Want to learn more about the Chamber's Travel Program and upcoming trip? Attend our Virtual Presentation and Q&A!

THE VERY BEST OF CROATIA AND THE DALMATIAN COAST

​The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce invites you to experience all that Croatia has to offer! Discover stunning coastal landscapes, centuries-old architecture, and vibrant Mediterranean charm as you explore destinations such as Opatija, the Istrian Peninsula, Split, and Dubrovnik.
This journey features an extended stay in the elegant seaside resort town of Opatija, once a retreat for Austro-Hungarian aristocracy and the perfect home base for exploring Croatia’s western coast. Along the way, visit historic cities like Pula with its first-century Roman amphitheater, wander the picturesque fishing village of Rovinj, experience the natural beauty of Plitvice National Park, and stroll through the open-air markets and lively restaurants of Split. Travelers will also have the opportunity to visit Venice and explore the remarkable Dalmatian Coast.

This 9-day trip is open to everyone and offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience one of Europe’s most captivating destinations while traveling with fellow members of the Frederick County community.

​What's included:

• Luxurious accommodations
• Delicious meals
• Exciting day trips
• Round-trip airfare from BWI airport

Dates: October 11-19, 2026
​Questions? Reach out to Maddy Wilson: ​[email protected]

Brochure & Booking Details

Book your trip now and use booking code YGTNMV

HIGHLIGHTS

• Croatia’s culture, arts, music, architecture, history, and gastronomy 
•  Austro-Hungarian Opatija 
•  Extended stay in Opatija 
•  Austro-Hungarian, and Art Nouveau architecture 
•  Rovinj 
• Pula 
•  The Roman Amphitheater 
•  The Istrian Peninsula 
•  Venice The romantic “City of Canals” or “City of Bridges” 
•  St. Mark's Basilica 
•  Italian-inspired food and wine 
•  mild Mediterranean climate 
•  Split 
•  The Diocletian's Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world's most impressive Roman monuments) 
•  Trogir 
•  Plitvice Lakes National Park 
•  Ancient Ottoman city of Mostar 
•  UNESCO protected Old Bridge 
•  Spectacular natural landscapes 
•  UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Dubrovnik, one of the best preserved medieval walled cities in the world 
•  Dominican Monastery 
•  Beautiful historical towns of Montenegro 
•  Breathtaking Bay of Kotor 
•  Game of Thrones movie backdrop and more…

ITINERARY

Day 1 | DEPART USA
Embark on your overnight international flight to Zagreb, Croatia. Meals and refreshments are served on board.

Day 2 | ARRIVE ZAGREB – OPATIJA
Welcome to Croatia! Upon arrival in Zagreb, you will be met at the airport by your Aventura World representative and transferred to your hotel in Opatija for a 5-night stay. Nestled on the slopes of Mount Ucka along the coast of Kvarner Bay, Opatija has been a playground of the rich and famous for more than 160 years, even serving as a well-known 19th-century health resort for Austro-Hungarian aristocracy and nobility. Tonight, we invite you to join your fellow travelers for a special welcome dinner at a local restaurant in Opatija. (D)

Day 3 | OPATIJA/MOSCENICE TOUR
Today after breakfast at your hotel, enjoy a tour of Opatija and the medieval hilltop town of Moscenice. Experience the enveloping charm of Opatija, with its rich history and culture, impressive monuments, and magnificent Austro-Hungarian villas. Visit the Croatian Walk of Fame, see the enchanting Lungomare coastal promenade, and discover the undisputed, most famous statue in Opatija, the Girl with the Seagull. Next, continue along the coast to Moscenice, a fortified hilltop town included in the list of Croatian cultural heritage sites. Stroll the town’s cobblestone streets, soak up the old- world culture, and visit the town’s 300-year-old working olive oil press as part of our Cultural Discovery Series before returning to Opatija. Tonight, enjoy dinner at the hotel.(B,D)

Day 4 | OPATIJA- OPTIONAL VENICE
After breakfast this morning, enjoy the day at leisure or consider the optional tour, crossing the border into Italy for the day in Venice. The romantic “City of Canals” or “City of Bridges” beckons to share her magic with you! Take a guided tour through classically elegant Venice with its more than 400 bridges. Your exploration will visit the must-see sights, including St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs. Delight in free time to shop for handcrafted keepsakes, like famed Murano glass or intricate Venetian masks. Rejoin your guide to cruise back to your motorcoach, seeing postcard-perfect vistas, bustling waterfront, and historical landmarks. Glide along and gaze upon Venetian palaces that line the waterfront spanned by beautiful, storied bridges that are sure to captivate your imagination. Tonight, dinner is on your own. (B)

Day 5 | TRUFFLE HUNTING, MOTOVUN TOUR
Enjoy breakfast then head out to explore the Istria inland. Travel to Karlic Family estate, meet the family and enjoy the adventure of truffle hunting. Also, visit the town of Motovun, the charming hilltop town in Istria known for its stunning views of the surrounding countryside and its rich history. Motovun – Montona to the Romans – is one of the most beautiful and best preserved of Istrian medieval hilltop settlements. These days it’s best known for its film festival, which transforms this otherwise sleepy town into a cultural and party hub for one week every summer. It’s on the summit of a 277- meter (910-foot) hill in the middle of the Mirna Valley, surrounded by truffle-rich forest. Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own. (B)

Day 6 | OPATIJA – OPTIONAL: PULA AND ROVINJ
Start your day with breakfast at your hotel to plan for your free day. Revel in the day at leisure to shop for local goods or choose to head out on a full-day optional tour to Pula and Rovinj. This exciting optional excursion will first take you to explore Plomin village. This area offers an incredible panoramic view of the Kvarner Bay, and it’s a perfect spot for taking jaw-dropping photos. After enjoying the view, continue on to Pula, where remnants of the Roman era greet you at its Roman Amphitheater. Built towards the end of the first century BC, it’s the sixth largest surviving Roman arena, and it is remarkably well-preserved. You will also have an opportunity to see the Hercules’ Gate and Twin Gates, the Roman Theatre, and many other monuments built by the Roman Empire. Continue to Rovinj, the quintessential Istrian village that features especially strong Venetian influences due to its proximity to Italy’s “Serenissima.” From the air, its location on a promontory makes it look like a fairytale village suspended on a pillow of bright blue sea. Your walking tour takes you to explore this jewel on the Istrian Coast that was declared a cultural monument in 1963. Return to your Opatija hotel. Enjoy dinner on your own this evening. (B)

Day 7 | OPATIJA - PLITVICE NATIONAL PARK TOUR – SPLIT
Power up with breakfast at your hotel then bid a fond farewell to Opatija and head south for the ancient Roman City of Split. Along the way, have your camera ready to capture the treasures of the UNESCO World Heritage site and the untouched nature of Plitvice Lakes - the first, oldest, and largest National Park in Croatia. In 1979, the Lakes were included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List as a “natural phenomenon of rare and unique beauty.” It consists of 16 lakes that keep changing their color because of the natural process of travertine barriers deposition. Because of the geological substrate and characteristic hydrogeological conditions, the lake system has been divided into the Upper and Lower lakes. After this visit, continue to Split and check in to your hotel. Croatia’s second-largest city, Split (Spalato in Italian), is a great place to see Dalmatian life as it’s really lived. Always buzzing, this exuberant city has just the right balance between tradition and modernity. Step inside Diocletian’s Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s most impressive Roman monuments), to experience dozens of bars, restaurants, and shops thriving amid the old atmospheric walls where Split has been humming along for thousands of years. Tonight, dinner is on your own. (B)

Day 8 | SPLIT - CITY TOUR/TROGIR TOUR
After breakfast, get ready to discover Split on a tour of the historic city center that takes you to delve into the city’s Roman heritage. Discover the Roman emperor Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then explore remnants of the Split’s past, including its Renaissance and Gothic structures: the Peristyle, Cathedral, and Jupiter’s Temple. Early this afternoon, head on to Trogir, a harmonious stone town on a small island connected to the mainland and the island of Čiovo by bridges. On a walking tour, visit the old town, a UNESCO world heritage site, a treasure trove for lovers of art and architecture with its renaissance and Baroque buildings and Romanesque churches. The area’s narrow streets and small village squares, numerous restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, and galleries all give this town a superb Mediterranean ambiance. Upon returning to Split with time to refresh, you will have your farewell dinner at a local restaurant in Split (B,D)

Day 9 | SPLIT TO THE USA OR EXTEND YOUR STAY WITH AN OPTIONAL DUBROVNIK EXTENSION
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Split airport for your flight home or extend your stay in Dubrovnik. (B)

DUBROVNIK EXTENSION 

Day 9 | SPLIT - MOSTAR/CITY TOUR - DUBROVNIK
The day’s exciting activities commence with a morning breakfast and drive inland through the lush Dalmatian countryside, arriving in Mostar. The cultural capital of Herzegovina, Mostar, is named after the bridge keepers that would guard the old bridge over the Neretva in medieval times. On your walking tour of the city, you will visit the 16th-century stone bridge, explore the remnants of its Turkish quarter, and discover the old city center and the Turkish House. This beautifully preserved House is one of the best examples of Ottoman architecture in Mostar. Here explore its drawing-room, bedroom, kitchen, and see household items. During your visit, you will get acquainted with the typical family life of the 17th century while enjoying Turkish coffee. After your tour, there is free time to explore and shop for distinctive gifts. Next, head south through the Gorge of Neretva River, arriving at the Medieval City of Dubrovnik. Here you will check into your hotel and relax. No matter whether you are visiting Dubrovnik for the first time or the hundredth, the sense of awe never fails to descend when you set eyes on the beauty of Dubrovnik. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine anyone becoming weary by the city’s limestone streets, baroque buildings, and the endless shimmer of the Adriatic or failing to be inspired by a walk along the ancient city walls that protected the capital of a sophisticated republic for centuries. Tonight, dinner is on your own. (B)

Day 10 | DUBROVNIK/CITY TOUR
Rise and shine with breakfast at your hotel before you discover the treasures of Dubrovnik with a spectacular walking tour of old Dubrovnik, considered one of the best-preserved medieval walled cities in the world. Highlights of your tour include the rector’s Palace, Orlando’s Column, Bell Tower Clock, Dominican Monastery, and Franciscan Monastery, featuring one of the oldest pharmacies in the world. The rest of the day is yours at leisure to explore this magical place. Here you can walk along the city’s walls, delve into its rich cultural heritage, savor the flavors of the Mediterranean, taste the area’s food and wine, and make new friends as the warmth of the locals draw you into their part of the world. (B)

Day 11 | DUBROVNIK
Today greets you with a full day at leisure to explore Dubrovnik or join an optional Montenegro tour. The Republic of Montenegro showcases what was once thought to be Southern Europe’s longest and deepest fjords, the Bay of Kotor. In fact, it is a submerged river canyon. This expansive bay comprises four smaller gulfs surrounded by mountains plunging into the Adriatic. You will join in a boating adventure at Our Lady of the Rocks Church. Then head back for a visit to Perast, situated at the foot of St. Elijah Hill. Here, Baroque architecture and splendorous 17th and 18th-century villas and churches greet you as you stroll the quaint streets of this charming village. Kotor is the next stop on today’s exciting itinerary,  where you can meander through its medieval maze of pedestrian streets, its bustling market, and see its beautiful Renaissance buildings and impressive nearly three miles of fortified walls. Return to Dubrovnik for an evening at leisure. (B)

Day 12 | DUBROVNIK - SPLIT
Today after breakfast, explore Dubrovnik one last time. Discover why the US production company behind the Game of Thrones series picked Dubrovnik as the setting for the capital city of Westeros, King’s Landing, or maybe wander Prijeko Street to the Old Port, shopping for last-minute souvenirs. In the early afternoon, transfer to Split and check into your hotel for your last night in Croatia. Head to the old town, enjoy dinner and some splendid Croatian wines for the last time. (B)

Day 13 | SPLIT TO THE USA
Today embark on your transfer to Split Airport for your return flight home, with a lifetime of memories of your travels to cherish and share. (B)

INCLUDES

• ROUND TRIP AIR TRANSPORTATION Air transportation from BWI
• FIRST-CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS Hotel accommodations for 7 nights 
• SUPERB CUISINE 10 included meals consisting of 7 buffet breakfasts and 3 dinners 
• SIGHTSEEING TOUR PROGRAM Sightseeing, including local guide and all entrance fees city tour of Opatija and Moscenice, a Plitvice National Park tour, a Split city tour, a Trogir city tour. Optional tours are available
• CULTURAL DISCOVERY SERIES Our program encompasses cultural connections, in-depth learning on the local economy and social systems, and interaction with locals such as visitation to a -300year-old working olive oil press, and homemade prosciutto, cheese, and wine in a local tavern
• PROFESSIONAL TOUR DIRECTOR Assistance of a professional Tour Director for the entire length of the tour upon arrival in Zagreb
• DELUXE MOTORCOACHES Touring by private deluxe airconditioned motorcoach 
• BAGGAGE HANDLING AND TRANSFERS Baggage handling for one piece of checked luggage outside of the airport

INVESTMENT

• Tour price is $4,199 per person, double occupancy.
• The price of $4,199 is an early bird special if the program is reserved with a deposit by March 31, 2026. The price increases by $100 per person after this date.
• For single occupancy, add $899 to DBL rate (limited availability).

OPTIONAL EXTENSION
Extension costs: $1,199 Double Occupancy or $1,898 Single

book my trip using code YGTNMV