The Dalmatian islands have smitten Roman Emperors, Venetian traders, and since 2008, us! We visit tiny Šolta island, whose remote villages seem locked in time. Brač is the largest of the islands and has a rich history that goes back to Neolithic times. Condé Nast magazine voted Hvar island among the “Ten Most Beautiful Islands in the World”. Spend some time in its lovely main town which boasts beautiful Renaissance architecture, and then get out to explore its scenic interior. Our final island, far-flung Vis, has indeed been locked in time as it was off-limits to tourists until 1992. It features two of Dalmatia’s most quaint and historic seaside villages.

There is no better way to explore these beautiful islands than by private yacht and we have reserved our favorite Croatian gulet and crew. The gulet is a two-masted sailing ketch/motor yacht. It is broad-beamed for extra stability and deck space. The boat has 6 double cabins available for guests and all cabins have an en suite bathroom and screened-in stand-up shower. You can unpack for a week yet your floating hotel has a different view every day! Furthermore, you can opt in and out of our daily hikes. You can choose to stay on the yacht, have a swim, try sea kayaking, or just relax on deck while the others hike. All of the sea travel is done during the day, so nights are serene as we stay in sheltered bays or in small fishing ports (no seasickness!).

Most people will want to arrive at least a day in advance in Split. The hotel is not included, but we recommend the Art Hotel, where we meet tomorrow, but there are many hotels and B&Bs to choose from. There are several flights a day from European hubs or ferries from Italy to Split. 

 Meet your guides and the rest of the group at 09:30 in the lobby of the Split Art Hotel. You can leave your bags here, and we depart on foot for a guided visit of historic Split. The center of town was built around the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s Palace. Built in the third century, the palace covers more than 3 square kilometers. Exquisite temples, vast reception chambers, and extensive private apartments were built within its perimeter walls. After the visit, we have lunch together, and then you have some free time before reconvening at 16:15 to transfer to our gorgeous gulet that is moored in Trogir harbor. We are soon cruising out into the sparkling Adriatic on our all wood two masted private yacht. An hour later, we drop anchor off of Šolta Island, where we enjoy a swim before dinner on board. Overnight Šolta Island.

We drop off in Necujam Bay, then have a leisurely walk through olive groves and along ancient stone walls, and through the village of Grohote on our way to meet Goran, the last commercial beekeeper on the island. Goran speaks excellent English and shares his knowledge and passion for the essential bee. “Give Bees a Chance!” is his call to action. Goran’s wonderful sense of humor will make you laugh, and his philosophical insights might even make you cry. Either way, it is a wonderful visit. We continue our hike back down to the sea to reunite with the boat. You’ll enjoy a refreshing swim before lunch on board. This afternoon, relax on the thick deck cushions and admire the unfolding view as we motor over to Pucišca village on Brač island. You will have some free time to explore the back streets of this beautiful and historic seaport before heading to dinner at a local konoba (trattoria). The Hike: 7,5 km/4,6 mls. Total elevation gain 181 mts/593 ft. Total elevation loss 178 mts/584 ft. Hiking time: about 3 hours. Overnight in Pucišca (Brač Island).

This morning features a quick visit to the last stone stone-cutting school in Croatia, where youths learn to quarry and sculpt the local limestone, which has been sourced from the Island since the time of Diocleitan. A 1.5-hour hike brings you to Skrip village, where we have a brief visit to the surprisingly rich archaeological museum followed by an olive oil tasting inside a private home that just happens to be a medieval castle. Our morning hike ends at a lovely country restaurant that features expansive views over the island and out to sea. A van picks us up after lunch and shuttles us to the start of our afternoon hike, which takes us down a wild ravine to the coast via the 16th-century Blaca Monastery. We end up in a tiny deserted bay for a wonderful post-hike swim. The yacht will have motored around the island, so it is on call to pick us up and take us to the north coast of Hvar Island. We anchor in a protected bay near Vrbroska and have a relaxing dinner on board. The Hike: Morning hike: 4 km/2.5 mls. Total elevation gain: 253 mts/830 ft, total elevation loss: 16 mts/52 ft. Walking time: 1 hour and 15 minutes. Afternoon hike: 3,9 km/2.4 mls. Total elevation gain: 25 mts/82 ft. Total elevation loss: 382 mts/1253 ft. Hiking time: 2 hrs. Overnight Vbroska, Hvar island.

 We have an easy seaside walk this morning, which eventually takes us through the UNESCO World Heritage “Starigrad Plain,” which has been cultivated since Greek times (the same stone walls have been delineating the fields for more than 2,000 years!). Our hike ends in charming Starigrad whose honey-colored stone buildings line narrow laneways of cobblestones polished smooth by the passage of time. Our friendly crew picks us up on the dinghy and takes us back out to the gulet, which is anchored in a secluded bay. A welcome swim is followed by lunch on board. We then have a leisurely cruise to Hvar town, one of Croatia's most beautiful thanks to the Venetian craftsmen who built the beautiful 17th Centure buildings that we admire. You can walk up to the Venetian fort for wonderful views out over the terracotta rooftops of the city and out to sea, or simply wander through the colorful streets and alleyways and peruse the boutiques, or sit and relax at a cafe with a drink. We have dinner in town at a superb restaurant. The Hike: 13,2 km/ 8.2 mls. Total elevation gain: 182 mts/597 ft. Total elevation loss: 179 mts/587 ft. Hiking time: 3 hrs. Overnight near Hvar town.

Start your day with a quick dip in the Adriatic before a short dinghy ride to shore, followed by a van transfer into the island’s interior. You will pass fields of lavender and a surreal landscape of stone piles, walls, and abandoned terraces. A scenic two-hour walk from village to village terminates in a small bay where your boat awaits you. Have a swim and then lunch on board. An afternoon motor takes us over to the isolated island of Vis, where we tie up to the jetty at Vis town. An evening walk takes you through the village and out to a seaside promontory for sunset, then dinner in one of the island’s best restaurants. The Hike: 5,4 km/3.5 mls; no elevation gain or loss. Hiking time: 2 hrs. Overnight Vis.

 This morning, we have a short cruise over to Biševo Island, one of Croatia’s smallest inhabited islands. We enjoy a scenic morning hike that ends with a gradual descent to a beautiful fjord-like bay. The gulet is there to greet us, and we have lunch on board. We drop off for our afternoon hike at an abandoned military base. The trail takes us past Cold War-era bunkers and gun emplacements to a wonderful vantage point overlooking picture-perfect Komiža village. The boat is tied up in the harbor. After a hot shower and then a cocktail on the aft deck, we walk to dinner which is in a former stone warehouse and lobster hatchery. The Hike: morning hike: 3.3 km/2 mls. No elevation gain or loss. Hiking time: 1 hr. Afternoon hike:5.2 km/3.2 mls. Total elevation gain:300 mts/900 ft. Total elevation loss: 304 mts/997 ft. Hiking time: 1 hour and a half. Dinner and overnight in Komiža.

After breakfast, we take a morning cruise to Milna village on Brač Island, where we disembark for a short van transfer to avoid a steep climb. We then hike from village to village and then back down to the water to find our boat again. We have time for a last swim before continuing to Trogir, a gorgeous medieval port town that is also a World Heritage site. We have dinner on board for the final night. The Hike is 5.5 km/3.4 mls. The total elevation gain is 107 mts/351 ft. The hike takes 1.5 hours. Overnight in Trogir.

The tour ends this morning after breakfast on the boat. We have to disembark the boat at 09:00 a.m.The boat will be moored in Trogir marina, which is conveniently only a fifteen-minute taxi ride to the Split airport. If you have a later flight, you can check your bags at a storage facility in the marina and explore the streets of this lovely UNESCO World Heritage town before your onward flight or ferry.

Please note: Some details of the itinerary may change according to the departure date of your tour. Whenever we run a tour we make new discoveries. Sometimes they are good discoveries, like a wonderful new trattoria, and sometimes bad, like a trail has been washed away. We sometimes change our itinerary to improve it by adding new wonderful elements to the tour or by removing something that does not work anymore. Rest assured, our goal is always to provide you with the best possible experience. We will advise you of any changes to the original itinerary before departure.  

While you are on the Dalmatian coast, don’t miss the UNESCO World Heritage city of Dubrovnik. It’s only a 4-hour (scenic!) bus ride along the coast from Split, so you could add it on either before or after your boat trip. You will be met by our friendly local guide who will make sure you get your bearings when you get in, then the following day she will give you a two-hour guided visit of the town, known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic.” Dubrovnik is encircled by more than a mile of huge stone walls originally built between the 13th and 16th centuries to protect the city from invaders coming from the sea. Stay another day or two to visit some of the outlying islands, like nearby Lokrum or the beautiful city of Korčula, birthplace of Marco Polo! Contact us for details. We can offer a fully-guided 2-3 day option or just provide you with information.

We will be hiking through cities, along farm properties, through woods, and over scrubby terrain. It is often rocky (hiking shoes are recommended) and there are some short climbs. We hike from 2–4 hours a day, with options to extend or shorten the hike. Of course, the boat allows us the option of really relaxing and watching the beautiful coastline unfold as you lie on deck with a good book. The choice is yours.