Dalmatian Highlights Cruise: 8 Days — Split to Dubrovnik Island Hopping with Daily Swims

Tour Overview

Itinerary Highlights

Day 1: Split — Diocletian’s Palace

Board your ship in Split harbor by early afternoon. Your home for the week is a traditional Croatian motor cruiser (built for the Dalmatian coast, with shallow draft to access small harbors). Settle into your cabin, then explore Split. The city is built inside — literally inside — Diocletian’s Palace (UNESCO, 295-305 AD), the retirement residence of the Roman Emperor Diocletian (the only emperor to voluntarily abdicate). The palace is a living city: 3,000 people live and work within its ancient walls. Walk through the Peristyle (the central courtyard, with its Egyptian sphinx — one of 12 Diocletian brought from Luxor), the Vestibule (the domed entrance hall with perfect acoustics — klapa singers perform here), and the substructures (the palace basement, which closely mirrors the layout of the imperial apartments above). Dinner at a konoba (traditional tavern) in one of the narrow palace alleys. Overnight docked in Split.

Day 2: Split to Hvar — The Sunniest Island

Morning departure. The cruise begins with a swim stop in a secluded bay on Brač Island — the crew drops anchor, and you jump directly into the Adriatic. The water is impossibly clear (visibility 20-30m) and a deep sapphire blue that seems photoshopped. Continue to Hvar Town on Hvar Island — the “Croatian St. Tropez,” renowned for receiving 2,724 hours of sunshine per year (more than any other Adriatic island). Afternoon: climb to Fortica (Španjola Fortress, 16th century Venetian) for the postcard view: the red-tiled roofs of Hvar Town, the Pakleni Islands archipelago, and the open Adriatic stretching to Italy. Walk through Hvar’s car-free old town — the Renaissance cathedral (Cathedral of St. Stephen, 16th century), the Arsenal (one of Europe’s oldest theaters, 1612), and the palm-lined waterfront promenade. Evening: Hvar’s nightlife is legendary — from the sophisticated waterfront bars (where superyachts moor) to tucked-away wine bars serving local Plavac Mali wine (a descendant of Zinfandel, native to Dalmatia). Overnight docked in Hvar.

Day 3: Hvar to Korčula — Marco Polo’s Birthplace

Morning swim stop at a pebble beach in the Pakleni Islands (a 20-minute boat ride from Hvar — crystal clear water, pine trees right to the water’s edge, and a renowned beach club if you want an espresso between swims). Cruise south to Korčula Town on Korčula Island. Korčula is a miniature Dubrovnik — a walled medieval town on a small peninsula, with herringbone street patterns designed to allow cooling sea breezes while blocking the fierce winter bora wind. The town claims to be Marco Polo’s birthplace (Venice disputes this, but the house with his alleged birthplace is here). Afternoon: walking tour — St. Mark’s Cathedral (Gothic-Renaissance, 15th century), the Marco Polo House, and the town walls. Watch the Moreška sword dance — a traditional Korčulan dance-drama depicting a battle between two kings for a princess, performed with real swords, dating to the 16th century (performed weekly in summer). Evening: dinner at a waterfront konoba — try brodetto (Adriatic fish stew) and Korčulan white wine (Pošip or Grk — both indigenous varieties). Overnight docked in Korčula.

Day 4: Korčula to Mljet — Odysseus’ Island

Morning cruise to Mljet National Park (UNESCO status pending). Mljet is the greenest Adriatic island — 70% forested, with two saltwater lakes (Veliko Jezero and Malo Jezero) connected to the sea by narrow channels. Legend says Odysseus was shipwrecked here and stayed for seven years with the nymph Calypso — and once you see it, the legend makes sense. Take a small boat across Veliko Jezero to St. Mary’s Island, home to a 12th-century Benedictine monastery (now a charming café — have an espresso in the cloister). Swim in the lake (the water is warmer than the sea, saltier, and perfectly calm — swimming to the island is a popular challenge). The silence of Mljet — just wind through pine trees, cicadas, and water lapping — is the antidote to the more bustling islands. Overnight docked near Mljet.

Day 5: Mljet to Dubrovnik — The Pearl of the Adriatic

Morning cruise toward Dubrovnik. The approach by sea — the city walls rising from the Adriatic, the red-tiled roofs of the Old Town, and the island of Lokrum offshore — is the way Dubrovnik was meant to be seen (the way traders, invaders, and travelers have approached for a millennium). Dock in Gruž Harbor and transfer to the Old Town. Afternoon: walk the city walls — the complete circuit (1,940m, up to 25m high, up to 6m thick). The views are extraordinary: the terracotta roofs of the Old Town, the blue of the Adriatic, Fort Lovrijenac perched on its rock, and the cable car climbing Mount Srđ. The walk takes 1.5-2 hours and is the essential Dubrovnik experience. Visit Fort Lovrijenac — the “Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar,” built on a 37m-high rock outside the city walls, with its famous inscription: NON BENE PRO TOTO LIBERTAS VENDITUR AURO (“Freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world”). Evening: walk the Stradun — Dubrovnik’s main street, polished limestone gleaming under streetlights. Dinner at a restaurant tucked in a side alley. Overnight in Dubrovnik (on board or hotel).

Day 6: Dubrovnik — Game of Thrones & Cable Car

Full day exploring Dubrovnik. Morning: Game of Thrones walking tour (if desired) — Dubrovnik was King’s Landing: the Jesuit Staircase (Cersei’s Walk of Shame), the Rector’s Palace (the Spice King’s palace in Qarth), and Fort Lovrijenac (the Red Keep). Visit the Franciscan Monastery (1317, home to Europe’s third-oldest pharmacy, operating continuously since 1317 — you can see the 14th-century medicine-making equipment), the Rector’s Palace (Gothic-Renaissance, the seat of the Republic of Ragusa’s government), and the Dubrovnik Cathedral (with its treasury containing the skull of St. Blaise — the city’s patron saint — in a gold reliquary shaped like a Byzantine crown). Afternoon: cable car to Mount Srđ (412m, 4-minute ride) for the ultimate panoramic view — the entire Old Town, Lokrum Island, the Elaphiti Islands, and on clear days, Italy (150km away across the Adriatic). Visit the Homeland War Museum in Fort Imperial at the summit — a sobering and essential exhibit on the 1991-1992 siege of Dubrovnik. Evening: sunset kayaking around the city walls (optional) — paddling beneath the walls that withstood Saracen sieges, Venetian attacks, and the 1667 earthquake. Farewell dinner. Overnight in Dubrovnik.

Day 7: Dubrovnik to Split — The Return Voyage

Morning at leisure in Dubrovnik — last walk on the Stradun, coffee at a café in the Old Harbor. Early afternoon departure, cruising north. Swim stop at a bay on Pelješac Peninsula — the peninsula is Croatia’s premier wine region (Dingač and Postup vineyards, the steepest on the Adriatic). Arrive Split by evening. Farewell captain’s dinner on board — grilled fish, local wine, and the crew’s hospitality. Overnight docked in Split.

Day 8: Disembarkation

Breakfast on board. Disembark by 9:00 AM. Transfer to Split Airport or extend your stay. The Dalmatian Coast — one of the most beautiful coastlines on Earth, with 1,244 islands (only 48 inhabited), crystal-clear water, and 2,000 years of history written in stone — leaves an impression that lasts a lifetime.

Included

• 7 nights on motor cruiser (A/C cabin with private bathroom)
• Half board (breakfast + lunch or dinner daily) + captain’s dinner
• Daily swim stops (multiple per day)
• English-speaking cruise director
• Guided tours: Split, Hvar, Korčula, Dubrovnik
• Mljet National Park entrance + boat to St. Mary’s Island
• Dubrovnik city walls ticket
• Port taxes & visitor fees
• Free WiFi on board