The Eastern Discovery (Classic, With 3 Days Cruise, 16 Days)
Description
Summary
Description
Embark on an unforgettable 16-day journey through the enchanting landscapes of Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, and Turkey. This multi-day tour offers a unique blend of rich history, diverse culture, stunning natural beauty, and vibrant city life. From the two-tiered capital of Croatia, Zagreb, to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Plitvice Lakes National Park and the old town of Kotor, every day brings a new adventure. Discover the ancient ruins of Delphi and Ephesus, sail the cobalt-blue waters of Corfu, and explore the vibrant city of Athens. Enjoy local cuisine, meet warm-hearted locals, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Included
7 Dinner with Wine (DW)
15 Breakfast (B)
1 Dinner (D)
3 Lunch with Wine (LW)
Zagreb: Join your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant with the opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers over a pleasant evening with wine.
Dubrovnik: Enjoy a traditional Dalmatian Coast meal at a local restaurant, accompanied with wine and grappa.
Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
15 nights accommodation
From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
Trogir: See the cathedral and Renaissance Cipiko Palace during an orientation with your Travel Director.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
Plitvice Lakes National Park: Join a Local Expert to explore Plitvice National Park. Learn about the studies taking place to monitor and protect the natural habitat, and education initiatives on the marine environment and best practices for a low-impact experience.
The site participates in habitat restoration and is constantly working to protect the parks natural ecosystems and animal population. The staff educate their visitors about local traditions and share their personal story of the village with great passion from personal knowledge and experience.
This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, UN Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life On Land and UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable cities & Communities.
Alternatively, meet the industrious women of the Tara Community Center.
Plitvice Lakes National Park: Through its income the Tara Center has built a small community Center that is used by the Tara Citizens’ Association, a collective of mostly older women, many of whom were refugees.
There the women produce handicrafts which have giving them a much-needed financial and psychological boost. The staff educate their visitors about local traditions and share their personal story of the village with great passion from personal knowledge and experience.
The Tara Center advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities and UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable cities & Communities.
Alternatively, join a Local Expert to explore Plitvice National Park.
Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
Heraklion: While in Crete, enjoy your guided visit to the Palace of Minos at Knossos.
Zagreb: Your Local Expert guides you this two-tiered capital. Explore Donji Grad, the Lower Town, and see the Mimara Art Museum in Roosevelt Square, Ban Josip Jelacic Square and the cathedral.
Zagreb: Ride the funicular to Gornji Grad, the medieval Upper Town, to view the former Presidential Palace, Stone Gate, St. Mark's Church and the Lotrščak Tower.
Kotor: Visit the Stari Grad, also referred to as the Old Town, perfectly positioned on a beautiful bay.
Budva: Explore the medieval old town of Budva, home to religious sites such as the 9th century Church of Santa Maria in Punta.
Split: Explore above and below the Roman Emperor Diocletian's palace. A Local Expert guides you through labyrinthine streets to see St. Duje's, the Temple of Jupiter, the Golden Gate and the Cellars.
Split: Sightseeing with your Local Expert continues through the old town. Walk through the Jewish Quarter to reach Narodni Trg, the centre of Old Split. Continue to Trg Brace Radic, translated as the Square of the Radic brothers, but better known to the locals as Vocni Trg, or the Fruit Square.
Dubrovnik: As the sun descends and should the weather be favourable, enjoy a relaxing cruise around the fabled bay of Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik: Explore the Pearl of the Adriatic with your Local Expert. Walk the stone-paved streets of the Old Town to see Onofrio's Fountain, Rector's Palace and the medieval city walls. Admire the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries.
Tirana: Meet a local resident who will show you Skanderbeg Square and walk you through their home city as they explain what it's like to live in the Albanian capital.
Corfu: Escape to this idyllic island by cruise, enjoying leisure time on the beach or insightful exploration.
Corfu: Return to the mainland by cruise and continue your journey through Greece.
Delphi: Ascend the Sacred Way, once lined with offertory temples.
Delphi: With your Local Expert, walk to The Sacred Way once lined with offertory temples. See the reconstructed Athenian Treasury and pass the superb Polygonal Wall to reach the Temple of Apollo, where the people would seek divine wisdom from the mysterious Oracle.
Ephesus: Discover one of the world's finest ancient sites. Led by your Local Expert, walk the Arcadian Way, see the Library of Celsus and Amphitheatre and visit the House of the Virgin Mary.
Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
Map
Attractions
Daily Itinerary
Day 1 – Day 1: Welcome to Zagreb
- Zagreb - Arrival day
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- Strossmayer Promenade
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Arrive in the beautiful city of Zagreb and settle into your hotel. Take a leisurely stroll along the romantic Strossmayer Promenade for breathtaking views of the city. In the evening, join your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant where you'll get to know your fellow travellers.
Day 2 – Day 2: Exploring Zagreb
- Zagreb
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- Croatian Museum of Contemporary Art
- Lotrščak Tower
- St. Mark's Church
- Art Pavilion in Zagreb
- Bundek City Park
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Discover the two-tiered capital of Croatia with your Local Expert. Visit the Art Pavilion and the Academy of Sciences and Art, and enjoy a leisurely walk through Zrinjevac Park. Take a funicular ride to St. Mark's Church and the Lotrščak Tower, before returning to the city square. Spend the afternoon at leisure, relaxing at your hotel or exploring further.
Day 3 – Day 3: From Zagreb to Plitvice
- Zagreb
- Korenica
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Spend the morning at leisure in Zagreb or opt for an excursion to the Zagorje region. In the afternoon, depart for Plitvice, where your hotel is located inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Plitvice Lakes National Park. This park is known for its stunning forests, grasslands, and interconnected lakes.
Day 4 – Day 4: Plitvice to Split via Trogir
- Trogir
- Split
- Korenica
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- Trogir Ciovo
- Diocletian's Cellars
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Explore Plitvice National Park with a Local Expert and learn about its natural habitat. Then, travel along the coast to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Trogir, known for its beautiful cathedral and Renaissance Cipiko Palace. Continue your journey to the historic port city of Split.
Day 5 – Day 5: Split to Dubrovnik
- Dubrovnik
- Split
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- Golden Gate
- Saint Domnius Cathedral
- Porat Dubrovnik
- Church of St. Peter
- Diocletian's Cellars
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Explore the Old Town of Split with a Local Expert. Visit the 1,700-year-old Diocletian's Palace, St. Duje's Cathedral, and the Temple of Jupiter. Travel along the Dalmatian coast to the beautiful city of Dubrovnik. In the evening, enjoy a cruise around the bay and a dinner featuring local specialties and wine.
Day 6 – Day 6: Exploring Dubrovnik
- Dubrovnik
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- Dominican Monastery
- Porat Dubrovnik
- Vrata od Buže
- Franciscan Church and Monastery
- Onofrio's Large Fountain
- Beach Sunj
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Explore the walled city of Dubrovnik, described as 'paradise on Earth' by George Bernard Shaw. Join a walking tour of the city with a Local Expert, exploring the stone-paved streets of the Old Town, Onofrio's Fountain, the Old Jewish Quarter, and the grandeur of the cathedral and monasteries.
Day 7 – Day 7: Dubrovnik to Budva via Kotor
- Budva
- Dubrovnik
- Kotor
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- The Church of Sveti Ivan (St John)
- Old Town
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Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the old town of Kotor, and admire the azure waters of the bay. Continue your journey along the Adriatic Sea to Budva, where you'll explore the medieval old town and the 9th century Church of Santa Maria in Punta.
Day 8 – Day 8: Budva to Tirana
- Tirana
- Budva
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Travel through the stunning landscapes of Montenegro and Albania to reach the vibrant capital of Tirana. Explore this colourful city with a Local Expert and discover the diverse relics from its Ottoman, Italian, and communist past.
Day 9 – Day 9: Tirana to Corfu
- Corfu
- Tirana
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Journey across Albania's unique landscapes to Greece, and set sail for the beautiful island of Corfu. Known for its untamed beauty and strategic position in the Mediterranean, Corfu is one of Greece's most charming islands.
Day 10 – Day 10: Leisure Day in Corfu
- Corfu
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Enjoy a full day at leisure on the beautiful island of Corfu. Explore the Old Town with its mix of architectural styles, or relax by the hotel pool. This is your chance to experience the island at your own pace.
Day 11 – Day 11: Corfu to Delphi
Day 11: Corfu to Delphi
- Delphi
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Leave the island paradise of Corfu and head for Delphi, a spectacular cliff-side amphitheatre and the centre of the ancient world. Discover the deep history and mythology of this site, with finds dating back to 4,000 BC and remains of a Mycenaean settlement.
Day 12 – Day 12: Delphi to Athens
- Athens
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Ascend the Sacred Way of Delphi with your Local Expert. Visit the Temple of Apollo, where the mysterious Oracle of Delphi delivered her enigmatic predictions. Continue your journey to Athens, the modern capital of Greece.
Day 13 – Day 13: Athens to Mykonos
- Mykonos
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- Mykonos Vioma Organic Farm
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Board your cruise ship in Athens and set sail for the lovely island of Mykonos. Explore the maze of walkways, welcoming tavernas, and vibrant nightlife. Enjoy a variety of Mediterranean dishes and a complimentary drinks package onboard.
Day 14 – Day 14: Mykonos to Crete via Kusadasi and Patmos
- Patmos
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- El Heykeli
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Explore the Turkish port of Kusadasi and visit the ancient ruins of Ephesus with a Local Expert. Sail to the island of Patmos, where St. John the Divine was exiled. Later, set sail for the island of Crete.
Day 15 – Day 15: Crete to Athens via Santorini
Day 15: Crete to Athens via Santorini
- Santo Wines
- Minoan Palace of Phaistos
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Dock at Heraklion in Crete and visit the ruins of King Minos' Palace of Knossos with a Local Expert. Later, cruise beneath the sheer cliffs of Santorini and explore the capital of Thira. In the evening, sail back to Athens.
Day 16 – Day 16: Farewell Athens
- Athens - Departure day
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Your unforgettable journey comes to an end. Bid farewell to Athens and your fellow travellers as you prepare for your onward journey. A transfer to the airport is provided.
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