Taste of Croatia & Slovenia: Luxury Food and Wine Tour

Your luxury food and wine tour begins with your arrival at Zagreb Airport. Our driver will be there to greet you and provide a private transfer to Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, a 5-star property in the heart of the Croatia capital that opened its doors in 1925. It offers historic elegance, lavishly appointed rooms, and modern amenities. After checking in and getting settled in your room you might take advantage of the spa and wellness center before enjoying dinner at the on-site restaurant or bistro this evening.

Enjoy a tour of the city with our local guide starting from your hotel. You’ll explore both the modern Lower Town and the historic Upper Town for a mix of highlights that include St. Mark’s Church with its 13th-century Romanesque window revealing its ability to stand the test of time. Admire the Stone Gate, the only entrance that remains from the old fortifications, Zagreb Cathedral, and more. In between exploring, you’ll stop at “La Struk” to sample Croatia’s renowned delicacy, strukli, the only item it serves.

Excursions Included:
Private Zagreb city tour with Strukli

Meals Included:
Breakfast & Tasting

Meet your driver for a private transfer to Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, after checking out of your Zagreb hotel. Take time to refresh and then join our local guide for an insightful walking tour during which you’ll take in the best of the city’s historic architecture, ranging through ancient Roman, Medieval, Baroque, and Art Nouveau periods. After your walking tour your guide will join you for a visit to the beautiful Ljubljana castle, set atop a hill overlooking the city, with an enjoyable funicular ride to its summit. Also on the agenda is a river boat ride along the Ljubljana River, to see the city from another perspective.

Excursions Included:
Private Ljubljana Walking Tour with Ljubljana Castle Entry and River Boat Trip

Meals Included:
Breakfast

Join our guide for a private day trip to Lake Bled with its beautiful emerald waters backed by the Julian Alps. You’ll hop on a traditional pletna boat to visit the islet in the middle that’s topped by a church with a bell you can ring to make your wishes come true. Enjoy the famous cream cake at medieval Bled Castle with a magnificent lake view and then continue to medieval Radovljica nearby where beekeeping is popular for a tasting of what’s been called Slovenia’s most mouthwatering honey.

Excursions Included:
Lake Bled with beekeeping tradition

Meals Included:
Breakfast, Cream cake, Honey Tasting

Leaving Ljubljana, your private driver will bring you to Opatija with a stop to visit Postojna Cave. It’s renowned for its remarkable formations and diverse array of fauna, including the rare and endangered olm, a type of salamander. You’ll journey by train into the belly of the cave to admire it all before visiting Vivarium Proteus where offspring of the olm were successfully hatched, providing hope for its survival. Continue to your Hotel in Opatija, a charming seaside town that is known as being the home of Croatian tourism.

Excursions Included:
Postojna Caves Entry Ticket

Meals Included:
Breakfast

The Istria Peninsula is renowned for its enchanting hilltop towns, its vineyards, and its truffles, a rare delicacy found in dense forests requiring specially trained dogs. On this tour you’ll travel into the scenic interior, joining a skilled truffle hunter and dog for a firsthand look at how it’s done. A tasting is included, with a three-course lunch featuring truffle dishes. Afterward, you’ll visit one of the most charming hilltop towns in the region, Motovun, concluding with a wine tasting in Vizinada.

Excursions Included:
Private Istria Delights Tour with Truffle Hunting

Meals Included:
Breakfast, truffle light lunch and wine tasting

Meeting your driver upon checkout at your Opatija hotel, you’ll head to Plitvice, the oldest and the biggest Croatian National park. Enjoy a private guided tour of the park on foot and via a panoramic boat ride to immerse yourself in the breathtaking scenery, with around 90 waterfalls and 16 lakes in brilliant shades of greens and blues. You’ll see Croatia’s highest waterfall, Veliki slap, or the “Great waterfall,” before concluding with a train ride.

Meals Included:
Breakfast

Checking out from Plitvice, you’ll meet your driver for the private transfer to Split, stopping in Sibenik where you’ll have free time for lunch and exploring. There’s a lovely seaside promenade and multiple historical landmarks with the highlight the UNESCO-listed 15th-century Cathedral of St. James. Made of marble and limestone from Brac Island, its frieze features over 70 sculptures of the faces of men, women, and children you might have seen in “Game of Thrones.” Once in Split, check into your hotel and spend the evening strolling the beautiful city streets.

Meals Included:
Breakfast

Get to know some of the tastiest flavors Split has to offer on a 3-hour private food and cultural tour. You’ll get to sample signature eats as you explore the vast 4th-century palace complex and its surrounds, starting with the Green Market that lies adjacent. Check out the many local foods on offer and enjoy a tasting followed by a visit to a konoba known for its culinary specialties such as handmade pasta and fresh seafood.

Excursions Included:
Private Food & Cultural tour

Meals Included:
Breakfast & Tastings

With so much to do in Split, you’ll have a full day of leisure to do what interests you most. You might explore more of the palace, including a climb up the nearly 200-foot-high bell tower at Saint Dominus Cathedral. You’ll enjoy one of the best views of the city, the sea, and beyond. The palace cellars are also worth a visit – “Game of Thrones” fans will recognize them as the place where Daenerys trained her dragons. Learn more about Split’s history at the city museum in the heart of the palace and perhaps head to Bacvice Beach, less than a 15-minute walk away.

Meals Included:
Breakfast

It’s time to head to the final destination of your trip, Dubrovnik, the “Pearl of the Adriatic.” Enjoy the magnificent coastal views along the Peljesac Peninsula with its fjord-like landscape. A memorable stop will be made along the way in Ston, world-famous for its oysters, said to be some of the world’s best. You’ll hop into a small boat to reach a floating pontoon in the bay for a fresh oyster-tasting experience, with the delicacies harvested straight from the sea. Enjoy them with some tasty Dalmatian wine before continuing to your Dubrovnik hotel where you’ll check in and enjoy the evening at leisure.

Excursions Included:
Oyster & Wine tasting experience

Meals Included:
Breakfast & Tasting

While you’ve probably gotten a glimpse of the beautiful Old City, today you’ll explore it more in-depth while gaining expert insight from your local guide. You’ll learn more about its history as you marvel at the grand architecture built in Renaissance, Gothic, and Baroque styles. Afterward, you’ll set off on your own with tickets in hand to the cable car that ascends Mount Srd. Once at the top, you’ll take in a panoramic view over the walled historic center and beyond to the sea and nearby islands.

Excursions Included:
Private Dubrovnik City Tour with Cable Car

Meals Included:
Breakfast

Head to the Konavle Valley, a short and scenic drive from Dubrovnik where you’ll enjoy an authentic culinary experience that will allow you to get to know a local family whose history dates back over 500 years. Join the family matriarch to help prepare some of the region’s most popular dishes with guided instruction for a fun and entertaining lesson. Once the meal is ready you’ll enjoy the feast you helped to make, complemented by the local wine.

Excursions Included:
Private home-hosted cooking class

Meals Included:
Breakfast & Dinner

With two unforgettable weeks discovering the tastes of Croatia and Slovenia behind you, it will soon be time to say farewell. Your driver will meet you upon checkout at your Dubrovnik hotel, providing a private transfer to Dubrovnik Airport. You can catch your flight home or head to another destination for even more adventures. Wherever your travels take you, we wish you a safe journey!

Meals Included:
Breakfast

Want to customize this itinerary?

Speak to our travel experts if you would like to extend your stay in any of the destinations you will be visiting on this itinerary.