Itinerary Include flights Leave this field blank Expand all Arrive Zagreb; transfer to hotel in the city centre. Upon arrival in Zagreb we will be met by our guide and transferred to the hotel in the city centre. Before dinner, we will go on a guided tour of the capital with a local guide. Tonight we will head out for the first group meal, tasting the traditional cuisine of north-west Croatia which is influenced by the country's Austrian and Hungarian neighbours, who ruled Croatia from the 12th-20th Century (though with a brief period of Napoleonic rule). After dinner, enjoy a stroll through the 900 year old streets of the Old Town of Zagreb. Hotel Central, Zagreb Day 1 Start Zagreb. Before dinner, we will embark on a guided tour of the capital with a local guide. Tonight we will head out for the first group meal, tasting the traditional cuisine of north-west Croatia which is influenced by the country's Austrian and Hungarian neighbours that ruled Croatia from the 12th-20th Century (with a brief period of Napoleonic rule). After dinner, enjoy a stroll through the 900 year old streets of the Old Town of Zagreb. Hotel Central, Zagreb Day 2 Transfer out of Zagreb; cycle through the Kupa River Valley. In the morning we transfer to Vinica, a small town in Slovenia, to start the first day cycling along the Kupa River. We enjoy an amazing ride through the rural areas of Slovenian Kupa regional park passing lively and colourful villages and enjoying the peaceful road that winds along the banks of the river. We cycle deep into the canyon that Kupa has carved through the Gorski Kotar mountain region and end this meditative cycling day in Osilnica, a small Slovenian town on the border, near the Croatian National Park Risnjak. Dinner is included at the hotel, during which you will sample traditional dishes from the area (we recommend their exquisite mushroom soup, if available). Hotel Kovac or similar, Osilnica Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 3 Cycle from Fuzine to the Adriatic Sea. After breakfast, there is a short morning transfer to the town of Fuzine, in the Gorski Kotar region of Croatia. Getting on the bikes we have an exciting descent from the mountainous Fuzine area all the way to the Adriatic Sea with amazing views of the coastline, the islands of the North Adriatic and Kvarner Bay. Our cycling finishes in front of the impressive Krk Bridge where we stop for a photo opportunity. We then board our minibus for a short transfer to the town of Krk, on the south-west coast of Krk island. Hotel Bor or similar, Krk Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 Explore Krk island discovering local traditions and pastimes. Today we explore Krk island with a short visit to the small town of Vrbnik. We will be cycling through the numerous vineyards famous for the local white wine called Vrbnička Žlahtina. There is the possibility for a short wine tasting just after visiting Vrbnik. We will then continue our ride back towards the town of Krk via Punat. During the day we learn about the island’s history and geography, as well as its agricultural riches. There will be plenty of time to explore the small streets of Krk, and enjoy a coffee, light lunch, ice-cream or a swim. Hotel Bor or similar, Krk Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 Cycle on the Istrian Peninsula to the medieval city of Motovun. After enjoying the lush scenery and traditional life of the Kupa River Valley and having traversed Krk island, today we embark on a new adventure, a three-day road cycle through Istria. Istria is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea and is an enchanting region that spreads across the western tip of Croatia, southern Slovenia and also shares a maritime border with Italy. Starting with a transfer to Ucka Mountain we enjoy an amazing descent from Poklon pass (922m), amazing views of rural Istria open up before us while we cycle down towards Mirna river valley. From there, we continue through green eastern Istria towards Pazin town. From here there is an optional transfer or cycle ride to the romantic, medieval city, Motovun. It sits on top of a hill, overlooking the Mirna River Valley and offers excellent views from the ramparts. Here we will have a chance to taste some of the truffle and olive oil products from the region. Late afternoon, we transfer to Vrsar, a small pleasant town on the eastern banks of the Istrian peninsula where we spend the next three nights. Hotel Vista or similar, Vrsar Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Circular ride starting in Porec. We start our circular cycling tour this morning connecting the beautiful Visnjan and the historic town of Porec. On our return to Porec there is the option of a guided tour around the Old Town of Porec including a visit to the Euphrasian Basilica – a UNESCO world heritage site dating from 6th Century. After the tour the rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore Porec before cycling back to Vrsar. Hotel Vista or similar, Vrsar Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 Cycle from Zminj to Rovinj; Afternoon visit to Pula, home to one the best-preserved Roman Amphitheatre in the world. This morning we transfer to one of the old towns of central south Istria. The ride today leads us to Rovinj, a romantic art town boasting hidden stone cobbled streets and squares, beautiful old churches and medieval architecture of the Adriatic area. Free visit to the Old Town. After Rovinj we take a transfer to Pula, home of one of the biggest and best-preserved Roman Amphitheatres in Europe. Visit of the arena and the Old Town. Afternoon transfer back to Vrsar and optional farewell dinner in a local restaurant. Hotel Vista or similar, Vrsar Meals included: Breakfast Transfer to Zagreb airport; fly home. After breakfast we have a long (roughly 4hr) transfer to Zagreb. Once in Zagreb we will be dropped at the airport to catch the return flight home. Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 Tour ends in Vrsar. After breakfast, the tour ends in Vrsar. For those on the group flight, we have an early start. Following breakfast, we have a long transfer back to Zagreb (3.5hr). Meals included: Breakfast
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Cycle Northern Croatia & Slovenia The hotels used throughout the trip are of a good standard. We use family-run hotels which are clean and comfortable, most have air conditioning and some have swimming pools. All hotels have wifi in the lobby and most have wifi in the rooms too (excluding Hotel Bor). All hotels are well located: In Zagreb, we are close to the main square and within walking distance of the Old Town where we will enjoy our first dinner. In Osilnica village we are next to Kupa river. Our hotels in Krk and Vrsar are both close to the sea.
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Reviewed May 2019 Tom Wilkinson Trip: Cycling the Adriatic Coast: Istria and the mountains Varied landscape, interesting cycling, great food. This trip shows the lesser known parts of Croatia - Zagreb, the Istrian and plenty of pretty small towns and villages. Dipping in to Slovenia is a great addition too, broadening the experience and contrasting mountains with the sea. Some challenging sections of cycling make it all the better, adding a sense of achievement to the whole experience. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Seeing everyone make the climb up one of the longer sections in Slovenia, celebrating with a silly picture by a statue of a local storybook figure. Everyone achieved more than they thought they were capable of when looking at the bare statistics and were rightly proud of themselves. What did you think of your group leader? Allen was great, personable and efficient and keen to engage with the group. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Ensure you do dust off your cycling legs before you go. The range of gears on the bikes means you can tackle everything, just pick a gear you're comfortable with and take it at your own pace. Water, breaks and words of encouragement are always on hand! Is there anything else you would like to add? There is always much more to these trips than it would appear. The cultural element, e.g the visit of Fuzine, the cuisine, the changing landscapes make it a great trip even for those who have been to Croatia before. Zagreb is well worth a visit too.
Reviewed September 2018 David Stallabrass Trip: Cycling the Adriatic Coast: Istria and the mountains Another great cycling trip The trip loved up to expectations rated up to a 4. Plenty of hills, some of which were suitably challenging. Weather was great and cycling conditions very good. Guide, Alan Skulic was very informative and took good care of everyone's needs. Great group of cyclists so the dynamic worked very well. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I enjoyed Krk Island where the cycling was surprisingly good with some very pretty towns and beaches. What did you think of your group leader? Very good, friendly, informative and remained calm, although his clear instructions eliminated most of the scope for things to go wrong. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? No snacks or energy drinks are provided during the ride so for those who use Zero tablets, energy bars ,fruit gels and similar, take them with you because the local shops don't provide these sort of items. Don't forget the sunscreen. Is there anything else you would like to add? Thanks for another great cycling holiday; looking forward to the next one now.
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