Balkan Extended: Belgrade to Dubrovnik

Your driver meets you at Nikola Tesla Airport and takes you to your hotel, past the Socialist architecture and modern business district of New Belgrade. The rest of the day is yours to rest after the flight.

In the evening, take a short walk to Skadarlija, Belgrade’s 19th-century bohemian quarter, where cobbled streets are lined with kafanas serving local dishes to live traditional music.

A panoramic drive shows how many eras Belgrade holds at once: Brutalist New Belgrade across Branko’s Bridge, the new Belgrade Waterfront, and the Dedinje district with the Residence of Miloš the Great and the Museum of Yugoslavia.

We then visit the Temple of Saint Sava, one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world, known for its mosaics, and continue on foot from Republic Square along Knez Mihailova Street to the Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park, where the Sava meets the Danube. The evening is free.

We drive to Zagreb for a walking tour of the Croatian capital: medieval Kaptol, the Franciscan monastery and its 13th-century church, Dolac farmers’ market, the baroque Church of Saint Mary and Ban Jelačić Square.

After lunch we cross into Slovenia, with a stop at Otočec, the country’s only water castle, on an island in the Krka River. Evening arrival in Ljubljana, free to explore its restaurants and riverside.

A guided walk through Ljubljana along the Ljubljanica River: the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, the baroque Town Hall, Mestni Trg and Robba’s Fountain, the central market and the Triple Bridge.

In the afternoon we head to Lake Bled and take a traditional pletna boat to the island and its Church of Saint Mary. Free time for Bled Castle above the lake and a slice of the famous Bled cream cake, then back to Ljubljana.

We leave Ljubljana for Postojna Cave, where an electric train takes you into a world of stalactites, underground pools and great halls.

In the evening we reach Portorož on the Slovenian coast. Its name comes from the Italian “Portorose”, the port of roses.

In Croatian Istria we start at Grožnjan, a hilltop village of artists’ galleries and workshops along cobbled lanes.

Then Motovun, high on its hill above the forest, with its town walls and the Church of Saint Stephen. Overnight in Poreč.

In Pula, the Roman amphitheatre is one of the best preserved in the world, with the Temple of Augustus, the Arch of the Sergii and the Twin Gates close by.

Late afternoon in Rovinj, a Venetian old town of steep alleys and the galleries of Grisia Street, before we return to Poreč.

A coffee stop in Opatija, the aristocratic resort on the Kvarner coast, and a stroll along the Lungomare promenade above the sea.

In the afternoon, a 3-hour guided walk through Plitvice Lakes National Park: 16 terraced lakes joined by waterfalls, once called the Devil’s Garden and listed by UNESCO in 1979. Dinner and overnight near the park.

On the coast, Trogir’s tiny island old town is a UNESCO site of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance streets, with the Cathedral of Saint Lawrence and Kamerlengo Castle.

In Split, we walk through Diocletian’s Palace, 1,700 years old and still lived in: the Golden Gate, the former Temple of Jupiter and the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, then out to the Riva promenade. The evening is free.

A catamaran takes you to Hvar town for a walking tour of the harbour, the Renaissance cathedral, the Benedictine convent and the Franciscan monastery.

The rest of the day is free: a boat to the Pakleni Islands, a beach, the path to Milna Bay or a long Mediterranean lunch. Back to Split in the late afternoon; catamaran times vary by season.

South along the coast, past islands, vineyards and olive groves, and over the Pelješac Bridge onto the peninsula.

A stop in Ston for its oysters and medieval walls, then on to Dubrovnik. The evening is free.

A guided walk through Dubrovnik: Pile Gate, Stradun, the Rector’s Palace and the old port, with the story of the Republic of Ragusa and the city’s Game of Thrones locations.

The afternoon is free. Our suggestions: the City Walls (2 km, ticket not included), the cable car up Srđ Hill, or a sunset cruise on the Karaka, a replica 16th-century galleon.

After breakfast and check-out, the tour ends. Many guests stay on in Dubrovnik, so the airport transfer is not included. We are happy to arrange it, or extra nights, when you book.