Adriatic Coastal Explorer

Day 1 - UK - Split - Trogir

Our nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your flight to Split. On arrival, we transfer by coach to Trogir and board our ship.

Day 2 - Krka National Park - Skradin

Today we start our journey up the north Dalmatian coast. Where the Krka River flows into the Adriatic, we sail inland - weaving our way beneath steep limestone cliffs and craggy bays to the pretty town of Skradin. The jumping off point for Krka National Park, one of eight national parks in Croatia, Skradin is full of charm - with red-roofed houses, a harbour lined with bobbing sail boats and a backdrop of forested hills. On arrival we go on a guided walk to the famous Krka waterfalls - a beautiful landscape of seven waterfalls and emerald-green lakes. Carved into the limestone karsts over millennia by the rushing waters of the Krka River, the area is considered a natural phenomenon and has UNESCO status. We stay moored overnight in Skradin.

Day 3 - Šibenik - Zadar

Sailing out of the channel, we stop at the historic town of Šibenik for a guided tour. Terracotta-topped houses, elegant Renaissance buildings and Gothic churches stack up on the hillside above the port. We stop to admire architectural gems, including the Bishop’s Palace, Ducal Palace and the town’s crowning and UNESCO-listed glory - the 15th-century cathedral. Surrounded by 71 carved faces and topped by a Renaissance dome that dominates the town’s romantic silhouette, the cathedral is thought to be the world’s largest stone-built church. Continuing up the coast, we arrive in the ancient city of Zadar where we moor for the night. Someone who knew a few things about suspense and dramatic scenes, Alfred Hitchcock claimed that “Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world”.

Day 4 - Zadar - Telascica

Croatia’s longest continually occupied city openly tells the story of its past, as 16th-century Venetian fortifications sit alongside 9th-century Byzantine churches, ancient Roman forums, and 1960s modernist flats. Referred to as the ‘Dresden of the Adriatic’, the city was heavily bombed in WWII by the Allies - destroying up to 80% of its buildings. Many have been beautifully and sympathetically restored, but the architectural landscape of the city bears both its scars and its spirit. On a guided tour we weave our way through the streets of the old town, stopping to admire the Morska vrata (Sea Gate), the Romanesque-style St Chrysogonus Church and baroque St Simeon Church. Back on board, we sail to the bay of Telascica on the island of Dugi Otok and dock overnight.

Day 5 - Kornati National Park - Vodice - Zlarin

Today we set sail through the Kornati Islands - an archipelago of over 140 uninhabited desert-like islands and islets, peppered with caves and grottoes and wrapped in otherworldly blue waters. Camera batteries fully exhausted, we sail to Vodice - a popular seaside town where we’ll briefly step ashore before cruising south to the island of Zlarin where we moor for the night. Home to famous coral filled waters and a patchwork interior of pine-clad hills, cypress forests and olive groves - the island has a permanent population of only around 300 people.

Day 6 - Primošten - Split

On our way south to Split, we sail past picturesque Primošten. With crystal-clear waters, golden beaches and a sun-faded old town clinging to the coastline - Primošten is the manifestation of Mediterranean charm. Arriving in Split, we step ashore for a guided walking tour. Croatia’s second largest city started out life in AD 295 as the retirement palace for the Roman emperor, Diocletian. UNESCO-listed Diocletian’s Palace still stands at the heart of the old town and houses some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the world. It was also the inspiration for Robert Adam’s neoclassical architectural style. Over the centuries, the city expanded into a maze of narrow medieval streets and Gothic archways scattered with Roman ruins. An architectural almanac of over 1,700 years of Venetian, Ottoman and Byzantine history - each ruling empire has left its mark on Split’s myriad architectural styles. There’s free time to wander Split’s waterfront or stroll to one of the city’s squares. We stay moored here tonight.

Day 7 - Trogir

Sailing back to where we started, we’ll arrive in Trogir. Linked by bridges to the mainland, this beautiful city’s wide seafront promenade of classic Venetian façades hides a maze-like old town of medieval streets dotted with churches and Renaissance buildings. We head out on a guided tour of the UNESCO-listed old town past Romanesque-style cathedrals, Venetian palaces and Benedictine monasteries, before returning to the ship for our final night and farewell dinner.

Day 8 - Trogir - Split - UK

We transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.