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Nika Drobnič, our local Host

Day 1 : Arrive in Dubrovnik

Make your way from the airport to the hotel for check in.

We will meet before sunset for a welcome drink at the hotel where you can get to know the rest of the guests. We’ll then go for a short walk over to a local restaurant for dinner with local wines and proximity and seasonal Croatian produce.

Inclusions: Welcome dinner with drinks and overnight at More Hotel.

Overnight at More Hotel 5*

We like More Hotel because it is a very convenient 5 star hotel located on the shore with fabulous sea views and within walking distance to the city.

Its private pier means we can jump directly onto our private boat for our excursions, and its pools are a fabulous way to welcome you to Croatia.

Did we mention we have booked sea-facing balcony rooms for our stay? So you can take all the sea breeze in and start the days in style.

Tip: If you land early in the morning, laze by the pool or lounge and get into the holiday mood.

Day 2: Dubrovnik

We will start the day with breakfast by the sea from the hotel’s restaurant before heading off to explore Croatia’s most famous city, Dubrovnik.

Our morning will be spent on a guided walking tour of the UNESCO-listed walled city, a gem on the Adriatic Sea.

We will wander the narrow pedestrian streets of the 9th century fortified old city led by our local host, Nika.

She will tell us of its thriving past and its history, first as part of the Venetian Republic, later on as a free-trade enclave, as part of Napoleonic Italy and eventually, as the Yugoslavian Federation until the Croatia War of Independence in 1991.

Dubrovnik’s interest lies in its rich heritage, its picturesque walls, stone houses, cobblestone streets and the many view points from which to enjoy the red roofs against the deep blue sea.

Reconstructed several times because of war damage and earthquakes, today’s Dubrovnik is a combination of old preserved structures and renovated buildings.

With less than 50,000 inhabitants and countless Hollywood productions, the walled town can be really packed with visitors especially in the peak summer months.

After a walking tour, we will enjoy a local lunch in the Old Town. You will then have the afternoon free to explore on your own.

This is a great opportunity for shopping if that’s on your wish list, for walking the city walls or to scout some of the famous Game of Thrones locations.

Pro tip: If you prefer to watch the world go by and sit by the shore, try one of the cliff bars such as famous and casual Buza II which has great views, or next door Azur for a fusion Mediterranean-Asian lunch.

We will meet again before sunset for a hike up to a viewpoint over Dubrovnik from where we will see the sun go down the horizon with a cocktail in hand.

We’ll go back down on the cable car and have free time to find a great dinner spot for one last local meal in Croatia’s most iconic and photographed city.

Nika will have a reservation for dinner at a restaurant near the hotel if you wish to join her. Otherwise, the night is young and you can return to the hotel whenever you like.

Inclusions: Breakfast at the hotel, walking tour of Dubrovnik, lunch, pre-dinner cocktail, cable car down.

Overnight at More Hotel.

Day 3 : Beach Club & Boat Tour

Wake up to wonderful views over the Adriatic Sea once again and pinch yourself, you’re in Croatia and it’s not a dream!

After a “late-ish” breakfast, we will make full use of the summer temperatures and holiday life to enjoy a full day of sea, sun and sand.

Directly from the pier at our hotel, we will jump on our private boat for a glam ride to one of the fashionable beach clubs that dot the coast and islands of the south Dalmatian coast.

Nothing says summertime like music and a cocktail, preferably with an umbrella, surrounded by beautiful people and summer vibes, and we couldn’t show you the best of Croatia without at least day spent by the beach.

We have reserved sun loungers for you to chill, suntan, read a book or have a swim in the turquoise sea, listen to music or anything else that your heart desires.

You will have free time this morning and until after lunch time to enjoy the club’s facilities and have lunch if you get peckish.

In the afternoon, we will jump back again on our private boat for a tour of Dubrovnik’s Old Town from the water, a different perspective to what you are used to.

The boat tour will follow the city walls and fortress and go all the way to Lokrum Island to complete a day we have enjoyed at sea.

We will then return to the hotel to freshen up, relax and enjoy a bit of free time before meeting again for dinner with sea views at the hotel.

Inclusions: Breakfast at the hotel, private boat hire to the beach club, sun loungers, boat tour of Old Town, dinner a the hotel.

Overnight at More Hotel.

Day 4 : Peljesak Peninsula – Hiking, Winery and Ston

The day will start early with a wonderful breakfast by the sea to get into the right mood for a day in the countryside exploring an area of Croatia that is not as well known and touristed.

After breakfast, we will set off to Peljesak Peninsula, a strategic area in the Dalmatian coast with a fascinating past in wine trade, salt production, and shellfish farming, all of which we will learn more about today.

In contrast with the well trodded streets of Dubrovnik, Peljesak Peninsula will feel bucolic and almost forgotten, were it not for the abundant vineyards that bear fruit to the age old tradition of making wines, including a local sparkling wine inherited from Napoleonic times.

On our way, we will stop at various scenic spot to admire the view and the rustic coast in this part of the country and go on to visit a winery for wine tasting and traditional lunch.

NOTE: Lunch will be at a traditional farm to table family run restaurant which cures meats. This means that ham legs and sausages hang from the ceiling.

Croatian wines are rarely found outside the country (though this is changing) but the soil and climate coupled with the long tradition in wine product (albeit interrupted during Yugoslavian times), means you are bound to be positively surprised with the native grape varieties.

We will then continue exploring the rest of the island with various stops along the way as we drive towards the fortified village of Ston.

Ston has been spared by the many earthquakes that have hit this part of the coast and which almost destroyed Dubrovnik and this will be obvious as you walk the small streets.

A unique feature of the village is its long defensive walls that are some of the longest structures of its kind in Europe and were built to protect the salt pans.

These are the oldest salt pans in Europe and were first exploited by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It is the wealth that came from salt trade harvested from Ston that propelled the Dubrovnik Republic in the 14th century.

The pans are still in use today and produce salt in the traditional way, through the natural process of crystallization that happens across 9 pools named after saints during the summer months.

Unlikely in Dubrovnik, life here goes by at a more gentle and slow pace, a laid back atmosphere we will fully enjoy.

After a visit to the village and some free time, we will share a dinner of local produce at a scenic medieval traditional seafood restaurant before driving back to Dubrovnik.

Inclusions: Breakfast at the hotel, transportation to and from Peljesac Peninsula, winery visit with tasting, lunch, walking tour of Ston and dinner.

Overnight at More Hotel.

Day 5 : Perast and Kotor

Today we will cross the border into Montenegro for the second part of this trip.

After breakfast, we will jump in our minivan and drive towards the border where immigration procedures should be quick.

Already on Montenegrin soil, we will make our way to the pretty village of Perast, right on the Bay of Kotor, where our stunning hotel is.

Our drive will take two hours and will snake along the coast, right by the water’s edge, showing us how stunning Montenegro’s landscapes of mountains meeting the sea are.

We will check into our wonderful hotel and enjoy lunch at one of the seaside restaurants with a bit of free time to explore quaint Perast.

Perast is a lovely pedestrian-only fishing village turned tourist hotspot and one of the most picturesque spots on the Adriatic coast.

Filled with palaces, churches and old mansions, the village has an air of nobility and class hard to match anywhere else. And because of its sandwiched location below the main road, it has not fallen prey to unruly development and has kept its medieval feel.

The village was part of the Byzantine Empire, the Venetian Republic, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and finally part of Yugoslavia from the end of WWI with a brief period during WWII under Italian rule.

We will base ourselves here during our time in Montenegro and soak it all in. When day tourists leave, Perast becomes a relaxed village that is the perfect holiday spot.

After lunch we will meet again for a short boat ride to the small island where Our Lady of the Rocks church stands.

This picturesque and beautiful baby blue roofed church was built on an artificial island created by the local fishermen who used to drop rocks on the specific spot every time they passed by.

Legend has it that this spot is where an image of the Virgin was found and where two brothers promised they would build a church.

The practice of dropping stones has not yet been abandoned and every year, on the 22nd July in an event called fašinada, local fishermen commemorate the occasion by contributing to the island’s foundations.

Our Lady of the Rocks was originally an Orthodox church converted into Catholicism when the area fell under Venetian control and you need to cover up to visit it inside.

Pro tip: Don’t miss out on the famous tapestry inside the church’s museum which was weaved by a local blind woman over 25 years with gold and silver threads.

After the church visit, we will return to land by boat and head over to nearby Kotor for a walking tour of Montenegro’s most famous city.

Kotor is another fortified village surrounded by defensive walls and strategically located at the mouth of the Bay of Kotor in truly picture-perfect surroundings.

After Dubrovnik, Kotor will feel like the quieter little brother that escaped Game of Thrones fame but not the cruise ship notoriety. When a cruise docks, you will feel it in the street crowds but as soon as they depart, the city becomes remarkably peaceful.

Kotor is small and maze-like; the entirely pedestrian old town is made of a collection of narrow alleys that snake through churches, old mansions and tourist shops.

Nika will take us on a walking tour of this quaint village that seems to come right out of a medieval movie set.

After the tour, you will have some free time to explore on your own, head over to one of the rooftops for a drink, do some shopping, walk the walls or get lost in the fairytale old town. Don’t worry, you can’t really get lost in Kotor!

Your evening will be free for dinner on your own time, but we will provide some suggestions for our favorite restaurants and wine bars.

Pro tip: Don’t miss out on the many great local wines at Old Winery Wine Bar where you can sample Montenegrin wines by the glass in tavern setting.

After dinner, we will drive back to Perast.

Inclusions: Breakfast at the hotel, transportation, lunch, boat ride to Our Lady of the Rocks, walking tour of Kotor.

Overnight at Heritage Grand Perast 5*

We completely fell in love with this 5* hotel from the moment it embarked on its full renovation of the 18th century palace it is housed in, the largest in Perast.

The Heritage Grand Perast is a stunning hotel and has everything for a stylish luxury vacation.

It is sea facing, it has a small but exclusive private pool, fabulous sun loungers, and a full spa. It also occupies a privileged location right in the middle of the village and mere meters from the water.

The main problem will be convincing you to leave!

Day 6 : Kotor Fortress & Budva

We will enjoy an early breakfast at our fabulous hotel before setting off for our active morning climbing up to Kotor’s Fortress before the crowds and the heat are in full force.

St. John’s Fortress, originally called the Fortress of San Giovanni, is the most well known of all the things to do in Kotor and a must see attraction for any visitor.

You can’t visit Kotor and not get up to the fortress for a panoramic view of the bay and fjords below which is why we make sure to devote a morning to this.

The path uphill is steep and about 1.2km long, snaking up 1,350 steps (yes, we counted them!) for a total elevation of 260m above sea level, and this is the best way to work up an appetite for lunch and burn off all the yum cheese and cold cuts that Croatia and Montenegro are known for.

While the ascent is relatively easy and semi paved with large cobblestones, you do need to be relatively fit, or take lots of breaks, which is easy since there are plenty of places for a stop to admire Kotor’s pretty streets below.

At the top, we’ll find the castle point dedicated to St. Ivan and built in the 14th to the 15th century.

Not much of the castle and the various parts of the fortification remains and only the ruins can be visited but the views, coupled with the ancient walls, make for a very scenic morning.

After the hike, we will descend back where you can grab what you desire for lunch, with a bit of time to take any last shots or cuddle the many cute cats found on the streets of Kotor.

Our afternoon will be spent further south along the coast on the next most famous city in Montenegro, tourist-friendly and photogenic Budva.

On the way, we will be fascinated by the stunning coastal views and the zigzagging coast and stop for pictures.

The red roof fortified old town of Budva is practically taken off a fairytale with its cobblestone streets and thick stone walls protecting it against the lapping waves and invading armies.

Unlike Kotor, Budva is fully embracing the beach life and the old town walls are surrounded by a thriving marina and a sun lounger-filled beach that is packed in the summer months.

Budva was a Greek settlement in the 4th century BC, became part of the Roman Empire two centuries later and of the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. It was subsequently occupied, sacked and attacked in the centuries that followed by Avars, Saracens and Slavs.

Finally, in the 13th century, stability arrived when Budva became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Budva and remained as such until the 19th century.

During that period, the city was under the rule of the Republic of Venice which erected the city’s fortified walls to protect it from the constant Ottoman attacks, like in the rest of Montenegro.

With the fall of the Venetian empire, Budva was briefly under Napoleon’s rule until it was ceded to the Austrian Empire in 1813 who controlled it until WWI. After the war, the country became part of Yugoslavia.

When you visit Budva what you can see is the renovated old Medieval Venetian city which was restored to its former glory after the 1979 earthquake.

Entering through the main gate, Porta di Terra Ferma, which has the shield of the Venetian Republic on the top, you are immediately taken into a mesh of streets.

We will go on a walking tour of the old town with Nika and then enjoy free time to do some shopping, take photos or simply wander the streets.

The city is roughly orthogonal (shaped in right angles) and you can use the sea as the reference point.

Pro Tip: Don’t miss out on the ballerina statue that is located by the sea on the path that leads from Ricardova Glava beach towards hidden Mogren Beach.

We will meet again for dinner before returning to Perast.

Inclusions: Breakfast at the hotel, transportation to Kotor, Budva and back, entry to the fortress, walking tour of Budva, dinner.

Overnight at Iberostar Heritage Grand Perast.

Day 7 : Porto Montenegro & Spa day

Today we will be living the high life in Montenegro’s most exclusive development, the newly opened and, might we add, super stylish Porto Montenegro Marina.

We will drive to this playground of the rich and famous, where super yacht owners berth their floating palaces, for a well deserved massage and spa time at one of the country’s most upscale wellness complexes.

Our program will include access to the indoor and outdoor Venetian inspired spa and pool areas as well as a massage.

Take a plunge in the 20-metre indoor or outdoor infinity pool, or lounge on a sunbed while taking in panoramic views of the marina and scenic Boka Bay.

There will be free time to enjoy the views over the Adriatic Sea and do some last shopping at the many luxury stores in the marina.

After a long week of sightseeing, hiking, walking on cobblestone streets and packed days, we will devote today to pampering, relaxing and making sure you go back home the next day feeling you actually had a holiday.

Porto Montenegro is located by the city of Tivat and has incredible views over the Bay of Kotor.

Its Platinum super yacht status attracts the largest and most stunning yachts in the world. If you fancy a short walk along the marina’s largest berths, you can spot the most famous floating hotels.

After our self-care day, we will return to Perast for our farewell dinner at the hotel’s beautiful restaurant.

Inclusions: Breakfast at the hotel, transportation to Porto Montenegro marina, spa access and massage, farewell dinner with wine.

Day 8 : Departure

We will wake up for one last breakfast at our fabulous hotel before being dropped off either at Dubrovnik’s airport or at Tivat’s airport nearby in Mongenegro (there will be one drop off at each airport, so you can choose from which you depart from).

Inclusions: Breakfast at the hotel, transfer back to Dubrovnik or Tivat airport.

About Your Host, Nika

Nika was bitten by a travel bug from a young age when her mother, who worked in the travel industry, took her on “girls only” trips. She continued exploring on her own in her late teens and has so far been to around 50 countries on 5 continents. 

She has lived and worked in the USA and Italy and has always had jobs which involved traveling or working from different locations . Six years ago Nika decided to become her own boss and focus primarily on the travel industry.

Since then, she’s worked as a freelance guide for a couple of international companies and created many custom made tours and retreats. 

There is nothing more powerful than travel – the knowledge and the skills you get after each trip become part of you so you continually upgrade and discover new layers of yourself.

Our 1st departure at the end of May 2023 will also be accompanied by our Co-Founder, Mar Pages.