Dubrovnik, Montenegro & the Dalmatian Coast

Fly from the UK to Dubrovnik, meet your tour manager, then follow the scenic route north to your hotel in Drvenik, a coastal town on the shores of the Adriatic. Once there, get to know your surroundings and spend a first evening on the shores of the Adriatic, perhaps enjoying a nightcap under the stars.

Depending on the arrival time of your flight, you may be taken into the nearby resort of Cavtat for two to three hours free time while you wait for other passengers to arrive on later flights.

On today’s included tour you’ll head, first, to Croatia’s historic, vibrant second city Split. Here highlights include a wondrous, colourful, bustling old Town and the crumbling ruins of the palace of Roman Emperor Diocletian. You’ll then discover the walled, island-town of Trogir, one of the most enticing settlements on the whole Croatian coast.

Cross to the island over a bridge and through the Land Gate, and enter a time-warped jumble of palaces, ancient churches and hidden courtyards, now lined with restaurants, cafés and a variety of shops, but where the sense of times past is never quite overcome. See the Romanesque cathedral, and wander the narrow streets and seafront promenade.

Today's tour takes you to the tumbling waterfalls, deep gorges and picturesque lakes of beautiful Krka National Park, which stretches some 12 miles up a lavendar-clad valley from the delightful harbour-town of Skradin with its stone-built houses and colourful waterfront. Enjoy a short boat ride, stroll along wooden walkways though the verdant surrounding forest at your own pace, and discover a park that previous customers have called "indescribably beautiful".

This morning you'll cross the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country shaped by centuries of Ottoman rule and a turbulent modern history that's still visible across its cities today. Arrive in Mostar, home to the iconic Stari Most, a stone bridge spanning the River Neretva. Originally built in 1566 under Suleiman the Magnificent, the bridge was destroyed during the Bosnian War in 1993 and rebuilt in the same style. Standing 24 metres above the water at its highest point, it's every bit as striking today as it must have been when it was first completed.

You'll have some free time to explore Mostar's old town, where cobbled streets wind past minarets, bustling bazaars and Ottoman-era houses. Browse the coppersmiths' stalls along Kujundžiluk, the old bazaar street, for handcrafted souvenirs, or climb the minaret of the Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque for one of the best views over the bridge and the Neretva below. Stop for a traditional Bosnian coffee, served in a small copper pot called a džezva, or try ćevapi, a grilled meat speciality, at one of the cafés lining the riverbank.

After the opportunity to explore this colourful, UNESCO-listed town, which boasts one of Europe’s oldest continuously trading markets, you’ll continue to your beautifully located second hotel, where dinner will be served.

As a memorable day unfolds, you'll get to know stunning Dubrovnik, the incomparable Pearl of the Adriatic. Explore its captivating, medieval old town and perhaps walk the ancient city walls, upon which you'll find views stretching out over the red-roofed buildings to the sea beyond.

Join our guided walking tour to see the medieval old town, its pedestrianised central street Stradun running from the Pile Gate to busy Luza Square and overlooked by the carved stone façade of the impressive Sponza Palace and graceful, Baroque St Blaise’s Church. Other highlights will include the Franciscan Monastery, and the Rector’s Palace, seat of the government in the former Dubrovnik Republic.

The energetic can walk the entirety of the city walls, while others can take a seat in one of the city's many pavement cafés and relax before returning to the hotel.

The last included excursion takes you south into Montenegro, a country of striking contrasts, where Mediterranean beaches, deep pine forests and enchanting, preserved medieval settlements sit beneath a backdrop of high mountains criss-crossed by crystal-clear glacial streams.

Your route leads to the spectacular Bay of Kotor, Europe's southernmost fjord, where you'll stop to explore the UNESCO World Heritage old town of Kotor. Wander its maze of stone streets and squares, and visit the Cathedral of St Tryphon, a 12th-century Romanesque cathedral with a pair of distinctive Baroque bell towers, built to house the relics of the city's patron saint.

Above the town, Kotor's fortifications climb more than 260 metres up the mountainside to the Castle of St John, largely built during centuries of Venetian rule and now offering some of the best views over the bay.

Later, return to your hotel in time for dinner.

Enjoy a final day’s rest and relaxation, perhaps returning to Dubrovnik’s enthralling streets once more, or even taking to the blue waters of the Adriatic that lap the shore. Secluded rocky coves and several tiny beaches provide places for swimming, and there are also opportunities to try even more energetic pursuits on the water.

This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner at your hotel and a last balmy Croatian evening.

Bid farewell to Croatia, and transfer to the airport to check in for your flight home at the end of a wonderful holiday.