Croatia Island Hopping Itineraries & Tour Packages

Overall

We loved the Zicasso process - from the intake form, to the screening interview, to matching process with a local agent - we absolutely would leverage the same process for our future trips

Our travel agency (and in particular Ivana) were amazing - communicative - both ahead of the trip and during, made great recommendations based on our style, and advocated on our behalf in the few instances when things didn't go exactly according to plan

We loved the "private" nature of everything we did - our own drivers, our own tour guides, our own activities - certainly we paid for it, but if that's the kind of holiday you're looking for, our travel company certainly delivered

Pre-Trip / Itinerary Building

We were clear with our travel agency that for us, food > wine, so we had more activities geared that way (truffle hunt in Split, Oyster farm in Ston, Peka in Hvar, Food tour in old town Dubrovnik). But of course, given that it's Croatia, they recommended a couple of wine-centric activities - which were fantastic

We questioned whether it was worth it to have 4 stops in an 11-day itinerary - it seemed to us like a lot of packing/unpacking - but the team at our travel agency were especially insistent that we leave Korčula in the itinerary - and we're so glad we did

We went back and forth on a few of the activities and in particular, the "right" hotel in Dubrovnik. In the end, the itinerary was nearly perfect, and the Hotel in Dubrovnik was the right choice for us

Each time we adjusted the itinerary, we received an updated PDF file with the updated schedule, costs, etc. And perhaps my favorite communication - in the days before the trip, we received an email with three things: 1) a final pdf overview of the entire itinerary; 2) a one-page summary with dates/times for every activity and transfer; and 3) a separate, detailed pdf voucher for each activity/ticket/transfer across the whole trip

Final observations

Croatia is gorgeous. The best word I can use to describe it is "Dramatic". The people are incredibly friendly. And there are delicious things to eat and drink everywhere you go

It was *hot* - 95F/35C every day (from late June through early July. And we did *a lot* of walking. Just be prepared :)

There is *a lot* to do - between old cities with tons of history, beautiful beaches, restaurants, vineyards, farms, markets - we could easily go back to the same spots for another two weeks and have an entirely new experience

If you want to see Croatia in comfort, with no worries about logistics, and always feel well looked-after, I highly recommend this travel agency

I'd give this travel agency six stars if that were possible. Our trip included stops in Split, Hvar, Korcula and Dubrovnik. They also helped arranged first-class transportation for side trips to Plitvice Falls, Mostar (Bosnia) and Kotor (Montenegro). Where ever we went the drivers and guides were always on-time, pleasant and informative. In many ways, it felt like a member of our family was showing us around. While we were shown the popular places, our guides also exposed us to places only the locals know about. As a result, we experienced the Crotia all the travel magazines rave about. In addition, we ate most of our meals with the Adriatic Sea as a backdrop. It was a vacation my wife and I will always remember. The hotels were in great locations and exceeded our expectations. This agency's pricing is also better or competitive with peers without compromising on quality or service. You get more with this company!

The tour company was very professional, accommodating and friendly. We never had to worry about where to go to meet the tour guides and everyone was always very prompt.

They planned the trip according to everything we were looking for, when we were in Dubrovnik the tours were more fast paced. Then when we got to Hvar they were a little more laid back so we could relax after hitting the ground running. Finally in Split we had one big tour and then the rest of the time was ours. 

It was the perfect amount of activity and relaxation which was what we were looking for. 

The coordinators were great too because they gave us tips and hints about restaurants and bars from their local perspective which helped us avoid tourist traps.

We had a fantastic trip with the Zicasso travel company. They helped us plan the perfect itinerary for our family (two adults and three kids aged 17, 14, and 10). They listened to our desires for an active family vacation and went above and beyond with all of the details!

We spent two full weeks in Croatia and had so many memorable and beautiful experiences. They set up friendly, knowledgeable drivers in a comfortable air-conditioned van. The accommodations they booked were all fantastic, from boutique hotels in the middle of the old towns in Zadar and Split to larger resort hotels in Hvar and Dubrovnik.

Our favorite experiences were ones we would have never found on our own, including a private biking tour and dinner at a restaurant in old town Hvar, a boat ride to Trogir, and the Blue Lagoon out of Split, with a stop at the most marvelous island for the most impressive and fancy lunch I've ever had. Other highlights were a history and gastronomy tour in Split; a biking tour outside of Dubrovnik, followed by a cooking class and amazing home-cooked meal at a family home; a kayaking tour out of Hvar; a private boat tour to the Blue Cave, with snorkeling; and a visit to Mali Ston to enjoy fresh oysters on the boat of the oyster farm owner, who explained how they caught the oysters and treated us to the freshest oysters and mussels we've ever had!

Our contact from the travel agency was always very quick to answer questions before and during the trip.

We loved Croatia – the history is amazing, the people are friendly, the food is great, the architecture is stunning, the national parks are gorgeous, and there is so much to do and experience. Everywhere we went, we felt 100% safe, and everything was very clean. The Adriatic Sea has crystal-clear, beautiful water.

You absolutely must visit Plitvice Lakes (stunning waterfalls and lake) and Krka National Park if you have time. It is beautiful, less crowded than Plitvice, and teeming with frogs, which my boys loved finding.

Split was my absolute favorite city. It’s amazing how they have incorporated newer architecture among the centuries-old buildings for an amazing old-town experience. Dubrovnik has stunning ancient walls and fortresses, Zadar is beautiful and has a great waterfront promenade, and Hvar is a vibrant and fun beach town.

The travel agency always set us up with local guides and drivers who really added to our experience. We loved having private tours instead of being with a huge group!

I'm so glad we booked through them and would encourage others to do the same!