Marvels of Croatia: 10-Day Private Tour
Home / Private Croatia Tours / Marvels of Croatia
OVERVIEW
Your Journey Through Plitvice Lakes, Istria, Hvar & the Dalmatian Coast
Marvels of Croatia is a 10-day, 9-night private guided tour from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, covering Opatija, the Istrian peninsula (Poreč and Rovinj), Plitvice Lakes National Park, Split, Trogir and Hvar. You travel with your own guide and driver for the whole trip, not as part of a shared group, and pricing starts from $2,950 per person for parties of 10 or more.
10 Days / 9 Nights
Duration
Zagreb
Departure
Dubrovnik
Return
Private, guided
Style
✓ 100% private tour, no joining a group
✓ Licensed local guides
✓ Flexible dates & group sizes
✓ Free, no-obligation quote
FROM
$2,950 per person
For groups of 10 or more. See the full pricing by group size below.
Tailored to your dates and group size
WHAT’S INCLUDED
What the Price Covers
Here is what the price includes, and what it does not.
What's Included
9 nights hotel accommodation
Services of professionally licensed guides on local tours
8 meals: 8 breakfasts
All domestic flights and ferry transportation mentioned in the itinerary
English-speaking guided tours mentioned in the itinerary
Inbound and outbound airport transfers to and from your hotel
All taxes, entrance and museum fees, baggage handling (unless otherwise stated)
Transportation in a fully air-conditioned, non-smoking minivan on local tours and transfers
What's Not Included
International airfares
Tips to guide, driver, hotel staff and others
Final pricing depends on season, group size and hotel category.
DAY BY DAY
Ten days and nine nights from Zagreb to Dubrovnik. Tap a day to see what is planned.
Day 1: Arrival in Zagreb
Arrival Day
Upon your arrival you will have a private transfer to your hotel located in the city. You will have leisure time for the remainder of the day on your own.
Overnight in Zagreb
Day 2: Zagreb City Tour
Guided City Tour
This morning you will meet your guide for a sightseeing tour. Zagreb is divided into three parts: the thousand-year-old Gornji Grad (Upper Town), with the iconic St Mark’s Church, the Presidential Palace and the Croatian Parliament (Sabor), and galleries and museums set along cobbled streets lit by gas lamps; and the 19th-century Donji Grad (Lower Town), with its restaurants, shops, cafes, theatres and parks. Zagreb is also called a city of museums. In the evening, you can have dinner in one of the restaurants, sampling a delicious Croatian dish.
Overnight in Zagreb
Day 3: Zagreb to Opatija
Travel Day
This morning you will meet your private driver for a transfer to Opatija, one of the most fashionable seaside resorts for the Viennese elite in the 19th century, as evidenced by the many beautiful belle epoque villas that remain. The town sprawls along the coast between the sparkling Adriatic and the forested hills, with the whole waterfront connected by a promenade. In town, visit historical sites such as the Fountain of Helios and Selena and the Maiden with the Seagull.
Overnight in Opatija
Day 4: Istria Day Trip from Opatija
Day Trip in Istria
This morning you will meet your private driver for a transfer to the Istrian peninsula, stopping first in Poreč, whose major landmark is the 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the 3rd century the settlement had an organized Christian community with an early-Christian complex of sacral buildings, and a floor mosaic from its oratory is still preserved in the garden of the basilica. Next, drive to Rovinj, coastal Istria’s star attraction, set on a peninsula with the Punta Corrente Forest Park and the wooded cape of Zlatni Rt (Golden Cape) with its old oak and pine trees. Drive to your hotel.
Overnight in Opatija
Day 5: Plitvice Lakes National Park
Travel Day, UNESCO Site
This morning you will check out from your hotel and continue to the beautiful Plitvice Lakes, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Water flowing over limestone and chalk has, over thousands of years, deposited travertine barriers, creating natural dams and in turn a series of lakes, caves and waterfalls, and these geological processes continue today. You can spend time on your own in this national park, heavily forested with beech, spruce and fir, home to bears, wolves and many rare bird species. Stay overnight at Plitvice.
Overnight in Plitvice Lakes
Day 6: Plitvice Lakes to Split
Travel Day
This morning you will meet your private driver for a transfer to Split, the second-largest city in Croatia and a great place to see Dalmatian life as it is really lived, with just the right balance of modernity and tradition. Arrive at your hotel in Split.
Overnight in Split
Day 7: Split and Trogir
Day Trip to Trogir
This morning you will visit Split and Trogir with the private assistance of your driver and guide. Visit Diocletian’s Palace, built for Diocletian’s personal use, with the rest housing the military garrison from the 4th century. Though called a palace, it more resembles a large fortress, and as the world’s most complete remains of a Roman palace it holds an outstanding place in Mediterranean, European and world heritage. Next, visit Trogir, a small island town 30 km from Split, set within medieval walls with a collection of Romanesque and Renaissance architecture under Venetian rule, and a UNESCO World Heritage site with a magnificent cathedral. The remainder of the day is at your leisure. Return to Split.
Overnight in Split
Day 8: Hvar Island Day Trip
Day Trip to Hvar
This morning you will be driven to Hvar, a beautiful Adriatic island town that was once a medieval base. Hvar’s location at the center of the Adriatic sailing routes has long made it an important base for trade up and down the Adriatic, across to Italy and throughout the wider Mediterranean. Hvar Island is part of Split-Dalmatia County and has four municipalities: Hvar, Stari Grad, Jelsa and Sućuraj. Return to Split.
Overnight in Split
Day 9: Dubrovnik Old Town Walking Tour
Guided Walking Tour
This morning you will be met by your driver at the lobby of your hotel and driven to the Pile Gate to meet your guide, who will take you on a walking tour of the city including the Rector’s Palace, the Dominican Monastery and the City Walls. You enter the old town through the Pile Gate, the main entrance, overlooked by the Minčeta and Bokar forts, two of Dubrovnik’s most recognizable symbols. Visit the Franciscan Monastery, one of the finest examples of Gothic and Romanesque architecture in Dubrovnik. Walking on, you reach Stradun, Dubrovnik’s most famous street, and see the City Cathedral, the Church of St. Blaise, the Sponza Palace, the bell towers and Orlando’s Column. Return to your hotel.
Overnight in Dubrovnik
Day 10: Departure from Dubrovnik
Departure Day
Departure day. Private transfer to Dubrovnik airport.
TOUR MAP
Where This Tour Takes You
The route of the Marvels of Croatia on the map.
HIGHLIGHTS
Popular Attractions on This Route
The stops guests remember most from this itinerary, each visited with your private guide on the day shown.
Plitvice Lakes National Park
UNESCO Site · Day 5
Travertine lakes, caves and waterfalls formed over thousands of years, set in forest that is home to rare birds and wildlife.
Poreč and Rovinj, Istria
UNESCO Site · Day 4
Poreč’s 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, then Rovinj, coastal Istria’s star attraction.
Diocletian’s Palace, Split
UNESCO Site · Day 7
The world’s most complete remains of a Roman palace, built for Diocletian’s personal use and still the heart of Split.
Trogir Old Town
UNESCO Site · Day 7
A small island town inside medieval walls, with Romanesque and Renaissance architecture and a magnificent cathedral.
Hvar Island
Island · Day 8
A historic Adriatic trading base with four municipalities, visited as a day trip from Split.
Dubrovnik Old Town and City Walls
UNESCO Site · Day 9
Stradun, the Rector’s Palace, the Franciscan Monastery and the Minčeta and Bokar forts, on a private walking tour.
ACCOMMODATION
Where You’ll Stay
Hand-picked hotels in each overnight city, in the style used on this route. Exact properties depend on availability and season, so see the full Croatia hotel list for alternatives.
Hotel Esplanade
Zagreb · Nights 1 and 2
An Art Nouveau landmark in the heart of historic Zagreb, close to the city’s major sights, re-opened in 2004 after a full renovation.
Astoria Opatija
Opatija · Nights 3 and 4
A hotel built in 1904 in an elegant Austro-Hungarian style, one of Opatija’s most popular.
Hotel Jezero
Plitvice Lakes · Night 5
Inside the national park, about 300 meters from Lake Kozjak and the trailheads into the lakes.
Hotel Cornaro
Split · Nights 6 to 8
An urban lifestyle hotel in Split’s city center, with the pulse of the old city around it.
Hotel Excelsior
Dubrovnik · Night 9
A historic villa from 1913, just steps from the UNESCO Old City, with views over the Old Town.
PRICING
Prices
2 Participants
$7,200
4 Participants
$4,800
6 Participants
$3,800
8 Participants
$3,200
10+ Participants · Best Value
$2,950
Prices change with the season and the month of travel. Please ask for the real price valid for the time you are planning to travel.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Quick answers about what is included, how the days run and how to adjust this trip to you.
How much does the Marvels of Croatia tour cost?
Prices are listed by group size, from $2,950 per person for a group of 10 or more up to $7,200 per person for 2 travelers. Prices change with the season and the month of travel, so ask for the exact rate for your dates.
What is included in the price?
Nine nights of hotel accommodation, professionally licensed guides on local tours, 8 breakfasts, airport transfers to and from your hotel, entrance and museum fees, baggage handling, and private transportation in an air-conditioned, non-smoking minivan. Domestic flights and ferries mentioned in the itinerary are included too.
What is not included?
International airfares and tips for your guide, driver and hotel staff. Only breakfasts are included, so lunches and dinners are paid for on your own, which leaves you free to choose where to eat each evening.
Is this a private tour or a small-group tour?
Private. Your own guide and driver travel with just your party for all 10 days, with no joining a shared bus or group itinerary.
Which UNESCO World Heritage Sites does the tour visit?
Plitvice Lakes National Park, the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, Diocletian’s Palace in Split, the old town of Trogir and the Old City of Dubrovnik, each with your private guide.
How many nights do we spend in each place?
Two nights in Zagreb, two in Opatija, one at Plitvice Lakes, three in Split and one in Dubrovnik, nine nights in total.
Are Trogir and Hvar overnight stops?
No. Both are day trips from your Split base: you visit, explore and return to the same hotel each evening, so you only pack and unpack once for that stretch of the tour.
Are flights included in the price?
Domestic flights and ferry transportation mentioned in the itinerary are included in the price. International airfare to and from Croatia is not included and is arranged separately.
Can the itinerary be customized?
Yes. Every tour is private and can be adjusted to your dates, pace and hotel choices. Tell us what you would change and we will send a quote for your version.
Can this be combined with another country, like Slovenia or Montenegro?
Yes. The Croatia & Slovenia and Croatia & Montenegro itineraries cover exactly these combinations, and a custom route can be built around this one on request.
When is the best time to take this tour?
Late May through June and September to mid-October give warm weather with fewer crowds than July and August. The route also runs in other months, though some island hotels and restaurants reduce service in winter.
TRAVELER REVIEWS
What Guests Say
★★★★★
“This is our second time in Croatia with the same tour company. As always they did a great job entertaining us, showing the hospitality and ensuring our safety. We have an enjoyable time and would definitely use them again.”
Chun W., California, USA
★★★★★
“In the last 3 years, I have dealt with approximately a dozen companies while planning two trips. I used 5 of them. At last I found Jordan and his company. I will look no further.”
Marjorie L., California, USA
★★★★★
“We were so pleased with our experience, that we plan to book another trip with All Private Tours to see more of the coastal regions of the Mediterranean.”
Renate D., Maryland, USA
Ready to Plan Your Croatia Trip?
Tell us your travel dates and group size, and we will send you a private quote for this itinerary.