Tour Itinerary:
Day 1 Ljubljana - Motovun
We’ll leave Ljubljana and drive on a comfortable freeway south. It’s less than two hours to Slovenian Karst region. (Karst is an arid limeston plateau. It is covered by a network of caves and underground rivers). We’ll in Postojna with the biggest cave system in Slovenia. We start biking in Hrastovlje where the old church has an unique collection of medieval frescoes. Its most famous is The Dance Macabre. We will picnic or have lunch in a local restaurant (it‘s not open every day) followed by a short transfer to Gracisce. It’s a great downhill ride to the Croatian border; we’ll pass through Buzet and Istarske Toplice on the way to Motovun. Dinner and overnight is at a 3-star hotel (and the only hotel in town) on the very top of this hill town.
Overnight: 3-star Hotel Kastel, Motovun
Meals: L, D
Day 2 Motovun - Rovinj
From Motovun we transfer to the spa town of Opitalj and bike the Istrian countryside. Interior Istria is famous for its hill towns which will remind you of Tuscany before the hordes of tourists arrived. Today we ride the bikes to Groznjan. Unpaved roads will take us to this little town full of art galleries, wine cellars and restaurants. The specialty of the kitchen is Istrian truffles. From Groznjan, we slowly descend towards Novigrad, a town located on the Adriatic Coast. The van transfers us to the Roman-built town of Rovinj..
Overnight: Rovinj
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3 Rovinj -Losinj
We transfer in the morning to Brestova where we board a ferry to Porozina and cross the Kvarner Channel on the island of Cres. On Cres we experience a very different world from busy Rovinj. We have a fantastic ride south along the ridge of Cres and downhill to Cres town. Time stopped on Cres many years ago. It is small port full of old buildings, very well located in the bay and protected from storms. There are thousands and thousands of olive trees on the gentle slopes above the town. We’ll continuing biking south, by Lake Vransko Jezero to Osor on its most southern tip. This Bronze Age town is a living museum. From Osor we transfer to the van and cross the bridge to Losinj Island and Mali Losinj, one of the island’s two towns. Overnight is in the old harbour in the newly refurbished Hotel Apoksiomen (named after the ancient Greek statue found lately on the island).
Overnight: 4-star Apoksiomen Hotel, Mali Losinj
Meals: B, L
Day 4 Losinj
Losinj is very different from Cres. It has pine forests and a pleasant climate. The Austrian aristocracy established the first spa here in the late of 19th century. It is known as the Island of the dolphins. The sea around Losinj Island is rich with dolphins and a small research center has been established here to study them. There are many options today. We suggest a resting and walking day and a visit to the small dolphin exhibition. In the afternoon, we can hike through the pine forests and to the top of the hill to a small church with a lovely view of the island. We’ll also visit Veli Losinj, a tiny old harbour at the end of the world. Dinner is on your own tonight and not included in the tour.
Overnight: 4-star Apoksiomen Hotel, Mali Losinj
Meals: B, L
Day 5 Mali Losinj - Rab
Today we have 3 ½ hour transfer from island to the mainland and back to the island of Rab, the pearl of the Kvarner Islands (the official name of this archipelago). (For groups of 6 or more there is an optional private transfer from Lsinj to Rab island for $100 each, weather permitting.)The north side of Rab Island is bare, constantly battered by the strong bura wind, but the southern side has plenty of water and, subsequently, is fertile land. It’s an unforgettably beautiful setting for the town of Rab. In the afternoon we explore the Venetian architecture of this town. The four famous bell towers of the town make it look like a ship. Our hotel is the newly reopened Ros Maris Hotel and Spa in the center of old town surrounded by a lovely park.
Overnight: 4-star Hotel Ros Maris, Rab
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6 Rab – Zadar Cycling Pag Island
In the morning we take private boat transfer to the tip of Pag Island (weather permitting, otherwise we take a ferry to Jablanac, drive less than 10 miles to Prizna and then take the ferry to the island of Pag.) Pag is known for its sheep cheese, lace, and the bura - the strong wind which makes living on the island almost impossible. This 40-mile long island has mountain chains running parallel to the coast. We bicycle to the small main island town of Pag where we have lunch. Then we continue cycling to the end of the island where we transfer 30 minutes to Zadar.
Overnight: Hotel Kolovare, Zadar
Meals: B, L, D
Day 8 – Zadar to Trogir (Split)
A short but nice cycling day starting with a ferry to Ugljan and bike to Pasman Island. Here we begin cycling to Tkon village and then we take a ferry to Biograd where we transfer to Trogir (a Unesco town near the Split airport) where the trip ends.
Meals: B, L
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Note: This itinerary averages 35-45 miles per day biking on moderate terrain. Sometimes biking is on gravel and busy roads. The mileage and destinations visited can be customized to your preferences.
Price Includes:
- Lodging 6 nights in 4-star properties, 1 night in 3-star property
- Meals as indicated
- Bicycles
- Transportation
- Driver
- English speaking guide
- Entrance fees
- Ferry transfers within itinerary (does not include ferry to Dubrovnik)
- Private boat transfer from Losinj to Rab.
Itinerary is available for groups as small as 2 persons. Pricing and number of guides and drivers vary depending on size of group. *Based on groups of 13-15 passengers. Options: 1 day extension in Rab. Post trip non-biking extensions available 3 nts Sarajevo and Bosnia guided; 3 nights Hvar Island and Dubrovnik self-guided. Note recommended for July and August due to heat.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Croatia
Slovenia
Outdoor: Land Rambler
Bicycle Touring
Cultural Journey
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