Venice & the Croatian Coast - A Women Only Tour

Designed for women, by women, journey from elegant Venice and along the Dalmatian Coast to spectacular Dubrovnik. Visit fairy-tale towns, discover lush islands, and marvel at dramatic landscapes as you connect with inspiring female entrepreneurs through unique Make Travel Matter Experiences on this women's-only tour. 

Explore the beauty of Venice at your leisure before discovering the glorious Dalmatian Coast on this guided tour. Designed for women with a focus on sustainable travel, fully immerse yourself with the guidance of Local Experts as you wander the cobbled streets of Istria and walk the Old Town of Dubrovnik before enjoying a sunset cruise around the bay. In Hvar, learn about and taste delectable local wines at a family-run vineyard, enjoy a farm -to-table lunch in Barban, and devour a fresh seafood meal while marveling at the stunning seafront in Piran. Learn the art of silk and embroidery traditions in Konavle, discover the fish conservation work at a family fish farm in Slovenia and sip beer at Croatia’s first women co-op brewery. While in Korcula, stretch your legs and hike through the healing wilderness outside of Korcula Town and partake in a yoga class with the perfect sea view.

Your Guided Holiday Includes:

• $1000 flight credit
• 13 day Venice & the Croatian Coast guided holiday with Backroads Touring, Venice to Dubrovnik
• 12 nights stylish hand-picked accommodation
• 20 meals - 1 morning tea, 12 breakfasts, 2 lunches with wine, 5 dinners with wine
• Top-rated highlights & unique insight experiences including a visit to Croatia's first women-owned co-op brewery in Zadar plus more
• Travel by luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom
• Complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available)
• Airport transfers
• All port taxes are included

Pricing is based on per person twin share for travel 05-17 June 2022

**25 September – 07 October 2022 also available, a surcharge may apply

**Single traveller pricing available. Please speak to one of our travel consultants for more details 

Insight Experiences:

• Korčula: Grab a sea-view spot and connect with your inner peace as you take part in a yoga class.
• Korčula: Immerse yourself in nature as you join a Local Expert for a gentle hike in the healing nature surrounding Korčula Town.
• Ston: Meet a local oyster farmer and learn about the cultivation of oysters, before enjoying a delicious Sea-to-Table tasting of fresh shellfish and local wine.

Top Rated Highlights:

• Venice: On your orientation see the Byzantine basilica in St Mark’s Square, the colonnaded Doge’s Palace and the iconic Bridge of Sighs.
• Venice: Delight in the magic of this charming city as you are serenaded, travelling through the atmospheric canals by gondola.
• Istria: Join a Local Expert to learn about the various influences that shaped the Istrian Peninsula’s present image. Start in Rovinj, a seaside gem with a prominent Italian heritage and wander through its cobbled streets filled with art galleries. Continue to Pula and visit its well-preserved, first-century Roman amphitheatre.
• Zadar: On your orientation, walk through the market, past the Roman Forum to the Sea Organ and take a moment to enjoy the sounds generated by the waves.
• Split: Cruise to the sunniest island of the country, Hvar, your home for the next two nights.
• 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.
• Korčula: Visit an organic farm ran by the Marovič family offering seasonal homemade produce ranging from olive oil to jams and marmalades.
• Dubrovnik: Explore the Pearl of the Adriatic with your Local Expert. Walk the stone-paved streets of the Old Town to see Onofrio's Fountain, Rector's Palace and the medieval city walls. Admire the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries.
• Dubrovnik: As the sun descends and should the weather be favourable, enjoy a relaxing cruise around the fabled bay of Dubrovnik. Gaze out at views of the glistening Adriatic and the mighty city walls rising straight from the cliffs before your cruise moors in the Old Town Harbour.

Itinerary:

Day 1 / Welcome to Venice

Welcome to the Queen of the Adriatic, where grand waterfront palazzi and long-standing traditions echo the city’s medieval grace and glory. Transfers depart from Venice Airport at 11:00 and 13:00 to your hotel. As you start off your women’s-only tour, meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers at 17:30 to enjoy a delightful Welcome Dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Day 2 / The Magic of La Serenissima Relaxed Start

On your orientation see the Byzantine basilica in St Mark’s Square, the colonnaded Doge’s Palace and the iconic Bridge of Sighs. Continue to the island of Murano and witness the ancient skill of glassblowing, now practiced by precious few masters. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you watch artisans create delicate works of art using rare traditional practices and support the master glassblowers in preserving their art. Listen to customary Venetian songs as your gondola glides through the myriad of beautiful canals. Spend the rest of your day further exploring the back lanes and campi of Venice or perhaps join an optional excursion to the colourful island of Burano.

Day 3 / Through Slovenia onto Croatia

Travel to Slovenia and meet Irena Fonda, a passionate and awarded biologist carrying out important conservation work in the Gulf of Piran. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you accompany her on a short boat ride to see her family’s fish farm and learn about the breeding of the highest quality sustainable sea bass. Make your way to a seafront restaurant in the atmospheric Old Town of Piran and indulge in a fresh Sea-to-Table lunch, tasting the unique and refined flavours of the fresh Fonda sea bass. Cross the border to Croatia and arrive to the Opatija Riviera, a favourite destination of the Austro-Hungarian elite in the 19th century and still synonymous with style and elegance. Take time to stroll along Lungomare, the seafront promenade lined with luxurious villas.

Day 4 / Discover the Jewels of Istria

The Istrian Peninsula is dotted with coastal towns, rocky bays and rustic hilltop villages. Join a Local Expert to learn about the various influences that shaped its present image. Start in Rovinj, a seaside gem with a prominent Italian heritage and wander through its cobbled streets filled with art galleries. Continue to Pula and visit its well-preserved first-century Roman amphitheatre. Enjoy a mouth-watering Farm-to-Table lunch in Barban hosted by three generations of women of the Zufič Family. Learn about Prstenac, a popular medieval jousting game they reintroduced to the community in 1976 and that became a highlight cultural event attracting thousands of visitors each year.

Day 5 / Pristine Plitvice National Park

Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Plitvice Lakes National Park as you walk along the forest paths among 16 interconnecting lakes with a Local Expert. Be amazed by this unique landscape and learn how the site actively carries out research to monitor the natural habitat of its species. Spend the night surrounded by nature at your hotel, a modern resort committed to sustainability, the regeneration of the war-torn local area and bringing together different ethnic communities. Enjoy a delicious dinner prepared from locally available ingredients and when the night falls take your chances at stargazing undisturbed by light pollution.

Day 6 / The Dalmatian Coast to Split

In the morning join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and meet the industrious women of the Tara Community Centre, who produce handicrafts enabling employment and engagement in the community. Your journey then takes you to Zadar, the ancient capital of the historical region of Dalmatia. On your orientation, walk through the market, past the Roman Forum to the Sea Organ and take a moment to enjoy the sounds generated by the waves. Visit Brlog, Croatia’s first female-owned co-op brewery and try a selection of their natural craft beers. On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience hear the inspiring story of founders Maja Šepetavec and Ana Teskera and how they built their responsible social enterprise. Continue towards Split and meet mother and daughter Deana and Ivana Perič to taste their homemade cakes steeped in local folklore. In the evening, don't miss the opportunity of dinner in a traditional konoba.

Day 7 / Island Hopping to Hvar

Explore Split with Insight Choice. Choose to discover Diocletian’s Palace and the labyrinthine streets of the Old Town with a Local Expert. Or alternatively join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and go on a walk with the local Domine organisation to uncover the stories of the women who helped shape Split’s history. Cross the azure waters of the Adriatic this afternoon to Hvar, the sunniest island in the country. Dine tonight at a local restaurant.

Day 8 / Exploring the island of Hvar Relaxed Start

Hvar is often called the Lavender Island but aromatic herbs, citrus fruits, olive trees and grapes also flourish in the warm Mediterranean climate. The Faria Women’s Co-op is doing a remarkable job in using the indigenous island ingredients to create delicacies and cosmetics. Explore Hvar with Insight Choice. Choose to join Fedra Gamulin, the founder of the co-op on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience to taste her sustainable chocolate creations that were inspired by the love of locally available produce and grandma’s recipes. Alternatively, meet Ivana Carić and join her for a wine tasting at her family’s wine cellar. Spend the rest of your day at leisure or perhaps stroll around Stari Grad, Croatia’s oldest town and Hvar’s historical heart.

Day 9 / Onto Korčula

Your journey takes you back to the mainland. Pass the fertile and colourful fields of the Neretva Delta before you briefly enter Bosnia & Herzegovina. Continue to the island of Korčula and delight in Croatian fare at a local restaurant.

Day 10 / Captivating Korčula Relaxed Start

Get active this morning and start your day with Insight Choice. Choose to immerse yourself in nature as you join a Local Expert for a gentle hike in the area surrounding Korčula Town. Alternatively, grab a sea-view spot and connect with your inner peace as you take part in a yoga class. Visit an organic farm run by the Marovič family offering seasonal homemade products ranging from olive oil to jams and marmalades. The rest of the day is at your leisure to enjoy the narrow streets, beautiful churches and laid-back atmosphere of this charming medieval town.

Day 11 / Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic

This morning, should weather permit, cruise the tranquil waters of the bay of Mali Ston and meet Tomislav, a local oyster farmer. Enjoy a delicious Sea-to-Table tasting of fresh shellfish, accompanied by a glass of wine. Continue along the coast and arrive to Dubrovnik and its perfectly preserved Old Town. Known as the self- governing Republic of Ragusa for most of its history, the city has always been a metaphor of freedom. Enter through the 15th century gate and join a Local Expert to walk past Onofrio's Fountain, see the Rector’s Palace, the Church of St Blaise and the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you visit the workshop of Deša, an organisation founded following the Siege of Dubrovnik to help refugees and women who were victims of violence. Settle into your seaside hotel and perhaps join a home hosted dinner.

Day 12 / A Dazzling Finale Relaxed Start

Travel into the heart of the nearby Konavle region and join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you meet Antonia Rusković Radonić, a dedicated artist working to preserve the local silk and embroidery traditions originating in the 15thcentury. Learn how silkworms became popular here, the importance of the craft in national folklore and the efforts made to keep this heritage alive. Upon returning to Dubrovnik enjoy time at leisure. This evening, weather permitting, embark on a dazzling cruise before savouring authentic flavours of local specialties at your Celebration Dinner. Raise a glass to your travels and the wonderful women of the Adriatic.

Day 13 / Depart Dubrovnik

Your travels draw to a close after breakfast. Departure transfers arrive at Dubrovnik airport at 05:00, 09:00 and 11:30.

Prices listed are per person in Australian Dollars, based on twin occupancy, including all discounts unless otherwise stated. The offer is subject to availability at time of booking and shown on the lowest inside category available at the time.  Fares are capacity controlled and are subject to change at any time without notice. Prices/Offers are correct as at 17 January 2022 and can be withdrawn without notice. Cabin categories include prepaid government fees and port taxes unless otherwise stated.  Hotels may charge resort fees not included in this package, payable direct upon check in. Visas are not included.  Payments made by credit card will incur a surcharge.  Air credit is applicable on airline of choice, subject to availability and subject to the carriers’ flight schedules and conditions.