17 Days | Experience the wonders of Croatia, Slovenia and Italy





A bite of the Balkans, a dash of Central Europe and a slice of the Med – get a lovely sampler of Europe’s diverse delights on this 17-day adventure. Wander through Dubrovnik’s World Heritage-listed Old Town and explore Plitvice Lakes National Park. Travel up the Dalmatian Coast and cross into Slovenia, where adventure junkies can get their fix biking, hiking, canyoning or caving. Head on to Italy and live out your grandest gondola and tiramisu fantasies in Venice, stroll the twisting trails between the Cinque Terre's towns and see the artworks that inspired the Renaissance in Florence.
Trip overview

- Start
- Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Finish
- Rome, Italy
- Theme
- Explorer
- Destinations
- Italy, Slovenia, Croatia
- Physical rating
- Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
- Style
- Basix
- Ages
- Min 15
- Group size
- Min 1 - Max 16
- Trip code
- ZMRDC
- The dramatic romance of Italy, the coastal castles of Croatia and a sampling of Slovenia – this tour is a great way to see Europe from multiple angles.
- Explore beautiful Ljubljana, Slovenia’s green-hued heart. You will enjoy two nights in the capital to soak it up at your own pace.
- Stroll through Plitvice Lakes National Park, marvelling at luminous lakes and waterfalls that look like they were sketched by an artist.
- Take a hike along Cinque Terre's rocky coastal pathways, calling into the sleepy pastel villages of Manarola, Riomaggiore and Vernazza.
- Take a guided walk around Rome’s famous landmarks including the Colosseum, Vatican City, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica.
- This trip is made for travellers who value their independence but also want the benefit of a local leader and a group of like-minded travellers. The itinerary has a mix of included activities and free time when your leader will offer suggestions. Please budget spending money for optional activities you want to partake in.
- This tour is a ‘combo’ – a combination of two shorter itineraries that have been stitched together to make a longer adventure. Because of this, your group leader and the composition of your group may change in Venice.
- As space it at a premium in Europe, a single supplement is not available on this trip. Single travellers will share a room with other travellers of the same gender. This trip is a great opportunity to get to know other like-minded people. Couples should be aware that hotels in Europe often don't have double beds, but rather two single beds that can be pushed together. Rooms can be rather small by American or Australian standards and in most cases bathroom facilities will be shared rather than en suite.
- Summer temperatures can be very high in many of the regions visited (over 40°C). Please keep in mind that many European hotel rooms are not equipped with air conditioning and carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.
- The primary means of transportation in Italy is by train. Train travel is a fast way to traverse long distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre. Trains are comfortable and often decked out with air conditioning, toilets, a snack bar (or vending machine) and power points. Please note that you'll have to carry your own luggage on and off the train, so make sure it doesn’t exceed the weight recommendations in the ‘Packing’ section of the Essential Trip Information.
Itinerary
View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2024 - 31 December 2024
Inclusions
11 breakfasts, 1 lunch
Train, Public bus, Private vehicle
Hotel (4 nights), Hostel (10 nights), Pension (2 nights)
- Plitvice Lakes - National Park Visit
- Plitvice Lakes - Picnic
- Venice - Orient Experience Snack Stop
- Venice - Leader-led Orientation Walk
- Venice – San Marco Square
- Cinque Terre - Day Trip, including Cinque Terre Pass
- Florence - Leader-led Orientation Walk
- Rome – Leader-led Orientation Walk
- Rome – Trevi Fountain
- Dubrovnik - Srd Hill Hike - Free
- Dubrovnik - Franciscan Monastery - EUR4
- Dubrovnik - Lokrum Island Boat Trip - EUR27
- Dubrovnik - Mt Srd Museum of Croatian War of Independence - EUR4
- Dubrovnik - Discover Game of Thrones Filming Locations Urban Adventure - EUR69
- Dubrovnik - Rector's Palace - EUR13
- Dubrovnik - War Photography Museum - EUR10
- Dubrovnik - City Walls Walk - EUR35
- Split - Fish Market - Free
- Split - Hiking in Mosor with Traditional Dinner - EUR64
- Split - Cooking Class including Lunch or Dinner - EUR80
- Split - Diocletian's Palace Cellars - EUR7
- Split - Ethnographic Museum - EUR3
- Split - City Museum - EUR4
- Split - Gallery of Fine Arts - EUR5
- Split - St Domnius Cathedral and Tower - EUR10
- Split – Highlights of Split Urban Adventure - EUR64
- Zagreb - Mirogoj Cemetery - Free
- Zagreb - Cathedral - Free
- Zagreb - Kula Lotrščak - EUR3
- Zagreb - The Croatian Museum of Naive Art - EUR5
- Ljubljana - Dragon Bridge - Free
- Ljubljana - Metelkova Neighbourhood - Free
- Ljubljana - Castle and Funicular - EUR16
- Ljubljana - Sights & Bites Urban Adventure - EUR65
- Bled - Day Trip by Public Bus - EUR15
- Bled - Castle - EUR15
- Bled - Pletna Boat Trip - EUR14
- Venice - Doge's Palace & Bridge of Sighs - EUR30
- Venice - Gondola Ride - EUR80
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection - EUR17
- Venice - St Mark's Campanile - EUR12
- Venice - St Mark's Basilica Treasury - EUR5
- Venice - Accademia Gallery - EUR16
- Ca’ D’Oro - Galería Franchetti - EUR15
- Venice - Ca' Rezzonico Museum of Eighteenth Century Art - EUR11
- Venice - Glass Museum Murano - EUR11
- Venice - Museum of St Mark's Basilica - EUR5
- Venice - Scuola Grande di San Rocco - EUR14
- Venice - Chicchetti & Wine Tour of Venice Urban Adventure - EUR99
- Cinque Terre - 'Il Laboratorio del Pesto' Making & Demonstration - EUR15
- Cinque Terre - Coastal Cruise - EUR30
- Florence - Foodies Walk Urban Adventure - EUR79
- Florence - Aperitivo Time! Urban Adventure - EUR77
- Siena - Day Trip to Siena by Public Bus - EUR24
- Florence - Baptistry, Museo Opera del Duomo, Giotto Bell Tower and Brunelleschi Dome - EUR30
- Florence - Palazzo Vecchio - EUR12
- Florence - Accademia - EUR17
- Florence - Uffizi Gallery - EUR24
- Florence - Pitti Palace (Boboli Gardens, Museo Argenti, Costume Gallery, Porcellain Museum) - EUR12
- Florence - Bargello Museum - EUR14
- Florence - Medici Chapels - EUR15
- Rome - Castel Sant'Angelo - EUR14
- Rome - Christian Catacombs - EUR10
- Rome - Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill - EUR19
- Rome - Keats-Shelley Memorial House - EUR6
- Vatican City - Vatican Museum - EUR21
- Rome - Pantheon - EUR5
- Vatican City - St Peter's Dome Climb & Elevator - EUR10
- Rome - Venezia Palace - EUR16
- Rome - Galleria Borghese - EUR15
Dates and availability
Important notes
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
A single supplement is NOT available on this trip.
COMBINATION TRIP
As this is a combination of two trips, your group leader and the composition of your group will likely change in Venice.
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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