FOUR-DAY TRIP

Northern Croatia and Istria

See the wonders of Southern Croatia and Dalmatia and experience what it’s all about. Visit the cities of Split and Dubrovnik and learn about their rich history as well as see local sites where the TV series Gam of Thrones was filmed. Explore Krka National Park and the island of Hvar.  Enjoy a relaxing day on the Zrmanja River.  This area has so much to offer with adventure and history all in one place.

DAY 1

Speleo Adventure and Ziplining Pazin Cave and Rovinj Walking Tour

After enjoying your included breakfast you will be picked up from your lodging and transferred to Pazin. Here you will experience the thrill of exploring Pazin Cave, a speleological object not open to massive tourist groups. The visit is organized in a natural ecological way and it gives you a unique experience of the underground.  At the beginning, there will be an introduction on how to use the basic equipment which is necessary for the Speleo-adventure and guides inform you about where you’re allowed to move, possible obstacles and how to overcome them in the easiest way. Your adventure begins with a gentle descent along a path into the canyon, where the natural riverbed Pazinčica flows and runs to the entrance of  the underground cave. The underground part of the trail is about 200 m long and takes you to a big hall and an underground lake which is 80 m long. There are two small ziplines inside the speleological object which transfer visitors to a sandbar of the underground lake. The return is done on the same trail after the end of the underground visit. After your underground visit, enjoy Pazin from above and you take your adventure to the sky and zipline over Pazin Gorge. Zip-line Pazin Cave consists of four lines. Visitors start their adventure from the gorge below the Hotel Lovac. The first two lines are 80 meters long. The third is 220 meters long and reaches a speed of 40 km/h, leading to the courtyard of the House of Writers near Pazin Castle. The fourth line is the longest one - 280 meters, and also the fastest with a maximum speed of 50 km/h. It is also the favorite line as it allows you to enjoy the view of the cave and the famous castle which is situated above it. This line ends above the Babina Kuća cave, on the lookout, which is named after the famous French writer Jules Verne, who in his Mathias Sandorf novel (1885.), wrote about Pazin Cave and the Castle. Across the trail on the cliffs of Pazin Cave, and in less than five minutes, you will return to the starting point. You will then be transported back to Rovinj to enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant.  Once finished, your guide will meet you and take you on a walking tour of Rovinj to learn about the history of the most popular tourist town in Croatia. Enjoy strolling along the narrow cobblestone streets taking in the view of the 22 islands and islets, wander into the many art galleries and studios, visit St Euphemia Church and the Franciscan Monastery, as well as the Aquarium and Town Museum. Your tour will finish around 7pm when you are free to roam the town more or be transported back to your lodging.

DAY 2

Guided Kayak Tour at Cape Kamenjak-Protected Nature Area

After your included breakfast you will be picked up at your lodging for your transfer to Jistra Adventure base at Stupice Camp, where you will have an introduction to kayaking, as well as aspects of the sea and the mainland life related to this unique Istrian landscape. Your kayak tour will begin with some light paddling in the Cape for about an hour but will be rewarded with an exceptional view of the high cliffs and sea cave, which conceals an enclosed oasis. Here, at the deep south of the Istrian Peninsula, lies Velika Kolombarica. You’ll leave your kayaks on the coast and indulge in a provided snack before swimming through a sea tunnel to enter the blue cave. Here you will witness a spectacular image of turquoise light shining upon millennial rocks, turning the clear sea into a natural pool. On your kayak tour you will have the opportunity to go snorkeling and explore the blue underwater world, meet the fish living in these interesting depths, and enjoy the beauty of the sea.  Istrian nature will show off all of its beauty on your kayak cave tour. Surrounded by both high and low cliffs, you can try your luck at jumping from the rocks, enjoying until your kayak tour returns to the camp.  All you need is a big smile on your face and the day becomes an unforgettable experience. After your kayak tour, enjoy lunch at one of the local spots on your own and wander around the park visiting the various beaches and hiking trails.  You will then be transported back to your lodging after your wonderful day at Cape Kamenjak.

DAY 3

E-Bike Tour with Wine and Olive Oil Tasting in Vodnjan

After a morning on your own you will be picked up at your lodging around 3:30pm for  transfer to Vodnjan for your afternoon bike tour. Once in Vodnjan you will meet your biking guide and join the rest of the bike tour group. The bike tour will take you through sections encompassing the sea, Macadam Road and groves of olive trees and vineyards. Along the way you will visit numerous authentic Vodnjan kažuns (small houses made from stone) and stone churches. After 10 km of cycling, you will enter an area of 7 coastal fortresses over 100 years old and explore the largest of them. The view from the fortress will allow you to enjoy the Brijuni Islands. Along the way enjoy a break to go swimming and diving on a hidden beach. You will continue biking along the beautiful sea and have the opportunity to visit the Church of St. Fosca and Three kažuns which are the world's largest kažuns. You will end the tour at a local producer of wine and extra virgin olive oil in Vodnjan, where you will learn how to produce wine and oil. In addition, you will taste two types of olive oils and 5 kinds of homemade Vodnjan wine. After the tour you will be transferred back to your lodging.

DAY 4

Brijuni Islands National Park

After your included breakfast you will be picked up at your lodging and transported to Fazana. At Fazana you will climb aboard a ferry for a 20 minute ride to the island of Brijuni. The Brijuni Islands are a collection of fourteen islands, of which you will get to enjoy the largest of them all. Veliki Brijuni is filled with amazing landscape parks, meadows, pastures, Istrian vegetation, and architectural heritage. While on the island you will enjoy a guided walking tour as well as a train tour.  You will visit the safari park home to many indigenous Istrian and exotic Asian, African, and South American animals that run freely through the park. Visit the location of one of the oldest olive trees in the Mediterranean which is still used to make olive oil. See more than 200 dinosaur footprints that were discovered on the island. The islands are rich in natural beauties, flora and fauna brought here from various parts of the world. On Brijuni there is an attractive archaeological site, the Byzantine castrum and luxurious Roman villa, Ethnographic collection, Collection of frescoes, Archaeological Museum and Natural history exhibit.  After enjoying the sights, return to Farzana by ferry where you can enjoy a late lunch of your liking. After lunch you will meet your driver around 5pm and will be transported back to your lodging around 5:30-6pm.