Program

Day 1 - Venice/Italy -- 5:00 PM
For centuries,Venice stood at the crossroads of culture between the Byzantine and Roman worlds. The city the great traders and philosophers created is an extraordinary place. From the elegant carved gondolas and vaporetti that ply the Grand Canal to the magnificent Piazza San Marco bustling with life – Venice is unique in all the world. Great works of art are housed here, in the Accademia with its Renaissance masters and the collection of Peggy Guggenheim in her canal-side palazzo. The Basilica di San Marco and the Doge’s Palace are must-sees. After that, follow where your feet take you, over romantic bridges, to shops selling precious glass, to small cafés for a cappuccino or Campari.

Day 2 - Koper/Slovenia 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
Koper (Slovenian) or Capodistria (Italian) is a coastal town and municipality and the largest commercial port in Slovenia, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The town has a population of 23,726 and is officially bilingual, with both Slovenian and Italian as official languages. Sights in Koper include the 15th-century Praetorian Palace in Venetian Gothic style, the 12th century Carmine Rotunda church, and the Cathedral of St Nazarius with its 14th century tower. Koper rose from an ancient settlement built on an island in the southeastern part of the Gulf of Koper in the northern Adriatic. In the time of Ancient Greece, the town was known as Aegida, later it became known by its Latin names Capris, Caprea, Capre or Caprista, from which the modern Slovenian name stems.

Day 3 - Pula/Croatia 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
Pula is the largest city in Istria, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the peninsula. Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, tame sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing, shipbuilding, and tourism. Pula has also been Istria's administrative center since ancient Roman times. The city is best known for its many surviving ancient Roman buildings, the most famous of which is its first century amphitheatre, sixth largest in the world and locally known as the Arena. This is one of the best preserved amphitheatres from antiquity and is still in use today during summer film festivals.The natural beauty of Pula's surrounding countryside and turquoise water of the Adriatic have made the city an internationally popular summer vacation destination. Roman villas and temples still lie buried among farm fields and along the shoreline of the dozens of surrounding fishing and farming villages. The coastal waters offer beaches, fishing, wreck dives to ancient Roman galleys and World War I warships, cliff diving, and sailing to unspoiled coves and islands large and small.

Day 4 - Rijeka/Croatia 8:00 AM 7:00 PM
Rijeka is the principal seaport of Croatia, located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea. Rijeka has good ferry connections with the surrounding islands and cities within Croatia, but no direct foreign connections. There are daily coastal routes to Zadar, Split, and onwards to Dubrovnik, where more international connections are offered. Pula offers more direct southward connections from northwestern Croatia.
- Cruising The Kvarneric/Croatia -- --
The Kvarner Riviera is located next to Istria and is centred on the main Croatian port of Rijeka, the busiest port on the Adriatic

Day 5 - Zadar/Croatia 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea, and is located opposite the islands of Ugljan and Pašman, from which it is separated by the narrow Zadar Strait. Zadar gained its urban structure in Roman times; during the time of Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus, the town was fortified and the city walls with towers and gates were built. On the western side of the town were the forum, the basilica and the temple, while outside the town were the amphitheatre and cemeteries. The aqueduct which was supplying the town with water has been partly preserved. Inside the ancient town, a medieval town had developed, when a series of churches and monasteries had been built.

Day 6 - Split/Croatia 8:00 AM 8:00 PM
Split is the largest and most important city in Dalmatia, the administrative centre of Croatia's Split-Dalmatia County and is the second largest city in Croatia. It is situated on a small peninsula on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea. Split has a Mediterranean climate: hot, dry summers (maximum air temperature in July reaches 36°C) and warm, wet winters (average annual rainfall is 900 mm). Split is one of the sunniest places in Europe. Split is also known as one of the centres of Croatian culture. The most recognisable aspect of Split culture is popular music. Notable composers include Ivo Tijardovic, Zdenko Runjic - some of the most influential musicians in former Yugoslavia. There is great cultural activity during summers, when the prestigious Split Music Festival is held, followed by Split Summer theater festival.

Day 7 - Korcula/Croatia 8:00 AM 5:00 PM
Through the main town street - the Street of the Korcula Statute from 1214 - we arrive at the Cathedral Square. The biggest and the most beautiful building of Korcula - the Cathedral of St. Marco - is at the top of the town. South of it, there is the Bishops Palace (1342; 1653/1860) where the Abbatial Treasury of St. Marco is held today with its rich collection of the Croatian and Italian Renaissance art works, the collection of manuscripts and books, and a collection of the ceremonial clothes. North of the Cathedral, there is the small church of St. Peter - probably the oldest surviving church in the town from the 11th century in which the Renaisance portal of the master Bonino da Milano, and the wooden statues of the apostles are situated - the work of Venetian sculptors from the 18th century.

Day 8 - Dubrovnik/Croatia 3:00 AM --
Nestled on the Adriatic coast, Dubrovnik is a beautifully preserved fortifed town. Its ancient medieval walls contain a sparkling white Old City, filled with 15th-century churches, peaceful Franciscan cloisters, a cathedral with works by Raphael and Titian, and a fascinating Maritime Museum. One of Dubrovnik’s main attractions is the sea swim from the quiet, rocky beaches on either end of the city, or catch a boat to the wooded island of Lokrum nearby.

For all information including prices, availability, and early booking discounts, please email any questions, and tell us the dates that suit your travel plans.

(The e-mail address is info@encountertours.net. )
You can also call us at +971-322-3915 PST.

As soon as we get your e-mail we will respond with any information you need.

Encounter Tours also provides services such as Venice or Dubrovnik hotel bookings, daily private tours, airport transfers, rental cars, as well as everything related to travel in all of the cities where the cruise takes place.