SAMPLE ITINERARY

Explore the famous medieval walled city of Dubrovnik, built between the 11th and 17th centuries, with its magnificent palaces, churches, chapels, monasteries, cloisters, squares, museums, mansions and huge ramparts. Today it is better known as the location for the hugely popular TV series, the ‘Game of Thrones’.

You can stay near the Old Town or on the lovely Lapad Peninsula. If you would prefer a quieter location, you can stay in a town south of the city such as Cavtat or Mlini.

There is much to do in and around Dubrovnik, in addition to exploring the old city. Other sights include the Trsteno Arboretum, the Peljesac Peninsula including Ston and its defensive Great Walls, the traditional Konavle Valley and Mostar in neighbouring Bosnia & Herzegovina. Day excursions are available to the Elaphiti islands, Korcula and Split and there is a regular shuttle boat to Lokrum Island.

You can also visit Mljet National Park on Mljet Island, where the two main bodies of water appear to be lakes, but are actually narrow inlets connected to the sea. The larger lake is home to St Mary’s Island with its Benedictine monastery, and has relatively flat walking and biking trails. The Dubrovnik Summer Festival is held between mid-July and late-August each year, and don’t forget to take the cable car up Mount Srd for breathtaking views.

After exploring Dubrovnik, leave the European Union as you drive south along the beautiful Dalmatian Coast and cross the border from Croatia into the small country of Montenegro. Roughly the size of Northern Ireland, it has beautiful mountains and valleys, charming old towns with cobbled streets, quaint villages, ancient Roman ruins and lovely pebble beaches. The cuisine is Mediterranean, with lots of seafood and good wines.

The old royal capital of Cetinje is a treasure trove of Montenegrin history with lovely 18th and 19th century architecture. Cetinje Monastery was built in 1701 and, even though destroyed several times by the Turks, each time it was re-built. It holds relics of Saint Peter of Cetinje.

Exquisite Kotor is a fortified medieval town situated in a bay on the Adriatic coast, near the limestone cliffs of Mount Lovćen. This car-free town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Venetian-inspired architecture, winding streets, squares and Romanesque churches, including Kotor Cathedral. You can walk for nearly 3 miles along its ramparts. It also has an interesting Maritime Museum.

Budva is the best known resort along this coast, with a lovely old walled town with cobbled streets, churches and museums. It has a nice seafront promenade and good pebble beaches. Przno offers a smaller and quieter alternative to Budva. The former fishing village of Becici has sand and pebble beaches that are good for families. A one mile coastal promenade links the village to Budva.

For those who love the outdoors, stunning dolphin-shaped Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkans and all of southern Europe, with its tail and two-thirds of its body in Montenegro and its nose in Albania. It is a top birding habitat and is blissfully pretty, encompassing steep mountains, island monasteries, clear waters, and floating meadows of water lilies. The main (tiny) towns here are Virpazar and Vranjina, although there are many timeless villages sprinkled along the lake shore.

Montenegro is outside the European Union, but uses the euro as its currency. Direct flights operate from London to Tivat and Podgorica, or you can fly via Dubrovnik.

Note: As Montenegro is outside the EU, phone roaming charges apply. These can be very high, so be sure to purchase a special package from your telecom provider.

PRICING

Price is based on two adults sharing en-suite accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis. Car hire and flights from London are included, with other regional departures on request.

We offer a choice of hotels at different prices, so please discuss your requirements with us. All hotels are subject to availability.

It is essential that you have personal holiday insurance, and an appropriate driving licence. The AA and FCO should also be consulted.