Day 1: Zagreb

Enjoy the private airport transfer with vehicle and driver.

A welcome package with a city map and any other touristic information that we deem you may find useful will be waiting for you upon your arrival at your first hotel on your trip.

Start to discover the culinary tastes of Croatia with a local delicacy of Strukli at your hotel's restaurant upon your arrival. Strukli is a favorite traditional specialty from Croatian Zagorje. This house special is a traditional handmade pastry that oozes oven-baked fresh cottage cheese topped with cream.

Accommodation: Esplanade Zagreb Hotel (5*)

Opened in 1925 as a refuge for passengers from the Orient Express, the uber-stylish Esplanade Zagreb Hotel is an architectural gem. Located within easy reach of key attractions such as the Cathedral and the Art Pavilion, the city’s most iconic hotel combines art deco glamour with every contemporary convenience. Long-established as a haven for A-List movie stars, politicians, singers and artists, the hotels' fairy tale exterior and gracious guest accommodation make it easily the most prestigious hotel in Zagreb. The property boasts a long list of awards for hotel service, cuisine, interior design, and bartending. Traditional luxury including magnificent marble bathrooms is complimented by modern technology to make each room a haven of relaxation. The property offers a variety of dining experiences including the Zinfandel's Restaurant, Le Bistro, and the Esplanade 1925, the hotel's lounge and cocktail bar.

Day 2: Zagreb

Meet your guide for a private walking tour through the winter wonderland of Zagreb. Advent events start at glorious Tomislav square and its open-air ice rink, fun both during the day and night. The magic continues in Zrinjevac Park, where centuries-old trees are illuminated with shimmering blue lights. The fairy-tale feeling is enhanced by traditional Christmas music playing from the central pavilion and beautiful white huts selling artisan souvenirs. Following the scent of mulled wine and sausages, you will come to the Ban Jelacic Square, the heart of the city and the host of a wide variety of events, including children’s performances and concerts. You will also explore city’s Upper Town and its medieval twin settlements, secular Gradec and ecclesiastical Kaptol. You will discover its cobblestone streets and the grand Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the center of medieval Zagreb lies St. Mark’s Square, today the center of Croatian government and parliament. It is home to the most recognizable sight of Zagreb, the beautiful St. Mark’s church with beautiful multi-colored roof and Croatian coats of arms. Continue to the Lower Town, dominated by the impressive building of the Croatian National Theatre and numerous Art Nouveau buildings dating from the 19th and 20th century. Spruced up with more Christmas decorations, Lower Town is a delightful place to spend the rest of the day.

Accommodation: Esplanade Zagreb Hotel (5*)

Day 3: Zagreb

Meet your guide and driver for a private tour of Trakoscan Castle, in the Zagreb hinterland. You will ride through beautiful Hrvatsko Zagorje region, in the picture-perfect landscape of hills, charming local villages, and romantic castles. One of them is your destination today, the stunning Trakoscan Castle. Sitting upon a hill and facing its reflection in the lake underneath, the beautiful neo-gothic castle leads you into an actual fairy tale, dating all the way back to 1334. Walking through the halls furnished with Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and neo-classicistic pieces, you will able to amazed. After the tour, you will enjoy a traditional lunch at a local rural estate. In the afternoon, your guide and driver will take you back to Zagreb.

Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel. Tonight we suggest you enjoy vibrant atmosphere of Zagreb parks and squares, open-air Christmas concerts or some of the quirky festivities such as “Fooling around”.

Accommodation: Esplanade Zagreb Hotel (5*)

Day 4: Zagreb - Split

Enjoy a private transfer from Zagreb to Split with a guided 4-hour stop at Plitvice Lakes, a complex of 16 lakes located between the mountains of Mala Kapela. The 19.5 hectares of wooden hills enclose the lakes by a series of waterfalls and cascades. Admire the landscape formed by the mineral-rich waters that carve new paths through the rock, and enjoy your time in the middle of nature. In the winter these waterfalls will be frozen and give a majestic beauty not seen in many areas. You will meet your local guide at the park before entering. Entrance fees are included.

Accommodation: Marmont Hotel Heritage (4*)

The Marmont Hote Heritage is situated in the heart of the old town of Split, only one minute away from Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in a reconstructed building of a former shopping mall, the hotel offers a powerful mix of modern and traditional style. During the reconstruction, an additional storey was added and a 15th-century defensive wall was reconstructed as instructed by conservators which become an integral part of the interior. The hotel offers guests rooms which are comfortable and elegant, arranged on three floors, a lounge bar and an open-air terrace overlooking the rooftops of the old town.

Day 5: Split - Dubrovnik

Meet your guide at your hotel lobby for a private sightseeing tour of Split, a 1700 years old town with famous Diocletian’s Palace, included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage list. The first inhabitant of Split was the Roman emperor Diocletian who started to build his palace in this friendly bay around 293 AD. After his abdication he withdrew to this luxurious palace to enjoy the rest of his days. The following turbulent centuries made the palace into a town first populated by the citizens of the nearby Salona, fleeing before Avars and Slavs. The town overgrew the walls of the palace and its authorities kept changing - from Croatian kings, Hungarian and Venetian administration, to French rulers and Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Such past left its traces combined in the everyday life of Split that went on remaining the centre of this part of the coast till our days.  Your guide will take you for a walk through this living monument and all its magnificent sights. You will discover the basement halls of the Palace and their unique role in the history of Split. Then you will continue to the Peristyle, the main square of the Palace that preserved the cult of emperor as the son of god. You will visit the Cathedral of St. Domnius, the patron-saint of Split, the temples of the Palaces, as well as the suites of the Emperor. You will explore the waterfront promenade of Split, the lively open green market and the monuments not only from antiquity, but also from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque. After the tour, you can enjoy some time at your leisure to immerse yourself into town’s famous Mediterranean charm, the mixture of historic layers and the silent beats of history.

Entrance fees to the Diocletian's Palace substructure and Cathedral are included.

A transfer from Split to Dubrovnik with a private vehicle and driver is provided. The transfer should take approximately 3.5 hours.

Accommodation: Dubrovnik Palace (5*)

The Dubrovnik Palace Hotel, Conference Centre and Spa, situated a short drive from the historic Old City of Dubrovnik,  is the largest tourism project in Croatia in the last thirty years- opened in 2004 by the President of Croatia. No expense has been spared to provide the very best in luxury accommodation, the finest food and state of the art hotel services to accompany your stay in Dubrovnik, the Jewel of the Adriatic. As you gaze over your own private balcony it is easy to imagine yourself as captain on the bridge of a large ship, a wide expanse of ocean stretching out in front of you to the horizon. Yet to look down is to see the immaculate grounds, elegant restaurant terraces and outdoor swimming pools. You then remember that you are not on a ship, but at the Dubrovnik Palace, a luxury hotel built by the sea, that blends into the Mediterranean landscape like a glove.

Day 6: Dubrovnik

This morning meet your local guide for a private walking tour of Dubrovnik, one of the most beautiful stone-built cities in the world.  An important maritime port and a one-time state, it has always been a cultural metropolis. More than a thousand-year history is reflected in every part of the town. As one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Dubrovnik owes its special charm to the historic monuments which testify to its rich history. The works of artists, writers and scientists of Dubrovnik have been woven into the texture of the town.  While strolling with your guide down Stradun, the main street, you will stop to visit the Franciscan monastery of the “Order of Friars Minors” that preserves one of the three oldest pharmacies in Europe. You will continue down to Orlando Column and the Sponza Palace and visit the Church of St. Blasius, the patron-saint of the town. You will also discover Rector’s Palace, the magnificent structure of the dukes of Dubrovnik, and the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary with a treasury containing the originals by Tiziano and Rafaelo and many other valuable relicts. The rest of the afternoon is at your leisure to explore this stunning town on your own. Dubrovnik is full of charming cafes, boutiques and local curiosities, nestled in the intricate network of the cobblestone streets. We recommend you to take a walk along the city walls (2500 m around the old town), visit one of the numerous museums or take a funicular ride to the top of the Srđ hill.

After your city tour be sure to spend more time on the Stradurn to skate, see a play, enjoy live music and to warm up with mulled wine.  From Advent (November-January) to Carnival in February the Dubrovnik Old town stays alive in this festive time.

Accommodation: Dubrovnik Palace (5*)

Day 7: Dubrovnik

A private transfer will be provided for you today between your hotel and Dubrovnik airport in time for your onward flight.

Accommodation: Depart (Int`l Airport) (standard)

Depart from International Airport. End of itinerary.