Venice and the Dalmatian Coast: Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik

1. Jour 1 : Arrive in Venice

   Venice Marco Polo Airport to your hotel in Venice

   • En bateau
   • Welcome dinner
   • Nuit : Venice
   Détail du jour 1

   Fly into Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), on the mainland edge of the lagoon. You are met in arrivals and taken across the water to your hotel, which is in the historic centre within a short walk of a vaporetto stop, not in Mestre or on the Lido, so every evening starts on foot. Venice has no cars: from the landing stage a porter or your guide helps with the last few bridges. If you land early, walk down to the Rialto Bridge and along the Grand Canal, or just get lost in the lanes, which is the point. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the twelve days ahead: the timed entries in Venice, the train and ferry on day 4, what to pack for the islands and the border on the Kotor day. Then we walk together to a welcome dinner at a local trattoria.

   Compris

   • Transfer from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) to your hotel by boat or car
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Welcome dinner

   Temps libre : Free until the early evening briefing

   Activité : Land by about 3 pm to make the briefing; the exact time comes with your final itinerary.

2. Jour 2 : St Mark's, the Doge's Palace and cicchetti

   San Marco, then the Rialto and Cannaregio on foot

   • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
   • Nuit : Venice
   Détail du jour 2

   We are in Piazza San Marco for our booked group entry when St Mark's Basilica opens, at about 9:30 am, before the queue reaches across the square. The Basilica opens only in the afternoon on Sundays and religious holidays, so we time day 2 to avoid those mornings. A licensed local guide takes us through the gold mosaics of the domes and out to the Doge's Palace next door: the council chambers where the Republic was governed, Tintoretto's vast Paradise in the Great Council Hall, and the walk over the Bridge of Sighs into the old prisons. By late morning the square is full and we leave it, walking north past the Rialto market to a bacaro for a lunch of cicchetti, the small Venetian bar plates, standing at the counter or at a table outside. The afternoon and evening are free. Your guide can point you to the Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the view from the Campanile or a quiet walk in Cannaregio or Castello.

   Compris

   • St Mark's Basilica on a morning group entry (day 2 is timed to avoid Sunday and holiday mornings) with a licensed local guide
   • The Doge's Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and the prisons
   • Cicchetti lunch at a bacaro near the Rialto

   Activités en option

   • Gondola ride
   • St Mark's Campanile
   • Peggy Guggenheim Collection

   Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free

   Activité : About 3 to 4 km on foot with many small bridges.

   

3. Jour 3 : The lagoon: Murano, Burano and Torcello

   Venice by private boat to Murano, Burano and Torcello, and back

   • En bateau
   • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
   • Nuit : Venice
   Détail du jour 3

   Today the group has its own boat for the northern lagoon, which saves the crowded public water buses and lets us set the order. We start at Murano, where glassmaking moved from the city in the 13th century, and watch a furnace demonstration. From there it is out across the open lagoon, past salt marsh and fishing posts, to Burano, the island of brightly painted houses and lace, where lunch is fish and risotto at a family trattoria. In the early afternoon, when Burano is busiest, we cross the short channel to Torcello, the lagoon's first settlement, almost empty now: the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta holds a vast Last Judgement mosaic from the 11th and 12th centuries, and the bell tower looks back over the marshes to Venice. We are back in the city by late afternoon, and the evening is yours.

   Compris

   • Private boat for the group across the northern lagoon
   • Glass furnace demonstration on Murano
   • Lunch at a trattoria on Burano
   • Torcello and the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

   Option plus facile : Stay on the boat or at a café on Burano while others climb the Torcello bell tower.

   Option plus active : Climb the Torcello bell tower for the view across the lagoon.

   Temps libre : Evening free

4. Jour 4 : Train to Bologna and Ancona, ferry to Split

   Venice to Bologna by train, Bologna to Ancona by train, then the overnight ferry to Split

   • En train
   • Petit-déjeuner, repas du midi et repas du soir
   • Nuit : Overnight ferry to Split
   Détail du jour 4

   Departures are set so that this day falls on one of the few days a week the Ancona to Split ferry sails. After a relaxed morning a porter takes the bags to the station and we board a fast train from Venezia Santa Lucia to Bologna, about an hour and a half across the Po plain. In Bologna we leave the bags at the station and walk under the porticoes, the covered arcades that run for about 40 km and were listed by UNESCO in 2021, to Piazza Maggiore and the two leaning towers. Lunch is tagliatelle al ragù or tortellini at a trattoria. In the afternoon a second train runs down the coast to Ancona, about two hours, and a shuttle or taxi takes us the short way from the station to the ferry port. Cabins are twin with their own bathroom, and dinner is on board. If the sea cancels the sailing, we fly from Venice to Split instead: Bologna and the dinner on board drop out, and dinner is in Split.

   Compris

   • Fast train Venice to Bologna, then train Bologna to Ancona
   • Walk under Bologna's porticoes to Piazza Maggiore and the two towers
   • Lunch at a trattoria in Bologna
   • Shuttle or taxi from Ancona station to the ferry port
   • Overnight ferry Ancona to Split in a twin cabin with its own bathroom
   • Dinner on board

   Option plus active : Climb the 498 steps of the Asinelli tower in Bologna (timed tickets, booked on the day if available).

   Temps libre : Free time in Bologna after lunch

   Activité : The ferry sails only a few days a week and the crossing takes about 10 to 11 hours; departure and arrival times are confirmed with your dates. Flight fallback if a sailing is cancelled: Venice to Split, no Bologna stop, dinner in Split and a fourth night there.

   

5. Jour 5 : Split and Diocletian's Palace

   Split ferry port to the old town on foot

   • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
   • Nuit : Split
   Détail du jour 5

   The ferry docks in Split in the morning, a short walk from the old town; scheduled arrival times vary by operator, roughly 7 to 10 am, and we confirm ours with your dates. We leave the bags at the hotel and have breakfast on the Riva, the palm-lined waterfront, then walk into Diocletian's Palace. The palace was built around AD 300 as the retirement home of the Roman emperor Diocletian, and the town grew inside its walls; it was listed by UNESCO in 1979. With a local guide we go down into the vaulted substructures under the imperial apartments, up to the Peristyle, the columned court at the centre, and into the Cathedral of St Domnius, which began as Diocletian's own mausoleum. Lunch is at a konoba, a Dalmatian tavern, inside the walls. After that you check in and the afternoon is free: a nap after the crossing, a swim at Bacvice beach, or a coffee on the Riva.

   Compris

   • Breakfast in Split after the crossing
   • Diocletian's Palace with a local guide: the substructures, the Peristyle and the Cathedral of St Domnius
   • Lunch at a konoba inside the palace walls

   Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free

   Activité : Rooms may not be ready until early afternoon; bags are held at the hotel.

   

6. Jour 6 : Trogir, and a free afternoon in Split

   Split to Trogir and back

   • Environ 1.5 h de route
   • Petit-déjeuner
   • Nuit : Split
   Détail du jour 6

   A short drive west along the coast, about 40 minutes, brings us to Trogir, a medieval town on a small island joined to the mainland and to Ciovo by bridges, listed by UNESCO in 1997. We arrive in the morning, before the boat excursions dock. A local guide walks us through the gate into lanes laid out on a Greek and Roman street plan, to the Cathedral of St Lawrence and its carved Romanesque portal by Master Radovan, dated 1240, with Adam and Eve on either side. The Kamerlengo fortress at the end of the waterfront looks out over the channel. Lunch is your choice in Trogir, then we drive back to Split by early afternoon. The rest of the day is free. Your guide can suggest Marjan hill, the wooded park above the city, the Mestrovic Gallery, or the fish market and the green market by the palace walls.

   Compris

   • Trogir with a local guide: the town gate, the Cathedral of St Lawrence and the Radovan portal, the Kamerlengo fortress

   Activités en option

   • Mestrovic Gallery in Split

   Option plus facile : Stay in Split for the morning instead and meet the group back at the hotel.

   Option plus active : Walk up Marjan hill from the old town to the Telegrin viewpoint, about 2 hours return.

   Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free in Split

   

7. Jour 7 : Hvar by catamaran

   Split to Hvar town by catamaran, and back

   • En bateau
   • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
   • Nuit : Split
   Détail du jour 7

   We take a morning catamaran from Split harbour to Hvar town, about an hour across the channel past the island of Brac. Hvar town wraps around a deep harbour below a hill, and its main square is one of the largest in Dalmatia, closed at one end by the Cathedral of St Stephen. Your guide walks you through the square, the 17th-century public theatre over the old arsenal and the lanes behind, then up through pine woods to the Fortica, the Spanish fortress above the town, for the view over the harbour to the Pakleni islands. Lunch is a long one at a konoba in town, with fish from the morning catch and island wine. The afternoon is for swimming from the rocks or a water taxi to the Pakleni islands, and we take a return catamaran back to Split; the exact time is set by the season's timetable.

   Compris

   • Return catamaran Split to Hvar town
   • Hvar town with your guide: the main square, the Cathedral of St Stephen and the arsenal
   • The Fortica fortress above the town
   • Lunch at a konoba in Hvar

   Activités en option

   • Water taxi to the Pakleni islands for a swim

   Option plus facile : Skip the Fortica climb and wait at a café on the harbour.

   Option plus active : Walk the coastal path west of town to the swimming coves.

   Temps libre : Afternoon free on Hvar

   Activité : The climb to the Fortica takes about 20 minutes on paths and steps.

   

8. Jour 8 : Down the coast to Ston and Peljesac

   Split to Ston via the Neretva delta and the Peljesac bridge

   • Environ 3 h de route
   • Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
   • Nuit : Ston
   Détail du jour 8

   We leave Split after breakfast and drive about three hours south, with a coffee stop above the Neretva delta, where the river fans out into orchards and mandarin groves before the sea. The Peljesac bridge, opened in 2022, carries us onto the peninsula without crossing the short Bosnian coastline at Neum. By lunchtime we are in Mali Ston, on a bay where oysters and mussels have been farmed for centuries, and lunch is oysters and mussels on the waterfront. In the afternoon we walk the walls of Ston, built by the Republic of Dubrovnik from the 14th century to guard its salt pans, which are still worked below the town; the walls climb steeply over the hill to Mali Ston. In the late afternoon we taste Plavac Mali, the peninsula's red wine, at a family winery, and stay the night in Ston, a quiet village after the day-trippers leave.

   Compris

   • Drive to Ston via the Neretva delta and the Peljesac bridge
   • Oyster and mussel lunch in Mali Ston
   • The walls of Ston and the salt pans
   • Wine tasting at a Peljesac winery

   Option plus facile : Walk the flat section of the walls and the salt pans only.

   Option plus active : Walk the full wall circuit over the hill between Ston and Mali Ston.

   Temps libre : Evening free in Ston

   Activité : The Ston walls and the winery keep seasonal hours; we confirm both with your dates and set the order of the afternoon to fit.

   

9. Jour 9 : Into Dubrovnik

   Ston to Dubrovnik

   • Environ 1 h de route
   • Petit-déjeuner
   • Nuit : Dubrovnik
   Détail du jour 9

   A short morning drive, about an hour along the coast, brings us to Dubrovnik. We leave the bags at the hotel and meet a local guide at the Pile Gate, the western entrance to the Old Town, listed by UNESCO in 1979. The Stradun, the long limestone main street polished by centuries of feet, runs from the gate past Onofrio's Fountain and the Franciscan monastery, whose pharmacy has been working since the 14th century, to the Rector's Palace, seat of the Republic of Ragusa, and the old harbour. The guide explains how the city kept its independence by trade and diplomacy for some 450 years, and points out the marks of the shelling of 1991 and 1992 and the rebuilding since. The afternoon is free. Lunch is your choice, and a swim off the rocks below the walls or a boat to Lokrum island are both close at hand.

   Compris

   • Drive from Ston to Dubrovnik
   • Dubrovnik Old Town with a local guide: the Pile Gate, the Stradun, the Franciscan monastery and the Rector's Palace

   Activités en option

   • Boat to Lokrum island
   • Cable car up Mount Srd

   Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free

   

10. Jour 10 : Dubrovnik's walls at opening

    The city walls of Dubrovnik, then a free day

    • Petit-déjeuner
    • Nuit : Dubrovnik
    Détail du jour 10

    We are at the wall entrance when it opens, about 8 am in season, because by mid-morning the walls fill with cruise passengers and the stone heats up. The full circuit is about 2 km and takes around two hours at an easy pace, with steep flights of steps between the towers. Your guide walks it with you: up to the round Minceta Tower, the highest point, for the view over the roofs; along the seaward side above the rocks and the swimmers; past the Fort of St John and the old harbour; and round to the Bokar bastion with Fort Lovrijenac on its own cliff across the cove. You come down in time for a late breakfast coffee, and the rest of the day is yours. Take the cable car up Mount Srd for the view at sunset, swim on Lokrum, visit the Maritime Museum, or rest before tomorrow's early start.

    Compris

    • Dubrovnik city walls ticket and a guided circuit at opening time

    Activités en option

    • Cable car up Mount Srd
    • Boat to Lokrum island
    • Sea kayaking around the walls

    Option plus facile : Walk only the first section from the Pile Gate to the Minceta Tower and come down there.

    Option plus active : Sea kayaking below the walls to Lokrum in the afternoon.

    Temps libre : Free from late morning

    Activité : About 2 km on the walls with many steep steps and little shade; bring water and a hat.

    

11. Jour 11 : A day in Kotor and Perast

    Dubrovnik to Perast and Kotor in Montenegro, and back

    • Environ 4.5 h de route
    • Petit-déjeuner, repas du midi et repas du soir
    • Nuit : Dubrovnik
    Détail du jour 11

    We leave Dubrovnik at about 7:30 am to reach the Montenegro border before the queues build, and drive round the Bay of Kotor, a deep fjord-like inlet ringed by mountains. This is the one day over our four-hour driving guideline, about 90 km and two to two and a half hours each way with the border, and we break it with three stops. First is Perast, a small baroque town of captains' palaces, where a boat takes us out to Our Lady of the Rocks, a church on an artificial island. Then Kotor, a walled old town listed by UNESCO in 1979, where a local guide takes us through the Sea Gate to the Square of Arms and the Cathedral of St Tryphon. Lunch is at a restaurant in the old town. We are back in Dubrovnik by early evening for a farewell dinner together.

    Compris

    • Day trip to Montenegro with your guide and our vehicle
    • Boat from Perast to Our Lady of the Rocks
    • Kotor old town with a local guide: the Sea Gate, the Square of Arms and the Cathedral of St Tryphon
    • Lunch in Kotor
    • Farewell dinner in Dubrovnik

    Option plus facile : Stay in Dubrovnik for a free day and join the group for the farewell dinner.

    Option plus active : Climb the steps of the Kotor fortress walls to the Church of Our Lady of Remedy, about 45 minutes up, while others have coffee in the old town.

    Temps libre : None today: a full guided day that ends with the farewell dinner.

    Activité : Bring your passport: Montenegro is outside the Schengen area and there is a border check each way.

    

12. Jour 12 : Depart Dubrovnik

    Dubrovnik to Dubrovnik Airport

    • Environ 30 min de route
    • Petit-déjeuner
    Détail du jour 12

    A last breakfast, and if your flight is in the afternoon, a last walk on the Stradun or a swim before checkout. Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) is at Cilipi, about 20 km south of the city and about half an hour by road along the coast above Cavtat. We take you there at a time matched to your flight, and your guide checks everyone off before saying goodbye. Dubrovnik has direct flights to many European hubs, with more routes from May to October than in winter, so most travellers connect through a European airport on the way home. If you would like to stay on, we can book extra nights in Dubrovnik, a ferry to the islands of Korcula or Mljet, or a few days at a quieter bay on the coast. Book a flight leaving after about 11 am so the morning is unhurried.

    Compris

    • Transfer to Dubrovnik Airport (DBV)

    Temps libre : Morning free until your transfer

    Activité : Book a flight leaving after about 11 am.

Faune et météo : May, June, September and October are warm without the July and August heat; the sea is warm enough to swim from June to early October. Spring brings occasional rain and the odd rough crossing, and October can bring acqua alta (high water) in Venice.

• Venice3 nuits
• Overnight ferry to Split1 nuit
• Split3 nuits
• Ston1 nuit
• Dubrovnik3 nuits