10D9N Adriatic Escape

Welcome to Zagreb, Croatia’s vibrant capital. Meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers before enjoying dinner, the perfect start to your journey across the shores of the Northern Adriatic and beyond.

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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 m (217 ft) 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 specialities.

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This morning’s Insight Choice experiences will see you exploring Lake Bled according to your tastes. You can glide across the water on a traditional pletna boat to Bled Island, and climb 99 steps to the Church of Mother of God to ring the legendary Wishing Bell. Or, visit Vila Bled, once a retreat for Marshal Tito, and savour kremšnita cream cake with coffee on the lake-view terrace. Return to Ljubljana for an afternoon at leisure and perhaps join an Optional Experience to Pr’ Krač for a traditional dinner showcasing Slovenia’s rural heritage.

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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 your resort hotel on the Rijeka coast, surrounded by the scenery of Risnjak National Park and Učka Nature Park  This evening, you may wish to join an Optional Experience to Opatija, a refined coastal resort favoured by Austro-Hungarian royalty, to savour local specialities in a setting steeped in imperial grandeur.

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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, savour 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.

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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.

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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.

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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 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.

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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.

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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.

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