245 days of sunshine a year. Sapphire waters. Fresh squid. Whitewashed limestone villages. Ride in the morning, taking in the views of the Adriatic on the islands of Hvar, Brac and Korcula, then be a part of the view as you boat between islands. And end the day with a swim. Everyone should experience this. It's as relaxing as the Caribbean, as historic as Venice. Nowhere near as crowded as the French Riviera. People have traveled here for more than 140 years. And yet it still feels like, as the Croatians say, "The Mediterranean as it once was."
Day 1 Explore the dazzling Dalmatian Coast by bike
Our first stop is Brac Island, renowned since Greek times for its white marble Pedal past picturesque stone walls shaded by cypress, olive and orange trees from the seaside village of Milna to Pucisca.
Days 2-3 Island-hop on the sun-drenched Adriatic and swim in sapphire coves
After a beautiful coastal spin, tackle a series of climbs to reach Brac's oldest village Head to Hvar, a chic isle where average annual "sun fall" is 2,724 hours Our friends Mate and Michaela invite us over for a home-cooked meal made with ingredients from their garden Bike amid jagged limestone cliffs and undulating rosemary and lavender fields Vinko and Darinka's family has been making wine and grappa for generations; let's join them for a taste! Ready to cool off? Take the plunge in refreshing waters off quiet beaches The Hvar Town harbor sets off brilliant sunsets.
Days 4-5 Gain insight into Croatia's history and culture
A hilly route leads you around Korcula Island, lush with vineyards, olive groves and forests Explore elegant Korcula Town, a fortified medieval village and former Venetian settlement - it's a reputed birthplace of Marco Polo Savor lovely ocean vistas and quaint villages on a final spin.
Day 6 Dubrovnik, an architectural masterpiece with turrets, spires and tiled roofs
Take in views of this World Heritage site during a guided walk atop the magnificent city walls.
Trip Highlights
- Explore the reborn Dalmatian Coast by bike, with breathtaking sapphire sea views
- Island-hop along the sun-drenched Adriatic and swim in hidden coves
- Gain insight into Croatia's fascinating history and culture
- The freshest seafood and local cuisine
- Dubrovnik, an architectural masterpiece with turrets, spires and tiled roofs
Casual Inns
Deskovic Palace (1 night): Set on the waterfront, a welcoming Renaissance family palace and registered cultural monument dating from 1497.
Adriana Hvar Marina Hotel & Spa (2 nights): This stylish property offers a great view of the old town and yacht harbor, and "a blissful rooftop terrace," according to the Hideaway Report. (pool, spa)
Hotel Korkyra (1 night): Overlooking the port and recently renovated with a sleek contemporary design; Korcula Island's best option. (pool, spa)
Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik (1 night): Located just outside the old town gates with plentiful amenities and a history of entertaining dignitaries and celebrities. (pool)
Routes For All Abilities
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of
interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one
day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat
from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each
day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
| Daily Route Options | ||||||||||
| Day | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | ||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | |
| 1 | 13* | 1000 | 28 | 2500 | ||||||
| Boat to Brac Island (1 hour) | ||||||||||
| 2 | 18* | 100 | 31* | 3500 | ||||||
| Boat to Hvar Island (2.5 hours) | ||||||||||
| 3 | 21* | 400 | 38 | 2700 | ||||||
| 26* | 1400 | |||||||||
| 4 | 16* | 900 | 26 | 1700 | 37 | 2000 | ||||
| Private boat to Korcula Island (3 hours) | ||||||||||
| 5 | 20* | 1100 | 30 | 1500 | ||||||
| Boat and shuttle to Dubrovnik (2.5 hours) | ||||||||||
| 6 | Guided walk in Dubrovnik (45 minutes) | |||||||||
* Includes a shuttle
2013 Dates & Pricing*
CLASSIC TRIPS
- 5/26-31 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 6/2-7 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 6/13-18 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 6/28-7/3 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/19-24 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/25-30 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/9-14 Price: $4198 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/25-30 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 9/1-6 Price: $4198 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 9/8-13 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 9/10-15 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 9/15-20 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 9/22-27 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 9/24-29 Price: $4198 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 9/29-10/4 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
- 10/6-11 Price: $4198 pp dbl. occ., (+ $920 for sgl. occ.)
*Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.
Guest Trip Reviews
The Croatia trip was wonderful! We loved the scenery. The poppy flowers and olive trees made for dramatic scenery over the cliffs with the panoramic views over the Adriatic. It was the most breathtaking scenery I have ever witnessed. It was so nice to be on a vacation where you do not have to worry about travel arrangements or timing. You could never pull something like this off by yourself. Backroads really shined in this trip.- Charlotte, NC
Another fabulous Backroads vacation!! I loved sailing from island to the next and then bicycling each day. I enjoyed the challenging biking with lovely scenery.-Denver, CO
This turned out to be one of my best trips! I was worried about the hills, but the van support was great, and I handled the hills much better than I expected. This trip exemplifies why I am a huge Backroads fan.- Merion Station, PA
I had high expectations going into this trip, so I was prepared to be a little underwhelmed. In fact, the opposite was true. It far exceeded my expectations. Everything was so well organized, having the chartered boat was a big surprise, and the islands were incredibly beautiful. It was just incredibly fun. I hesitate to say this, but I think it was the best vacation we have ever gone on.- Salt Lake City, UT
This trip exceeded all my expectations!!! The logistics of moving people and equipment from site to site appeared to happen seamlessly. The trip leaders were very informed and flexible. I cannot say enough good things about the trip leaders and Backroads!- Frankfort, IN
Your staff on the trip was terrific and the routes selected provided some of the most beautiful vistas I have ever experienced.- Belvedere, CA
We spent a month in Croatia including the Backroads trip and a trip of Istria with one of your competitors. Your trip was superior. The logistics of your trip were quite challenging and the three guides really made it seamless. The bike routes were very enjoyable and had minimal traffic.- Boston, MA
This trip exceeded my expectations in many respects: the organization and leadership, the compatibility of the riders, the "Croatian" experience. It was the experience of a lifetime.- Hastings on Hudson, NY
This was my first Backroads trip and it did not disappoint! Thanks for a fabulous vacation in magical Croatia. Great itinerary... loved the opportunity to experience the country with personal touches from the locals, amazing scenery and epic bike rides. I am sad to be back home :(- Littleton, CO
As soon as we arrived and viewed the incredible landscape we knew we would be traveling through the pages of National Geographic, everyday. The countryside holds outstanding beauty and you can hear the rhythm of the land. Spectacular villages, old-world seaport towns, and fantastic views, warm people.- Philadelphia, PA
Even though this was one of the most challenging trips we have taken with you we loved it! The leaders were the best, the scenery was spectacular and we liked how the trip was set up with the boat and biking.- Edwards, CO
It exceeded my expectations... The leaders, hotels, restaurants/food, vistas and daily schedules were all extraordinary. I have been raving about it to everyone who will listen.- New York, NY
This was a trip of a lifetime! Backroads made everything so easy and we loved every minute.- Anchorage, AK
Trip of a lifetime! Experiencing Croatia on a bicycle along with a diverse and interesting group of people far exceeded what I was anticipating. This was our third Backroads trip with the first two being over 20 years ago. We experienced the same enthusiasm from Backroads and the leaders today as back then. Backroads does it right! Every aspect seems well thought out - the hotels, meals, bicycle routes, events put on by the locals specifically for us (wine tasting, lunches, dinners, the "lavender lady", the "olive oil lady"), snacks, wines...the list goes on and on! This trip will go down in our memory books as first rate in all aspects!!- Minden, NV
This was an amazing trip for all of my family. There was a warm connection between the trip leaders and the 21 people on our trip from the get go. We had a blast with everyone! The Dalmatian Coast is glorious. The food was healthy and refreshing. The leaders were so kind and made all the transitions seem effortless. There were a lot of logistical moves to get from island to island and back and Paolo and Heather just smiled through all of them and they worked very hard. We were relaxing and enjoying the ride, be it on cycles or boats!!- New Hope, PA
I have done a number of minimally supported (reservations, luggage transfer, and maps/directions) trips in the past, but this was my first fully supported trip. I do not know how it could be made better--it was that good.- London, England