Day 1

Depart from NYC to Ljubljana

 

12 hr, 1 stop

Details: Opened in 2011 the award winning Hotel Cubo Ljubljana has firmly established itself as one of the city’s finest luxury hotels. Centrally located in a stunningly renovated 1930's art deco building, the hotel has a sophisticated cosmopolitan feel combining excellent contemporary design with attentive service and exceptional facilities. It's also home to one of Ljubljana’s most innovative fine dining restaurants.

Day 2

Details: Ljubljana is Slovenia's capital and largest city. It's known for its university population and green spaces, including expansive Tivoli Park. The curving Ljubljanica River, lined in outdoor cafes, divides the city's old town from its commercial hub. Ljubljana has many museums, including the National Museum of Slovenia, displaying historic exhibitions, and the Museum of Modern Art, home to 20th-century Slovene paintings and sculptures.

Day 3

• Lake Bled - traditional boat to Bled island

• Bled castle - the best views of Lake Bled

• Predjama castle - the most spectacular castle in Slovenia

• Postojna cave - Slovenia’s number 1 tourist attraction

Otočec Castle is a castle hotel on a small island in the middle of the Krka River in Otočec, Slovenia. It is the only water castle in Slovenia.

Day 4

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Istria, formerly Histria, is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Kvarner Gulf. It is shared by three countries: Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy.

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The family-owned Casa Romantica La Parenzana is a rugged former farmhouse with thick stone walls, wooden beams and open fireplaces, offering fine Istrian cuisine and free internet.

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The story of the Benvenuti winery is a story of family, tradition and terroir. They are situated in the quiet Istrian village of Kaldir, overlooking nearby Motovun, where they grow three grape varieties - Malvasia Istriana, Teran and Muscat. Throughout history, these varieties have been giving the best results in Istria and it is therefore their intention to use the advantages of this unique territory sustainably, with gratitude for being a small part of it.

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Motovun is a medieval town that grew up on the site of an ancient city called Kastelijer. It is situated on a hill 270 metres (886 feet) above sea level with houses scattered all over the hill. On the inner walls are several coats-of-arms of different Motovun ruling families and two gravestones of Roman inhabitants. In the 10th and 11th centuries it belonged to the Bishop of Poreč. From 1278 it was taken over by Venice and surrounded by solid walls which are still intact today, and used as a walkway with unique views over the four corners of Istria. All three parts of the town are connected by a system of fortifications with towers and city gates containing elements of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance styles, built between the 14th and 17th centuries. It is a typical example of Venetian colonial architecture.

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Grožnjan is a settlement and municipality in Croatia. It is part of Croatia's Istria County, which takes up most of the Istria peninsula. It is the only Croatian settlement to have an ethnic Italian majority and is famous for its art galleries.

Day 5

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Grapes used to make Matosevic wines come from two vineyard locations. The first is the Buje area in the northwest Istria where the owners grow grapes for fresh and aged white wines, particularly Malvasia, with their long-standing partners. The other location is in central Istria, near the village of Grimalda, where they make two wines of the same name, namely Grimalda White and Grimalda Red, a coupage of white and red grape varieties.

 

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Rovinj is a Croatian fishing port on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula. The old town stands on a headland, with houses tightly crowded down to the seafront. A tangle of cobbled streets leads to the hilltop church of St. Euphemia, whose towering steeple dominates the skyline. South of the old town is Lone Bay, one of the area’s pebble beaches. The Rovinj archipelago’s 14 islands lie immediately off the mainland.

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Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia. It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,624 inhabitants.

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Surrounded by pine groves, this relaxed hotel is a 4-minute walk from the nearest beach and 9 minutes' walk from the ferry port, which offers services to Venice.

Day 6

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Dating to the 1920s, this grand, art nouveau style luxury hotel is a 2-minute walk from a tram stop and 4 km from the Museum of Contemporary Art. 

Featuring plush, art deco style furnishings and city views, the luxe rooms and suites offer free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and marble bathrooms; upgraded rooms add sitting areas. Suites offer minibars; 1 has a separate kitchen, plus dining and sitting rooms. Room service is on offer.

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Zagreb, Croatia’s northwestern capital, is distinguished by its 18th- and 19th-century Austro-Hungarian architecture. At its center, Upper Town is the site of the Gothic, twin-spired Zagreb Cathedral, 13th-century St. Mark’s Church and cafe-lined pedestrian Tkalčićeva Street. Lower Town contains the city's main square, Ban Jelačić, as well as shops, museums and parks.

Day 7

Details: Plitviče Lakes National Park is a 295-sq.-km forest reserve in central Croatia. It's known for a chain of 16 terraced lakes, joined by waterfalls, that extend into a limestone canyon. Walkways and hiking trails wind around and across the water, and a Lake Kozjak ferry links the upper and lower lakes. The latter are the site of Veliki Slap, a 78m-high waterfall.

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Set on a peninsula off the Adriatic coast, this luxe beachfront hotel is 13 km from Zadar and 16 km from the Morske orgulje underwater organ. The bright rooms feature balconies, flat-screen TVs, safes and minibars. Suites add living areas. Breakfast is free. The hotel offers sea-view dining, and chic restaurants serving Mediterranean, Italian-Dalmatian and Alpine-Adriatic cuisine. 

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Zadar, a city on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, is known for the Roman and Venetian ruins of its peninsular old town, including several Venetian gates in the city walls. Surrounding the Roman-era Forum are the 11th-century St. Mary’s Convent, with religious art dating to the 8th century; the grand, 12th-century St. Anastasia’s Cathedral; and the round, 9th-century pre-Romanesque Church of St. Donat.

Day 8

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Trogir is a remarkable example of urban continuity. The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the Hellenistic period and it was embellished by successive rulers with many fine public and domestic buildings and fortifications. Its beautiful Romanesque churches are complemented by the outstanding Renaissance and Baroque buildings from the Venetian period.

Day 9

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The sea is an integral part of Croatia’s premier island, and to visit Hvar and not experience the magic of sailing its waters would be to miss one of its most important and enjoyable aspects. Although, sailing may not be the main reason for everyone to visit the island, but  tourists are invited to sample the Hvar sailing experience. 

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Set in a stately 16th-century building overlooking the Port of Hvar, this refined hotel is a 3-minute walk from Hvar Cathedral and 12 minutes' walk from the Tvrđava - Fortica, a hilltop fortress.

The modern, airy rooms and suites offer flat-screen TVs and minibars, as well as free Wi-Fi. Some have balconies, sea views and exposed stone walls.
 

Day 10

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Set on a cliff overlooking the Adriadic sea, this modern, upscale hotel is 4 km from both Lokrum island and the Medieval Walls of Dubrovnik. 

Featuring glass-fronted balconies with sea views, the refined rooms also include wood floors, free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs, plus minibars and designer toiletries. Upgraded rooms add living areas. Suites offer tea and coffeemakers, living rooms and dining areas, along with whirlpool tubs. Room service is available 24/7.

Day 11

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Dubrovnik is a city in southern Croatia fronting the Adriatic Sea. It's known for its distinctive Old Town, encircled with massive stone walls completed in the 16th century. Its well-preserved buildings range from baroque St. Blaise Church to Renaissance Sponza Palace and Gothic Rector’s Palace, now a history museum. Paved with limestone, the pedestrianized Stradun (aka Placa) is lined with shops and restaurants.

Day 12

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Montenegro is a small Balkan country with rugged mountains, medieval villages and a narrow strip of beaches along its Adriatic coastline. The Bay of Kotor, resembling a fjord, is dotted with coastal churches and fortified towns such as Kotor and Herceg Novi. Durmitor National Park encompasses limestone peaks, glacial lakes, wildlife such as bears and wolves, and 1,300m-deep Tara River Canyon.

Day 13

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The Elaphiti Islands or the Elaphites (Croatian: Elafitski otoci or Elafiti) is a small archipelago consisting of several islands stretching northwest of Dubrovnik, in the Adriatic sea. The Elaphites have a total land area of around 30 square kilometres (12 square miles) and a population of 850 inhabitants. The islands are covered with characteristic Mediterranean evergreen vegetation and attract large numbers of tourists during the summer tourist season due to their beaches and pristine scenery.

Day 14

Depart from Dubrovnik to NYC

 

12 hr, 1 stop