Croatia: Islands & Mountains

All breakfasts are included. For breakfast you can expect a large continental buffet with meats and cheeses, bread, jams and pastries, plus tea and coffee.

Croatian cuisine is a mixture of fine seafood, grilled meat, pizza, pasta and salads, with influences from central Europe, Italy and the Balkans. Some specialities that we highly recommend include squid-ink risotto and octopus salad.

vegetarian, vegan, meat

All transport and listed activities

Normally four to 16, plus leader and driver.

Travel will be by private bus, scheduled ferry services and local public bus in Dubrovnik.

We spend seven nights in simple but comfortable hotels. We typically stay in three-star properties, all well-located in towns and villages with a good variety of restaurants, allowing you to indulge in the fantastic local cuisine. Below are the hotels we typically use.

Dubrovnik: Hotel Vis or Hotel Komodor (annex) (nights 1-2)

Our first two nights are spent at either Hotel Vis or Hotel Komodor (above), both three-star beachside properties. The 151-room Vis hotel, sandwiched between pine trees and the Adriatic, has a rooftop terrace, bar, and a seaside restaurant serving local and international cuisines. The 113-room Komodor is split between a main stone building built in 1934 and a 50-room annex, which we stay in. It is close to restaurants and bars, and the bus stop for the Old Town is just in front of the hotel. A pebble beach is nearby or you can enjoy the outdoor pool.

Bol, Brac: Villa Daniela (nights 3-4)

This family-run hotel is a 15-minute stroll to the beloved Golden Horn beach. Katarina is one of the friendliest receptionists you'll meet and her father has a lovely traditional restaurant you can visit – it will be a dinner to remember. Traditional dishes made from local produce and vegetables grown in their garden will possibly be the culinary highlight of your trip.

Starigrad Paklenica: Hotel Vicko (nights 5-7)

Hotel Vicko is a short stroll from a public beach, ideal for a quick dip after walking through beautiful Paklenica National Park, and there is a good restaurant serving local dishes. This hotel truly understands the meaning of a hiker tourist; they never complain about muddy shoes or a wet overcoat and will help you dry out. Their breakfast has various choices, and their restaurant menu comprises secret family recipes spiced with medical herbs from the great mountain of Velebit.

Worth knowing

In recent years, Croatia has regained its place as a popular tourist destination with visitor levels nearly as high as before the Balkan conflict. Unfortunately, many hotels were damaged beyond repair during those years and demand now heavily outstrips supply. As a result, hotel prices are high and Croatia is not the cheap destination some might expect. Hotels tend to be more functional than luxurious with Communist-era architecture and facilities. We work with several hotels to ensure availability and a comfortable place to rest.

Some hotels we use don’t have lifts.