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Croatia Sailing Tours: How to Choose the Best Island Sail Week in Croatia (2024)

Posted on Last updated: February 7, 2024

So you haven’t been on any Croatia sailing tours yet?! What are you waiting for?! As a booming newer destination in the past decade, sailing Croatia is now on the radar of travelers everywhere. As someone who has been working there for quite a few years, I’ll tell you that there’s no better way to experience this beautiful country than to sail Croatia – spend a week on a sail week trip of the Croatian islands.

Croatia sailing trips are becoming so popular that new companies and Croatia sailing weeks are popping up left and right; everyone wants to try to get their slice of the booming business of the perfect idyllic holiday.

There are some companies that have been around for years and some new ones, some bigger sailing companies and some smaller ones, both budget and luxury sailing tours, and some massive boats with more passengers or smaller ones with less. There’s definitely a lot of choices when it comes to picking the best Croatia sailing tours, and I’m here to help you figure out which sail week in Croatia may be right for you.

How I Know About Croatia Sailing Tours

I worked three summers as a tour guide on these very Croatia sailing tours I’ll be describing to you, and during that time, I got to know the in’s and out’s of all the different companies and different tours. In 2022 I became a partner in my very own Croatia sailing company for young professionals called Fjaka Sail (more on that later) and helped run our first tours in 2023.

I have come to know what the selling points of each company are, what makes each one different, which tours are better for what ages, and what kinds of people tend to book a certain tour due boat size, party level, and more.

Below I have outlined all that I know about each Croatia sailing company and what kind of person it may be more geared towards. I’m hoping you can take all this info to make the perfect decision on the right one for you! If you need any help planning, feel free to reach out to me by email or DM me on Instagram.

Disclaimer: All this info is my personal opinion from working 5+ seasons of sail Croatia on the Adriatic. They may not be correct or agreeable, but I hope my experience can be used to help you choose the best Croatia sailing tour week for your needs. This post also contains affiliate links.

What to Know Before Booking Croatia Sailing Tours

First of all, know what to bring! Here’s my sailing trip packing list , and everything else you need to know is below.

Sailing Croatia Tour Boats

Before I start, I want to give a quick description of what kinds of boats you’ll be looking at for your sail week Croatia. The boats come in a few different classes and styles that you will want to know before you go! Links to companies are below.

Renting Your Own Boat

If this all seems too complicated to you and you already have a group, you might want to consider renting your own boat and doing your own tour. This is totally possible. I recommend using a site like Sailo to rent your own boat . You can view boats, where they are located, prices… etc. It’s kind of like an Airbnb for boats.

Floatilla Style Croatia Tours/Boats

Some tours run in a floatilla style, meaning that there will be 5+ (usually even more, up to 20+) smaller boats of 8-10 people all sailing together. Each small boat will have a skipper and the option to have a hostess. These boats don’t specifically have a guide, but workers who help to run the whole floatilla smoothly.

Bigger Sail Croatia Boats – B/A/A+

Companies with bigger boats run as one complete tour by themself. Bigger boats will hold around 25-40 people. These boats generally have their own Croatian sailing crew (captain, chef, bartender/server, sailor(s), etc) and may have a tour guide responsible specifically for the well-being of the guests. Bigger boats come in three categories:

B Class boats – These are wooden boats with shared facilities and usually no air conditioning. They are, of course, quite a lot cheaper. Cabins will have two bunk beds each. These boats are usually smaller (18-25 people) and are quite the authentic sailing experience!

A Class boats –  A-class boats have ensuite toilets in each cabin and sometimes communal air conditioning in the hallway or saloon/eating room. Beds are usually bunk with two in each room. There’s a large range of A-class boats – some much nicer than others – but will all have this basic ensuite structure.

A+ Class boats – A+ boats are the luxury of the seas and are the fancy white boats you will see on the Adriatic that hold 35+ people. A+ boats have air conditioning in each room, two (not bunk) beds in a spacious cabin, a safe in each room, and LOTS of space to chill – including a big upper/lower deck, good speakers, and hot breakfast.

Smaller Private Yachts

Some Croatia sailing tour companies that are more family/all-ages oriented will have one smaller 8-10 person boat available for Croatia yacht charter hire for the week. These will come with a skipper and possibly a hostess.

Katarina Lines

Because all boats are privately owned and operated, most companies use an agency to obtain the boats they work with. The agency that operates most of Croatia is called Katarina Line. 

You will see these logos all over the place, and you can actually book tours with KL themselves, as they have some sail Croatia tours that are not affiliated with a specific company and also can help find you what company works best for your needs.

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Croatia Sailing Tours Routes/Duration

You will find that most of the Croatia sailing tours are one week, from Saturday morning to Saturday morning. The brochures may say 8 days because of the first and last Saturday. Some run Wed-Wed or Thurs-Thurs, and are usually quieter.

Sail Croatia weeks will mostly be one-way or round-trip between Split and Dubrovnik. If you fly into one of the airports, it’s easy to get a ferry/bus transfer to the other city if need be.

On bigger, more highly powered boats (not floatillas) you will either sail Split-Split, Dubrovnik-Dubrovnik, Split-Dubrovnik, or Dubrovnik-Split. Floatillas will generally not make it all the way between Split and Dubrovnik because they’re smaller boats and can’t move as fast.

Croatia Sailing Destinations:

When looking at routes, make sure you pick places you like most (or just follow my recommendations!). To read a bit more about different destinations, see my guides below:

Split – Day Trips from Split – Vis Island – Hvar Island – Makarska – Korcula Island – Dubrovnik – Day Trips from Dubrovnik – ALL OF CROATIA – 20 Best Festivals in Croatia

Croatia Sailing Tours Added Costs, Currency, and Optional Activities

When you go on a Croatia sailing trip, you must be prepared for extra costs . Most routes will include breakfast and lunch, but not dinner (except floatillas, which do not include either). There are usually two optional dinners onboard the boats during the week which you can purchase if you wish.

Drinks and dinners on the boats will go on a tab system you can pay at the end of the week. Drinks and food outside the boat will usually be paid for in cash in euros, which is the official currency since 2023 (it used to be Croatian Kuna). Any adventure tours (like zip lining ) or activities will cost extra as well.

So What is the best Sail Croatia Company?

This depends on your age, but here is a quick breakdown:

Best Sail Croatia company for young people (18-22+): Topdeck/Contiki

Best Sail Croatia company for Young Professionals (22-40ish): Fjaka Sail/Koda Sail

Best Sail Croatia company for All Ages/Families: G Adventures/Intrepid Travel

Best Sail Croatia company for an Older Crowd : Kompas/Peregrine Adventures

Keep reading for a description of each company and links.

Croatia Sailing Tours for Young People and Young Professionals – Tours for Youth + Mature

So if you didn’t already know, sail Croatia is a great party destination . Many people come to Croatia to enjoy the scenery a little bit and sip on cocktails, take fancy shots, dance on bars, and party quite a lot .

This isn’t to say that you can’t come on a Croatia sailing holiday and have a mellow, chilled week relaxing in the sun, but just be warned that there will be quite a lot of debauchery going on around you. It is actually part of tour guides’ jobs on these boats to take you to at least one (or 4) bars every night. It’s up to you whether or not you wish to take part.

What Do I Need to Know Before Booking Party Croatia Sailing Tours for Young People?

Bell rings:.

On each boat, if you ring ‘the bell’ (every boat has one), you buy a round of shots for the entire boat. Yes, everyone on it. Bell rings are like a Croatian right of passage; they’re a ceremonial symbol of Adriatic party. As soon you ring the bell, the bartender will compile a tray of shots with the amount of people on the boat, and put it on your tab which you pay at the end of the week. Dangerous.

Nights Out:

There’s always a good mix of bigger and smaller nights out. Save up for nights out in Hvar, Dubrovnik, Makarska, and Korcula. At the rest of the ports, you can go crazy at one or two small bars or chill out and stargaze on the boat. Tour guides should always give you a nice alternative to a party night.

Nationalities:

On the bigger boat Croatia sailing tours (Topdeck, Busabout, Contiki, Sail Croatia), you will find that there are a lot of Australians (and Kiwis) around. You will find Americans, Scandinavians, and more Europeans on floatilla tours like The Yacht Week and Medsailors. I have no idea why this is, but that’s how it turned out.

Some companies tend to end up as bigger parties than others, and I will go through each one and their general stereotype/clientele below.

MY OWN CROATIA SAILING TOUR COMPANY: FJAKA SAIL

I’ve been waiting to announce this news: myself, another tour guide who has been working Croatia sailing tours for 10 years, and my partner started our very own Croatia sailing company called Fjaka Sail. We ran our first 3 amazingly successful tours in 2023 and have 4 weeks available in 2024.

After working for big companies for so long, we have always known that we could do better running the show ourselves and not answering to a main office in another city or a sales team who have never even been to Croatia. Fjaka Sail is a small company run by passionate travelers who KNOW Croatia and can’t wait to tailor the experience to each and every person.

Clientele/Age Range : Fjaka Sail is targeted at young professionals and young at heart. This means travelers who are a bit older but still know how to have a good time – you can be a more mature 23 or a young and fun 45. As far as Nationalities, we get a big mix and our doors are open to everyone. We are after more of a mindset than an age or nationality, but we have had Americans, Aussies, Kiwis, Brits, South Africans, and more.

Our Fjaka Sailing Guide: Andre knows the language, the land, and EVERYONE there is to know in our destinations – the families with amazing restaurants, the coolest bars, and hidden gems. There’s a reason he has the most returning passengers out of any guide I know.

Fjaka Sail Boats : We have what I fully believe to be the best boat for our age group: The President. The president is an A+++ white boat with a rooftop jacuzzi, spacious rooms, A/C, hot breakfast, two chefs, four floors, amazing crew, and more. Trust me, you won’t want to be on board ANY other boat this summer.

Party Level : We will always have options for whatever each person wants to do, whether that be a huge night out or go stargazing. We know that a young professional crowd is a bit more mature, so we visit chic cocktail bars on the Riva and hidden gems, as well as some usual local party bars and, of course, a club or two – because we believe in balance.

Fjaka Sail routes : We have tailored our routes to include EVERYTHING cool and remove anything annoying about routes we worked in the past for big companies. You won’t miss out on anything important on a Fjaka Sailing tour, and we have some extra special things organized that NO other tours do.

Fjaka Sail Price: We are keeping our prices much lower as the industry prices continue to soar. We pride ourselves on privicing affordable luxury for young professionals! Our tours start at €1950 for a bed which gets even cheaper when we run discounts. Follow us on Instagram to keep up to date!

Use my code KIMMIE10 for a 10% discount on our sailing weeks for this summer, or subscribe below to see if we have any bigger discounts running at the moment.

Croatia Sailing Companies: Koda Sail

Koda Sail is a more intimate and detail-oriented company geared toward the more mature partier and the young professional (and they also run tours in the Maldives, Turkey, Greece, and more now). Koda Sail only runs premiere A+ style luxurious boats, but is still quite affordable for young people. Koda Sail stands for the fact that sometimes young people need a bit of luxury, too, but can also have a bit of fun.

Clientele: Koda Sail was founded by an Aussie guy named Chris, who is a total legend! A lot of the clientele would be similarly Aussie/Kiwi but varied.

Boats: Koda Sail only has A+ style, ensuite, air-conditioned boats. See A+ category boat descriptions above.

Guides: Koda Sail has an experienced guide who is a bit older but still knows how to have a good time. Chris, the owner, runs some of the tours himself I believe.

Party Level: The option to party is always there on Koda Sail (as with any Croatia sailing tour). Koda Sail has a better balance of big and small nights with some great options for nights out and recovery days in between.

Age Range: Koda sail passengers are generally mid-twenties to late-ish thirties, but if you are of the young professional category/mindset you will be just fine.

Routes: During the summer, Koda Sail has three different routes, the S-S, S-D, and D-S. There’s only one tour per week so the route depends on the date. All routes include great places.

Koda Sail Tours

Recommended Tour: All the routes are great but I recommend the Split to Split Luxury A+ Koda Sail Cruise :

Croatia Sailing Companies: Travel Talk

Travel Talk is a tour company with bus tours throughout Europe, and Croatia sailing tours are just a small part of their product. They have two boats that switch between Split to Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik to Split routes, and are historically one of the cheapest  Croatia sailing tours – even with ensuite facilities. 

Clientele: Travel Talks clientele is also largely Aussie, with a bit of variety thrown in here and there, and do love a good party.

Boats: Travel Talk have two smaller wooden boats (about 20 capacity) with ensuite facilities (A class). One of them, Lav, is an actual pirate ship and is awesome to see sailing! But be warned, they’re by far not the nicest A class boats, but they are fine (especially for the price!).

Guides: The guides on Travel Talk are usually super fun Aussies who are outgoing and helpful but know how to have a good time. I’ve loved the travel talk guides every year.

Party Level: These will be a high party level tour, with options to go out each night (or drink in the day! :P)

Age Range: Travel Talk caps its age at 50-something. Most people are in the young category but some boats have a larger range.

Tours: Just choose your direction:

Croatia sailing companies: contiki.

Contiki is a global tour company that focuses on bus tours all over the world. They have a couple of Croatia sailing tours on different types of boats. Contiki is rather well-known for being a party tour company; I think they are trying to rid themselves of that stereotype but Contiki passengers usually do love a party.

Clientele : Contiki passengers are usually Aussie. However, as their brand grows, their clientele is also. Expect Kiwis, South Africans, Americans, Canadians, and every so often a few people of Asian descent – rarely European.

Boats: Contiki has a few types of boats. They have some premium A+ boat tours and also a few A category ones which differ in price quite a lot. Two dinners are also included on these tours, which is great and differentiates them from most other tours.

Guides: There are a few Contiki Croatia sail guides who stay in Croatia all summer, but a lot of the guides are normally European bus tour guides who come down and guide sails for a few weeks a summer.

Party Level: There will generally be a lot of partying on Contiki Tours.

Age Range: Contiki tours are 18-35 ages – younger than most.

Routes: The Contiki round trip routes spend two nights in Dubrovnik , giving you more time to see the bigger cities but less time in the smaller ones. They only operate Split-Split routes like this. I’m not a fan.

They have some luxe and some cheaper boats available. I have linked their luxe option and their cheaper option below. But I will say they are pricey for what they are and Fjaka Sail’s deals are far better for what you get 🙂

Croatia Sailing Companies: Topdeck

Ah, Topdeck. I worked here for three summers. I’m going to keep my opinions of the company to myself and try not to be biased in my review, but I do know this company the best.

Topdeck is a global, corporate tour company that does tours in six continents. Croatia sailing tours used to be a pretty big part of their European product, but now they only have a few boats running each summer.

Clientele: Topdeck is another one of those companies that gets around well with Aussie word of mouth. Most passengers are Aussie and Kiwi, with a few Canadians and maybe a South African or American once in a while – becoming more diverse over time.

Boats: Topdeck has A and A+ boats. They change each summer but I recommend the A+ ones if possible. I recommend Dalvin and Toma over Moja Maja.

Guides: Topdeck Croatia sail guides are usually absolute legends. Pretty much all Topdeck guides during my time were knowledgable, passionate, kind, and loved a good party.

Party Level: There is a lot of partying on Topdeck sails, which of course depends a lot on the group. There’s also a lot of culture included as well, as guides are required to show you around or do an activity in each town but also take you out each night.

Age Range : Topdeck is 18-39’s.

Routes : All the routes are quite good these days. One-way routes are usually easier on the travel schedule, but their Split-Split and Dubrovnik-Dubrovnik routes are great too. Choose the boat that looks best and go with it!

Topdeck Croatia Sailing Tours

For 2024, I’m not sure what will be available, but again I recommend the boats Dalvin, Meridijan, and Toma if they’re there.

Go Croatia Sail

This company has grown exponentially in the last few years and has almost even overtaken some of the larger companies above in terms of volume. They have flotilla-style boats as well as larger boats these days. They are one of the more affordable Croatia sailing tours on the market for younger people 20-35 (but more like 20-24).

This is the only company I know of that does 4-day and 5-day Croatia sailing tours. If you are low on time, check out some of their tours from Split to Dubrovnik in 4-5 days.

Croatia Sailing Companies: Sail Croatia (Party Tours AND Other Tours)

Sail Croatia is actually a massive company that runs sailing tours for many different clienteles, both old and young. They are known in the young person sector as the main party tour in Croatia.

Check their website for all they offer, but the majority of their product are tours for young people. They also do have some of the nicest and biggest boats for older crowds up to 80+, however.

Clientele: Sail Croatia’s clientele on their ‘Navigator’ tours are mostly young Aussies looking for a good party. They are known for this. But other then ‘ Navigator ” tours, they also have ‘Explorer,’ ‘Elegance,’ ‘Cycle,’ and ‘Hike’ tours for all types of people.

Boats : Sail Croatia has all classes of boats, but the party cruises will usually be on B or A-class boats, with the possibility to book an A+ for young professionals (explorer tours) or older guests (elegance tours).

Guides: Sail Croatia is one of the only companies that employ Croatian tour guides for their trips. I think they have a couple Aussie guides, but they’re mostly Croatian. I find that this is actually not favorable because the cultural barrier is quite large, and having an English speaking tour guide to form the liaison between the Croatian crew and Aussie/English speaking passengers is better… especially one who goes out with the groups and understands the culture.

Party Level: These will be lots of (often messy) partying stereotypically on Navigator tours, but oftentimes it’s just good fun. On Explorer, Elegance, and other tours it will be less.

Age Range: Navigator Party cruises are for under 35’s. Explorer Cruises are nicer boats for younger professionals 25-50. Elegance are for 35+, and Cycle and Hiking Tours are for all ages.

Sail Croatia Tours

If you are young, you will want to book a Navigator Tour (cheaper, lesser quality boats, fun party) or an Explorer Tour (more expensive, nicer boat, more relaxing/sightseeing)

Croatia Sailing Companies: Stoke Travel

Stoke Travel started running Croatia sailing tours in the last few years. Stoke is most well-known for being the party tour company of Europe (even more so than the rest – it’s part of their branding), and I am sure this will correlate to their Croatia tours too. One of their selling points is also selling unlimited beer and sangria for a small price.

Clientele/Guides: Clientele are mostly Aussie, as are guides, and it is sure to be a loose and fun time with like-minded young people.

Boats: I think Stoke’s boats are either B or A… probably B. Given that they have lots of ‘roughing it’ camping party tours I think they will be the same in Croatia. Fun and very shared.

Party Level: With unlimited beer + sangria onboard, you bet it’s HIGH.

Age Range: Stoke is for all ages who like to party. But people are mostly younger.

Price: If you get in early, S toke has some of the cheapest Croatia Sailing tours on the market. Check their deals below!

Floatilla-Style Croatia Sailing Tours

There is an increasing number of floatilla-style tours in Croatia each summer – the ones that sail with lots of smaller boats together. They are very different yet just as fun as doing Sail Croatia on bigger boats!

Floatillas do not travel as far (they either stay around Split or Dubrovnik or go one-way) and may have day and night stops. See the beginning of this article for more logistical information on how floatillas work. Here are a few main floatilla companies you can consider.

The Yacht Week

The Yacht Week is the Croatia sailing company that most Americans know about. The Yacht Week is glamorous and is known for its music, dj’s, and ‘exclusive parties.’ The Yacht Week definitely has a different vibe than a lot of tours, but a lot of the destinations and parties are still the same. They also have lots of tours centered around Ultra Europe music festival and Ultra Week in Croatia.

Yacht Week Clientele: The Yacht Week gets most American, Scandinavian/European, and South American clientele. The 8-10 person boats will be full of groups of friends from different places.

Party Level / Age Range: The Yacht Week is a massive party, but tends to be a more expensive one. Yacht week passengers always seem to buy tables at the fancy clubs and spend more money on what seems like a businessperson’s week off to have fun.

Med Sailors

Med Sailors is another of the biggest floatilla companies that sail Croatia – boats are about 8-10 people. They run great tours with great skippers who will also love to take guests out to the bars at night (always wearing their yellow and blue Med Sailors shirts – you can’t miss them!) I recommend doing one of their Split-Dubrovnik or Dubrovnik-Split tours so you can see more. 

Clientele/Party Level/ Age Range: Med Sailors also has a varied clientele of more English/Irish/Americans than many companies. The option to party is also always available, and people are usually young (18-35) but more mature.

MedSailors is a VERY popular option for those who want a smaller boat sailing in a flotilla that is still built for young people. It’s also generally more affordable than the Yacht Week. Medsailors tend to visit more offbeat destinations but still gets the good parties in.

Sail Croatia Tours for All Ages, the Older Passenger, or Families

Phew! Now that we have gotten through the Croatia sailing tours for young people, it may seem it is not possible to visit this country without a party, but that is far from true! There are loads of Croatia sailing tours that cater to different audiences- older people, families, bicyclers, even tennis players and vegans! I’m telling you – there’s something for everyone.

Remember to read above for descriptions of boats and facilities!

Croatia Sailing Companies: G Adventures

G Adventures is an extremely reputable tour company that runs tours all over the whole world. It’s no surprise that their Croatia product will be amazing as well. Their tours are for smaller groups (max 8 on smaller yachts) and run from April all the way until October.

Demographics: G Adventures tours are for 12-70-year-olds. Younger people may book out the boats for a private tour, but they’re also great for families or friends of any age. Their tours are one-way from Spit to Dubrovnik or vice versaa.

Sail Croatia Companies: Intrepid Travel + Peregrine Dalmatia Unique Tours

Intrepid is yet another world-renowned travel company (operating in all 7 continents, I believe!) who also run both small group tours and larger boat tours in Croatia. They run larger boat tours with Peregrine Adventures, another popular all-ages travel company.

The small-boat groups will be about 8-10 people as a single tour, and will stop at all sorts of islands on the way across the Adriatic. The larger boat tours will be similar in nature to all others I have described with groups of 30+.

Routes: Intrepid has come out with some incredible sailing tours in recent years. They have all the classic routes between Split and Dubrovnik (on both large and small boats) but have now have some of the the most unique routes of all these Croatia sailing tours – some tours sailing north of Split and even to Venice !

Demographics: Intrepid is listed as 15 to 99 year olds, so would be perfect for older families or groups of friends of any age who like to be a bit more low-key.

Smaller Boat Tours (Max 8 pax)

Split to Dubrovnik Sailing Tour with Intrepid Travel  OR Dubrovnik to Split Sailing Tour with Intrepid Travel

Larger Boat Tours (Max 31 pax) Run by Peregrine Dalmatia

For 1 standard week, I recommend their Dubrovnik to Split route, but Peregrine offers more unique locations than other Croatia sailing trips. To sail NORTH from Split to Zadar , Kornati, and a day trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park, check out their Central Coast Tour from Split.

They also have a VERY unique 15-day Dubrovnik to Venice tour (with partial bus transfer) with stops in Mostar and Northern Croatia destinations such as Krk, Opatija, and Rab (which no other sails visit).

Croatia Sailing Companies: Kompas

Kompas is one of the Adriatic’s premiere luxury travel companies. Perfect for families or people of any age, Kompas Tours has a minimum of 5-8 years of age and a maximum of 80. These tours will be on the nicest A+ category ships, and your every need will be catered to!

Kompas has more unique routes, and has tours going as far north as Zadar. Many tours will have daytime and nighttime stops to cover more ground in the same amount of time – 8 days. These tours move FAST and see A LOT.

Many boats will have small pools/jacuzzis onboard and premium space to relax on lounge chairs or eat meals in style. These are the ridiculously nice boats that other people just gape at. You can see all information about the boat before you book a tour!

Here are my most recommended Kompas Croatia sailing tours, the Split to Split North Route with Krka and Kornati National Parks, and the regular Split to Dubrovnik Sail:

Croatia Sailing Companies: My Croatia Cruise

My Croatia Cruise offers Croatia Cruise tours you can book a spot on, OR charter of your own small cruise ship. Whether you’d like to jump on a tour with other passengers with a set route from Dubrovnik, Split, or Opatija, or charter your own boat and crew, this company is a great option.

Unique Croatia Sailing Tours: Different Themes

Here are some Croatia sailing trips with a certain focus, like hiking, tennis, or vegan food.

Croatia Bike Tours: Art of Bicycle Trips

Art of Bicycle Trips is a leading bike tour operator running bike tours (and also hiking, kayaking, and more) in over a dozen destinations across three continents. All their bike tours have a special focus on local and cultural experiences and involve zooming around the country on two wheels between destinations, seeing each from a unique perspective.

They are a highly rated company that has been featured in multiple publications, but their Croatia bike tours are especially epic.

In Croatia, their Island Hopping bike tour from Split to Dubrovnik allows guests get to bike across three islands — Brač, Hvar, and Korčula — in addition to Split and Dubrovnik. At the beginning of each day, you sail with your bikes on the boat to the next island, then spend the rest of the day exploring the island on a bike. Imagine exploring olive groves in Brač, fields of lavender in Hvar, and visiting Marco Polo’s home in Korčula. An expert local guide and a support vehicle accompany guests at all times. 

Croatia Sailing Companies: Go Croatia Sail Tennis Cruise

Yep, that’s right: a tennis cruise. This Split to Split cruise is focused specifically on playing tennis in different places in Croatia! It’s only one specific week in June, so if you are a tennis person get in it now (I actually can’t get over the cover picture on this tour with everyone and their tennis rackets!) 😛

Book your Tennis Croatia Sailing Tour

Did you think I was kidding when I said there was a Vegan Cruise?

You thought wrong! This raw vegan cruise takes place during the first week of August in Croatia on a very nice boat, and has yoga classes and lectures on veganism. What will be next?!

Think A Croatia Sailing Tour isn’t for You? Charter Your Own Boat!

If you’re still a bit iffy after reading about all these different kinds of Croatia sailing tours, I have the perfect solution for you: charter your own yacht! If you’ve got the budget and want the privacy, this is definitely the most luxurious option of all.

Head over to Sailo to charter a boat for you and your friends/family/group that meets your needs.

PHEW! That was a lot of Croatia Sailing Tours. Overwhelmed? I would be too. Feel free to send me an email at [email protected] if you need help sifting through all this information to find out which sail Croatia tour is right for you. Or, book a trip on Fjaka Sail and I’ll be there in person to help you.

Just use deductive reasoning: figure out if you want a young person tour or not, a floatilla or not, a smaller 8-person boat or a larger 30+ person boat with a chef/aircon, if you want something super luxurious or something cheaper, and finally if you want a specialty cruise (hiking, biking, tennis) or something… normal.

This should narrow things down, but. if you want my recommendation, go with a bigger and more luxurious boat with a one-way route! Enjoy your week sailing in Croatia!

Wednesday 19th of February 2020

Hi, i am struggling to find any information about Fanatics sail Croatia tour, i am hesitant to book as i don't want to be ripped off! Would you know where i could find up to date information? Thank you!! :)

Hey Alex!! The last time I was in contact with fantatics tours was a few years ago but they were going as strong as ever! I knew some of their guides in '15-'17 and some of my friends had a great time on their tour. If you are worried however try some of the other companies I recommended in this post - like Travel Talk (if you are worried about the price point) or Busabout/Topdeck (if you want the option of bigger boats). Hope this helped!

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[…] visitors to Split arrive here by boat. One of the great ways to experience the city is by taking a Croatia sailing tour that will also take you to Dubrovnik. This is a great alternative to renting a car and driving in […]

Wednesday 7th of November 2018

Hiiii! This was genuinely one of the best articles I’ve read and exactly what I was looking for. Out of curiosity, how did you end up working for Sail Croatia and bus about?

Friday 9th of November 2018

Hi Brooklyn!! That makes me SO happy to read and so glad you got some great info from it! :) Which one are you thinking to book? I actually worked for Topdeck, and I got the job by simply applying for it when I lived in London. Their head Europe office is in London so I interviewed there. My advice would be to check up on the job postings often if you would like to do it!

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[…] islands at once is taking a sailing tour- Check out Adventure n’ Sunset‘s post on Croatia Sailing Tours for all the information you’ll […]

Friday 4th of May 2018

What a great article! What about sailweekcroatia.com? Do you have any experience with that company?

Hey Amanda! Thank you! :) I have definitely seen that company around in Croatia and they seem to be great also! I would say they're similar and a bit smaller than MedSailors, with a few smaller floatilla-style boats/tours!

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Reviews 4.5.

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I experienced the best tour with Travel…

I experienced the best tour with Travel Talk Tours. From start to finish Travel Talk had support systems in place which made everything a breeze. The guides are fantastic and the itineraries are well thought out for maximum enjoyment. Thank you travel talk tours

Date of experience : 24 February 2021

Reply from Travel Talk Tours

Thanks Adrian! We're happy to hear the whole trip was effortless and enjoyable for you, that's why we do what we do.

The Essential Turkey tour is a must!

I went on the Essential Turkey tour with guide Mustafa and can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life. I’ll definitely be back for another tour with Travel Talk in the future!

Date of experience : 27 May 2023

I absolutely loved my tours with travel…

I absolutely loved my tours with travel talks. They take the stress out of organising everyday for you. I found we were given plenty of time to explore each place. Being in a group as a solo traveller also meant making some great friends along the way. Breakfast included each day helps to cut the costs down and some dinners are included. I love the use of local guides as it means a better experience. The guides a full of knowledge and really take good care of you.

Thanks for the review, Jess! We're glad to hear you felt comfortable as a solo traveller on our tours, it's such a great way of making new mates. Hopefully we'll see you back on tour with us very soon.

Travel Talk made my exploration through…

Travel Talk made my exploration through Egypt and Jordan so easy, care-free and fun! I was able to make the most of my time, tick multiple items off of my bucket-list, make new friends and create lasting memories.

Date of experience : 01 March 2021

Thanks, Tiffany! We're so stoked to hear we could make your time in Egypt and Jordan so memorable.

Sail Croatia

I had an amazing time doing Travel Talk Sail Croatia, the leader was insanely knowledgable and easy to be around. The onboard staff were a treat and even when things didnt quite go to plan, they made it fun anyway!

Date of experience : 03 March 2021

Great guide

Excellent tour, very knowledgable and interesting guide who pitched everything at the right level. Timings all worked well and an enjoyable time was had by all.

Date of experience : 03 June 2023

I went on my first tour with Travel Talk Tour…

I went on my first tour with Travel Talk tours to Greece: Athens, Mykonos and Santorini and absolutely loved it. The tour guide went out of his way to make us feel comfortable and the hotels were always clean and in a good location. Would definitely be using this tour group again. Anisa Allie

Date of experience : 14 February 2021

Thanks Anisa! Sounds like you had a great time in Greece. We can't wait to welcome you back someday soon.

Amazing Russia Tour

We went on a amazing tour to Russia, everything was very well organised, our tour guide was really lovely and very knowledgeable. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to experience Moscow and Saint Petersburg! - Elke Goodchild

Date of experience : 16 February 2021

Thanks for sharing your review, Elke! Hope to see you back travelling with us soon.

Turkey Sail Adventure

We loved our experience with Travel Talk Tours! They were organized, had good communication, great value for the money. The sail trip was unforgettable. We saw all the sights in the area. The food and drinks were delicious.

Date of experience : 25 February 2021

Cheers for sharing your review, Denise!

AMAZING TURKEY TOUR

Amazing tour especially if this is your first time in Turkey. It is value for money! Our tour guide Mustafa is not just your tour guide he ends up being the local friend in Turkey you didn’t know you had. Not only is he very knowledgeable and friendly but he will help you with anything you need. You get to experience beautiful places from Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale to Gallipoli. Go in a hot air balloon, paraglide of the side of a mountain, have a Turkish bath. Visit places you wouldn’t have known about. When I did research for Turkey the amount of money I would have spent privately for travel, accommodations and to do the same experiences would have been double of what the tour costs. And you get to go to all these places in the comfort of a nice new bus and make new friends. Hurry up book!

Date of experience : 20 May 2023

Great Experience - Croatia

Our Croatia tour in 2019 was so good! The boat was great, cosy but what do you expect when on a boat. Beautiful landscape and weather too. Our rep Ashleigh was fantastic and very helpful. The activities were top class too. I’d recommend the white water rafting in Omis. We would love to go again with Travel Talk Tours but obviously everything has been put on hold since last year! Eoin Murphy

Cheers for the review, Eoin. White water rafting is such a highlight on the the Croatia sailing tours. Can't wait to welcome you back on tour with us, when the time comes!

Best trip I have ever been on

Best trip I have ever been on! So well organised, friendly exoerienced tour guides who are so well trained. I have recommended travel talk tours to all my friends and I will definately be travelling again with them. Cannot wait!

Date of experience : 19 February 2021

We're so happy to hear you enjoyed the trip and have been recommending us to your friends. Cheers for the review, Grace!

Exotic Morocco Tour!

My partner and I did the Exotic Morocco Tour with Youssef last December 2019, This has completely exceeded our expectations. We got to explore all the key places we wanted to see in Morocco and met like-minded travellers along the way. This tour was jam-packed with a lot of bus rides (so be prepared for this but we took it as time to rest before we jump to our next adventure) but this was rewarded with a good taste of Morocco in 10 days. My highlights are Chefchaouen (Blue city) and the Sahara desert where we get to watch the sunset over the sand dunes and also do sand boarding on our free time. I would recommend to do the tour with Youssef who is genuinely kind and always in an energetic mood. As mentioned, the only down side for me is just the long bus rides but then again this seems like the best mode of transport to see as much as you can in 10 days.

Hi Karl, It soundslike you had a fantastic time on the Exotic Morocco tour. Youssef is such a great, local guide with plenty of knowledge about Morocco. Like you mentioned, there is a bit of driving on this tour to ensure we can tick off a vast list of bucket-list destinations! The positive to driving during the day is that our travellers do not have to sleep on the coaches at night and can enjoy spending each night relaxing comfortably in premium accommodation. We really appreciate your review and hope to see you travelling with us soon in a new destination!

Exceeded beyond expectations

My friends and I had the 9-Days Essential Turkey Tour with Travel Talk, and I must say I had a wonderful journey experience. Everything was smooth from transportation to accomondation, and tour locations were considerably selected to experience the very heart of Turkiye. Our tour guide Mr. Mustafa Kurt is well organised, dedicated, and very accomodating yet professional. With the excellent drivers keeping our roadtrip safe, it was a never dull moment as our tour guide has a funny great sense of humour, but at the same time I'm learning with Turkish culture, art and history with his narrations. Indeed, we are lucky to have Mr. Kurt in this amasing Turkish journey experience. Our tour guide, the Drivers, and The Travel Talk exceeded my expectations far beyond what I have imagined

Date of experience : 06 May 2023

10 day ANZAC tour Turkey

Could not recommend this tour highly enough! Turkey is an incredibly beautiful country, and the itinerary was jam-packed with stunning sightseeing spots, fun activities and interesting and informative historical sites. Topped off of course by getting to experience the ANZAC commemorations at Gallipoli, as well as heading back to ANZAC Cove without the crowds the next day for a more thorough appreciation of the history of the site. Our guide Mustafa is the best in the business, and was beyond helpful and knowledgeable. He made the tour experience an easy and enjoyable one. Very happy with this travel talk tour!

Date of experience : 18 April 2023

I have been to Turkey with Travel Talk…

I have been to Turkey with Travel Talk last month and it was an amazing experience, worth remembering every second of it! Tour guide was pretty knowledgeable and very friendly throughout the tour:) I recommend this company and their brilliant tour guides to everybody who is looking for a real culture tour!

Date of experience : 13 January 2023

***TRAVEL TALK REFUSED TO REFUND DURING…

***TRAVEL TALK REFUSED TO REFUND DURING COVID*** Travel Talk Tours refused to refund any money due to cancelled tours in 2020/2021. There’s a reason why Travel Talk Tours are cheaper than most other companies, but as they say you get what you pay for. - The guides are generally good. Mo from Egypt was the best! - They hit most of the sites you’d want which ticks the boxes. But good luck getting to spend any time at any of them. - The accomodation is a million miles from anywhere, leaving you stranded and unable to enjoy any free time outside of the hotels. - If food is included on your tour, it is generally poor quality. - They ask you to send personal information via email which isn’t very safe. Again, there’s a reason why they are on the cheaper side and you get what you pay for.

Date of experience : 05 February 2021

We are sorry to hear that your recent experience with our company has been unpleasant. Unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 have been unprecedented and we hope you can understand that our Customer Service team have done their best to accommodate for all passenger situations. We are also of the understanding that you have been fully compensated via chargeback on this case. As you mentioned, we are indeed a budget-friendly travel company with one focus, that is simply to make our traveller’s trip the experience of a lifetime without breaking the bank. While your recent experience with us may have been less pleasant, we sincerely hope that you enjoyed the tours you have booked and completed with us previously. Nonetheless, we appreciate all your comments and will take your feedback to the heart to improve our services. Wishing you all the best and stay safe!

Do not go with this company

Worst trip I’ve ever been. If you want to travel in Asia for 8-10 hours a day on a bus choose the Cambodian and Thailand trip! If you want to be mislead on venues take this trip. Yes the hotels were all really nice but when you arrive after 7pm most nights- nothing is open and you stay in places quite a distance from anywhere 7/11 stores are the chose of stops for many days! Just where you want to eat when travelling. My suggestion go with someone else. My rating would be zero except for the guides.

Date of experience : 03 October 2022

Highly recommend

Had a fantastic tour. The hotels were good, the food each day was filling and good quality. the sailing part was one of my favourite parts it was so much fun and super relaxing which was really nice in the middle of the tour. The hot air balloons were amazing, definitely could’ve spent a few more days there. We were unable to go up in the balloons although it is an optional extra it wasn’t stated that there was a possibility that we wouldn’t be able to do it at all, but the photos from the ground were amazing so it was still a fantastic experience. Edit: not being able to go up in the balloons was not due to the weather. Our tour guide told us when everyone had said yes to the optional extra that the operators of the balloons can say no to us for no reason. It was only stated that the optional extra was weather permitted not operator permitted.

Date of experience : 04 February 2021

Thanks for sharing your review, Amalie-Jean! Sounds like you had a great time exploring Turkey. The 3-night Sailing leg on the traditional Gulet is definitely a highlight of the tour. Unfortunately hot air ballooning is largely dependant upon weather. On the rare occasion that it is too windy or weather conditions aren't acceptable, the balloon operators must cancel due to safety precautions. We're sorry to hear you missed out because of this, but all the more reason to come back and visit Cappadocia again!

Egypt Travel talk

Egypt is one of my favourite countries I have visited due to travel talk. The tour guide was knowledgable and friendly, the other staff involved were helpful and overall the experiences and sightseeing was amazing. Would highly recommend

Date of experience : 27 February 2021

Cheers for the recommendation Courtney!

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Reviews 4.5.

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Croatia Sailing Dream

I went on a Croatian Sailing trip through Travel Talk, and had one of the best holidays I have ever had. Everything was reasonably priced, the boat we stayed on was well maintained and the food served was delicious! Would definitely do another tour with this company, they have the right blend of relaxation and party. - Tess Haycraft

Date of experience : February 04, 2021

Reply from Travel Talk Tours

Sounds like you had a great week sailing around Croatia. Cheers for leaving your 5-star review, Tess!

Great Adventure

I had the opportunity to visit Egypt with my son and just can't say enough about our great experience, we enjoyed every minute of our trip, specially the places we visited and the restaurants were we had the best authentic Egyptian food. I can't forget to thanks the team that help me on the booking, they were excellent and easy to reach when I need them. We definitely will book again for other adventure.. Thank you so much Travel Talk

Date of experience : February 07, 2021

Cheers, Maria! So happy to hear you and your son loved visiting Egypt with us. We'll pass on your thanks to the rest of the team.

Amazing ANZAC Tour

Absolutely amazing experience on the 11 Day ANZAC Tour in Turkey. So grateful to have been able to attend the the memorial services on the ground that our ancestors fought on. Turkey is a stunning country! Mustafa, our guide, was top tier. The best tour guide we have ever had on a tour (and we've done a few) ❤️

Date of experience : April 18, 2023

Travel talk Turkey- May 2019

We did a tour of Turkey with Travel Talk and had the best time! Our guide, Yavuz was so knowledgeable, helpful, and hilarious! We learned so much local knowledge that I feel you don't get from other tours, having done others in the past with different companies. The accommodation was great, and everywhere we went the staff treated us so well. I feel like we walked away with so much more than expected, and have some really fond memories to look back on. What an incredible experience, Travel Talk absolutely smashed it out of the park!

Date of experience : February 28, 2021

Thanks for your review, Blake! We're very happy to hear the trip exceeded your expectations and our Guide Yavuz was able to give you an authentic, local experience. We hope to welcome you back on tour one day soon.

Walk like an Egyptian

I booked an Egyptian tour through travel talk. It well exceeded my expectations of what a tour generally provides. All the stops along the way where absolutely breathtaking and it was so nice to just jump on a bus at the end of the day, to be taken to the next destination, without the stress of planning your own holiday. The hotels, food stops, tour guides and the bus was absolutely amazing! I travelled with my mum and we had no dramas meeting some fantastic people we can call friends for life 😊 I would 100% travel again with travel talk.

Wow, thanks Brooke! We're very happy to hear you and your mum had such a great time and the trip through Egypt exceeded your expectations. We look forward to welcoming you back on tour with us in the future.

Incredible trip - great value!

Just got back after doing the 8 day Sail Turkey tour - had the time of my life would 100% recommend! The boat far exceeded my expectations, we had so much space and double sun loungers out on deck and ensuite cabins. Our tour guide Aykut was absolutely brilliant, always enthusiastic and fun yet informative and really helpful with advice on places to go when docking and booked transfers and even enquired about day trips after the boat trip for us. All the crew were so friendly and went above and beyond for us and we ate like kings! The optional activities were all great and worth the money! I really wasn't sure about going as I had read some mixed reviews but will definitely be booking with them again!!

Date of experience : October 13, 2020

12 Day Anzac Tour

Mustafa (tour guide) and the Drivers were the icing on the cake for our tour. Mustafa’s knowledge of his country is brilliant and felt very blessed to have him guide us. Everything we saw and experienced exceeded my expectations. The highlight was attending the Anzac Services. I would thoroughly recommend this tour.

Date of experience : April 28, 2023

Balkan Discovery

I went on the Balkan Discovery with Travel Talk in November 2019. How amazing to see so many countries! It was the last tour of the season so it wasn't fully booked, which was perfect as everyone had 2 bus seats to himself. Almost every day you explore a new country together with your great tour guide and the fantastic local guides from time to time. As a Belgian between all native English speakers, at first I felt a bit the odd one out, but everyone was so friendly and we became really good friends in no time. Would definitely recommend TravelTalk tours for everyone, especially when travelling 'solo but in group'. The experiences and new friends are priceless!!

Date of experience : February 25, 2021

Wow, what a lovely review! Thank you Rani. Sounds like you made some great mates on the trip. Hope to see you back travelling with us soon!

2 Tours with TravelTalk

I recently did 2 tours with traveltalk - 29/04 15 day Egypt and Jordan by land, our guide was Medo (Egypt), Haddy (Dahab) and Zee (Jordan). Medo was a blast, Egypt was full of big days and the most amazing sites and history ! Medo was an archeologist with lots of information and managed our group of 35. Haddy took over for Dahab and was such a lovely guy, wish we could of stayed longer!! It was the most relaxing place - Haddy took us for meditation in the Jordan mountains, we laid underneath the stars and he even gave us a yoga / breath work class early one morning by the pool. I did some more traveling then met up with 2 GFs for the 9 day Turkey tour on 20/05, our guide Mustafa was organised, genuine and very informative ! Our bus drivers were both so lovely, always looking out for us. Couldn’t of asked for a better team! Both tours have been perfect ☺️

Date of experience : April 29, 2023

Best way to see the Balkans

Travelled around the Balkans with our guide Bojan who was absolutely the best! My husband and I agree that the pace of the tour was just right and covered the major highlights in all the cities. Apart from 1 or 2 less than impressive hotels (likely because that was just the way standard in certain cities), everything else was well-planned. I just wished we had more time to spend in Dubrovnik, Budva and Ohrid - perfect for beach lovers. Highly recommend for those who are fuss-free travellers looking to see a bit of everything!

Date of experience : February 10, 2021

Thanks Nadia, we appreciate your recommendation! We're sorry to hear you found one or two hotels less impressive. Our Balkans hotels are 4 & 3-star accommodation and are hand-selected from a range of options to ensure we offer our travellers accomodation that is comfortable, authentic and well located - without breaking the bank. Thanks for travelling with us and we're so happy to hear you had a fantastic time!

Turkey adventure

It is my first time in Turkey and decided to travel with friends. We took the 9-day tour and it has been definitely amazing! The hotels were comfortable and food was great. Thei locations were at perfect spots. The bus was very comfortable and i have to say - best drivers ever, the ride felt like floating thst we barely felt the long drive. Mustafa is a master! He gave us every bit of information we needed. He was approachable but still professional and made sure we were all always safe and experiencing the best. Most of all, the itinerary has taken us to the best places and experiences that went above our expectations. Will definitely travel with traveltalk again…and again…and again…

Date of experience : May 06, 2023

Smooth and hassle-free

We are about to end our 9day Essential Turkey trip. It's our first time booking with Travel Talk and everything was smooth, convenient and hassle-free. Our tour guide Mustafa made it more convenient and fun. He went above and beyond to make the ends meet. He made sure that we have all our questions answered and gave us the best experience.

Date of experience : May 12, 2023

10 day tour of Turkey

Just finished up our 10 day tour of Turkey. The trip was fantastic and seamless from start to finish. Our guide Mustafa was hilarious and knowledgable and would go out of his way for us at any part of the day- he even helped a group of us after the tour finished book entertainment and turned up to ensure we got in. All hotels were COVID safe and a couple of hotels were completely empty. The coach was brand new (policy mean coach has to be younger than 2 years old). If you’re thinking about whether to go on this trip give it a go, fantastic value- just check you’ve got Mustafa!

Date of experience : September 24, 2020

DO NOT USE TRAVEL TALK

Please please please please do not use travel talk! They love to take the money but will never refund it even if their is a global pandemic happening.. they ‘suspend’ trips so they do not have to refund you for them even though it is physically possible to delay a trip a whole YEAR! They only sent automated emails - fellow kiwis and aussies use someone who cares and doesn’t spend the money before the trip arrives.

Date of experience : April 03, 2020

Morocco was amazing

Our tour guide in Morocco was amazing, he was hilarious, so insightful and friendly. We had a great time, saw and experienced so much, and came home with so many amazing memories. Rode camels in the Sahara desert which was a massive tick off the bucket list, and also met some lovely people. 100% recommend! Worth every penny.

Date of experience : February 24, 2021

12 Day ANZAC Tour

Just completed the 12 day ANZAC tour, what an experience. I actually can’t put in to words how amazing our time was, so refreshing to travel with people from home. Our guide Mustafa is an asset to Travel Talk, made our experience easy, fun, and well tailored to our groups needs. Can’t wait for the next trip!

Date of experience : April 14, 2023

Not too happy

Not too happy with the trip that I have joined. The accomodations in Egypt and Jordan is horrible. The '5 stars' Nile Cruise is horrible as well as the hotels, which I don't understand how they can be rated at 5 or 4 stars. The journey in the Egypt is okay but there are ways too many optional activities, but it's fine as it is noted in the iternary. Many of the activities in Jordan is missing, such as the visit of amphitheatre in Amman. I do think that the guide did not really remember the iternary.

Date of experience : February 23, 2022

Amazing 8 Day Morocco Tour

I did the 8 Day Adventure Morocco tour and can't recommend Travel talk enough! Excellent guide (Moroccan himself, even bought a portable data stick so we could all have internet on the bus trips!), accomodations were great and the activities were so much fun (camping in the dessert was the highlight).

Thanks for recommending us, Caroline. So happy to hear you loved the Saharan Desert Camping and travelling with a local guide.

My travel talk experience was great and memorable

My travel talk experience was awesome and fantastic. Me and my husband was on their Morocco and Turkey tours in 2019, they operated their tours in a culturally fun manner and the tour guides were very nice and very approachable. It exceeded our expection, we love to come back with them in our future travel. Thank you travel talk you made our 2019 as one of our memorable year! Jessie Mae Sia

Wow, thanks Jessie! It's always nice to hear the trip exceeded all your expectations. Let's hope we can make 2021 and beyond even more memorable!

The 9 day essential turkey tour was the…

The 9 day essential turkey tour was the best tour I have ever done! Our guide Mustafa is knowledgeable, funny, kind and patient. He really made our experience on the tour and we will miss him and the country heaps. Thank you Turkey, for such an incredible trip!

Date of experience : May 26, 2023

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Croatia: A Completely Honest Travel Guide

Home » Blog » Europe » Croatia » Croatia: A Completely Honest Travel Guide

Whether you are backpacking through or are wanting to splurge on Yacht Week, this Croatia travel guide has everything you need to help you plan your next adventure throughout this beautiful country in the Balkans.

With piercing turquoise seas and fairytale-like architecture, there is no denying Croatia is breathtakingly beautiful.

Spanning most of the Adriatic Sea, you’re never too far away from the coast when traveling in Croatia. And even if it’s not pretty beaches you seek, stone castles and magnificent waterfalls await travelers of all kinds.

Whether you are backpacking through Croatia or are wanting to splurge on Yacht Week, this Croatia travel guide will help you plan your next adventure to the Land of a Thousand Islands .

What we really thought about Croatia

We do our best to give our honest opinions about all the destinations we travel to and the products we recommend through Two Wandering Soles. That is why we are going to be honest about our thoughts on traveling in Croatia.

So brace yourself because ours is an unpopular opinion. What we’re about to say may come as a surprise, but it has to be said: We didn’t love Croatia.

That doesn’t mean we didn’t like Croatia. We just didn’t fall in love like we so often do with places we visit.

There’s no denying Croatia’s beauty. The aquamarine waters and craggy beaches are what dreams are made of. And Plitvice Lakes National Park is out-of-this-world gorgeous!

But frankly, it takes more than beautiful landscapes to make us fall in love. Just like with people: a pretty face is nice, but we crave more. 

The thing is, we made some big mistakes when traveling to Croatia. So make sure to read until the end of this article so you don’t make the same mistakes. If you follow our advice we think you will enjoy your time in Croatia much more than we did.

Croatia Travel Guide

• Important info

Best time to visit Croatia

Top places to visit in croatia, top things to do in croatia.

• Typical costs

Transportation in Croatia

• Practical tips for visiting
• Mistakes to avoid in Croatia
• Our advice for visiting Croatia
• How to book your trip
• What to pack 

Important info about Croatia

Croatia at a glance: Croatia is a popular travel destination due to its breathtaking beauty, historic seaside villages and stunning national parks. 

• Location: The Balkans region of Eastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea ( view on Google Maps )
• Capital city: Zagreb
• Language: Croatian 
• Currency: Euro (EUR / €)*
• Plugs/outlet types: Plug types C and F / 230 V and 50Hz

*A note about the currency: As of January 1, 2023, Croatia joined the Eurozone and adopted the Euro as their currency. Kuna (kn or HRK), the former currency of Croatia, will no longer be accepted as a form of payment. However, Kuna banknotes and coins can be exchanged until December 31, 2023. 

Visa Requirements

As of January 1, 2023, Croatia joined the Eurozone and officially became part of the Schengen Area for passport control and visa purposes. If you are a citizen of a Schengen Area country, you can enter Croatia easily without the need for a visa. 

If you are a U.S. citizen, you can enter the Schengen Area countries with a visa on arrival (just a stamp in your passport) and stay for up to 90 days in a rolling 180 period. (Meaning you cannot exceed 90 days in the previous 180 days.) If you are from a non-Schengen country, and not a U.S. citizen, you may need a visa to enter Croatia. However, this is dependent on your nationality and purpose of visiting.  We suggest double-checking with your home state department for updates on visa requirements. 

Language and helpful phrases

The official language of Croatia is Croatian (shocking!), but most people in the tourism industry will speak at least a bit of English. 

With that being said, it is always nice to learn a few local phrases to show you’ve done your homework and respect the local culture. 

• Hello = Bok
• Please = Molim
• Thank you = Hvala 
• Beer = Pivo
• Bathroom = Kupaonica 
• How much? = Koliko Kosta? 

Tipping in Croatia

While it isn’t necessarily expected to tip in Croatia, it is fairly common to round your bill up to the nearest whole number after a meal. You might consider adding a bit extra if you were especially pleased with your service.

For cafes, bars or drivers, you can simply round up your bill.

Since Croatia is a popular tourist destination, you can assume getting tips is becoming more and more common for service-industry workers and tour guides. Offering a few extra Euro is a great way to show someone they did an excellent job.

In short, you’ll have the most favorable weather and avoid peak season crowds during the late spring and early fall. 

Although Croatia’s busiest season is during the summer, the sheer number of crowds and scorching heat are no joke. So while it is the most popular time to visit, those factors may heed you to reconsider.

However, each season and month has its own draws and drawbacks, so there’s really no correct answer as it depends on what you’re doing and where you’re going.

Psst! You’ll find our guide to the best time to visit Croatia helpful to get the full breakdown on what makes each season distinct and unique to help cater to your trip.

Croatia boasts of beauty and unique places to visit. Choosing where to go is the hardest part! 

• Dubrovnik : For those who have a love for history (or happen to be a Game of Thrones super-fan), definitely plan a visit to this Croatian walled city to see its medieval architecture. 
• Split : This central coastal city has it all from gorgeous beaches to historic landmarks and a fantastic nightlife scene. Due to its central location, it is a great ‘home-base’ when traveling to many of the islands. 
• Plitvice Lakes National Park : Nature enthusiasts flock to the stunning waterfalls, lush forests and array of wildlife in this national park. This is an absolutely perfect place for anyone looking to get swept away in the beauty of nature. 
• Zagreb: As the capital of Croatia, you can expect this city to always be bustling with activity. Whether you’re visiting a museum, a cute boutique or trying out a new dish at a local restaurant, you will not run out of things to do.
• Croatian Islands: Home to over 1,000 islands, Croatia is a beach-lovers paradise. Hvar, Brac, Vis and Korcula are some of the most popular island destinations. Connected by a network of ferries, it’s easy to hop around.
• Istria Peninsula: Roman ruins and delicious cuisine make up this part of Croatia that shares a lot of similarities to neighboring Italy. 

Want more info? We have an entire article with a round up of the best places to visit in Croatia , including the top things to do and where to stay in each place. 

Croatia truly offers a variety of activities for every type of traveler. We’ve pooled together a few of the highlights (though there are many, many more!) in this Croatia travel guide. To find out more, check out our round up of absolute best things to do in Croatia .

• Visit Plitvice Lakes National Park. With its network of waterfalls, stunning canyons and array of wildlife, you’ll adore Plitvice Lakes. This is one of the oldest national parks in the country and part of the World Heritage Foundation. 
• Go truffle hunting. Croatia happens to be the best (and one of the only!) place to find truffles in the world. If you are visiting during the months of April – November, Karlic Tartufi , a local family business of 3 generations, offers a truffle hunting experience that we highly recommend. 
• Walk Dubrovnik’s Old Town walls. Throw on your walking shoes and weave through these ancient city walls to explore the stunning Medieval architecture.
• Explore Krka National Park . Throughout Krka National Park, there are dozens of waterfalls, picnic spots and numerous winding nature trails waiting to amaze you. 
• Discover Diocletian’s Palace. Experience a (mega) slice of ancient history by visiting a real-life palace built for the Roman emperor, Diocletian, over 1,500 years ago. If you’re in Split, you really cannot miss this. 
• Go sailing. One of the best ways to explore Croatia’s gorgeous coastline is from the water. As a popular sailing spot, there are numerous companies that offer sailing tours, lessons or charters.  

Budgeting for Croatia

Compared to its neighbors, Croatia is a pretty expensive place to visit. There are areas to cut costs so it doesn’t have to break the bank, but it’s definitely pricier than we expected.

You can expect to see the highest prices in popular places like Dubrovnik and Split. Many prices countrywide may double or even triple during summer. 

Typical daily budget for Croatia

• Budget traveler: If you are on a tight budget and watch your spending closely, €45 – €55 could be a sufficient budget. 
• Mid-range traveler: If you want to have a few splurges and stay in nicer accommodation, plan to budget €100 – €150 per person, per day in Croatia.
• Luxury traveler: You can easily spend as much as you want traveling around Croatia without any budget concerns. However, if you hope to have a luxury vacation, you should expect a minimum daily budget of €210+. 

Typical costs for Croatia

Prices in Croatia fluctuate depending on the area you’re traveling and the season, with summer being the most expensive time to travel. 

Accommodation

• Dorm bed: €10 – €20 
• Private room: €20 – €30 
• Mid-range hotel: €50 – €80 
• Luxury hotel: €150+ 
• Street food: €5 – €10
• Mid-range restaurant meal: €10 – €25
• Local beer: €3 – €5
• Coffee: €2 – €4
• Taxis: €2 – €4
• Local bus: €1 – €3 
• Cross-country bus: €13 – €24
• Ferry: €5 – €13 (small ferries) and €30 –  €40 (large ferries)
• Plitvice Lakes entrance: €10 – €40 (depending on the season)
• Dubrovnik City Walls:  €35 
• Truffle hunting tour:  €35 – €200
• Krka National Park entrance: €20 – €40 

There are a few convenient ways to get around Croatia, but if you stay near the city center, you’ll find that most cities are convenient and walkable. 

For longer distances, buses and ferries are quite popular. Or, if you really crave freedom, you may opt to rent your own vehicle.

Renting a car in Croatia is shockingly affordable (around €13 – €26 per day) and allows you the freedom to explore the natural wonders of Croatia without having to adhere to a schedule or timetable. 

Overall, the roads in Croatia are safe and easy to navigate making this an ideal spot for a road trip. However, because some of the roads can be twisty and locals tend to drive with a lead foot, be sure you’re a comfortable driver. For the best deals on car rentals and to compare prices, we recommend using Discover Cars . 

You’ll easily be able to snag an Uber in popular areas like Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split which can be a convenient way to get around. Ubers might not be available on the islands, but taxis are around.  Whenever traveling with Uber, always be mindful of your journey home. Sometimes Ubers are happy to take you to a remote location, but finding a ride back can be tricky. 

Traveling by ferry within Croatia is really convenient, affordable and makes island hopping a dream. There are two major ferry ports in Dubrovnik and Split and it takes about 4.5 hours to travel between the two. This will cost you around €30 –  €40. There are also smaller ferries that almost work like a public bus system connecting the smaller islands to the mainland. Prices for these ferries can range from €5 – €13. 

In recent years, Croatia has committed to improving their roadways, which has resulted in a fantastic public transport system. Although buses are usually a cheaper option, they aren’t always the quickest option—except in Croatia. 

You’ll be pleasantly surprised that the public buses in Croatia are both quick and inexpensive. With AC, WIFI  and comfy seats, you’ll be riding in style—er—as stylish as a public bus can get. 

There are a few major routes connecting the big cities and smaller ones that run between villages and towns. Therefore, prices can range anywhere from €1 to €25.

Ues Bookaway to search routes and purchase bus tickets in Croatia. 

Enjoy the freedom of waking up to some of the most scenic landscapes in Croatia by renting a campervan . This is becoming an increasingly popular way to explore some of the most magical spots in Croatia—ones that might not be accessible by public transport or within the constraints of a tour’s timetable. 

We are big fans of campervan travel and highly recommend this mode of transportation if you love adventure and straying from the beaten path a bit. 

Practical tips for traveling in Croatia

Whether it’s your first time traveling in Croatia or you’re a regular, it’s always helpful to keep in mind some helpful tips that can come in handy when you’re traveling. 

• Download a local eSIM. We recommend using Airalo . 
• Use public transportation. Not only is it an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint, the public transportation in Croatia (Ubers, buses, ferries) is accessible and cheap. 
• Check visa rules. If you’re from a non-Schengen area, you’ll be granted 90 days to visit. However, you must keep in mind this accumulates for time spent in all other countries in the Schengen Area in a rolling 180-day period.  
• Book ahead. This is especially important if you’re traveling during peak travel season because things will book out months in advance.
• Drive carefully. If you’re renting a car or a campervan, be sure you’re a comfortable driver and map out your routes ahead of time to avoid any added stress. 

Don’t make these mistakes when traveling to Croatia

We’re not writing this to discourage anyone from visiting this Mediterranean beauty. We tend to shy away from sharing when we don’t like a place. But I think we’ve pinpointed what it was that turned us off to Croatia at the top.

We hope by sharing our disappointment, it may help others come with more realistic expectations and avoid the mistakes that we made while traveling in Croatia.

There are a few things that affected our feelings about Croatia, and we made some big mistakes when we traveled there. Once you understand the mistakes we made, you will enjoy Croatia so much more!

1. Our expectations were high

For one thing, we had super high expectations. Back in 2009, Ben and I studied abroad in Italy . That was the first time I remember hearing about Croatia. 

A friend of mine went there and raved about the beaches, the lack of other tourists compared to neighboring Italy. She said it was cheap, “off the beaten path”, and beautiful. I’ve been dreaming about visiting Croatia ever since. You can probably guess where I’m going with this…

Have you ever visited a place that was so hyped up that even though you had a good time, you left feeling underwhelmed? 

That’s how we felt about Croatia. We had allotted 2 and a half weeks to visit Croatia, but ended up leaving early – something we rarely do when traveling (in fact, it’s almost always the opposite!).

2. It was PEAK tourist season

When we visited Croatia in July, it was packed with tourists everywhere you looked. Places that were described online as “hidden gems” had lines around the block.

The famed Plitvice Lakes that grace your Instagram feed are magical, yes, but some of that magic is diminished when you have to walk the wooden boardwalks behind long lines of people carrying selfie sticks.

And in Dubrovnik, you couldn’t walk a few minutes in the Old City without seeing one of the many corny “Game of Thrones” tours (complete with a guide dressed in chainmail and holding an iPad that was playing a scene from the show). 

Historic buildings had been turned into overpriced pirate-themed candy shops. It felt a bit like Disney World. And not in a good way.

I think a few years ago, these crowds didn’t exist to the extent that we experienced. But with photos of Croatia being an Instagram staple (I’m guilty of posting these too !) and with the exploding popularity of Croatia as a filming location for Game of Thrones, people are flocking to this Mediterranean country in hordes. Especially during the summer months. 

3. We didn’t budget correctly

Prices were much higher than any of the neighboring countries we visited (and with all the tourists there, I totally understand why). 

This is more on us than anything else, but we just didn’t have the right budget expectations to fully appreciate Croatia. If we raised our budget, we probably would have been able to enjoy ourselves a little more.

4. The people weren’t as friendly as the neighbors

On top of everything else, we’d just come from Bosnia & Herzegovina where the people were incredibly friendly, funny and excited to talk with us. Many of the people we met in Croatia were lacking in this department.

This isn’t to say we didn’t meet friendly Croatians – just the opposite. We had a few lovely guesthouse owners that were very kind, but the overall vibe just wasn’t as friendly as many of the countries we visited during our round-the-world trip – especially the neighboring countries.

5. Our feelings are relative

Our travels were bookended with visits in two countries that seriously surprised us: Bosnia and Slovenia . And it just so happened that Croatia fell in between.

Think of it this way: You go to a dinner party and speak with 3 people. The first (Bosnia) and the last (Slovenia) are humble and surprisingly interesting. You laugh, you cry. You listen to their stories and they listen to yours.

That person you speak with in between is perfectly nice. A little cocky, maybe. They are beautiful, but they know they are. Everyone in the party wants to talk to them, so you kind of just feel like you scratch the surface of really getting to know who they are. 

And when it comes time to leave the party, you reflect on the two fantastic conversations you just had. The one in the middle kind of fades away. Maybe if you hadn’t spoken with the other two party-goers, you would have really appreciated that middle convo a bit more. 

For better or worse, our opinions of people or places are heavily impacted by where we’ve just come from or where we’re going (literally and metaphorically). We just weren’t in a place to fully and wholeheartedly appreciate what Croatia had to offer.

6. We may have gone to the wrong places

This is a lesson we learn over and over again. 

The most popular destinations almost always leave us a bit disappointed. I’m sure anyone who has ever gone to the Leaning Tower of Pisa can relate. Cool tower, but that’s about it for Pisa. 

Maybe it was our route: Dubrovnik – Korčula – Split – Plitvice Lakes – Zagreb. We started off with a city that we really didn’t enjoy, and that sour taste lasted in our mouths for the rest of the country. 

We probably should have done some more research and found more off-the-beaten-path areas, but we were traveling so fast that we just defaulted to the easiest route. 

Would we go back to Croatia?

Yes, without a doubt. We would return in a heartbeat. 

There are a few places we already have in mind that we’d like to visit the second time around. These include some that our Director of Content, Amanda, has visited and wrote about in some of our other Croatia guides. 

We won’t deny that Croatia is absolutely breathtaking. Dubrovnik is as touristy as it is beautiful and Plitvice Lakes are a natural treasure.

Our advice to others visiting Croatia

Avoid peak tourist season. Period. Go somewhere else.

Budget quite a bit more money than you would for the rest of Eastern Europe. We knew Croatia would be one of the more expensive countries on our trip. But we didn’t think we would be seeing the same prices as Western Europe. 

Don’t make the mistake we did. You’ll enjoy yourself more if your budget has some wiggle room.

Have realistic expectations about crowds. Unless you visit during a totally off-peak time, Plitvice Lakes will be crowded. Dubrovnik may feel a bit like Disney World. If you go in knowing that there will be long lines and selfie sticks, you won’t be as disappointed as we were.

I’m sure there will be a few people who read this and think we’re crazy because they had a fantastic time in Croatia. And I know we rave about places that others may not like. Travel is personal. 

We try not to highly publicize when we don’t like a place because we truly believe that there are so many factors that can affect how much you like a particular city or country. But we also believe in honesty, and think that it’s okay not to fall in love with every place we visit. 

Our intention is not to discourage anyone from visiting Croatia, but instead to help set expectations and give you advice so you avoid some of our mistakes. We would definitely go back to Croatia; and knowing what we know now, we would most likely enjoy it much more.

How to book your trip to Croatia

Planning a trip to Croatia, whether long or short, can seem overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be! Take the stress out of planning by following these simple steps that’ll ensure you don’t forget anything. 

1. Decide where you want to go

Okay, this is definitely the hardest part of traveling, right? The looming feeling of trying to pack in every magical hike, every historical site, every restaurant … how!? We feel you, seriously. In our opinion, less is usually more. Choose a few of the best places to visit in Croatia and work backward from there. 

Once you’ve narrowed down the places you actually want to go, the rest becomes easy (and fun!). While we know this will differ based on your budget, time and interests, Croatia truly offers something for every type of traveler. 

2. Book your flights

As we all know, airfare is one of the priciest parts of traveling, so definitely check out our guide on how to find cheap flights before you book your trip to Croatia. Skyscanner is a great way to gauge prices and easily compare between airlines, days and flight times. We really love the ‘whole month’ feature, too, especially if you can be a little flexible with your dates. 

3. Book your accommodation

There are loads of options in terms of accommodation in Croatia suitable for a variety of budgets. Whether you’re looking to stay at a swanky beach-side villa, a quaint home-stay or a hostel, sites like Booking or Airbnb are your best bet in finding exactly what you’re looking for. 

4. Get travel insurance

Travel insurance is a key component when planning a trip and we NEVER leave home without travel insurance. Honestly, it’s never a fun thing to pay for, but it is definitely worth it if something goes wrong and can put your mind at ease while you explore a new place. 

For a trip like this, we’d recommend Safety Wing insurance .

For more information on how to pick a policy and what we look for in travel insurance, check out our detailed travel insurance comparison article .

5. Start packing!

Now that you’ve got all the boring logistical stuff out of the way … it’s time to get packing for your trip. Whether you’re rolling, folding or using packing cubes, we’ve got a quick guide on what you don’t want to forget on your trip to Croatia. 

What to pack for visiting Croatia

Croatia experiences a wide range of temperatures throughout the year, so be mindful of the time you travel when packing. Aside from clothes, here are some essential things you don’t want to leave at home. 

• Outlet adapter
• Back up credit cards 
• Comfortable walking shoes (your feet will thank you)
• Reusable straw & reusable bag (always!) 
• Reef safe sunscreen
• Swimwear (with over 3,000 miles of coastline, you’ll want to take a dip!)
• Light breathable clothing and plenty of layers 
• Camera and tripod ( this one is our favorite for travel)
• Insulated water bottle 
• Insect repellent (we prefer the natural stuff )

Are you planning a trip to Croatia?

We have lots of resources on travel in Croatia and destinations throughout the country. Check out our  Croatia Travel Homepage  for everything you need to know, or start by reading some of our favorite Croatia articles here:

• Fun Things to Do in Dubrovnik + Advice for Traveling
• Plitvice National Park Guide: Ultimate Guide
• Can’t-Miss Things to Do in Split, Croatia + Travel Guide
• Krka National Park Croatia: Ultimate Visitor’s Guide

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We want to hear from you!

Are you planning a trip to Croatia and still have questions? Let us know if anything in this Croatia travel guide surprised you, or what you’re most excited about in the comments below!

Comments (42) on “ Croatia: A Completely Honest Travel Guide ”

Thanks for your honest review.. Glad that I came across your blog. It must be difficult writing your honest opinion knowing it might face some backlash. (lol) I’m heading to Croatia next month and was thinking if I had planned too short for my trip. But your blog is reassuring.. I will be heading to Bosnia and Slovenia as well like you did.. hopefully I will have a good experience with all 3 at the dinner party 😉

Well why did you come during “peak months” and stayed at the most popular destinations, and also expect there will be no crowd and prices would be lower…??? This makes no sense.

Point of advice from a local Croatian living in Rijeka: stay in not-as-popular places and visit very popular places for a day, then go back to the not-as-popular place. Recommendations: Umag Motovun Labin old town Fuzine lake Ucka nature park Brijuni national park Cres Island (Lubenice beach) Island of Rab, with many beaches Risnjak National park City of Varazdin Last but not least, the City of RIJEKA!

hi and thank you for the great info on the blog. We are fellow Minnesotans traveling with small group next year. Any recommendations on where to fly in and out of in Croatia?

Thank you for all your advice and the honesty you share with us. It’s still a country I want to go to.

I want all the travel guides that you got,because I was thinking about travel throughout the globe sometime this year. So will you send me your travel guides to me,please.

I went in March, and it was sunny, warm enough to swim even, and none of the tourist hoards that swarm there in the high season.

I thought this blog post was hilarious. 20 percent of Croatia’s GDP comes from tourism so yeah there are going to be tourists there in July. Also Dubrovnik will probably be fine without the GoT fans… It’s great with honest reviews but they’re meaningless if the writer hasn’t bothered to find out basic facts about the country beforehand.

I think this article sealed the deal for me to not go. The only time I can go this year is in July and given the pandemic I’m not sure I want to be in crowds. The pandemic could translate into less tourists but I don’t think I want my first big overseas trip in 2 years to be a let down.

I truly hope you didn’t let this article dissuade you from visiting Croatia. I read this article before my trip and I was very disheartened but I found the exact opposite of this article to be true. We loved Croatia and it exceeded every expectation we had for it. We are almost 50 years old and our trip to Croatia was the best in our lives. My husband and I agree and we don’t always agree on everything. Honestly I think the people who wrote this article really just did everything wrong when visiting Croatia.

Hi Katie & Ben,

Thx so much for your comprehensive review! I found your blog while looking around for some ideas on doing a coastal Croatian trip for our 40th anniversary. I especially appreciated your 3 different budget types of lodging…so helpful. We’ve been to Croatia many times before, Dubrovnik, Split, etc. etc. but this time I wanted to do strictly coastal and end up exactly where you went – the northern region almost to Italy – the Istrian Peninsula. I heard it’s less crowded and you did confirm that. Now, about the people lol. My husband was born here so he’s a local, well sort of. I never speak English while we’re there and let him speak his native tongue and we get along just fine. We get that they just don’t have the best attitude in the world, but as some others have said, they probably hate all of the tourism. Thanks again for all the info…you really helped me out a lot!

Croatia is a small country full of negative, arrogant, and lazy people. I know because I lived there. Many people think that Croatians are hospitable and good people but the truth is most of that is fake and you have no idea what they are saying behind your back – if you don’t understand the language. Croates look down upon tourists, they feel that everyone is inferior to them and this stems frim a deep seeded jealousy they have for the rest of the world- especially those countries with normal economies where people travel. So they will have no problem to cheat you. They will smile to you but curse and make fun of you behind your back. I know because I understand the language but often spoke English when there. Yes, the nature is stunning but people are miserable. Keep that in mind.

Hi Alex, thanks for sharing your opinion. However, in our experience, we had lovely interactions with Croatians. As with any society, there will be people who are not as nice, but from our travels, we have nothing but good things to say about the people of Croatia.

I could not agree more with your review of Croatia. As a Croatian, living in Canada over 20 years now, I stopped visiting the country as often as I used to. You summed up pretty much everything I have been thinking for years now and although preparation and expectations go a long way, some destinations need less of those in order for one to enjoy the destination. I will preface my comment by saying that I have been vacationing in Croatia for pretty much every two years and there have been some major changes that will prevent me from going back soon. The main one are the prices. I get expensive, since I live in Toronto, one of the most expensive cities in North America. The problem is the value. For example, we rented a yacht last summer and visited tons of little islands. The prices were exorbitant and before anyone says that is normal for island pricing, I have been to plenty of other places, where this wasn’t the case. In Lisbon or Barcelona, you can get a cup of fresh fruit for 1 or 2 Euros (berries and cherries), while Croatia would sell the same type of fruit cup (cheaper selection like watermelon and honeydew and grapes mix) for 5 or 6 euros. Rudeness was at an all time high in places of official business, the public transit and connection between cities is abysmal and overpriced, plus finding information in places that are frequented by tourists can be a challenge and I do not even want to get into what happens when you travel to smaller places. Most restaurants serve the same fare or a slight variation of it. We ate in some fine dining places and also in some regular joints, and overall the experience has been underwhelming. Way too expensive for what it is and also the quality of food declined drastically over the years. I am assuming lot of places have a high turnover and might not care about the returning customers, and yet lot of dishes were particularly bland and just too expensive. Renting anything, you will pay through an arm and a nose. Bike fees are obscenely expensive, as are cab fares. Due to the high increase in tourist numbers, it seems that every Joe is trying to capitalize on the opportunity and rents rooms and apartments. Again, price – value ratio is disappointing. Some of the accommodation prices we had to laugh at, since they thought they were renting at the Four Seasons, but instead you were getting the most recent Ikea dress-up. Public smoking seems to be ubiquitous, and it is really hard to avoid smoke everywhere you go. On one of the ferries we took, the crew was smoking on the dock, despite prohibition signs and then tossed the cigarette butts into the sea. Pollution and garbage everywhere, including the sea, made me question how clean some of the beaches are. I am comparing it to previous years and some garbage piles have net been cleaned in years.

Having said all of that, I can share few tips from travelling abroad over the years.

• Avoid places like Split or Dubrovnik in high season
• Smaller Dalmatian islands like Vis or Hvar are great, and less crowded. Stay away from the main ports and pick other parts of the island for a more relaxing stay
• Rent a car if you can
• Rely on several sources for official information. It is very common to give incorrect info and this can vary from one representative to another.
• Eat where locals eat. This usually means moderately priced places and places that are rarely located by the marina
• Bring reusable water bottle. The amount of plastic wasted is sad, and never buy bottled water in Croatia. Croatia ranks as one of the highest countries when it comes to water drinking quality.
• Money exchange rates are similar in the tourist spots and post offices have one of the best exchange rates, even better than banks.
• Lot of bus stations don’t have anyone announcing anything, so it is very common to ask the driver if the bus is the right bus, since sometimes the labels on the buses can be incorrect.
• Bakeries are very often the best option for a fast and cheap meal on the go.
• Lot of places don’t accept debit or credit cards, so always have cash on you.

This turned out to be a longer post than I originally anticipated. In conclusion, Croatia is an amazing place to visit, the nature is truly breathtakingly beautiful, but please be wary that it is not cheap or undiscovered. This was maybe true 20 years ago, but not anymore.

Croatian expat here. I have to go every summer for holidays in Croatia to spend some time with the family and I’m even more annoyed about the prices, the crowds and rude locals. But I also know where to go and how to avoid it. The biggest mistake travellers like you make is thinking Croatia is eastern Europe or "balkans". It’s not. It’s always been (well besides the dark era or communist occupation) a Central European and Mediterranean society. So you should compare it as such. Rapid increase of tourists drives certain behaviours everywhere. But then again towns like Dubrovnik, Hvar and others are unique. their historical, cultural value plus the beauty justifies the price you need to pay to see them. Tourists shouldn’t expect some 3rd world shithole where their 100 bucks or euros will make them Kings. I don’t want our country to be overrun by cheap backpackers and cruisers . It spoils it for everyone.

Croatia is not the Balkans?? That’s a story Croates maybe tell themselves because they hate the fact, but Croatia is as Balkan as it gets.

The reason why people in Croatia, or more specifically Split and Dubrovnik, are not as friendly as the "neighbours" lies in the fact that locals are just absolutely inundated and fed up with mass tourism and the type of tourists their cities get. The old town of Split has in the past years lost hundreds of its inhabitants cos people have lost access to basic necessities in the centre and are abused night and day by groups of drunken tourists pissing at their doorsteps, vomiting under their windows, screaming and in general, acting like complete morons. Every shack downtown has turned into a shitty and overpriced pizza and burger place or an almost Michelin-star restaurant, neither of which the locals can afford. If that wasn’t enough, from April until October there’s at least 2 cruise ships daily docked in the harbour, each with thousands of passengers that just clog the already overwhelmed city, and who bring absolutely no value to the economy. People are bursting at the seams, they can’t function normally in their daily life and they are also being priced out of their homes, as everybody decided to squeeze whatever little buck out of tourism they can. And so on, and so on.

Well said, my friend. I can’t even imagine what the streets look like when passengers from the ships go on land. And that’s in addition to other tourists. And yes, I like it what you said about people wanna be kings for $100. That kind of money won’t buy you much anywhere else, why would anyone expect a lot in such touristy country. And people complaining about Dubrovnik and GoT. Lol. Go anywhere else and every town in the world promotes best what they can. I can’t even imagine what it is like for locals to be overrun by tourists who pee everywhere and vomit yet don’t leave a dime. A little respect goes long way, in my humble opinion. You get what you give. On the other side, just fir fun I Google Croatia sometimes and I always get the same towns in search engines. It’s like Croatia is nothing more but Dubrovnik and Split, how annoying. There’s so much more to see if you know where to go, and probably fir a lot less money.

Hi! Thanks so much for all the information. We’re planning a small wedding in Split and are debating restaurants for our reception (small is very small, ie 6 people including us). Our planner recommended Bokeria which looks like it has great food but seating looks a little communal and not private. Were there any more private seating options there or would you recommend we look elsewhere. Sorry for the random message but appreciate your input!!

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Date of experience : 28 May 2023

Amazing Turkey Tour!!!

First time using the company Travel Talk Tours after being recommended it by a friend. The tour covers the highlights of Central and Western Turkey. Ample time to explore all the areas. All hotels were excellent. The tour with our guide Mustafa has been an unforgettable experience. Mustafa has gone above and beyond to make this experience as smooth, interesting and enjoyable as possible. He is well informed, hilarious and easy going. It's the little things such as making sure everyone has ordered the correct meals and has started eating before he sits down for his meal. The company looks after their employees and the coach provided was clean (cleaned daily by the drivers), modern and comfortable.

Date of experience : 03 June 2023

Already looking forward to another travel talk tour

Highly recommend the 9 day essential Turkey tour. The tour has been very well organised allowing us to get to many sights before other tour groups arrived. Big kudos to our guide Mus + the bus drivers. Mus has amazing knowledge of his country and has gone above and beyond to ensure the trip goes smoothly. I’ve loved learning about Turkish culture and life along the way. Trip highlights included seeing sights of Istanbul and waking up to watch the hot air balloons in the beautiful scenery of Cappadocia. The couple of long days on the bus have been broken up by stops along the way, lunch at Turkish restaurants and interesting facts. I’m already planning my next travel talk adventure and highly recommend this trip to anyone wanting a taste of Turkey.

Best Tour company I’ve ever used! 10/10 recommend.

Coming to the end of the 11 Day Travel Talk Anzac special tour and this is hands down the best tour I’ve ever done. Our guide Mustafa has been an absolute gem and made everything such a breeze, an awesome person who is full of knowledge and very passionate about what he does. The tour itself has the best of Turkey included in it. Highlights were hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, Pamukkale and the Anzac service. 10/10 would highly recommend to anyone!

Date of experience : 25 April 2023

ANZAC 12 Day

The 12 day ANZAC tour was incredible, an absolute must for any Aussie or Kiwi! Turkiye has completely exceeded my expectations, with so much to see and do. Not to mention our amazing guide Mustafa who went out of his way to ensure we saw everything and had the best experience possible. I could not recommend this tour highly enough, and if in doubt suggest the 12day tour above the shorter options so as to not miss out!

Date of experience : 26 April 2023

Essential Turkey Tour

The essential Turkey 9 day tour was fantastic from start to finish. Mustafa the guide was excellent, he has a fantastic way of engaging with everyone. I learnt so much from him, super informative. We had plenty of time to take photos without feeling rushed. Everything was extremely well organised, l would highly recommend this trip to anybody. It covered all that was in the itinerary and extra; adapting to us and what we wanted. 10/10 👍🏼

AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!

AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!!! Disorganised, unhelpful and rude tour guides that took group to awful restaurants , dead clubs and even the locals were amused at her choices. Room bookings were changed without notification and company lied about booking policy. No help provided when we complained until they realised we were reviewing them online . Group has literally ditched the tour guide!

Date of experience : 29 July 2016

Essential Turkey

I just did the 9 day Essential Turkey tour and would highly recommend it! Mustafa was honestly the best guide you could ever imagine, he goes above and beyond any expectations The places we have visited have been incredible. My highlight was hot air ballooning in Cappadocia 💓

Don't trust Traveltalk!!

Traveltalk was happy to take my deposit last 31st August 2022 but 8 months later cancelled the tour for tOctober 2023. With flights and hotels booked before and after of the tour, the cancellation (after our correspondence with Traveltalk was stamped CONFIRMED) left us loosing money and we had to rebook with another company to try and match the dates and had to pay $3000 more. This has left us disgusted with the service. Don't put your trust in the company!

Date of experience : 18 May 2023

fantastic turkey 6 day tour

I did the fantastic turkey 6 day tour. The first welcome dinner was at a lovely restaurant with amazing views of Istanbul city & our guide Mus made us feel very welcome, there were a couple of days with a long coach ride but it was broken up with some stop and authentic Turkish food on the way. We got to see all the main tourist points and the high light was def the hot air balloons in Cappadocia. Mus was great the whorl way through funny and engaging . Highly recommend this trip and travel talks as a tour company

I recently went on the Essential Turkey tour with Travel Talk and it was such a great experience! First and foremost Mustafa was an outstanding guide - knowledgeable, passionate, thoughtful, funny and all round a great guy. They say the tour guide makes the tour, and this is so true! Good hotels (most with saunas/pools/well equipped gyms), a good amount of free time and a great variety of locations/activities. Definitley recommend this tour for a taste of what Türkiye has to offer!

Date of experience : 27 May 2023

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Editoral Review of Travel Talk

British company, Travel Talk, strives to provide top notch travel experiences at reasonable prices.

What Makes Travel Talk Stand Out?

Travel Talk was born out of the desire to make extraordinary experiences accessible to ordinary people.

They have many niche tours such that finding a tour suited to your interests is easy, and you’re guaranteed to meet like minded friends along the way! All tours are led by local experts who are there to make your experience unforgettable.

Who Will Enjoy Traveling with Travel Talk?

In their own words, travelers on their tours “ have a desire to get off the beaten track, experience the culture and tradition all while having a little fun.” Single travelers are more than welcome, and provided you don’t mind sharing a room, no single supplement is required (with the occasional exception on sailing tours).

However, unlike their commonly compared counterparts, Contiki and Topdeck, Travel Talk presents itself as less of a constant ongoing party and more of a cultural experiences tour. Not to say there is not the occasional night out on the town - only that the more introverted may enjoy Travel Talk more than Contiki or Topdeck.

Top Destinations

Travel Talk’s most popular tour destinations include Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Greece. Travel Talk also offer a range of tours to The Balkans, Africa, Ski Bansko, Croatia, Asia and plenty more.

Travel Talk Style

Travel Talks travel style is all about cultural discovery and having a good time. Accommodations are chosen within a variety of comfort levels, and Travel Talk strives to choose where you stay and how as it’s own experience - not just as an afterthought.

Travel Talk tours are budget conscious, but depending on the destination, you may experience anything from a 5 star resort to riding aboard a traditional felucca on the Nile.  

Why Choose a Tour with Travel Talk?

They are committed to providing a real, adventurous, cultural, and above all local experience. Yet they are careful to not force the comfort zone too far. You will receive outstanding service, accommodation, transportation, and attention from your tour guides. Itineraries cover the must see tourist spots as well as hidden gems. It’s the perfect travel experience that won’t break the bank.

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About the company.

At Travel Talk, we have one focus - to make your trip the experience of a lifetime without breaking the bank. Being avid travellers ourselves, we know what is essential to creating that perfect trip and combine all these elements in every one of our tours. With fascinating destinations, expert guides, like-minded travellers, premium accommodation, and travel — not to mention competitive prices; we strive to tick all the boxes with unique and authentic travelling experiences. Explore exotic destinations like Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Russia or India & Nepal. Embrace the authentic culture and otherworldly experiences in Morocco, Iceland and the Balkans. Then meet the warm sun and cool waters of Greece, Croatia, Spain & Portugal. Commemorate the fallen on ANZAC Day, hit the snowy winter slopes in Ski Bansko, and sink a beer with like-minded travellers at Oktoberfest in Munich! Travel Talk group tours are ideal for culture-hungry adventurous travellers chasing unique travel stories around the world. Travel Talk guests are not just tourists, but avid travellers. Join us on one of our tours to find out the difference.

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I'm considering going on travel talk as well as they seem a lot cheaper than say Sail Crotia and the rooms look a lot nicer! Any feedback would be appreciated before we book! thanks

I found this review on TNT website (see below). Ignore the first few posts, scroll down a bit and people seem to really recommend the Travel Talk crotia tour. one person had a bad experience but the others were pretty positive!

http://www.tntmagazine.com/forums/t/788781.aspx

Hi I was wondering if you ended up doing your tour of Crotia with TravelTalk in June. We are thinking of booking our daughter on a Morocco tour with them but are looking for some feedback.

Thanks for your time

i did the Travel Talk Sail Greece tour in June 2010. Check in is set for 12-2 - got there at 1 and boat did not leave till 4.30, apparently due to weather at sea - but we were not allowed to leave or swim. We also heard that the week before, the boat broke down and needed to be towed and people were ferried. Ahhh, if only we knew then! Lunch was simple fair - tasty and lots of it. Warm day so hard to sun bake in hot hot sun on top of boat with no breeze and no chance of swim. Arrived very late (10pm) at naxos and then finally sat down at meal to eat around 11.15pm. Lots of tired people. next day - did not set sail till late, told to stick close to boat. a/c worked on-off first night but not for rest of trip. rooms tinier than i anticipated but better than my budget sail croatia (with On-the-Go which was fantastic). I decided to do this as it was advertised as 'A class deluxe boat w/ air. cond).

The good: the tour guide - brilliant. The islands of course, the people.

Kind of good - complained to travel talk who initially offered £50 refund - complained again (1/2 on the boat complained in writing) and they offered a final £100. If you were a couple who paid as one, you had to write a separate complaint to get refund.

Would I recommend? Not sure. Def. recommend sail croatia with on the go but TT - disappointing :(

Can always get good deals i.e. 50% - think you cant expect a luxury holiday and control the european climate but certainly if looking to enjoy, take in a lot of sun and be up for a few drinks i was very impressed with croatia given what we paid.

I would also recommend to anyone to go on the sail croatia - we went in august and was the best holiday anyone on our boat had ever had. We have also kept in contact with the majority of people on the boat.

Heading to egypt with them in 3 weeks so will let you know.

Also have booked turkey/greece and Morroco with them later in the year.

i went on the greece travel talk tour at the end of septemeber last year and it was pretty good, though i think we got a different and nicer boat that what had been running the rest of the season. my friend travelling with me had also done the croatia pirate boat tour and said our greek boat rooms were much larger and nicer. the food was fine, the tour leader good, and facilities on the boat were adeqaute for a budget tour. we did have to leave santorini a day early due to some port issues and we couldn't sail out of paros at the end of the tour due to bad weather so we were ferried back to mykonos and put up in a nice hotel on the beach which i thought was excellent customer service.

about to book the travel talk croatia tour for this summer, so i haven't been put off by my experience so far

Went with Travel talk twice. Greek islands were absolutely horrible. 45 of us joined the tour, 2 days later 46 of us walked off. Did get a full refund though.

Although we did go with Travel Talk Egypt after that and had an amazing time and had awesome accommodation and service.

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I'm considering going on travel talk as well as they seem a lot cheaper than say Sail Crotia and the rooms look a lot nicer! Any feedback would be appreciated before we book! thanks

I found this review on TNT website (see below). Ignore the first few posts, scroll down a bit and people seem to really recommend the Travel Talk crotia tour. one person had a bad experience but the others were pretty positive!

http://www.tntmagazine.com/forums/t/788781.aspx

Hi I was wondering if you ended up doing your tour of Crotia with TravelTalk in June. We are thinking of booking our daughter on a Morocco tour with them but are looking for some feedback.

Thanks for your time

i did the Travel Talk Sail Greece tour in June 2010. Check in is set for 12-2 - got there at 1 and boat did not leave till 4.30, apparently due to weather at sea - but we were not allowed to leave or swim. We also heard that the week before, the boat broke down and needed to be towed and people were ferried. Ahhh, if only we knew then! Lunch was simple fair - tasty and lots of it. Warm day so hard to sun bake in hot hot sun on top of boat with no breeze and no chance of swim. Arrived very late (10pm) at naxos and then finally sat down at meal to eat around 11.15pm. Lots of tired people. next day - did not set sail till late, told to stick close to boat. a/c worked on-off first night but not for rest of trip. rooms tinier than i anticipated but better than my budget sail croatia (with On-the-Go which was fantastic). I decided to do this as it was advertised as 'A class deluxe boat w/ air. cond).

The good: the tour guide - brilliant. The islands of course, the people.

Kind of good - complained to travel talk who initially offered £50 refund - complained again (1/2 on the boat complained in writing) and they offered a final £100. If you were a couple who paid as one, you had to write a separate complaint to get refund.

Would I recommend? Not sure. Def. recommend sail croatia with on the go but TT - disappointing :(

Can always get good deals i.e. 50% - think you cant expect a luxury holiday and control the european climate but certainly if looking to enjoy, take in a lot of sun and be up for a few drinks i was very impressed with croatia given what we paid.

I would also recommend to anyone to go on the sail croatia - we went in august and was the best holiday anyone on our boat had ever had. We have also kept in contact with the majority of people on the boat.

Heading to egypt with them in 3 weeks so will let you know.

Also have booked turkey/greece and Morroco with them later in the year.

i went on the greece travel talk tour at the end of septemeber last year and it was pretty good, though i think we got a different and nicer boat that what had been running the rest of the season. my friend travelling with me had also done the croatia pirate boat tour and said our greek boat rooms were much larger and nicer. the food was fine, the tour leader good, and facilities on the boat were adeqaute for a budget tour. we did have to leave santorini a day early due to some port issues and we couldn't sail out of paros at the end of the tour due to bad weather so we were ferried back to mykonos and put up in a nice hotel on the beach which i thought was excellent customer service.

about to book the travel talk croatia tour for this summer, so i haven't been put off by my experience so far

Went with Travel talk twice. Greek islands were absolutely horrible. 45 of us joined the tour, 2 days later 46 of us walked off. Did get a full refund though.

Although we did go with Travel Talk Egypt after that and had an amazing time and had awesome accommodation and service.

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Girl about the Globe

Making solo travel easier.

Travel Talk Tours Review

Types of Girl about the Globe (GatG) – 18-39 GatG, Adventurous GatG, Budget GatG, City GatG, Sailing GatG, Winter Sports GatG

If you are aged 18-39 and are looking for an adventure tour company, look no further than Travel Talk , a budget-friendly tour company for adventurous and cultural travellers.

Designed for 18 to 39 year olds who are looking for affordable tours with a premium service, they offer group tours to Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, and more.

Travel to the Balkans, Jordan, or on one of their Iceland affordable tours, or immerse yourself in a well-known experience such as an Anzac tour or Oktoberfest.

For the sailing GatG you can join the Travel Talk sail Croatia trip to explore Croatian islands or go island hopping in Greece.

For the winter sports GatG you can ski or snowboard in Bulgaria or the French Alps. They have so many tours!

Travel Talk uses a higher standard of hotels than Topdeck and G Adventures yet their prices are more competitive. Instead of local buses, they use premium transportation, so you know that you're getting a good deal for your tour price.

Why do we think they are a solo female-friendly company? We asked a member of our Girls about the Globe Facebook community for her personal experience of the company. Read the Travel Talk tours review below:

When and where did you go?

I began my trip with Travel Talk on 23rd September 2017. I was backpacking around Europe on a budget at the time and decided that whilst I was so close I should take the opportunity to see Turkey (being Australian and coming from a large island means that everywhere in Europe seems ‘close by' to us).

I decided a month before the tour was due to start that I wanted to go and booked the Travel Talk Essential Turkey 9 day tour.

I had a few must-see items on my list, such as the spectacular white silica terraces of Pamukkale, the enormous halls of the Grand Bazar in Istanbul, and the fairy chimneys at Göreme Valley.

There were also some must-dos on my Turkey bucket list and a hot air balloon ride over the stunning landscape at Cappadocia had to be experienced during my trip. 

Travel Talk reviews

What interested you in the company?

I was drawn to Travel Talk straight away. Their tour description was clear and descriptive, they ticked all the items on my must-see and do list and at €588, it was one of the best value trips I could find. 

What are the positives and negatives of Travel Talk?

The local payment of €170 is part of the tour payment and is not meant to cover all entrance fees to the sites or act as spending money on the tour.

As the entry fees weren't included for most sites, I hadn't been prepared to bring any additional cash, so I found myself frequently looking for ATMs. 

As a positive,  it was nice to see where your money was going. Tickets were bought at the gate in front of you, rather than through a third party.

The white silica terraces of Pamukkale

Travel Talk Turkey – What was the price? Was it good value?

The accommodation on the tour ranged from 4 to 5 star hotels, which I thought was great value for the tour price.

The buffet breakfasts and dinners provided were delicious. Because there was so much to see, sometimes we arrived late at night and left early in the morning so were unable to make the most of the hotel amenities, but the sights were amazing to see.

The hotel in Pamukkale was spectacular. The belly dance performance at the hotel's poolside and the four-tiered thermal pool powered by hot springs created a memorable evening. 

The fairy chimneys of the Göreme valley, Cappadocia in Turkey

What were the benefits of taking a Travel Talk tour?

I enjoyed trying the local cuisine and appreciated our guides taking us to different places for lunch. I was able to try the local food and delicacies, from a shish kebab to Gozleme and Teste Kebab. I even had the opportunity to make a Turkish pizza called a ‘pide.'

Our local guide also happened to have spent his later years living in Australia. Being local meant that his knowledge of the country, its language and its culture were second to none.

This also meant that his English was fantastic. He always spoke loud enough for everyone to hear (a common issue in group tours), and was friendly, approachable and willing to help with any problems.

All in all, my experience with Travel Talk was an overwhelmingly positive one, and I would definitely travel with them again.

* N.b. Girl about the Globe has secured a 5% discount with Travel Talk on all their tours (except festivals & experiences such as Anzac, Ski and Oktoberfest). * Enter the code “GATG55” to obtain the discount.

About the Author

Shelly Glaizner is a solo traveller from Australia. She has a passion for travelling, food and writing and loves putting them all together as she travels about the globe. Her next solo trip will be to Africa, where she plans to spot the big 5, sail down the Nile and hopefully find treasure in a Pharos tomb to finance her next adventure.

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Sail Dubrovnik to Split / Premium Boat, Above Deck Cabins

• Fully Guided

Places You’ll See

• Explore 'Game of Thrones’ filming location, Dubrovnik
• Party all night with friends in a 13th-century fortress
• Visit Mljet, the island featured in Homer's epic Odyssey
• Drop anchor in wine heaven and celeb hot-spot, Hvar
• Savour traditional Croatian cuisine during a boat BBQ
• Introduction
• Day 1 Dubrovnik City Tour
• Day 2 Dubrovnik, Mljet
• Day 3 Mljet, Korcula
• Day 4 Korcula, Hvar
• Day 5 Hvar, Makarska
• Day 6 Makarska, Brac
• Day 7 Brac, Split
• Day 8 Split

Want to read it later?

Download this tour’s PDF brochure and start tour planning offline

What's Included

• Accommodation
• Additional Services

Where You'll Stay

Customer photos.

Operated by Travel Talk

At Travel Talk, we have one focus and that is simply to make your trip the experience of a lifetime without breaking the bank. Being avid travellers ourselves, we know what is essential to creating that perfect trip and combine all of these elements in every one of our tours. With fascinating destinations, expert guides, like-minded travellers, premium accommodation and travel – not to mention competitive prices; we strive to tick all the boxes to create the most unique and authentic travelling experiences. Explore exotic destinations filled with wonders as Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Russia or India & Nepal. Embrace the authentic culture and otherworldly experiences in Morocco, Iceland and the Balkans. Then meet the warm sun and cool waters of Greece, Croatia, Spain & Portugal. Commemorate the fallen on the ANZAC Day, hit the snowy slopes with Ski Bansko in the winter, and sink a beer at Oktoberfest together with like-minded travellers. Travel Talk group tours are ideal for culture-hungry adventurous travellers chasing the most unique travel stories around the world. Travel Talk guests are not just tourists, but avid travellers. Join us on one of our tours to find out the difference.

Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

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Cancellation policy.

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Customer Reviews

• Overall Rating Excellent 4.4
• Itinerary Excellent 4.4
• Guide Excellent 4.6
• Transport Excellent 4.4
• Accommodation Good 4.0
• Food Excellent 4.3
• Tour Operator Travel Talk 4.7
• Most Recent
• Most Popular
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• Lowest First
• OD Olwyn · 21st July 2022 Amazing week, Andre was an excellent tour guide and planned our whole trip perfectly with some of the best recommendations at each stop. Highly recommend anyone to do this trip if you’re looking to see the best places in Croatia while having fun !! Trip date: July 2022
• SM Shannon · 12th July 2022 The tour was amazing the crew and everyone on board was great . Loved all the activities . So much fun Trip date: July 2022

• TH Tess · 25th July 2019 Great tour! Sleep, eat, swim and repeat, an amazing combination. Couldn’t have been happier with the trip Trip date: June 2019

• BG Bridget · 4th August 2018 The crew on my boat was amazing. City tours could be lackluster but generally a really great trip! Great that we all had ensuites! Trip date: July 2018

Dates & Availability

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• Upcoming departures
• August 2024
• September 2024
• -40% Saturday 1 Jun, 2024 Saturday 8 Jun, 2024 English €2,099 €1,259 Confirm Dates
• -40% Saturday 15 Jun, 2024 Saturday 22 Jun, 2024 English €2,159 €1,295 Confirm Dates
• Saturday 29 Jun, 2024 Saturday 6 Jul, 2024 English Sold Out €2,159 See Similar Tours For These Dates
• Sunday 21 Jul, 2024 Sunday 28 Jul, 2024 English Sold Out €2,219 Only Pay €150 Deposit See Similar Tours For These Dates
• Saturday 3 Aug, 2024 Saturday 10 Aug, 2024 English Sold Out €2,219 Only Pay €150 Deposit See Similar Tours For These Dates
• Sunday 4 Aug, 2024 Sunday 11 Aug, 2024 English Sold Out €2,219 Only Pay €150 Deposit See Similar Tours For These Dates
• Saturday 17 Aug, 2024 Saturday 24 Aug, 2024 English Sold Out €2,219 Only Pay €150 Deposit See Similar Tours For These Dates
• Saturday 31 Aug, 2024 Saturday 7 Sep, 2024 English Sold Out €2,219 Only Pay €150 Deposit See Similar Tours For These Dates
• Saturday 28 Sep, 2024 Saturday 5 Oct, 2024 English Sold Out €2,219 Only Pay €150 Deposit See Similar Tours For These Dates
• 6 Other Unavailable Departures

Frequently Asked Questions

The tour operator does not assist with extra arrangements in this destination, therefore clients will need to make their own arrangements.

Flights before and after the tour are not included in the tour price and you need to arrange these separately by yourself once your tour is guaranteed. As we specialise in organising the best tours around the world for you, we are unable to advise on flight prices or book flights on your behalf. If you have not already booked your flights we recommend checking out the following link which is powered by Skyscanner - https://flights.tourradar.com

The tour ends in Split on Day 8. After breakfast the group will disembark and say their goodbyes!

The tour starts at 13:00 in Dubrovnik. The boat doesn't move until the next day but there is a city tour on the first day.

Many people on this tour are travelling alone, and sharing a room can be a great way to meet like minded travellers on your trip! If you are a solo traveller and you don't mind sharing you will be roomed with a fellow traveller of the same gender for no additional cost. There is no single supplement option for this tour.

The accommodation for this tour will be 7 nights in twin, double, triple and quadruple cabins in 'A' category private boats with ensuite facilities.

AC is available in the common areas however not in the rooms.

Yes. The cabins all have en-suite facilities.

There are only twin beds available on this boat, called MS/Ribic.

The minimum age to join the tours is 18, however the passengers are generally aged between 25-40. We are more flexible with younger passengers on our land tours but unfortunately it's not the case for our sailing tours.

Got a question about this tour?

Reach out to our travel experts.

Good to Know

• Currency kn Kuna Croatia

As a traveller from USA, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa you will need an adaptor for types C, E, F.

• These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
• Hepatitis B - Recommended for Croatia. Ideally 2 months before travel.
• Tick-borne encephalitis - Recommended for Croatia. Ideally 6 months before travel.
• Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
• Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
• For any tour departing before 9th July 2024 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after 9th July 2024, a minimum payment of €150 is required to confirm your booking with Travel Talk. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 65 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
• Some departure dates and prices may vary and Travel Talk will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
• The following cards are accepted for "Travel Talk" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
• Your money is safe with TourRadar, as we only pay the tour operator after your tour has departed.
• TourRadar is an authorised Agent of Travel Talk. Please familiarise yourself with the Travel Talk payment, cancellation and refund conditions .
• Insurance Unless otherwise mentioned, TourRadar does not provide travel insurance. We do however recommend purchasing it through our tried and trusted partner, World Travel Nomads .
• Accessibility Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveller, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team , who are ready and waiting to help you.
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Sail Croatia Elegance Cruise Review

We were invited by Sail Croatia to experience one of their Elegance Cruises, on board their cruise ship Queen Jelena. We spent 7 nights on board sailing from Dubrovnik to Split with stops at Mljet, Korcula, Vis, Hvar and Milna on route.

In this post we show you what small ship sailing with Sail Croatia is all about and give you the information you need to decide if an elegance cruise  Sail Croatia experience would be for you.

Disclaimer: We cruised on Queen Jelena in August 2022 and were guests of Sail Croatia for this trip. All views and opinions are our own and we retained editorial control. We were not paid to attend this trip and we self funded flights and hotel pre cruise in Dubrovnik.

Who are Sail Croatia

Sail Croatia was founded in 2005 in the UK. They offer luxury small ship cruising, yacht experiences, active cruises and party cruises. They offer a range of cruising to suit most styles and budgets and have been enjoyed by customers world wide for over 16 years.

Founded by husband and wife team Grant and Helle Seuren it was their shared love of travel that first brought them together when they met on holiday in Australia, Grant comes from New Zealand and Helle from Denmark. They focus heavily on excellent customer service and have staff in the UK, Australia, Greece and of course Croatia.

In 2016 Sail Croatia also founded Green sail a non profit initiative that supports sustainable tourism and promotes conscious practices, education and better recycling and in 2019 they also committed to specific sustainability goals onboard all of their ships.

Queen Jelena Facts

Kraljica Jelena is the Croatian name for Queen Jelena who ruled Croatia more than a thousand years ago and it is from her that this beautiful ship gets its name. Built in 2018 Queen Jelena is 50 metres long and 8.5 metres wide easily making her the smallest ship we have ever cruised on, she has 19 cabins that can accommodate up to 38 passengers.

There are four decks, starting from the top are Sun deck, Salon deck, Above deck and Below deck which we go into more detail below. There are also 11 cabins on the above deck these are the most expensive and 8 on the below deck. We were allocated cabin 5 below deck and our opinion and video review can be found later in this post.

Top Deck - The Sun Deck

The top deck is a beautiful area, the wooden decking and chrome railings go perfectly together and there are more than enough sunbeds some of which are shaded to go around.

The centre pieces are a Jacuzzi and the small Octopus bar and even if the bar isn’t open the excellent bar team of Mario and Pamela are always on hand to bring you the refreshments of your choice.

This is also the perfect spot for sail ins and sailaways and if sunbathing is your thing you are definitely in the right place. But a word of warning it gets very hot on the sundeck so adequate sunscreen and footwear is a must as I found out when I had to scuttle around like a little lizard after leaving my shoes in the cabin.

Main Deck - Saloon Deck

The main deck comprises of, from front to back, a small area that houses the anchor various ropes for mooring but there is more than enough room for photography during sailing manoeuvres and most importantly to recreate that king of the world moment from the film Titanic.

Next is the bridge with lots of important looking dials, gauges and electronic maps but the best thing is definitely the proper old fashioned wooden ships wheel.

As you move to the back using the full wrap around promenade you get to aft of the ship which comprises of two areas, the bar and restaurant where you are served all your meals, receive port information and on selected nights get to immerse your self in some local entertainment.

The very well stocked bar is open until 11 pm each night and serves a mixture of local and international drinks that are sensibly priced too. Payment is on a bar tab system that has to be settled in cash on your final night, they are happy to accept pretty much any currency but as of the 1st of January 2023 Croatia will be adopting the euro with the Croatian Kuna eventually being phased out completely.

This area has 5 round tables and can seat 8 people per table,  the great thing about this is also the fact that the dining  times are fixed but where you sit isn’t meaning that throughout your cruise you will likely dine with every other passenger on the cruise.

The final area is the alfresco lounge, as Carole is an early riser this was her favourite place to head to when i was still snoring in bed, the decor here is pretty special with a varnished wooden ceiling  a large horseshoe shaped seating area and nine tables which is more than adequate to seat everyone on board even at full capacity.

There is also a notice board giving you all sorts of information from the crews names to the lunch menu, there are also some emergency contact numbers and to keep you fully hydrated a water cooler.

Down the stairs from the alfresco area is a smoking area that has two tables and eight chairs and this also houses the swimming aids for your daily swimming stop if you require them.

Our Lower Deck Cabin Number 5

The cabins are very much the same in design and are surprisingly spacious with large double beds or two singles if required a wardrobe two bed side cabinets and a large well lit writing desck area.

They all come with air conditioning as standard and a well appointed on suite with a good sized shower a hair dryer and most importantly a glass shower door, so no clingy plastic shower curtain.

We always get asked about charging points in cabins and as you will know this is something that is important to us too, but you can rest easy as there are plenty to go around, There are European plugs each side of the bed and a third on the writing desk which we found to be ample for our needs.

Your cabin is cleaned on a daily basis and Tia who looked after ours was excellent, our cabin was always cleaned on our return! Nice white fluffy towels were provided and you simply just pop them on the floor if you require fresh ones. You are also provided beach towels for the duration of your stay.

Crew Onboard

The crew onboard the Queen Jelena is only nine strong but the team led by Ship owner and Captain Gordan, who is also an experienced ship builder, pull together making your Sail Croatia experience the best.

Mia our host has a a fantastic knowledge of all the areas you are visiting and  never tries to put the hard sell on you for any of the excursions on offer, she was always available for our silly questions and good fun too.

The bar and restaurant team of Mario and Pamela make sure you never get thirsty even when sunning yourself on the top deck. Chefs Fraive and Tanya served us up excellent food throughout the week and even though some of our fellow guests had food allergies they were still very well catered for.

Sailors Mateo and Damir kept everything running smoothly from lowering the steps for our daily swim stops to keeping the decks and brass work spotlessly clean and we are sure lots of other tasks that go on below deck, and finally house keeper Tea kept our cabin clean, fresh and tidy throughout.

They were a great team, looked after us very well and are certainly a credit to Sail Croatia!

Sail Croatia include r eturn Airport Transfers at  the start and the end of your cruise but if like us you want to arrive early to enjoy some land based activities before you cruise they can arrange transfers from your chosen hotel too! The only thing that is not included is a transfer to a hotel post cruise.

Food and Dining - Sail Croatia Review

The food on The Queen Jelena is produced from probably the smallest galley we have ever seen on a cruise ship but you would never guess it with the fantastic food that they produce.

Every day a buffet breakfast of fresh fruit, cereals, fresh bread, croissants, and jams are laid out plus hot options of eggs, bacon, sausage and roasted vegetables, there is also a free to use coffee machine that is available until midday every day.

Lunch is three courses with the menus posted every day outside the saloon on the notice board and are usually based on local Croatian food, if you have any dietary needs you can address this at the start of the cruise or on any particular day and the team are more than happy to accommodate you.

Dinner on the cruise is included twice, once on board and is known as the captains dinner and once off the ship where you are taken to a local restaurant to sample some traditional Croatian fare. Our village dinner was great fun and we were so glad we chose to go along.

Daily Activities on board

You are very much on your own when it comes to daily activities, there is a swim stop every day and Captain Gordan is the master at finding the best places to stop.  During our cruise one of the passengers Liz arranged a daily Pilates class which myself and Carole took part in, and I am still aching as I write this! Just to be clear, Pilates is not normally included with this cruise.

Daily Port Activities with Sail Croatia

Most days there was the opportunity to do some sort of excursion from visiting national parks, lakes and caves to free walking tours but the real beauty for us was having the freedom to come and go as we pleased. The ship is docked in port for around twelve hours a day with a back on board time of 5 am so if you like to party or prefer an early night the option is completely up to you.

Is seasickness an issue on small ship cruising with Sail Croatia?

We sailed in late July early August and experienced perfect weather, there was never really much movement on the ship during sailing or when moored up in port.

However every one is different and has different thresholds when it comes to travel sickness, so as a precaution we would always take some anti sickness medicine with us as its better to be safe than sorry. See our seasickness tips here .

Even though we didn’t experience any sea sickness issues we did experience some noise when setting sail in the morning when the anchor was raised and when the ship had to manoeuvre out of port but it certainly wasn’t offensive and if anything was a good alarm call to get us up for breakfast.

What to pack for a Sail Croatia Cruise

It doesn’t come any more casual than a Sail Croatia cruise so there is no need for any sort of formal wear, the only dinner on the ship had no dress code at all so it really was up to the individual how you wanted to dress, I went for a casual shirt and a pair of shorts and Carole wore a simple dress.

We were told that sometimes in the evening it can get a little colder so Sail Croatia do recommend you bring a jumper/sweater or a cardigan for ladies but we never found the need for this on our cruise but do bear in mind that we cruised late July early August.

Sail Croatia Queen Jelena Cruise Ship and Cabin Tour and Vlogs

To compliment this review we have also filmed a complete cruise ship tour and vlog series which you can find below – episode 3 coming soon!

You can find more cruise videos on our You Tube Channel here too.

View more video blogs on YouTube > > >

Verdict on our Elegance Cruise with Sail Croatia

Sail Croatia was our first ever experience of small ship ocean cruising and it will definitely not be our last.

We have always wanted to island hop around the Mediterranean and Queen Jelena is the perfect way to do this and things don’t come much prettier than Croatia.

The ship itself is stylish and comfortable and provides everything you need for an unforgettable cruise from excellent food to friendly and very helpful crew, we would definitely recommend.

For more information visit  Sail Croatia Website here.

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