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Croatia & Slovenia Real Food Adventure

Croatia & Slovenia Real Food Adventure

From $ 4,560 AUD

Description

Set off on an eight-day journey filled with flavours to remember. Make your way through the Slovenian countryside, stopping to learn local tips and tricks for perfecting some of the region’s most famous dishes. Travel south into Istria, tasting local wines, fresh seafood and seasonal fruits and vegetables. Explore the olive groves of an organic farm that preserves traditional production methods in Split, visit Kumparicka Goat Farm and discover the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Plitvice Lakes National Park. After a week in this gorgeous part of the world, you’ll leave full, happy and with plenty of memories (and recipes) to take home.

Trip Name
Croatia & Slovenia Real Food Adventure
Last Updated
1970-01-01
Days
8
Capacity
12
Highlights
  • Visit Kumparicka Goat Farm, where you’ll meet the goats, learn how their diet shapes the cheese and tour the farm. Discover the production process then indulge in a guided tasting with bread, toppings and local wine.
  • Explore the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Plitvice Lakes National Park. Spend some time wandering around the grand waterfalls and blue lakes with a local leader by your side.
  • Learn how to make traditional soparnik, a popular Croatian dish, prepared by a local family who regularly supplies the dish for events and festivals in town.
  • Meet the people who create and produce regional delicacies across Slovenia and Croatia. Taste some seasonal fruit, homemade bread and honey from a local farm.
  • Treat your tastebuds to regional delicacies in the places where they’re produced. Hunt for your own truffles, sip on glasses of local wine and taste the cured meats and cheeses.

Itinerary

ITINERARY CHANGES Our itineraries are updated regularly throughout the year based on customer feedback and to reflect the current situation in each destination. The information included in this Essential Trip Information may therefore differ from when you first booked your trip. It's important that you review this information prior to travel so that you have the latest updates. Due to weather, local conditions, transport schedules, public holidays, political unrest or other factors, further changes may be necessary to your itinerary once in-country. Your group leader or local representative will keep you up to date with any such changes once your trip is underway and has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if deemed necessary due to safety concerns. , OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES A selection of optional activities that have been popular with past travellers are listed in the day-to-day itinerary. This isn't an exhaustive list and should be used as a guide only for some of what might be available. Prices are approximate, are for entrance fees only, and don’t include transport to and from the sites or local guides unless indicated. All activities are subject to availability, and maybe on a join-in basis. It may not be possible to do all the activities listed in the time available at each destination, so some pre-planning for what you are most interested in is advised. When it's recommended that travellers pre-book these activities, look for a note in the Special Information section of the day-to-day itinerary. For most, they can either be organised independently on the day, or let your group leader or local representative know you are interested at the Welcome Meeting and they can assist. Where activities are considered medium or high risk, we work with operators whose safety and credentials we have sighted and assessed. Although it is possible that you may find the same activity cheaper with another operator on the ground, we cannot vouch for the safety or quality of that operator. Medium and high-risk activities not listed above have not been assessed by us and as such our staff and group leader or local representative are unable to assist you with organising these activities. Activities that contravene our Responsible Travel policies are also not listed. Please remember that the decision to partake in any activity not listed is at your own discretion and risk.

Day 1 - Ljubljana
Zivjo! Welcome to Slovenia – known as Europe in Miniature. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. If you arrive early, maybe visit Ljubljana Castle, wander through Tivoli Park or see Saint Nicholas' Cathedral. After your meeting, maybe head out as a group for dinner at a local restaurant – your leader will know the best spots.
Day 2 - Motovun
After breakfast, you’ll start your journey towards Croatia. Along the way, stop in Slovenia for a traditional Istrian lunch. Taste some seasonal fruit, homemade bread and honey from a local farm. Then, continue to Fonda Fish Farm in Portoroz – a sustainable sea bass farm. Learn about the farm's sustainable farming practices on a boat tour and taste some of the local produce, like raw fish carpaccio. After, continue to Motovun – a small village in Croatia, which name translates to ‘town in the hills.’ Tonight is free for you to explore at your own pace. Maybe head out for dinner with your group at a nearby restaurant.
Day 3 - Motovun
Motovun Forest is the best place for hunting the famous Istrian truffle, and the nearby village of Livade is considered the truffle capital of Istria. This morning, take a walk through the woods with an experienced truffle hunter and learn about this intriguing job – maybe even sniff out a truffle of your own! Then, join your local leader for a wine tasting at a small local supplier, where you can sample some of Motovun’s renowned varietals and learn how the region’s unique terroir shapes their distinctive character. The rest of the day is then free for you to explore at your own pace.
Day 4 - Plitvice Lakes National Park
This morning, say goodbye to Motovun as you travel to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Plitvice Lakes National Park – the largest national park in Croatia and one of the oldest in southeast Europe. Along the way, stop for lunch at Kumparicka Goat Farm. When you arrive, meet the local goats in the pasture and learn how their diet shapes the flavours of the cheese. Then, tour the farm and see the entire cheese-making process from milking to aging. Finish your visit with a guided tasting of the farm’s cheese paired with fresh bread, toppings and local wine. Later, continue to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Tonight, perhaps find a local restaurant for dinner – your local leader will have the best recommendations!
Day 5 - Plitvice Lakes National Park
This morning, spend some time exploring Plitvice National Park. Join your local leader to see the grand waterfalls and blue lakes that make this national park so beautiful. After, continue to a local’s home for a traditional home-cooked kotlovina dinner. This mixed meat dish, made mainly with pork schnitzels and sausages, is traditionally cooked in a cauldron for large groups, feasts, holiday celebrations or parties. Watch as your hosts prepare the meal before tucking into its robust flavours and hints of spice.
Day 6 - Split
This morning, travel to Split – sitting on a peninsula jutting out into the Adriatic Sea, this coastal city is a jewel on the Dalmatian coast. When you arrive, the rest of the day is free for you to explore at your own pace. Maybe visit the UNESCO World Heritage site, Diocletian’s Palace, relax on Bacvice City Beach or stroll along the Riva Promenade – a waterfront walkway that stretches between Split Harbour and the Marjan Forest Park. For dinner, maybe grab some fresh octopus salad or find a serving of peka (slow-roasted meat dish).
Day 7 - Split
Start today with a stroll through a local market. Wander through the busy stalls and see some of the produce grown in the area. Depending on the season, you may find citrus fruits and kiwis from the islands, fresh and dried figs and homemade olive oil. After, visit a local family who specialise in a regional delicacy – soparnik (a pastry made with a mix of silverbeet, onions and parsley). The family regularly provide these pastries for weddings and events, so you’ll be getting some of the best in the area! When you arrive, join a cooking demonstration and learn how to make these traditional pastries. Tonight, why not get together with your group for one last farewell drink to mark the end of your journey.
Day 8 - Split
As there are no further activities, your trip comes to an end this morning. If you’re not ready to say goodbye to Croatia, why not stay a few extra days – just speak with your booking agent ahead of time.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
18-07-202625-07-2026AUD $ 4,560-
05-09-202612-09-2026AUD $ 5,060-
12-09-202619-09-2026AUD $ 5,060-
19-09-202626-09-2026AUD $ 5,060-
03-10-202610-10-2026AUD $ 5,060-
15-05-202722-05-2027AUD $ 5,245-
12-06-202719-06-2027AUD $ 5,245-
17-07-202724-07-2027AUD $ 5,245-
21-08-202728-08-2027AUD $ 5,245-
04-09-202711-09-2027AUD $ 5,245-
18-09-202725-09-2027AUD $ 5,245-
02-10-202709-10-2027AUD $ 5,245-

Accommodation

Hotel (5 nights), Apartment (2 nights)

Transport

Private vehicle

Map