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Venice and the Dalmatian Coast: Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik

12 days from Venice to Dubrovnik: three nights in Venice, the train to Ancona and an overnight ferry to Split, Hvar and Trogir, a night in Ston and three nights in Dubrovnik with a day in Kotor.

12 days · Venice to Dubrovnik · up to 12 guests

The facts

At a glance

Length
12 days, 11 nights
Start and end
Venice to Dubrovnik
Group size
7 to 12 guests
Activity level

Moderate

City and village walking of 3 to 6 km most days on stone paving, bridges and steps. The Dubrovnik city walls are about 2 km with many steep steps, the climb to Hvar's Fortica fortress takes about 20 minutes uphill and the Ston walls climb steeply above the village. Any climb can be skipped.

Meals included
11 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 2 dinners
Room of your own
+ CAD 815 (estimated price)
Season
May to June and September to October

Highlights

Why this trip

  • St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace with a local guide on a morning entry
  • A private boat across the lagoon to Murano, Burano and Torcello, with lunch on Burano
  • Lunch under Bologna's porticoes on the way to the coast, then an overnight ferry across the Adriatic
  • Walking into Diocletian's Palace in Split at breakfast time, before the day-trippers
  • Hvar town and the Fortica fortress by catamaran, and medieval Trogir on its island
  • Oysters in Mali Ston, a walk on the Ston walls and a Peljesac wine tasting
  • Dubrovnik's city walls at opening, and a day in Kotor and Perast on the Bay of Kotor

What makes this trip different

  • Free time is part of the plan

    Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.

  • Solo without the penalty

    A room of your own is + CAD 815 (estimated price).

Day by day

Itinerary

ITALYCROATIAAdriatic SeaVenetian Lagoon1234VeniceDays 1 to 4BuranoDay 3BolognaDay 4AnconaDay 4SplitDays 5 to 8TrogirDay 6HvarDay 7StonDays 8 to 9DubrovnikDays 9 to 12Bay of KotorDay 11

Tap any stop on the map to open that day

Arrive in Venice

Venice Marco Polo Airport to your hotel in Venice

  • Welcome dinner
  • Stay in Venice
  • By boat

Fly into Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), on the mainland edge of the lagoon.

Evening

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.

Included

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

Free time: Free until the early evening briefing

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

  1. Venice3 nights
  2. Overnight ferry to Split1 night
  3. Split3 nights
  4. Ston1 night
  5. Dubrovnik3 nights
  • Overnight stop
  • Day trip
  • By boat or train
Print itinerary

Wildlife and weather: 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.

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Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.

Before you book

Right for you?

Good for you if you want

  • Travellers who want Venice and the Croatian coast in one trip without a mid-trip flight
  • People who like trains, boats and an overnight ferry as part of the journey
  • Three-night stays in each main base, with free afternoons
  • A first visit to Dubrovnik and Split, with a day in Montenegro

Not for you if you want

  • Step-free access: Venice bridges, Dubrovnik's walls and Kotor's lanes all mean steps
  • Travellers who want a beach resort holiday
  • Anyone who wants Florence and Rome; see our Venice, Florence and Rome trip
  • Travellers who get badly seasick on an overnight crossing (we can fly you instead on request)

Book flights after we confirm your seat.

11 nights

Where you'll stay

Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.

  • Venice3 nights
  • Overnight ferry to Split1 night
  • Split3 nights
  • Ston1 night
  • Dubrovnik3 nights

One price

What's in the price

Included

Accommodation

  • 11 nights: 3 in Venice, 1 on the overnight ferry from Ancona to Split in a twin cabin with its own bathroom, 3 in Split, 1 in Ston, 3 in Dubrovnik
  • Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard or better; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
  • Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement

Transport

  • Transfer from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) and to Dubrovnik Airport (DBV)
  • Porter or water taxi for luggage in Venice
  • Fast train Venice to Bologna and train Bologna to Ancona
  • Overnight ferry Ancona to Split (flight Venice to Split if the ferry does not sail on your date)
  • Private boat in the Venice lagoon
  • Return catamaran Split to Hvar
  • Our own vehicle and driver in Croatia and Montenegro, days 6 to 12
  • Boat to Our Lady of the Rocks at Perast

Your guide

  • A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, from Venice to Dubrovnik
  • Licensed local guides in Venice, Split, Trogir, Dubrovnik and Kotor

Activities

  • Venice: St Mark's Basilica on a morning entry and the Doge's Palace with the Bridge of Sighs
  • Venice lagoon: Murano glass furnace, Burano and Torcello cathedral
  • Bologna: walk under the porticoes to Piazza Maggiore
  • Split: Diocletian's Palace, its substructures and the Cathedral of St Domnius
  • Trogir old town and the Cathedral of St Lawrence
  • Hvar town and the Fortica fortress
  • Ston: the walls, the salt pans and a Peljesac wine tasting
  • Dubrovnik: Old Town walk and the city walls ticket at opening
  • Montenegro: Perast, Our Lady of the Rocks and Kotor old town

Meals

  • Breakfast daily (11)
  • 7 lunches: cicchetti in Venice, Burano, Bologna, Split, Hvar, oysters in Mali Ston, Kotor
  • 3 dinners: welcome dinner in Venice, dinner on the ferry, farewell dinner in Dubrovnik

Not included

  • International flights to Venice and from Dubrovnik
  • Travel insurance
  • Any visa or travel authorisation (such as ETIAS once it applies)
  • Meals not listed
  • Drinks
  • Tips for your guide and driver
  • Optional activities such as a gondola ride, Lokrum, the Srd cable car and kayaking
  • Luggage beyond one case and one small bag on trains and the ferry
  • Personal expenses

Extras

Room of your own
CAD 815 (estimated price)

When you can go

Dates and prices

Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.

Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.

Before you book

Booking terms

Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.

Business addresses

See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584

Guest reviews

What guests say

Reviews from guests on our day tours.

Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
google

5/5

Parminder did a great job guiding us around, giving us tips & teaching us the history of the falls. A great experience!

Jane
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

Good views of the surrounding area of Halifax in a comfortable minivan

Susan
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

June was brilliant- made good contact beforehand and really attentive and knowledgeable. Made me feel like I was special- something only experience can do. Thank you June.

Tom L
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Our host was very knowledgeable, friendly and even provided some humor.

MandL83
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Peter was a very good guide, giving us insight into the various parts of the Park, including parking lot congestion details, trail and viewing location suggestions.

Darren O
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Excellent morning spent with my guide Nancy. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip

4.7/5 from 38,601 guest reviews

Good to know

Questions

What does the price include?

Eleven nights (ten in central hotels and one in a ferry cabin), breakfast daily, seven lunches and three dinners, the trains and the overnight ferry, the lagoon boat and the Hvar catamaran, airport transfers, our own vehicle in Croatia, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, local guides, and every entry in the day plan, including the Doge's Palace, Dubrovnik's walls and the Kotor day.

How big is the group?

The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That fits one private boat on the Venice lagoon, one table at lunch, and the narrow lanes of Trogir and Kotor without anyone holding a flag.

Who leads the trip?

A See Sight Tours guide travels with you from the welcome dinner in Venice to the airport in Dubrovnik. Licensed local guides join for St Mark's and the Doge's Palace, Diocletian's Palace, Trogir, Dubrovnik's Old Town and Kotor, where the sites or local rules call for them.

What if the ferry from Ancona to Split is not running?

We fly you from Venice to Split instead. The Ancona to Split overnight ferry sails only a few days a week, so we set departures on sailing days. If bad weather cancels the sailing, we fly Venice to Split, skip the Bologna stop, have dinner in Split and add a fourth night there; the rest of the trip is unchanged.

How fit do I need to be?

Moderate. Expect 3 to 6 km a day on stone paving, bridges and steps. Dubrovnik's walls are about 2 km with steep flights of steps, and the climbs to Hvar's fortress and over the Ston walls are short but steep. Each of those has an easier option, and you can skip any climb.

I am travelling solo. Do I have to pay a single supplement?

Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 815 for the trip and includes a single cabin on the ferry. If you are happy to share, we pair you with another solo traveller of the same gender for the whole trip, with no change of roommate along the way.

When is the best time to go?

May to June and September to October. The weather is warm, the sea is swimmable from June into October, and Dubrovnik and Kotor are quieter than in July and August, when heat, cruise ships and peak prices all arrive together. Spring can bring rain and October the odd high tide in Venice.

Do I need a visa or my passport for Montenegro?

You need your passport for the Kotor day, because Montenegro is outside the Schengen area and there is a border check each way. Canadian, US, UK and Australian passport holders do not need a visa for this trip; the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation may apply once it starts, and we confirm what you need when you book.

Why take the train and ferry instead of flying from Venice to Split?

Because it costs you little daytime. You see Bologna on the way, sleep on the ferry and walk into Diocletian's Palace the next morning. A flight means an airport morning, a transfer and arriving later in the day. It also links Italy and Croatia as one journey rather than two trips joined by an airport.

Can we travel privately or on our own dates?

Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 8,630 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same trains, ferry, hotels and local guides.

How does booking work?

Pick your start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place, the ferry or flight for day 4 and your hotels within 24 hours. No payment is taken when you send the request. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, and the small group starts from CAD 4,795.

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