History of Croatia small group tours for senior travellers

After making our own way from the airport, we meet at the hotel for a welcome dinner and program orientation. (D)

Today we spend the morning visiting the main sights of the city including Stone Gate, Sun Clock and Upper Town. We'll also visit Dolac Market and Mimara Museum. The afternoon is free to explore more at your own pace. (B)

Today we transfer by coach to Rijeka for a guided tour of the Croatian National Theatre which contains some ceiling frescoes painted by Gustav Klimt. We continue on to Opatija for a short stroll along the promenade before transferring to Porec. (B,D)

In the morning we head to the Lipica stud farm, where they breed and train the horses for the Spanish Riding school in Vienna. While here, we also enjoy an equestrian training performance. On our way back we stop at Socerb to see the ruined castle, taking in the breathtaking views. We then continue on the small roads to Hrastovlje where we see amazing frescoes of Dance of Death (Danse Macabre) at the Church of the Holy Trinity. (B)

Today we visit the Euphrasian basilica in Porec, taking in its remarkable mosaics before heading to Motovun to view the hilltop medieval hamlet and take in the views. We continue on to Buzet for a lunch tasting session of truffles and other local specialities. After lunch, we drive the short distance to Roc, where we take in the unusual Glagolitic Alley to Hum. This is a series of sculptures that pay tribute to the monks who preserved the national Glagolitic script. Hum is one of the tiniest villages you will ever visit, with an equally tiny gateway into it. Our next stop is the small village of Beram where we visit the Church of St Mary with its wonderful wall paintings illustrating the “Dance of Death.", on a smaller scale than those we viewed yesterday in Hrastovlje. (B,L)

Today we travel south to the small town of Rovinj on the coast. Here, we enjoy a stroll to take in the sights of the old town. We then continue to Vodnjan to visit Church of St Blaise, with its famous mummies. Our next stop is Pula where we visit the Roman amphitheatre. We then cross over the mountains to Brestova, to we take the short ferry crossing to the island of Cres. We then drive over the mountain to the small village of Beli, where we visit the eco centre that is working hard to preserve the European Griffon Vulture. The centre always has several on display who are being nursed back to health, and we also take the opportunity to hear about the challenges the workers face in preserving this species. The remainder of the day is spent in the town of Cres, where we have the chance to stretch our legs and take a short stroll around the harbour and old town. This area of the city is very pretty and showcases the Venetian heritage in its extraordinary architecture. Dinner this evening is at our hotel. (B,D)

Today we spend the full day exploring Cres with our local guide. We stop to view the Venetian gates and the church of Our Lady of the Snow (Church of Saint Mary the Great). Later we transfer south to Osor for a walking tour of the village and to view the stone walls. The remainder of the afternoon is free to further explore the city on your own. (B)

After breakfast, we take the ferry to Krk and then we drive across to visit the famous Plitvice National park with its famous terraced lakes connected by waterfalls. Here, we enjoy a boat ride and electric train ride to view the spectacular waterfalls. (B,D)

In the morning we transfer to Nin and visit the Salt Museum and tour around the salt pans before continuing our journey to Zadar. In the evening we enjoy a walk around the harbour and dinner at a local restaurant. We'll also have the opportunity to to hear the sea organ – a collection of musical pipes set in the sea wall to make sounds as the waves pass through and see the Sun Salutation installation – a design of photovoltaic cells set in the pavement. (B,D)

Today we travel the short distance to Sibenik, where we visit the Cathedral of St. James, a world heritage site, to see the famous carvings.  Next stop is the Krka national park, where we see the waterfalls at Skradinski buk, before taking a short boat ride on the lake to Vivovac island. We also take in the region's other major waterfall, Roski Slap. In the afternoon and evening, we have free time to explore Trogir, a historic and beautiful city. Dinner this evening will be at our hotel. (B,D)

In the morning, we take a tour of Split and visit the famous Emperor Diocletian’s palace complex. We also experience the wonders of the Mestrovic gallery, which is set in the villa that the Emperor designed. We see the extraordinary sculptures in the garden and inside the villa. In the afternoon, we make a quick stop at the Roman ruins of Solin. The rest of the day we have free time to explore Trogir, a historic and beautiful city. (B)

After breakfast we drive to Omis where we take a cruise along the river Cetina through the gorge to Radmanove mlince (Radman's mills) where we enjoy a lunch. We then return to Trogir and have free time to continue exploring the city on our own. (B,L)

Today we transfer to Split and take the ferry to the small town of Stari Grad on the island of Hvar. We take a short tour of the town that includes a visit to Tvrdalj, a small palace built by a poet in the 16th century. We also take in some of the island’s sights on the drive across to Hvar town. (B)

Today has been set aside as a relaxing rest day, with a walking tour of the town this morning, followed by a walk up to the Spanish fortress. After a delicious quayside seafood lunch, the afternoon is free to explore our own interests. (B,L)

This morning, we take the fast catamaran to Korcula where we enjoy a guided walking tour of the area. The afternoon is free to explore the aspects of the island that most appeal to you. Suggestions include the Icon Museum, the Town Museum, Abbey Treasury and St.Mark's Cathedral. Dinner this evening is at our hotel. (B,L,D)

Today we enjoy an extensive Island tour that takes in the Marmont route, built by Napoleonic troops. This route offers a memorable way of taking in the sights of the island. We enjoy stops in Zavalatica, a tiny seaside hamlet, Cara, for a vineyard tour with tasting, and Lumbarda, where we enjoy a tasting of different island wines and local snacks. (B)

This morning we take the ferry to the mainland and drive to Ston. We make one short stop to view the long city walls stretching up the hillside, which was built to protect the town and its salt stores. Before reaching Dubrovnik, we visit the extraordinary arboretum at Trsteno, which features extensive gardens with amazing views. The gardens were first planted in the 16th century, and have many exotic plants, not just trees. For a spot of popular culture, scenes from the Game of Thrones television series were filmed here too. (B,D)

Today we enjoy an extensive walking tour of Dubrovnik that takes in many of the main sights of the city like the Franciscan Monastery and pharmacy, War Photo Museum and Rector's Palace. To finish the tour, we take the cable car to Mt Srd, where we experience majestic views over the city and sea. Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)

After breakfast, we say our farewells and the tour draws to a close.