ITINERARY
ITINERARY
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Dubrovnik, Croatia
Ancient city walls. Higgledy-piggledy red rooftops. Cobbled streets worn by time. That’s Dubrovnik, a heart-stealing city that you just know you’re going to love themoment…
Departs: 21:00
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Koper, Slovenia
Set along a wide horseshoe-shaped bay, Koper's a Medieval town where old and new go hand-in-hand. Lose yourself in the maze of streets, passing historical sights andbrowsing…
Time in port: 08:00 - 18:00Show Top Things to Do
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Caves & Castles
Explore the world famous Postojna Caves. Enter the mysterious world of underground caves and echoing halls. And be mesmerised by disappearing rivers and babbling brooks. A train will take you through the halls and corridors chiselled by the Pivka River. The remarkable ‘brilliant’ stalagmite, and the ‘spaghetti’ and ‘congress’ halls will take your breath away. Not to mention the artificial pool with the mysterious ‘human-fish’ in it. Continue on for a beautiful photo stop and some free time at Predjama Castle. Perched high up in the cliff, this Renaissance castle dates back to the 16th century, but some features of the old cave castle from past centuries still survives today.
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Piran & Portoroz - Little Italy
Piran’s a quaint town bursting with Italian charm. The whole place is one big attraction as it’s barely changed in 400 years. The old seaport of Piran lies at the end of the Piran peninsula, which gradually narrows between the bays of Strunjan and Piran. The peninsula reaches Cape Madona, ending with the Savrini hills. So needless to say, the setting’s really something. You'll experience a 60-minute walking tour around the town's Medieval layout, with winding streets and higgledy-piggledy houses rising in steps from the coast up into the hills. This will stand you in a good stead to explore Piran on your own during the extra 60-minutes of free time. Next, you will head over to the nearby Portoroz. This is the place to be if you want to kick back and relax. Use your 45-minute free time to visit the Blue Flag beach - the only natural sandy swathe in Slovenia. Or uncover the town's cultural attractions and a selection of Slovenian cafes and restaurants.
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Slovenia Off-road
You’ll discover a different side of Slovenia today – a part that coaches can’t reach. You’ll leave Koper port and head into the countryside, before jumping aboard a comfortable 4x4. Your driver doubles as your guide, and they’ll share knowledge on local specialties, while driving along forgotten country lanes between remote, picturesque villages. You’ll take in unforgettable viewpoints that can only be accessed using these smaller vehicles. This tour has limited spaces due to the amount of vehicles available.
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Trieste, Italy
This Italian city showcases cobbled, café-lined piazzas, Baroque churches and an old town that’s packed with pastel-coloured buildings. It’s a great jumping-off point…
Time in port: 07:00 - 19:00Show Top Things to Do
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Crossing The Italian Border - Ljubljana
With its grand architecture and thriving café culture, Ljubljana is Slovenia’s answer to Prague. On this tour, we’ll whisk you over the Italian border and take you on a two-hour walking tour through this charm-packed city. Ljubljana’s origins are as ancient as they come – it’s said that the mythical Greek hero, Jason, founded the place after stealing the Golden Fleece. These days, it’s the Baroque Old Town that gets all the attention. It’s nestled on the right bank of the Ljubljanica River, at the foot of forested Castle Hill. You’ll have a chance to duck inside Ljubljana Cathedral, with its peaches and cream exterior, before having a look at the burnished insides of the Church of the Annunciation. You’ll also wander past a dragon-topped bridge and the fruit stalls of the Central Market. Afterwards, you’ll have plenty of free time to dig around the Old Town or kick back in one of the city’s ubiquitous coffee shops.
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Maximillian's Miramare & City Drive
This tour matchmakes a city drive with a trip to the fairytale Miramare Castle. First off, you’ll explore the palace-peppered streets and canals of Trieste from the comfort of the coach. At Trieste Cathedral, you’ll get the chance to hop out and have a peek inside. Byzantine mosaics glitter on its domes and iron chandeliers dangle from the cavernous ceiling. After a half-hour or so, we’ll drive on to Miramare Castle. Overlooking the sea, it was once the 19th-century home of Archduke Maximilian of Hasburg, who later became Emperor of Mexico. Highlights include Maximilian’s chambers, the throne room and the music room, plus the surrounding flower-filled gardens.
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A Taste of Trieste
This day out pairs a sightseeing tour of Trieste with a taste of the olive oil and wine produced in the area. From the port, you’ll take a short stroll into the heart of Trieste, through the cobbled, café-lined squares this part of Italy does best. After you’ve got a feel for the city’s piazzas and cathedrals, you’ll hop onboard a bus for a drive through the Carso district. This region of picturesque highland extends across the border into Slovenia, and is separated from the sea by huge white cliffs. Thanks to its position on the globe, the area has a microclimate that lets plant and animal life thrive, creating a lovely contrast to the ruggedness of its coastline. Later on, you’ll visit a nearby factory that uses locally-sourced produce to bottle their own wines and olive oils, which you’ll get to sample alongside some tasty breads and cheeses.
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Ancona, Italy
As you drift into Ancona’s bustling harbour, you’ll have front-row views of the town’s historic landmarks. The waterfront’s backed by crumbling defensive fortifications,…
Time in port: 08:00 - 17:00Show Top Things to Do
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Ancona Walking Tour
Pretty Ancona’s been an under-the-radar tourist spot for a few years now, hiding age-old landmarks and striking architecture behind its front of a bustling harbour. Today you can peel back the layers of this central Italian seaport, discovering a history that stretches back to 400 BC. Your guided walking tour will take in the must-sees, like the Arch of Trajan – an 18-metre-high Roman arch made from Turkish marble – and the impressive Ancona Cathedral – AKA the Cathedral of San Ciriaco. It sits on a hilltop which was once the site of a Greek acropolis, and shows off an interesting mix of Byzantine and Gothic architecture. You’ll also take in the photo-perfect Mole Vanvitelliana – a pentagon-shaped, 18th-century artificial island, which was built for Pope Clementine. After your tour you can head back to the ship with your guide, or choose to spend some more time in the city.
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A Picture Perfect Bayside Duo - Porto Novo and Sirolo
Calling all budding photographers – sandy beaches and plunging cliff faces are your models today, as you make a beeline for the coastal villages of Portonovo and Sirolo. A half-hour drive will land you on a hilltop above Portonovo, a bay that’s part of the Conero National Park – it’s an unmissable photo opportunity thanks to the Blue Flag beach that sits below. Catch a snap of Italy’s trademark turquoise water lapping at the shore, as well as the fortress-turned-hotel that’s nestled on the sand. Next you’ll call in at Sirolo, to pay a visit to the local church. This village also shows off plenty of camera-friendly angles – think sea views and tree-shrouded hilltops. Take some free time to explore the village, too – there’s a Medieval town centre and a bevy of restaurants and bars.
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Frasassi Caves
Take a journey below the surface today, as you head deep into some of Italy’s most famous caves. A 90-minute drive away from Ancona is where you’ll find the Frasassi Caves – two huge grottos that lead to a labyrinth of underground rooms. The rooms follow on from one another for more than 13 kilometres, and have names like the ‘Great Cave of the Wind’ and the ‘Room of the Candles’. They were discovered in 1971, and are brimming with striking stalagmites and stalactites. You’ll have two hours to take a tour of the caves.
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Split, Croatia
Over the past few years, Split has been staking its claim on the city-break map of Europe. Right in the heart of the Dalmatia region, this heart-stealer of a city has…
Time in port: 08:00 - 17:00Show Top Things to Do
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Walking Split
What better way to explore the picturesque city of Split than on foot! Split, Dalmatia’s largest city, has a lot to offer the visitor, from cultural and historical monuments to a rich choice of shops and elegant sea-front cafes. You will walk with your guide from the pier towards the old part of Split, where you will find the impressive 3rd century Diocletian’s Palace. Here you will visit the cellars, the Peristyle, the Golden and Silver Gates, the Cathedral (Mausoleum of Emperor Diocletian), the Temple of Jupiter and other interesting and historic sights. Following that you will walk around the ‘heart’ of the Old Town and finally you will be given free time to shop and take pictures. Just so you know... At the end of your tour you can choose to stay in the city centre if you wish to do so OR walk back to the ship with your guide.
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Salona & Trogir
If you have been to Split before, why not venture out of the city and see other places of interest the beautiful Croatian coast has to offer? On this lovely tour you will discover the Roman settlement of Salona, which supported a population of 60,000 in ancient times. Here you will walk with your guide around the ruins and take in the stunning views of the surrounding area before proceeding to Trogir. Trogir, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is an impressive, fortified, Medieval town, built on an island, connected to the mainland by a bridge. You will be given free time to explore on your own, wander around the quaint, narrow streets, view the fashionable and very picturesque marina or do some shopping in the many souvenir shops!
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Best of Split & its Countryside
You’ll get up close and personal with Croatia’s second-largest city on this day out. It begins with a walk around the old town, and you’ll take in the well-preserved cellars beneath the Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO-listed fortress from the Roman times. Gothic cathedrals, cobbled squares, and ancient city gates are all on the itinerary, too. Afterwards, you’ll take a drive along the coast into the mountains to visit Omiš, a small town on the banks of the Centina River. You’ll climb aboard a boat to set sail through the canyon, and head to a local restaurant where you'll get to sample local smoked ham, cheese and olives.
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Kotor, Montenegro
For years, the travel-savvy have kept Montenegro under their sunhats. But now the cat’s creeping out of the bag – and it’s hardly surprising. A tiny republic in southeast…
Time in port: 08:00 - 17:00 | Tender to shoreShow Top Things to Do
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Highlights of Montenegro
The port of Kotor finds a home on the world’s southernmost fjord - or the ‘Bride of the Adriatic’, as it’s also known. As places go, it’s beautiful. Think blue seas. A stony shore. Green mountains. All drenched in the heavenly scent of lemons, oranges, mimosas and camellias. And here’s your chance to explore this gorgeous part of the world. First you’ll stop at the mountain village of Njegusi to taste the region’s delicious smoked ham and cheese. Stomach full, you’re ready for Cetinje. Known as the ‘Valley of Gods’, it was once the smallest European capital and it’s filled to bursting with beautiful buildings. Here you'll visit the King Nikola's palace before having some free time to stroll around. Next you’re off to Budva - the most popular tourist destination on Montenegro’s map. And quite rightly so. Beautiful architecture meets seductive sandy beaches in this spot. Perhaps that’s why lots of millionaires decide to live here. Want to join them?
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Walking Tour of Kotor
When a town is two thousand years old like Kotor there are plenty of stories to tell. Its ancient Roman beginnings. Its Middle Ages struggle of ownership between Goths, Saracens and Serbians. Its Venetian past. With a history like this, it’s no surprise Kotor has got itself a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. And what better way to explore it than with a guided walking tour? In every stone of its timeworn walls, on every fresco painting and every hidden alley, you’ll relive its glorious past. The old town centre is still really well preserved and the criss-crossed narrow streets and squares have monuments at every corner. From Prince’s Palace and Napoleon’s Theatre to the most recognisable symbol of the city - the Romanesque Cathedral of Saint Tryphon – you’ll be mesmerised from the word go. And how many towns in this part of the world have preserved their fortifications from the Middle Ages? Not many. But Kotor is one of the few. The chunky walls surrounding the old town are impressive to say the least - at some places they reach 20 metres in height and 16 metres in thickness. If you don’t believe us, you’ll have plenty of time to measure them in the free time you’ll get here. Have we given you enough reasons to join our guided visit to Kotor? We think so.
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Traditional Kotor
The olive farm starring on this trip is perched on the Bay of Kotor. Spectacular scenery comes as standard in these parts, thanks to the huge expanse of water mirroring the surrounding mountains. Pretty villages speckle the coastline and – after stopping to take a quick photo of the bay – we’ll reach a small peninsula called Luštica, home to a farm owned by the Moric family. A welcome drink in the 900-tree-strong olive grove marks the start of the tour, during which your guide will reveal all about the family’s artisan style of olive cultivation, harvest and production. We’ll then wander towards the village of Tići, checking out the old and new mills on the way. The best is saved for last – you’ll get to taste-test the family’s extra virgin olive oils alongside a spread of homemade breads, seasonal fruit and local brandy. To top things off, the day will finish with a whistle stop tour of Kotor.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Ancient city walls. Higgledy-piggledy red rooftops. Cobbled streets worn by time. That’s Dubrovnik, a heart-stealing city that you just know you’re going to love themoment…
Arrives: 04:00
