Odysseys Unlimited

Day 1: Depart U.S. for Zagreb, Croatia

Day 2: Arrive Zagreb After a connecting flight in Europe, we arrive in Zagreb and transfer to our hotel. Tonight we meet our fellow travelers as we gather for a briefing and welcome dinner. D

Day 3: Zagreb This morning’s tour of Croatia’s capital by coach and on foot reveals a gracious city of culture and hospitality. We visit Mirogoj Park Cemetery, known for its arcades and sculpture, then continue through Old Town with a visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral. After calling on the colorful Dolac open-air market, the remainder of the day is free to explore this delightful city on our own. B

Day 4: Zagreb/Plitvice/Dubrovnik Late this morning we drive to Plitvice Lakes National Park, a dramatic string of 16 turquoise-colored lakes connected by a series of waterfalls and cascades. Once known as Devils Garden, this intriguing natural landscape of karst formations and abundant wildlife is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We have an early dinner at a restaurant in Zagreb then continue on to the airport for our evening flight to Dubrov­nik. Our well located hotel sits just outside the city’s Old Town. B,D

Day 5: Dubrovnik Today we discover the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” the city whose ancient walls have withstood time and tide for hundreds of years – and more recently, attack during the Serbian invasion of the early 1990s. Happily, Dubrovnik is now repaired, renewed, and ready to show off its many charms. We begin our explorations with a walking tour through Old Town, including Minceta Tower and the fortified city walls, whose original ramparts and bastions date to the 12th and 13th centuries. (Dubrovnik itself was founded in the 7th century.) We see the stately Baroque Cathedral (ca. 1672); the Treasury, whose gilded shelves and historic relics sit behind locked wooden doors; and the Franciscan monastery with a 14th-century pharmacy. We return to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure or independent exploration. Then we enjoy a small group highlight as dinner guests in the home of a Dubrovnik family whose menu includes produce from their garden, home­made olive oil, and local wine. B,D

Day 6: Dubrovnik Today is free to explore on our own. From the medieval Old Town to the contemporary city with its Mediterranean accent, Dubrovnik offers discoveries aplenty, including the tiny synagogue dating to the 15th century, historic Sponza Palace, the Maritime Museum, Luza Square, and the Rector’s Palace. Lunch and dinner today are on our own. B

Day 7: Dubrovnik/Split/Hvar Leaving Dubrov­nik this morning we travel a scenic coastal route north to Split, the main city of the central Dalmatian Coast. Here we have time for lunch on our own before boarding a ferry for the two-hour cruise to Hvar, “queen” of the Dalmatian islands. Upon arrival we travel by coach to lively Hvar town, where we spend the next two nights. We dine tonight at a local restaurant just a short walk from our hotel. B,D

Day 8: Hvar With captivating natural beauty and a strategic Adriatic location, Hvar has prospered since antiquity. We discover some of its charms this morning, first with a walking tour of Venetian-tinged Hvar town then with a walking tour of nearby Stari Grad, one of Croatia’s oldest cities, where we also have some free time. We return to our hotel for lunch and an afternoon and evening at leisure. B,L

Day 9: Hvar/Split We return to the mainland this morning, arriving back in Split in time for lunch on our own. This afternoon we tour Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built by the Roman emperor Diocletian at the end of the 3rd century, the palace, and then its ruins, eventually formed the historic heart of picturesque Split. Tonight we dine at our hotel. B,D

Day 10: Split/Zadar/Opatija We leave Split this morning, traveling further up the magnificent Dalmatian Coast to the medieval city of Zadar. We have time to ex­plore this Italian-accented city and have lunch together before continuing on to the seaside resort of Opatija, arriving early this evening. B,L,D

Day 11: Opatija Our tour of Opatija and its surr­oundings (the “Opatija Riviera”) begins this morning in Moscenicka, a peaceful and picturesque resort town. Then we return to Opatija for a walking tour of this once grand resort town. Our tour ends around lunchtime; the remainder of the day is free for independent exploration. We dine tonight at a local restaurant. B,D

Day 12: Opatija/Istrian Peninsula Today’s tour of the Istrian Peninsula reveals the multi-cultural roots of this alluring coastal region jutting into the Adriatic. At various times a vassal of Venice, the first Austro-Hungarian Empire, Fascist Italy, the Yugoslav Federation, and finally, Croatia, Istra, as it’s known, boasts an interesting history, mild Mediterranean climate, lovely scenery, and good wines. Our first stop is in the port of Pula, where we visit the well-preserved remains of a first-century Roman amphitheater. We continue on to Rovinj, a charming old Venetian port where we have time to explore on our own before returning to Opatija. B

Day 13: Opatija/Venice Leaving Opatija this morning we travel through scenic countryside on our way to Venice, stopping for lunch at an Italian farmhouse. Mid-afternoon we reach our hotel close to St. Mark’s Square. The remainder of the day and evening is free to explore this most enchanting of cities on our own. B,L

Day 14: Venice This morning we take a guided walking tour of the area surrounding vast St. Mark’s Square. And there’s so much more to discover on our own this afternoon. Tonight we celebrate our adventure over a farewell dinner at our hotel. B,D

Day 15: Depart for U.S. This morning we transfer to the airport for our return flights to the U.S. B