Hvar wine tasting tour – Included: pick up, guide/driver, car transfer, wine tasting.
- 1 night in a 4* hotel in Hvar, BB basis
- Fast ferry tickets from Hvar to Korčula
- Ferry tickets from Korcula to Orebic
- Private transfer from Orebic to Dubrovnik with en route stop on Pelješac peninsula in a modern, air-conditioned vehicle
- Oyster harvesting experience with the local oyster and mussel producer and a traditional Dalmatian light lunch
- 2 nights in a 4* hotel in Dubrovnik, BB basis
- Private transfer from your hotel in Dubrovnik to the Old Town Dubrovnik in a modern, air-conditioned vehicle
- English-speaking guide for a private walking tour of Old Town Dubrovnik (includes Franciscan Monastery – Entrance - City Walls – Entrance fees, Cable Car tickets included)
- Meals and drinks not mentioned above
- Airfare, Travel Insurance
- Additional excursions and/or services not mentioned in the program
- Personal expenses (internet, telephone, mini bar, etc.)
- Tips and porterage services