waterfalls at plitvice lakes national park in split

Overview Itinerary Dates & prices Reviews Hotels, flights & FAQ

Croatia & Slovenia: The Old-World Adriatic

with Ljubljana & Lake Bled extension

Duration: 12 or 15 days
Group size: 15-35
Reviews: 149

Discover Old-World European romance, perfectly preserved.

See Dubrovnik’s storied city walls overlooking the pristine blue waters of the Adriatic. Step back in time as you explore the impressive Diocletian’s Palace complex in seaside Split. Wander past emerald scenery and tranquil waterscapes in the famous Plitvice Lakes National Park. And experience “Europe in miniature” in Ljubljana, the stunningly green (and endlessly cultural) capital of Slovenia.

Your tour package includes

10 nights in handpicked hotels
10 breakfasts
4 dinners with beer or wine
9 guided sightseeing tours
Expert Tour Director & local guides

Included highlights

Dubrovnik’s fortified walls
Mostar’s Old Bridge
Diocletian’s Palace
Ivan Meštrović Gallery
Trogir

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Day-by-day itinerary

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Overnight Flight1 night

Day 1: Travel day

Board your overnight flight to Dubrovnik today.

Dubrovnik3 nights

Day 2: Arrival in Dubrovnik

Included meal: Welcome dinner

Welcome to Croatia! Gather with your fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.

Day 3: Sightseeing tour of Dubrovnik

Included meal: Breakfast

Set on a peninsula on the Adriatic, Dubrovnik’s massive walls have served as the city’s calling card for centuries. Today, you’ll take a guided tour.

Pay a visit to the 13th-century Franciscan Monastery, which boasts the most extensive library in the region
View the impressive Rector’s Palace and the city’s ornate cathedral

Enjoy a free evening in Dubrovnik or add an excursion.

Scenic Dubrovnik Coast Cruise & Dinner

Excursion (additional cost)

Day 4: Free day in Dubrovnik

Included meal: Breakfast

Enjoy a full free day in Dubrovnik or add an excursion.

Montenegro

Excursion (additional cost)

Split Region2 nights

Day 5: The Split Region via Mostar

Included meal: Breakfast

Travel to the Split region today. Stop en route for a guided tour of Mostar, a city in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Enter an old Ottoman mosque and traditional Ottoman house
Walk over the striking Old Bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage site that joins the banks of the Neretva River

Day 6: Sightseeing tour of Split

Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a guided tour of Split, a coastal city with a local culture that seamlessly combines tradition and modernity.

Enter Diocletian’s Palace, an enormous third-century palace complex
View the monuments to the city’s varied cultural influences, including Gothic churches, Renaissance palaces, Venetian fortifications, and an Egyptian sphinx
Examine sculptures, drawings, and paintings at the Ivan Meštrović Gallery

Plitvice2 nights

Day 7: Plitvice via Trogir & Zadar

Included meal: Breakfast

Transfer to Plitvice today. Along the way, you’ll stop in two Dalmatian Coast towns for guided tours.

Set off with your Tour Director and explore Trogir, where you’ll wander past Radovan’s Portal and Trogir Cathedral
Join a local guide in the seaside town of Zadar to view Roman ruins and the one-of-a-kind Sea Organ

Day 8: Sightseeing tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park

Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Embark on a guided tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park, 16 levels of lakes nestled between Mount Mala Kapela and Mount Pljesevica.

Admire the upper lakes, forests, caves, and waterfalls with a local guide
Visit the lower lakes with your Tour Director leading the way

Zagreb1 night

Day 9: Sightseeing tour of Zagreb

Included meal: Breakfast

Continue on to Zagreb, where a local guide will introduce you to the best of Croatia’s capital city on a walking tour.

Pass by the Meštrović Pavilion, Zrinjevac Park, fortified Lotrščak Tower, and Mirogoj Cemetery
Enter the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art to admire the simplistic beauty of the artwork

Ljubljana2 nights

Day 10: Sightseeing tour of Ljubljana

Included meal: Breakfast

Travel to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, and join a local expert for a guided tour.

Stop in Prešeren Square to see the France Prešeren Monument
Pass by the Triple Bridge, Town Hall, and Baroque Robba Fountain
View Ljubljana Cathedral, the Dragon Bridge, and the famed open-air market

Day 11: Free day in Ljubljana

Included meals: Breakfast, Farewell dinner

Enjoy a free day in Ljubljana or add an excursion.

Tonight, celebrate your trip at a farewell dinner with your group.

Postojna Caves & Predjama Castle

Excursion (additional cost)

Flight Home

Day 12: Departure

Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)

Transfer to the airport for your flight home or extend your stay to explore Slovenia.

Extension to Ljubljana & Lake Bled

Want to see mountains overlooking a castle overlooking a glacial lake, all surrounded by an emerald forest? We don’t blame you! Extend your stay to explore Lake Bled and more of Slove-nia’s northwest corner with a local guide, and find out why aristocrats have been vacationing in this romantic spot for centuries.

Ljubljana1 night

Day 12: Free day in Ljubljana

Included meal: Breakfast

Enjoy a full free day in Ljubljana or add an excursion.

Piran: Slovenia's Adriatic Gem

Excursion (additional cost)

Lake Bled2 nights

Day 13: Lake Bled & Lake Bohinj

Included meal: Breakfast

Travel to Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj to discover why Europeans have come to this resort area for decades.

Drive around Lake Bled and enter Bled Castle
Continue on to Lake Bohinj, enjoying views of Slovenian villages along the way
Enjoy free time for lunch in the small, lakeside village of Ribcev Laz

Day 14: Free day in the Lake Bled Region

Included meal: Breakfast

Spend a full free day in the Lake Bled region or add an excursion.

This evening, enjoy a farewell drink as you celebrate your trip with your fellow group members.

The Julian Alps: Triglav National Park

Excursion (additional cost)

Flight Home

Day 15: Departure

Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)

Transfer to the Ljubljana airport for your flight home.

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Reviews

4.7 average

Our reviews are authentic and unedited.

Croatia Trip

11/06/2019 by 3rd time traveler Steven B.

The overall tour was great. Beautiful part of Europe. Tamara our tour guide was fantastic! But there were some things that could have been avoided and improved upon for future tours to this area. The hotel in Dubrovnik was not very nice. The accommodations were really poor. You take this long trip a...

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Croatia and Slovenia

10/28/2019 by 6th time traveler Bob M.

The tour was exceptional. I will say that Go Ahead did not give us any credit/refund, when we had to leave the tour 24 hours early due to an airline going out of business. We are five time travelers with them, and as a courtesy they could have offered at least a token credit.

Beautiful Part of the World to See!!

09/29/2019 by 7th time traveler Eric L.

The Croatian coast is very pretty, with a lot of old-world charm. Imagine walled cities with cobblestone streets, narrow passages, doors and shutters of different colors, window boxes overflowing with flowers with a backdrop of clear aqua ocean waters of the Adriatic. We loved the itinerary up the c...

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09/29/2019 by 2nd time traveler Allison F.

The itinerary was top-notch, taking us to beautiful locales. Some hotels were excellent, others rather spartan. Included meals were also a bit hit-or-miss. Bojan is extremely knowledgeable, well-organized and accommodating.. I now know why people speak so highly of Croatia and highly recommend thi...

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07/24/2019 by 2nd time traveler Trish V.

Massa Kotur was an excellent Tour Director. She made everyone on the tour feel special and went out of her way to get to know everyone. She was extremely knowledgeable and arranged all of our excursions beautifully! Great experience for my first tour.

Hotels, flights & FAQ

Here's the nitty-gritty—where you’ll stay, how you’ll get there, and what to know about your destination before you go.

Hotels

We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.

Atrium Hotel

This modern hotel is located in Split. Guests enjoy free WiFi, a fitness center, and indoor pool. Nearby, you'll find Archaeological Museum Split, the...

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Hotel Jezero

This cozy hotel is located in Plitvicka Jezera. Guests enjoy a spa, swimming pool, tennis court, and nightclub. Nearby, you’ll find Plitvice Lakes Nat...

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Sheraton Zagreb Hotel

This traditional hotel is located in the Donji grad neighborhood. Guests enjoy a heated indoor pool, a spa, and fitness center. Nearby, you’ll find Ma...

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City Hotel Ljubljana

This contemporary hotel is located in downtown Ljubljana. Guests enjoy Wi-Fi, a fitness center, and bike rentals. Nearby, you'll find Old Town, Ljublj...

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Tirena Hotel

This contemporary hotel is located in the Babin Kuk neighborhood. Guests enjoy an outdoor pool, a restaurant, and a poolside snack bar. Nearby, you’ll...

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Flights

Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.

Add our airfare package and you'll get:

Round-trip flight for your tour
Airport transfers at your destination
A great price locked in today
24/7 support from our dedicated service team
Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes

Find out more about flights

Local weather

Plitvice, Croatia

Weather averages

Today
High 46°F Low 27°F

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Weather averages

Today
High 54°F Low 47°F

Zagreb, Croatia

Weather averages

Today
High 42°F Low 31°F

Zadar, Croatia

Weather averages

Today
High 53°F Low 43°F

Trogir, Croatia

Weather averages

Today
High 53°F Low 41°F

Split, Croatia

Weather averages

Today
High 53°F Low 41°F

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Weather averages

Today
High 46°F Low 28°F

FAQ

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Passport & visa requirements

This tour visits Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia. In order to enter these countries, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
We recommend having at least one blank passport page for entry stamps.
There is no visa required for U.S. or Canadian citizens.
If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact each country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.

Tour pace

You will walk for about 3 hours daily across moderately uneven terrain, including paved roads and cobblestone streets, with some hills and stairs.
Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
You should feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times.
If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.

Transportation & arrival information

Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in Dubrovnik and depart from Ljubljana. A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
Transfers to and from the airport at your destination are included for travelers who have purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who purchase their own flights may request airport transfers with Go Ahead Tours for an additional cost.
All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.

Baggage allowance

Airlines have varying weight restrictions on baggage. Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage; be advised that you are responsible for any such costs.
Contact your airline for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flight, but please note that our travelers are restricted to one checked bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
One carry-on bag of 45 total inches (length + width + height) is also permitted.
Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.

Clothing & packing tips

We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).

Health

There are no major health risks associated with traveling to any of the countries on this tour.
At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at [cdc.gov](https://www/cdc.gov).
If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.

Cuisine

In Croatia, you may like to try traditional Balkan dishes, such as duvec (vegetables and meat), moussaka (eggplant and minced meat), sarma(minced meat and rice), and raznjici(grilled veal or pork). Almost every region of the country produces its own varieties of wine, each of which are quite delicious.
Slovenian cuisine blends elements of Italian, Hungarian, Austrian, and Balkan cooking. Pasta, gnocchi, and risotto are ubiquitous, as is the Austrian-inspired schnitzel and the Balkan burek, a phyllo pastry stuffed with salty cheese or meat.

Electricity & air conditioning

Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Sloveniaoperate on the European standard 220-240 volts and use Types C, E or F plugs with two small, round pins.
We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
Your hotels may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. However, these amenities cannot be guaranteed.

Connectivity

Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.

Time zones

Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Sloveniaare one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
When it’s noon in New York, it’s 6pm on tour.

Currency

You will use the Croatian kuna in Croatia, theBosnian convertible mark in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the euro in Slovenia.
Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.

Tipping

At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $7USD to $10USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $3USD per person per day for your driver.
If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
Tips can only be paid in cash.

Purchasing excursions on tour

Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on your tour.
Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for excursions.
Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information. International travel is, by its very nature, unpredictable. We must therefore reserve the right to change this itinerary, without advance notice, to meet with local conditions at the time of travel. We appreciate your understanding. Please refer to our website for Terms & Conditions, dates, and prices.

Dates & prices

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20202021

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2020