Rick Steves Best of the Adriatic 2025

05/14 - 9:00 city walk with Barbara (excellent guide who loves her city); comfort stop in the middle at Preseren Square; free afternoon
-Barbara recommends lunch at Paninoteka if they still haven't sold out of their popular sandwiches; we split a sandwich, french fries and drinks
-afternoon plan is for Plecnik House; the photo in the guidebook does not show the street view and we miss the small sign on the first try; hourly guided tours but there are things to look at while you wait; enthusiastic English-speaking guide; walk-up tickets
- late afternoon walk to Ljubljana Castlefunicular; walk-up tickets; no line; gorgeous views from the castle and no crowds
- dinner outside at Marley & Me
05/15 - 8:15 bus to Lake Bled
-castle visit
- Lake Bled on our own; Marijan walks anyone who wants to visit the island to the Old Town dock for the pletna boats; cash only-round trip, pay 20e on return; there is a gradual uphill walk from our dock; one person didn't understand that the plan was for the group to return together and boatman waited and waited, eventually arranging with another boat to bring him back;we lost some of our lunch time waiting; others walk around town or the lake
-Planica Nordic Center - this is an amazing facility for ski jumping and indoor cross-country ski track; happy hour
Hotel Mangart, Bovecalpine hotel; twin beds, 2 night stands, wi-fi, mini-bar, hair dryer, corner shower
- walk to Martinav Hram for group dinner; choice of trout or goulash, goat cheese and potato appetizers, salad, dessert

05/16- 7:55 departure on winding ride to Kobarid WWI Museum and Battle of Caporetto excellent guide Jakob presented all sides of the conflict, surrounded by photos, videos and artifacts; short coffee and comfort break before back on the bus
- winery tour and lunch at Visjak Winerywe get a tour of the winery, how is was affected during the war by the owner, and a hearty wine tasting; wine, bread, cheese, salami, prosciutto, olives and pound cake; many buy wine for later consumption
- off to Bale-Valle and Hotel La Grisa- reservations for hotel dinner that night booked solid when we checked 2 days before; charming maze-like hotel with lots of amenities; bar, restaurant, indoor pool; twin beds, double night stands, couch, luggage rack, vanity kit, full-length mirror, wi-fi, best towel warmer rack for drying sink washing
-out the hotel front door, turn right and walk uphill in search of dinner; eventually make a left turn and walk under arch, settling on Kamene Price which was one of our best decisions of the tour; Davor Tojcic & and his wife gave us quite the dinner experience; he apologized that we would have to wait for the home-made pasta to be prepared but gave us an olive oil tasting while we waited and in general happily interacted with our group; wine, beef stew with peas and homemade pasta with fresh vegetable ( so worth the wait)

05/17 8:30 departure for Pula - another excellent guide gave us a tour of the amphitheater and town walk; comfort break with time for sitting at sidewalk cafe or walking around the town
- the next stop was the Chiavalon Olive Farm the hysterically funny guide who was a sideshow in himself explained how the farm operates; the tour was followed by a tasting; wine, cheese, olives, vegetables and cured meat on a photo-worthy charcuterie board
Rovinj - free time; beautiful waterfront; we walked uphill to St Euphemia and then walked behind the church for a slippery cobblestone walk back down; some stayed in Rovinj for dinner;
-hotel dinner reservations - staff very proud of excellent farm-to-table; delicious rib-eye, wine

05/18 - 9:30 departure
- iffy weather at first stop, Opatija; free time 3 hour stop; good time for coffee & cake at Cafe Wagner; ; we walk through the botanical garden and along the waterfront;
- on our way to Plitvice past towns with obvious damage from the war
-final destination is Hotel Jezera, a standard business style tour group hotel
-buffet dinner seats lots of people and there are lots of other tour groups

05/19 - 7:50 departure for our lake hike to beat the crowds after breakfast buffet
- early entry to the park; bus to Station #3; the hike/walk feels like its downhill all the way to Station #2; we walk at our own pace and Marijan keeps track of group; sparse crowds on this section; lunch at Station #2 - prices seem fair
- the closer we get to Entrance #1, the more crowds we encounter
Plitviceis breath-taking and deserves its reputation
Hotel Globo Split is our destination; bus parks in front of hotel
- twin beds, chair, 2 night stands; mini bar, substantial elevator, AC
- orientation walk and laundry stop with Marijan; cash only; pick up tomorrow after 13:00
- we're too exhausted for dinner, so we just get groceries from 2 stores across the street

05/20 - walking tour with another great guide
-the main event is Dioclitian's Palace- his planned retirement home and it's not just a simple one; we listen to a Klapa performance after the visit
- free afternoon; we explore Split stopping for drinks along the waterfront; prices are reasonable and they don't seem to mind how long you stay
- a group of us stop at Tinel Trattoriafor dinner, just up the hill from the laundry place; we hadn't made reservations but no trouble getting a table; delicious chicken salad full of vegetables, seafood pasta

05/21 - 7:50 departure for Mostar
- first stop is the necropolis at Radimlja; followed by a tour of the town of Stolac with delightful Edo as our guide; he shares his war experience as we walk through town
-buffet luncheon of local cuisine riverside at Restoran Behar
- because rain is forecasted, Marijan moves the visit to the Serbian Monasteryup to this afternoon
-Hotel Kapetanovinais very clean with a helpful staff, nice bathroom with a corner shower
- walk to group dinner at Restoran Sadrvanin Old Town; salad, pork sausages in pita bread with sauces; poached pear dessert
- after dinner walk through Old Town to see the lights at night

05/22 - 7:50 to load bus in front of the hotel before it moves back to the town's parking lot; town walk with Milie; first stop is a 17th century coffee house where he shares his war-time experience; as we resume walking, we visit a mosque and pass a cemetery with most of the dates 1993, ending at the Old Bridge
- free time in Old Town
-as we walk out of Old Town to the bus we are reminded why the day started early - a hoard of other travelers heading our way and the town bus lot is full of tour busses
- Marijan tells us we are having a quick roadside lunch stop at Julius Meinl - not your typical fast food - delicious, fresh Greek salad and plenty of fresh pizza
-private boat ride to Korculapast a string of island while our bus takes the ferry with our luggage which will be delivered to the hotel; group walking tour of Korcula on the way to Hotel Marko Polo
-beautiful hotel - large bed, desk & chair, 2 night stands, electric kettle, mini-bar
- there is also a staffed bar, restaurant and terrace overlooking the water
-impromptu gathering at 7:00 on the terrace for all as heavy snacks and drinks are shared and we bond as a group

Going on this tour August 24th. Excited and a bit nervous as I usually travel shoulder season. I am preparing for crowds and heat but plan to enjoy every minute. Thanks for all your info, it will help me prepare. Regina

Great info. We are on same tour starting 8/31. Plan to do the Go-Opti shuttle. We land at 11:30am. Did the shuttle drop you off at the hotel? Looking forward to the rest of your trip info. Super helpful!!

sdw - yes, the shuttle dropped us at the hotel. We arrived late after a LONG travel day from Las Vegas and I think we asked one of the airport staff if we were going the right way. He was so helpful and was fluent in English.

05/23 - Free day to sleep in
-excellent breakfast buffet at the hotel in a huge, uncrowded dining room
- walked around town; found a unique crayon store,Boya which fulfilled the gift needs for grandkids; left for the walk under sunny skies without any rain gear, oops; the skies opened up and we took shelter at Kolenka where staff patiently dodged raindrops to bring us our order of coffee and pastries;
-lunch along the waterfront at Amfora - small sausages with french fries, drinks and caprese salad: 38e
-some people swam, some people waded, some people hiked, some people sat
- 12 of us walked to dinner at Pensatore; the staff split us into groups of 4 at adjacent outside tables for better service; gnocci with meat ragu topped with a delicious foamy sauce
-Roma gelato stop on the way back to the hotel

05/24 - 10:15 ferry departure - bus picks up luggage
-lunch and donkey farm visit at Agriturismo Antunovic; salads, bread, wine, roasted meats and a digestif
-After a short celebration for the sensational bus driver, it was on to Dubrovnik
-bus drops us at Hotel Lero- a large tour group hotel; classic rooms with two night stands, desk & chairs, shower, robe & slippers, hair dryer, pool, huge breakfast room, bar/restaurant with outdoor seating
-17:50 evening optional orientation walk and bus riding tutorial; Marijan gives us our 24hr. bus passes
-after the walk, many members go for drinks at RS recommended Buza, too many stairs for us; we shop as tomorrow is Sunday; gelato and Mliner pastry for dinner
- we use our bus pass for return to hotel

05/25 - 8:10 departure for walking tour, ride the bus to Old Town
- our guide is Robi who has a delightful sense of humor to go along with his sobering stories of how the war impacted his life & Dubrovnik; he also points out "Game of Throne" sites and takes us into his private garden
- free afternoon
-sadly, the pharmacy at the Franciscan Monastery is closed
- Marijan has given us tickets to walk the wall surrounding the Old Town; he suggested we start at the Ploce Gate and then if we don't want to walk the entire wall, exit at the Pile Gate; there are LOTS of stairs but it is fairly flat otherwise; we can see the crowds climbing uphill on the section from the Pile Gate to Old Port
- farewell dinner at Marangun; choice of fish or lamb shank, salad, dessert choice, wine

05/26 - everyone is off; sad to say "good-bye" to this group which has really come together as one; we're headed to Paris, so it's a taxi to the airport and an Austrian Air flight to CGD via Vienna

What a fabulous trip and it is so apparent why everyone raves about this tour

Regina - have a great trip! I was so impressed with how the guides managed to avoid crowds - we could see them but they never impacted us.

Nice report! This is a tour we might consider doing.

This brought back wonderful memories of my Best of the Adriatic tour a month earlier- in late April 2025. The RS tour guides definitely know how to avoid crowds and make things safe and comfortable. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

FABULOUS report!!
We are headed there for the Sept 14-27 tour. *WITH friends we met 2 tours ago on the Best of Europe trip in 2022!

Sounds like you also met some like-minded travelers and had great experiences. I love all of your detail and suggestions!

Travel On!

Thank you, Patty.
We are on the tour leaving September 16.
Does anyone have tips about what to expect weather-wise?

Thank you, Patty, for the great review.

sdw: I think we are on the same tour. See you guys in a few weeks.

A very thorough & nice trip report, Patty! It brought back many nice memories of that tour I did in June 2023. We stayed in Motovun and a few hotels were different, but the fun parts of the tour were the same!

Thanks for the great report, Patty. Jil and I had a great time travelling with you guys. Hope to bump into you again on another trip!

To add to Patty's excellent recap:
Ljubljana was charming and picturesque with lots of great restaurants along the river promenade.
The WW1 museum in Kobarid was amazing-they opened the museum early just for our group.
The drive from Soça Valley to Istria through the Julian Alps featured some of the most amazing vistas
Rovinj was a highlight. We loved the secret bar Mediteraneao we found on the rocks outside the wall at sunset. Best meal of the trip was grilled calamari at Restauran Stella Di Mare. Would have liked to stay in the city instead of out in Belle Vale
The guide, Marijan, was terrific. He could teach a university history course on the Balkan Wars fo the 1990's. Very powerful to see and learn about those times. Sadly, nothing is resolved and will probably flare up again
The local specialty in Mostar with the grilled ground lamb is called Ćevapi and is served on Pita with Ajvar sauce (grilled red peppers and eggplants). It is casual fare that you can find it all over the area-don't miss it!
I was probably in the minority of people who was underwhelmed by Plitvic National Park. Though beautiful, it felt very touristy (government hotel, mediocre fare, lots of other tour groups) and it took two days of the tour getting out there there and then coming back to Split. Least "Europe through the back door" experience of the tour. Would have preferred to enjoy those two days on the coast and the islands.
Split was terrific and those small streets inside of Diocletians Palace were full of surprises
Korcula was another highlight-We loved the free day there despite some rain. Hotel Marko Polo has an awesome pool and spa. Don't miss it!
Dubrovnik is a wonderful city. The walk along the walls was hot and required a lot of stairs but completely unique. Take the trip up to the old French fort above the city for some of the best views ever. Forget the crowded Funicular-just grab a taxi or Uber

Prior to signing up, I was concerned about how much time the group would be spending in the bus but for the most part it was fine-just those two days driving to/from Plitvic which felt long.

Bottom line: Another great RS tour and well worth the time, $$, and effort to go. If you're interested in this area-do it!

Eric

FABULOUS review! Thanks for all of the detail and tips! We leave in 17 days for this tour!

Would anyone recommend walking sticks? Hiking shoes? Raincoats? Do we really need water shoes?
*Wait... let me overthink this! ;-) Can we just leave already!!!

Melanie

Missed the report the first time it went up. Nice report by the OP and later in August by the co-traveller. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough report! You both filled in a lot of the details I enjoy knowing before taking a tour.

MelHar - I hope you have an amazing trip. If you plan to hike in your free time, then maybe take hiking shoes, but otherwise we didn’t have any need for them. We didn’t have need for hiking poles either. My husband uses a jacket with some water resistant capabilities and a small travel umbrella. I took a waterproof packable thigh length rain shell and that took care of the downpour in Mostar, and some light rain in Ljubljana and Optija. I used water shoes in Korcula but then they didn’t really dry, so it was a “one and done”.

We are excited to be heading on this trip in mid October. Probably a bit cooler, but earlier tours were already filled so we pulled the trigger. I figure if Rick is still doing tours there are adequate places to see still open. We have plans at Dubrovnik for first night dinner at Panorama, I guess the wall walk may be the following afternoon. Good to hear a bus pass is included to old town in Dubrovnik. Flights out post tour are hit or miss this time of year, so we are spending a couple days in Vienna post tour.

Like Dave, I missed this trip report when Patty first posted it. Great trip report, Patty ! And I love your fellow tour member coming along and adding their thoughts. What a comprehensive review for what sounds like a fabulous tour ! Congratulations to those of you headed on it in the future.

Thanks everyone for the kind words!

We just booked our trip for 2026 and I loved reading your review! Hoping you can answer a few questions. I haven't been on a group tour since my 20's but figure it is time! Did you feel like you had enough time in Bled? How long were you there for? I am debating of going there with one of my spare days before the trip. I want to hike the Vintgar gorge.

Did you need reservations for dinner at any of the places you went or was it early enough in the season you didn't need it? Did it seems like half the meals were provided and the other half you did on your own? For lunch, if someone opted to skip and wanted to grab a sandwich for the bus ride is that ok or no food on the bus?

On the day you labeled 5/16 where you visited Kobarid did you drive along scenic drive that day with lots of stops, see any waterfalls? In the guidebook there is a Julian Alps tour and I am hopeful the guided tour stops at most of those places. It looks gorgeous!

What time did you arrive the hotel the night before Plitivic Park? About how long were you there for when you did visit? My hubby will want to photograph and wonder if we might pay for go the day before our scheduled day or how long we might be visiting our scheduled day? If we can even split off for a couple hours that might even work? Any thoughts? Did you get dropped off at one place and then get picked up elsewhere?

Any thoughts?

Jenn

Our guide (Marian) gave us an itinerary for the whole tour on the first day with approximate times. We got to Lake Bled at about 9:15, had a tour of the castle then bussed down to the lake and had until 1:30. If hiking is on the top of your list, you might want to give it a whole day - it’s a beautiful area.

As far as dinner reservations, we made reservations for dinner in Ljubljana around noon for that evening. We missed our preferred night for dinner at the Hotel La Grisa because we didn’t make reservations soon enough. I think we were trying about 3 days ahead and we were too late. We were able to get reservations for our second night there when others opted to stay in Rovinj and eat there. At this stage of our lives if we eat a substantial breakfast, we are good for 1 more big meal in the day, be it lunch or dinner. The lunches at the winery, the olive oil farm were filling and the Peljesqc was hearty. We didn’t make reservations in Kocula, but it was early in the season and we didn’t have any trouble getting a table for either lunch or dinner. I think others had specific restaurants in mind and made reservations. I think you could have brought a sandwich on the bus as long as you cleaned up afterwards.

We did make several stops along the Julian Alps drive.

We got to Plitvice in the late afternoon. That dinner could be skipped if photography is more important. Time-wise, I’m not sure how late the park would have been open and you’d have to have gotten tickets ahead. On our visiting day we loaded our luggage at 7:50 and then walked to the shuttle bus that took us to the upper lakes. We were free until 13:00 when we were supposed to meet at Entrance 1. We didn’t feel rushed and had plenty of time for a lunch stop as well as tons of photos.

I hope this helps.