Adriatic Escape
Experience Overview
Journey through Croatia, Slovenia and Italy on an intimate small-group exploration of the Adriatic. Stroll through Zagreb’s historic squares, cruise across Lake Bled in a traditional pletna boat and marvel at the vast karst formations of Postojna Cave. Discover Istria’s coastal gems — from the Roman heritage of Pula to the Venetian charm of Rovinj — before arriving in Venice, where a gondola ride through hidden canals brings your journey to a memorable close.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 4 Dinner (D)
- 9 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
Choice Highlights
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Lake Bled: Glide across the emerald waters of Lake Bled aboard a traditional pletna boat, a method of transport unique to this region. On Bled Island, climb 99 stone steps to the Church of Mother of God and ring the legendary Wishing Bell, a centuries-old tradition said to bring good fortune to those who hear its chime.
- Lake Bled: Visit Vila Bled, once the summer retreat of Marshal Tito, the former leader of Yugoslavia, today it offers a peaceful setting to take in the stunning alpine views. Relax on the terrace and enjoy kremšnita, Bled’s famous cream cake, paired with coffee as you soak in the serene surroundings.
Additional Included Highlights
- 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.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- 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.
Authentic Dining
- Krk: Savor a Farm-to-Table lunch at a family-owned winery on Krk, where fresh, locally sourced ingredients highlight the island’s culinary traditions. Enjoy regional specialties paired with Krk’s signature Žlahtina wine while learning about the estate’s winemaking heritage.
- Pula: Enjoy an Authentic Local Dining experience in Pula, savoring regional specialties made with fresh, local ingredients.
Insight Choice
- Choose between two experiences at Lake Bled.
- Lake Bled: Glide across the emerald waters of Lake Bled aboard a traditional pletna boat, a method of transport unique to this region. On Bled Island, climb 99 stone steps to the Church of Mother of God and ring the legendary Wishing Bell, a centuries-old tradition said to bring good fortune to those who hear its chime.
- Lake Bled: Visit Vila Bled, once the summer retreat of Marshal Tito, the former leader of Yugoslavia, today it offers a peaceful setting to take in the stunning alpine views. Relax on the terrace and enjoy kremšnita, Bled’s famous cream cake, paired with coffee as you soak in the serene surroundings.
Make Travel Matter
- Ljubljana: Meet inspiring individuals at Sonček – Cerebral Palsy Association of Slovenia, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering adults with disabilities through meaningful employment and community integration. Learn how their Care and Work Center provides guidance, care, and adapted jobs, allowing members to create handcrafted souvenirs, artwork and other unique items. Your visit directly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.
- Venice: Witness the ancient skill of glassblowing, now practised by precious few masters. Watch artisans create delicate works of art using rare traditional practices. The workshop's master craftsmen teach visitors about the traditional craft of glassblowing and its history which dates back to the 15th century. Every visit helps to support the workshop and the survival of this traditional craft. This workshop directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Summary
- Travel by funicular in Zagreb • Enjoy a gondola serenade in Venice
- Visit Postojna Caves • Pula Arena
- City tours of Zagreb, Ljubljana, Krk, all with Local Experts.
- Welcome Dinner in Zagreb • Farm-to-Table Lunch in Krk • Celebration Dinner in Venice
Top Rated Highlights
- Zagreb: Your Local Expert guides you through this two-tiered capital. Explore Donji Grad, the Lower Town, and see Ban Josip Jelačić 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.
- Ljubljana: Explore this elegant capital with your Local Expert, to see the castle City Hall, Cathedral of St Nicholas and Triple Bridge.
- Postojna Cave: Enter by mini-train into these world-famous cave systems, before walking through an illuminated fairyland of stalactites and stalagmites.
- Krk: Uncover Krk’s layered history with your Local Expert, from its Roman roots to its medieval fortifications. Walk through the island’s walled old town, see traces of Venetian influence, and visit landmarks like St Mary’s Cathedral and Frankopan Castle, home to Croatian nobility.
- Pula: Join your Local Expert to explore one of the world’s best-preserved Roman amphitheatres. Walk through ancient corridors, hear stories of gladiator battles, and learn how this impressive structure has stood for nearly 2,000 years, shaping the history of the region.
- Venice: Join your Travel Director for an introduction to Venice, exploring its canals, lively squares, and historic landmarks. Discover the city’s unique charm as you navigate its maze of streets and take in iconic sights like St Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge.
- Venice: Glide through Venice’s canals on an iconic gondola ride, passing beneath historic bridges and past elegant palaces. Soak up the city’s romantic atmosphere as your gondolier navigates the tranquil waterways, offering a unique perspective of this timeless floating city.
Well-being
- 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.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
Trip Details
Product Code: 35652
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+, Luxury
Tour Operator:
Insight Vacations (CA)
Supplier Code: 435.1691A
Starts: Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
Finishes: Venice, Italy
Duration: 10 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $6,495 ($650 /day)
Itinerary
Welcome to Zagreb, Croatia’s vibrant capital. Meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers before enjoying dinner, the perfect start to your journey across the shores of the Northern Adriatic and beyond.
Accommodation: Sheraton Zagreb
Meals: Dinner
Uncover the rich history of Zagreb with your Local Expert, exploring Croatia’s two-tiered capital. Admire the Art Pavilion, originally constructed in Budapest in 1896 and later transformed in Viennese Art Nouveau style. Stroll past the Academy of Sciences and Arts and through Zrinjevac Park before riding the world’s shortest funicular, just 66 meters long, to St Mark’s Church, famous for its vibrant tiled roof. See Lotrščak Tower, once guarding the city’s southern gate, where a cannon has marked midday since 1877. Continue to Ljubljana for a walking tour to explore Slovenia’s capital city. Visit the Sonček Association for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience where artists with cerebral palsy craft unique Slovenian souvenirs. This inspiring visit offers the chance to support their work and learn about the association’s impact. Later, enjoy a dinner of local Slovenian specialties.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
This morning’s Insight Choice experiences will see you discover Lake Bled to your choosing. You could select to glide across the water on a traditional pletna boat to Bled Island, where you can climb 99 steps to the Church of Mother of God and ring the legendary Wishing Bell. Or, visit Vila Bled, once a retreat for Marshal Tito, and savor kremšnita cream cake with coffee on the lake-view terrace. Return to Ljubljana for an afternoon at leisure or join an Optional Experience to Pr’ Krač for a traditional dinner showcasing Slovenia’s rural heritage.
Meals: Breakfast
Begin your day delving deep beneath Slovenia’s surface as you travel by underground train through the Postojna Caves. With its cathedral-like chambers and peculiar rock formations, this natural wonder is also home to the world's only underground post office. Cross into Croatia to explore the vibrant seafront city of Rijeka, where Habsburg elegance meets Adriatic charm. This evening, you may wish to join an Optional Experience to Opatija, a refined coastal resort favored by Austro-Hungarian royalty, to savor local specialties in a setting steeped in imperial grandeur.
Accommodation: Hilton Rijeka Costabella Beach Resort and Spa
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a Relaxed Start before venturing to Krk, one of the oldest inhabited islands in the Adriatic. Explore the walled city alongside your Local Expert, who will share stories of its layered past. Visit St. Mary's Cathedral, admire the 16th-century bell tower and see the formidable Frankopan Castle, once home to one of Croatia’s most influential noble families. Later, savor a Farm-to-Table lunch at a family-owned winery. Here, you'll discover the island's deep-rooted viticultural traditions while sampling dishes crafted with local ingredients and paired with wines found nowhere else in the world. Return to Rijeka for a leisurely evening to unwind at your own pace.
Accommodation: Hilton Rijeka Costabella Beach Resort and Spa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Spend your morning in picture-perfect Rovinj, a coastal gem of pastel facades and cobbled lanes. You’re free to stroll its charming streets, perhaps browsing local boutiques or enjoying fresh Adriatic seafood paired with crisp Istrian wine beside the water’s edge. Continue south to Pula, capital of the Istrian Peninsula, known for its Roman legacy and lively Mediterranean atmosphere. Here, layers of history unfold, from ancient temples to the remarkably well-preserved Roman amphitheater — a striking reminder of the city’s imperial past.
Meals: Breakfast
Join a Local Expert to uncover Pula’s layered history, beginning at the Pula Arena: one of the largest and best-preserved Roman amphitheatres still standing. Built in the 1st century CE under Emperor Augustus, it could seat up to 20,000 spectators and was once the site of gladiatorial contests. Continue exploring the city’s key sites, gaining insights into its role as a strategic port through Roman, medieval and Austro-Hungarian eras. This evening, enjoy an Authentic Local Dining experience in a traditional setting, where you’ll sample regional dishes rooted in Istria’s culinary heritage, made with local ingredients and age-old techniques.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Start your day with a visit to Piran, a medieval gem on the Gulf of Trieste, where Venetian and Austro-Hungarian influences echo through its winding streets and ancient town walls, built to defend against Ottoman invasions. Cross the border into Italy and for a stop in Trieste, a vibrant port city shaped by Latin, Slavic and Germanic cultures, and home to the famous Barcolana regatta. Enjoy time at leisure to explore before journeying across the Venetian Plain to the Queen of the Adriatic, Venice.
Meals: Breakfast
See Venice’s age-old traditions come to life as you watch master artisans demonstrate the delicate craft of Murano glassblowing. Then, experience the city as it was meant to be seen, by gliding through its labyrinth of canals on a traditional gondola. This evening, come together for a final dinner, celebrating your journey in this extraordinary floating city.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Your journey from Zagreb to Venice is at an end, say arrivederci to your Travel Director and newfound connections. Your departure transfer arrives at Venice Marco Polo Airport.
Meals: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Insight Vacations (CA)
Part of The Travel Company (TTC) family of brands, Insight Vacations began operations in 1978 and is based in Cypress, CA. Journeys are featured to destinations, such as the U.S. and Canada, Europe, Latin America, North Africa, Asia, the UK and Ireland. The company offers are a variety of tours under the classifications of Regional Journeys, Country Roads, Discovery Journeys, Easy Pace trips, and Special Interest tours. Insight is the ideal name for the tour operator, as the journeys provided by Insight Vacations allow travelers to gain further insight into whatever destination they wish to explore. For example, Discovery Journeys are the ideal choice for first-time visitors to Europe. Itineraries include Dine-at-Home or Farm-to-Table experiences so travelers can learn more about how locals live and dine. Regional Journeys allow trip-goers to see a specific location in Europe that they have always wanted to see – Poland, Switzerland, Italy, etc. The carefully planned trips enable customers to immerse themselves in one specific region or country and to become acquainted with its culture, traditions, and people. For anyone seeking travel off the beaten track, Insight Vacations offers Country Roads – trips that lead travelers off the well-tread tourist trail to explore hidden gems where visitors can savor the local produce with Farm-to-Table dining. Some trips are offered under the Easy Pace travel style – the ideal trip choice for trip-goers who wish to slow their pace during their vacation. During these tours, vacationers stay at least 3 nights at each destination, giving them some additional time to explore a place and enjoy it. Regardless of the travel style, many of the vacations offered by Insight Vacations begin with Relaxed Starts – giving travelers time to sleep in a little, spend more time at breakfast, or explore an area on their own. The tour company prides itself on providing business class tours that features luxury coaches with 40 seats. While most coach touring operators provide vehicles with 53 seats, Insight Vacations has re-configured its motor coaches to hold up to 40 guests. This gives passengers extra leg room while traveling and offers them more space and privacy.
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