Day 1- Thursday: Zagreb to Lake Bled Transfer (Slovenia)
 Arrive Ljubljana. Meet, greet, and private transfer from airport to Lake Bled lake-front hotel. Group Welcome dinner with wine tasting this evening.
 
Overnight – 4 Star Superior King Rooms – Lake Bled
Meals: D

Day 2- Friday: Lake Bled (Slovenia)
After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll be met by our private, local guide and set out on a tour of the area, that begins with a marvelous boat ride on the pristine lake. We then tour the town by foot and stop for lunch. You’ll simply want to stay longer, but so much to see, so much to do; we must move on.
 
Overnight – 4 Star Superior King Rooms – Lake Bled
Meals: B L

Day 3 – Saturday: Koper (Slovenia)
After breakfast, we’ll check-out of our hotel, and enjoy a coach ride to some of the more prominent towns on the peninsula. The journey through the interior of the peninsula will take us to one of the jewels on the Adriatic coast – Rovinj. You’ll enjoy a group lunch, which takes place today in a cozy little restaurant in the city center, famous for its seafood.

Leaving Rovinj, we’ll continue to ride north and take a short stop in Poreč – one of the most important tourist towns in the area. We’ll stop here for a stroll through this town which has preserved the Roman distribution of streets, and walk along the Decumanus (the main street in Roman towns). We’ll stop to see the complex protected by UNESCO, Euphrasius Basilica, dating back to the 6th century.

Since this peninsula has always been known for its wines, which even the Romans and later the Habsburgs enjoyed on the Austrian court, we’ll stop in the village placed among the wine roads and pay a visit to the famous vintner of the area, Mr. Matošević. A few pieces of his work were published in this edition of Chicago Tribune. 
 
During our wine tasting here, we will have an opportunity to learn, first hand, the process of wine production from harvest to consummation. We will try Istrian wines, such as Malvasia (dry white wine), Teran (dry red wine), and Muškat (sweet wine).

After leaving the wine cellar, with the taste of wine still on our tongues, we will once again continue our journey towards the north to Slovenia in order to embark onto the M/V Arion cruiser. In the late afternoon, before setting sail, we will have time to enjoy the home port of Koper. 

Once aboard the Arion, you can enjoy the scenery from your cruiseship, as you sip a glass of champagne or a beer and stare at the stars. At 23:00 tonight, we will celebrate the start of this cruise of a lifetime. Tonight enjoy sleeping in your luxury cruise accommodations with a super comfortable bed and your own private bathroom with shower.

Overnight – aboard the M/V Arion – Koper
Meals: B L D

Day 5- Monday: PLOCE (optional tour to Bosnia’s town of Mostar)
Ploče is a commercial port located in central Dalmatia. Here you will have a chance to taste fine shellfish and oysters of the area and take in the gorgeous scenery on a stroll. Ploče is located on the Adriatic coast just north of the Neretva river delta.

From Ploce, Croatian Guides offers an optional tour to the famous, old city of Mostar (Bosnia Herzegovina) where you will see the reconstructed “Old Bridge,” built by the occupying Turkish forces 500 years ago. If this special visit to Mostar is something you would like to add to your itinerary for the day, you can purchase this optional excursion aboard the Arion, or contact Croatian Guides for a more private, intimate tour of Mostar.
 
Overnight – aboard the M/V Arion –Ploče
Meals: B L D

Optional Excursions (contact Croatian Guides for more details):
Mostar City Tour(Bosnia):  Transfer by bus to Mostar.  Mostar was severely destroyed during the last and recent Balkan War, then reconstructed step by step. You will admire the famous, newly erected Turkish Bridge along with the many other marvels of this region.

Gradac Beach:  Escorted transfer to the beach of Gradac.

Day 6- Tuesday (afternoon): KORCULA (Croatia)
The historical town and island of Korcula is well known to be the suspected birthplace of Marco Polo, the earliest and probably best known travel writer and explorer. Korcula, pronounced - Kor-CHEW-la is a tranquil, little-known island about 100 miles east of Dubrovnik and Split, and is a picturesque Dalmatian city of 190,000 residents between the sea and a striking range of mountains. It has French Riviera-like Croatian summer resorts, with preserved thick fortress walls, marinas, outdoor markets, ancient churches, small hotels, and flower-lined streets.
 
Overnight – aboard the M/V Arion – Korcula
Meals: B L D

Optional Excursion (contact Croatian Guides for more details):
City tour of Korcula:  Guided walking tour of this old, mesmerizing city that floats on deep blue water.

Day 7- Wednesday: KOTOR (Montenegro)

As you sail in the morning through the extraordinary Bay of Kotor to Montenegro, you will discover by the magnificence of its unique fjord in the Mediterranean, the stunning “Boka Kotorska”. Despite all misfortunes, Kotor has preserved the atmosphere of a medieval Mediterranean town. The town is encircled with 20 meter high walls that are 4.5 km long.
 
Overnight – aboard the M/V Arion – Kotor
Meals: B L D

Optional Excursions (contact Croatian Guides for more details):

Former Montenegro capital Cetinje:   Transfer by bus to Cetinje, the former capital of Montenegro at the end of XIX century. With a professional, local guide, visit the Royal Palace , aong with other places of interest and best of all taste the national food of “ham and cheese” in a nice, local inn.

Budva (Riviera of Montenegro):  Along with your professional, local guide, you will set out to visit the significant town of Budva, a former Greek colony, built at the foot of a hill and surrounded by stone walls. Visit of the Museum at leisure (possibility of swimming).

Montenegro’s Grand Tour:  Departure in the morning to explore the medieval city of Budva. On the way, you will have a short stop at the former fishing village of Sveti Stefan. You will after enjoy a sailing on the famous Skadar Lake and have a lunch in a typical fishermen restaurant. On your way back to Kotor, you will have a splendid panoramic view on the Fjord of Kotor.

Day 8- Thursday: DURRES (Tirana) Albania
Arriving in the early morning at Durres port, we sail into the most important entrance maritime gate of Albania. Durres is also well known for its nice Riviera. In Durres only 40 kilometers from Tirana, the capital of Albania, you will have the option to participate in your cruiseliner's, Tirana’s Tour, taking the day to discover the lifestyle of Albania’s capital city. The tour will include a local lunch in a popular restaurant.
 
Overnight – aboard the M/V Arion – Durres
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Optional Excursions (contact Croatian Guides for more details):
City tour of Tirana (Albania):  From Durres, departure to Tirana, the Capital of Albania. Walk through Skanderberg Square and include a visit to Moshe of Ethem Bey and thef National Museum. Lunch in a local restaurant.

Day 9- Friday:  DUBROVNIK (Croatia)
The “Pearl of the Adriatic,” Dubrovnik ( also know as the former, “Ragusa”) is a town which resembles an open-air museum. This Unesco World Heritage protected city is said by many a poet to be the most beautiful along the Croatian Coast. Once a famous Dubrovnik Republic, the city was a powerful rival of Venice in the fight over sea rule. Today it still continues to rival Venice with its beauty and charming atmosphere. It would be really difficult to single out the most fascinating piece of architecture the area has to offer. The Franciscan and the Dominican Monastery, The Cathedral, the Rector’s Palace, Stradun, the grand City walls and St. Blaise’s Church, each of these impressive edifices deserves your full attention and admiration.

Overnight – aboard the M/V Arion – Dubrovnik
Meals: B L D

Optional Excursions (contact Croatian Guides for more details):
City tour of Dubrovnik:  Transfer by bus from the harbor to the old city and enjoy an escorted tour, including the Franciscan Monastery, Rector’s Palace & the Treasury of the Cathedral

Folklore performance:  Enjoy the traditional song and dance from Dalmatia in a privately reserved theatre hall.

Day 10 - Saturday: SPLIT (Croatia)
Split, the second largest city in Croatia, has gradually developed around the palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian, erected more than 1700 years ago. The entire Diocletian Palace spans from the Diocletian’s Cellars to the Cathedral of the Temple of Jupiter to the Golden Gate (Porta aurea), across the Peristyle and the market (Pjaca) to the sunny sea promenade (Riva) and further up the Marmont street, past the fish-market and all the way to the Theatre: a morning in Split brings you the atmosphere of a typical, bustling Mediterranean city.

By night, the city of Split is a very social place filled with cafes and bars overflowing with people of all ages. Very well lit, and safe to stroll through, are its beautiful alleyways, with their fantastic shadows and great window shopping.

Overnight – aboard the M/V Arion – Split
Meals: B L D

Optional Excursions (contact Croatian Guides for more details):
City tour of Split:  Guided tour of Split including Diocletian’s Palace.

Cetina Canyon:  Around 20 km far south from Split, you will enjoy by boat the Cetina River and have a local lunch in a typical, Croatian village.

Trogir:   North of the city of Split about 40 minutes, Trogir is a small Venetian style city. Transfer by bus and city tour provided by licensed guide.

Day 11- Sunday: KOPER (Slovenia)
The Arion cruiseship will sail back into Koper in the morning. If you have time, you can re-discover this charming renaissance city before meeting with your transfer back to the Ljubljana Airport in time for your international flights back home. Or begin your post trip extension with Croatian Guides.

Meals: B