Explore Vienna, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Plitviče Lakes, Split, Sarajevo and walled Dubrovnik with Local Experts on a classic group journey across Eastern capitals and the Dalmatian Riviera.
  • content:<h3>Choice Highlights</h3><ul class='icon-list'><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Choose between two carefully selected activities</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Plitvice Lakes National Park: Join a Local Expert to explore Plitvice Lakes National Park and learn how ongoing studies monitor and protect its fragile lake and forest habitats. Hear about habitat restoration, low-impact visitor practices and work to safeguard local wildlife, as staff share village traditions and their own stories of living beside the park. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Plitvice Lakes National Park: Visit the Tara Center, where income from tourism has funded a small community hub for the Tara Citizens’ Association, formed mainly by older women, many once refugees. Here they create traditional handicrafts that support their income and well-being, while sharing local customs and personal stories of the village. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.</li></ul>
  • content:<h3>Top Rated Highlights</h3><ul class='icon-list'><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Vienna: Visit Vienna’s grand Baroque palace with your Local Expert and trace the legacy of the Habsburg dynasty. See the Hall of Mirrors where Mozart performed as a child, the richly decorated Great Gallery used for court functions, and the private apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth. Learn how court rituals, politics and personal tastes shaped one of Europe’s most influential empires.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Vienna: During your orientation led by your Travel Director, travel along the Ring Road to see the Hofburg Imperial Residence, Opera House, Parliament Building and Karlskirche.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Maribor: Led by your Travel Director, explore this charming city, the second largest in Slovenia. Take a moment to appreciate the blend of old and new architecture.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Ljubljana: Spend time with your Local Expert in the glorious Central Market and learn about some of the Slovenian delicacies on display and relish in a tasting.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Ljubljana: Join a walking tour with a Local Expert, following riverbanks and squares towards key landmarks. See Ljubljana Castle on its hilltop, City Hall on Mestni trg, the Baroque cathedral dedicated to St. Nicholas and Plecnik’s Triple Bridge spanning the Ljubljanica, setting out the main civic and religious centers of the city.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Zagreb: Walk with your Local Expert from the 19th-century parks and facades of the Lower Town towards the older streets around the main square. Along the way, you’ll see key buildings such as the Art Pavilion and the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, setting out the city’s main landmarks.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Zagreb: Ride Zagreb’s funicular, in operation since 1890 and often cited as one of the world’s shortest public-transport funiculars. The 66 m (217 ft) line links Ilica Street with the Upper Town in around a minute, giving an immediate sense of the change from the commercial Lower Town to the old fortified ridge.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Split: Join a Local Expert and discover Diocletian’s Palace as you walk through its well-preserved Cellars. See the Temple of Jupiter, St Duje’s Bell Tower and the Golden Gate. Continue through the labyrinthine streets and arcaded squares of the Old Town.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Split: Explore above and below the Roman Emperor Diocletian's palace. A Local Expert guides you through labyrinthine streets to see St. Duje's, the Golden Gate and the Cellars.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Mostar: Learn the history and symbolic significance of Stari Most and explore the old town with your Local Expert.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Sarajevo: A Local Expert will show you the cobbled old town market where Sarajevo was founded by the Ottomans, known as Bašcaršija. You will also see the Latin Bridge where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Sarajevo: Meet an expert on the Bosnian War for a visit to Sarajevo's Tunnel of Hope and learn about the 44-month siege of the city.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Dubrovnik: Walk the limestone Stradun with a Local Expert, stopping at Onofrio’s Fountain and St. Blaise’s Church. You’ll visit the cathedral and Franciscan Monastery and see how the compact, UNESCO-listed Old Town sits within its defensive walls beside the harbor.</li><li><i class='fa-regular fa-circle-check'></i>Dubrovnik: Sail across the bay to see the walled city, fortresses and coastline from the water. As the light changes, you’ll have time on deck for photos and a last look back at Dubrovnik before returning to shore for dinner.</li></ul>
  • content:<h3>Make Travel Matter</h3><p><b>Sarajevo</b>: You are invited into a Sarajevan family home for a dinner and drinks. Savor the warm hospitality and authentic cuisine as you hear inspirational stories about their culture. This experience advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.</p>
  • content:<h3>Authentic Dining</h3><p><b>Vienna</b>: Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a drink, followed by a pleasant dinner with wine at a local restaurant.</p><p><b>Ljubljana</b>: Your Travel Director offers you a varied selection of charming restaurants on your Dine-Around Evening - a culinary experience not to be missed.</p><p><b>Dubrovnik</b>: Come together with your Travel Director and Small Group to share a final meal. It’s a chance to look back on the journey from Zagreb to the coast and islands, swap favorite moments and say goodbye over Croatian dishes.</p>
  • content:<h3>Insight Choice</h3><p>Plitvice Lakes National Park: Join a Local Expert to explore Plitvice Lakes National Park and learn how ongoing studies monitor and protect its fragile lake and forest habitats. Hear about habitat restoration, low-impact visitor practices and work to safeguard local wildlife, as staff share village traditions and their own stories of living beside the park. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land.</p><p>Plitvice Lakes National Park: Visit the Tara Center, where income from tourism has funded a small community hub for the Tara Citizens’ Association, formed mainly by older women, many once refugees. Here they create traditional handicrafts that support their income and well-being, while sharing local customs and personal stories of the village. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.</p>
Stay at a selection of named hotels throughout the journey: Hilton Vienna Park in Vienna; Exe Lev Ljubljana; Sheraton Zagreb; Lyra in Licko Petrovo Selo for Plitvice; President Solin in Split; Swissotel Sarajevo; and Royal Ariston in Dubrovnik, with overnights matched to each day’s itinerary.