Croatia and Italy Vacation Packages & Tours

Where to Go

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  Dubrovnik

  It was Byron who called Dubrovnik the “pearl of the Adriatic” and with its encampment of city walls encircling the entire old town, and a year’s worth of sights to see, it’s easy to see why. Ascend to one of Durbrovnik’s many viewpoints and your eyes will flutter across impossibly blue seas and charming terracotta red rooftops. Descend to walk amongst the grandeur and you’ll soon find yourself taking in the Pile Gate and Fort Minčeta from atop the city walls. Promenade along chic Stradun to Luza Square to see Sponza Palace, the Church of St Blaise, and Onofrio’s Fountain before devouring a bottle of Plavac Mali or pošip alongside a plate of black risotto.

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  Split

  Cross from Italy to Croatia’s Split, and it’ll soon become apparent that you’ve traveled via the roots of ancient Rome. In the heart of Split, the palace made for the Roman Emperor Diocletian (and increased in size over hundreds of years) now serves as a busy old town filled with restaurants and bars, churches, and dusty piazzas. But as a working, breathing city, it has a modern Croatian personality, best found in neighborhoods like quaint Veli Varoš and beachside Žnjan.

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  Hvar

  Sail between Šolta and Brač, and you’ll eventually catch sight of Hvar: a favorable stop for luxury yachts and a beautiful place to party throughout the summer. But if you want to avoid the crowds that appear for the nightlife, then stay in Stari Grad, a delightful old town at the top of a narrow cove, oozing tranquility and charm with nearby beaches and a good collection of restaurants with sea-fresh seafood. Close by is the fascinating Stari Grad Plain, an ancient agricultural landscape, fertile with olives and grapes since the Ionian Greeks colonized Hvar in the 4th century BC.

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  Venice

  A highlight on any tour of Europe, Venice is one of the world’s most romantic and alluring destinations. Grand hotels abound, lending graceful reflections to the waters of the Grand Canal and offering every conceivable luxury, ideal for post-walk relaxation. Beautiful sights line every quaint canal, ornate palazzi house world-class restaurants alongside locally loved pizzerias, while museums like the Guggenheim and the Museo Fortuny provide a wealth of cultural pursuits beyond the sheer beauty of Venice. Drink a spritz in a piazza colored by seasonal flowers, ride a Gondola through the canals and under iconic bridges at Rialto and the Bridge of Sighs, or tour Venice’s 139 churches.

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  Florence

  If Venice is all canals, arched bridges, and Casanova, then Florence is all hills, Renaissance glamor, and Dante. It’s a sweeping chocolate box of a town that invites long explorative walks across cobbles for stunning churches, sunset views from Piazzale Michelangelo, and excellent designer shopping on the Via Tornabuoni. Every step of the historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site, it feels old but so pristinely manicured that it could be a museum, and not a single street is anything less than captivating. Cross Ponte Vecchio, the covered bridge full of jewelers to explore the gardens of Giardino di Boboli, or if you’re in the mood for something a little different, peek inside La Specola for a stunning collection of anatomical waxes.

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  Rome

  St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. The Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Castel Sant’Angelo (The Mausoleum of Hadrian) and Ponte Sant’Angelo. Trevi fountain and the Tiber River! The list of attractions that burst to life across Rome’s ancient streets is simply staggering and seemingly endless. But go beneath the streets, and the list only grows with catacombs full of skeletons at the Capuchin Crypt beneath the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, St Peter’s Tomb beneath Vatican City, and Mussolini’s Bunker under the stately Villa Torlonia. Leave the ancient center, and there are lush parks with idyllic lakes, pretty neighborhoods filled with art nouveau mansions, and explorable modern quarters bustling with chic restaurants and bars.