Croatia Self Drive 08 - The Grand Tour!

A free day to explore Zagreb's historic sites, museums and much more.

Optional Tour: Zagreb Guided Sightseeing Tour - Zagreb grew up on two neighbouring hills: Kaptol - the centre of spiritual and religious life of north-western Croatia, and Gradec - the commercial centre of skillful tradesmen and craftsmen. Take a walk with your guide, visiting the Upper Town with its Gothic Cathedral, the beautiful and ornate St. Catherine’s church and the massive St. Mark’s church with its famous coloured-tiled roof. Continue to the mediaeval Stone Gate and “Dolac”, the open-air market.

Deliver hire car to your hotel and drive the relatively short distance north to Varazdin, suggested detours include the traditional rural area around Krapina, the castle of Veliki Tabor, etc.

Head west into Slovenia with a visit to the beautiful town of Ptuj and then consider a route via Celje and the main highway or detouring slightly to travel along scenic route of Sava River valley. On arrival in Ljubljana you can explore the compact city centre on foot.

Day 5 - sightseeing in Ljubljana in the morning, then drive short distance to Lake Bled via the pretty towns of Kranj and/or Radovljica.

Day 6 - a full day to explore Lake Bled including nearby Vintgar Gorge, Lake Bohinj and the Triglav National Park.

Drive south back into Croatia. A possible scenic route through the mountains and an optional visit of the spectacular caves at Postonja and the castle at Predjama en route. Once across the border you can head for the coast and the beautiful old town of Rovinj. You actually have a fantastic choice of places to stay in Istria which also includes Pula and Porec or you may like to stay in the delightful hill town of Motovun which is not far from the frontier.

A full day to explore the history and stunning scenery of the Istrian Peninsula, including Pula's impressive amphitheatre & other Roman buildings, the historic town & resort of Porec, the Brijuni Islands (accessible from Fazana), the Lim Gorge, Svetvincenat and many more fascinating places.

Drive through the centre of Istria via Pazin (a lovely small town with a zip wire over its gorge) and over to the east coast; visit the old-style Austro-Hungarian resort of Opatija or maybe Rijeka prior to driving over the bridge to the impressive Krk Island.

** Alternative places to stay on this night include Opatija and Rijeka.

Return to the mainland across the bridge and then drive down scenic coast road to Senj prior to heading inland to Plitvice Lakes National Park.

** Alternatively, if you prefer to stick with the coast on this section then you may like to visit either Rab or Pag islands or perhaps Stari Grad Paklenica (for the national park) prior to arrival in Zadar.

A full day to explore the national park using the transport options included in your entry ticket together with some walking around the impressive natural wonders. We recommend pre-booking your tickets to ensure entry at a time of your choosing; these can be included as part of your holiday itinerary.

Drive south towards the Dalmatian coast on a choice of routes to beautiful Zadar; optional detour along the way to Paklenica National Park. If you wish to devote the whole day an enchanting alternative route would be via Otocac and Senj / Velebit National Park, even Rab and Pag Islands. Explore Zadar old town for dinner on arrival, visiting the fascinating Sea Organ and the ingenious "Greeting to the Sun" at the Riva.

More time to visit the historic old town of Zadar and its market and enjoy a little cafe culture. You may also have time to visit the nearby seaside town of Nin, Pag Island, Lake Vrana or any of the nearby islands such as Dugi Otok or the Kornati Islands National Park.

Your onward route today will depend upon where you wish to visit en route to Trogir (or Split). If you choose to use the main highway for at least some of your journey then you can easily visit historic Sibenik and the National Park of Krka; however, you may elect to simply enjoy the spectacular coast road via Biograd, Pakostane (Lake Vrana) and Primosten.

Drive to Split port and take a car ferry to one of the nearby islands, such as Hvar or Brac. Onward drive to your chosen resort and hotel.

Morning sightseeing on your chosen island - for example, a walk up to the castle overlooking Hvar Town or the spectacular Zlatni Rat beach at Bol. A scenic drive to the eastern port of your chosen island and a short ferry crossing back to the mainland. You may like to visit Makarska or try the zip-wire experience at the stunning Cetina Valley near Omis if you have time prior to driving up the coast to Split.

Your choice for the next three days is either the pretty little town of Trogir or the centre of historic Split. NB. Trogir is usually recommended here as it is quieter and always better value but as you will likely give back your hire car there are fewer logistical issues affecting this choice.

Two full days to explore Trogir or visit nearby places of interest such as the Roman ruins of Salona, the Kliss Fortress or Split (it is possible to visit Split using the local passenger ferry across the bay). It is also possible to arrange excursions to the Cetina Valley for rafting and/or zip-wire, the Krka National Park or one of the other islands depending upon what you may have already done earlier on your holiday.

Private transfer to Split airport for flight home.