Strategem Travel Presents

Slovenia & Croatia 2025

Wine & Culinary Tour
September 26-October 6, 2025

2025 Tour Details

Experience the magic of Slovenia and Croatia on this unforgettable journey—from the charming streets of Ljubljana to the stunning Dalmatian coast. Savor local flavors, explore historic cities, and immerse yourself in breathtaking landscapes, ending in iconic Dubrovnik.

Itinerary

  • Day 0: Fly to Ljubljana (airfare additional), Slovenia's Capital City

  • Day 1: Ljubljana

    Arrive in Ljubljana and check into the Grand Hotel Union. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant with traditional Slovenian fare and get to know your fellow travelers and review the final itinerary.

  • Day 2: Lake Bled

    Travel to Lake Bled in the Julian Alps. Visit the Bled Castle with lunch at its famous restaurant and free time to explore the area’s natural beauty. Depart back to Ljubljana.

  • Day 3: Ljubljana and Rovinj

    Participate in a walking tour of Ljubljana and be introduced to its historic buildings, green parks, picturesque bridges and central market. Depart for a wine tasting in the Slovenian countryside enroute to Rovinj, Croatia. Check into the Hotel Lone Rovinj.

  • Day 4: Istria

    Explore the picturesque seaside town of Rovinj and its town square. Head into the Istrian countryside and experience an olive oil tasting and a wine tasting with local producers.

  • Day 5: Istria

    Another day of specialty food tasting is planned with visits to a local truffle producer (and meet the dogs that hunt for truffles) and goat cheese producer (and meet the goats). A visit to Motovun, Istria’s most famous hilltop town and home to Italian-American racing car driver, Mario Andretti, will provide you with magnificent views of the Mirna River and the Motovun Forest.

  • Day 6: Dalmatia Northern Coast

    Depart Rovinj and enroute to Split, experience an outdoor wine luncheon at the Kraljevski Winery near Zadar on Dalmatia’s northern coast. Check into the Hotel Cvita and enjoy Croatia’s second largest city, full of Roman ruins and natural splendors.

  • Day 7: Split

    Visit the local farmers’ markets and gather provisions for a cooking class and lunch. Venture into the Diocletian Palace complex and explore Split’s famous promenade.

  • Day 8: Island of Hvar

    Ferry to the island of Hvar, named the best island in Europe by Condé Nast.  Tour its quaint villages and fields of lavender and experience the island's rich history. A countryside lunch will include local wines, olive oils and specialty foods.

  • Day 9: Peljesac Pennisula

    Leaving Croatia’s mainland and crossing into the Paljesac Peninsula, we will stop at Mali Ston for an oyster harvest experience. That’s right, the oysters are harvested and shucked onsite and served with local wines. We will then depart for Korta Katarina, a spectacular winery and villa owned by Americans Lee and Penny Anderson. Check into the Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel.

  • Day 10: Dubrovnik

    Explore Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic. With the Dubrovnik Pass you will access Dubrovnik’s historic attractions, access the wall around the old city, and visit Stradun, Dubrovnik’s main street. A Farewell Dinner will include Peka which is Dalmatian cooking involving meat or fish with vegetables and cooked in an iron dome over hot coals.

  • Day 11: Departure or Extend

    Depart from Dubrovnik or extend your stay with tours to Kotor, Montenegro and Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina or elsewhere in Europe.

Tour Map

Croatia is Calling You

A Taste of the Tour

  • See the Wine & Culinary Tour through the eyes of 2022 travelers, David and Suzanne Mills-Rittmann. This video features some of their favorite stops along the tour, including a visit to the Baioco Olive Oil Company in Istria and Split’s Diocletian Palace historic area.

  • Discover the food - local specialties, handmade chocolates, fine dining, wood fired traditional peka, fresh seafood, and more!

  • Listen to the Croatians Online Podcast to hear about tour host, Randall’s, connection to Croatia and why he is so passionate about introducing more people to the amazing wine, food, and natural beauty of this country

Pricing & Payment Schedule

PRICING

Double Occupancy: $4,950
Single Occupancy: $5,850

INCLUDES:

✓ 10 nights in in 4 & 5 Star Hotels

✓ All breakfasts, seven meals, plus wine, olive oil, truffle and cheese tastings, oyster harvest, plus cooking class

✓ Luxury bus and ferry transport

✓ Custom Wine & Culinary Experiences

✓ Accompanied by Local Hosts

Payment Schedule

  • Deposit due at booking

  • 1st payment due March 20, 2025

  • 2nd payment due May 20, 2025

  • Final Payment due July 20, 2025

Accepted Payments

  • Visa (credit and debit cards)

  • MasterCard (credit and debit cards)

  • American Express

  • Discover (US merchants only)

  • Apple Pay

Meet your hosts

Let our hosts introduce you to new memories of a country with historic, jeweled islands surrounded by azure waters and tantalizing wine and food experiences.

  • Randall and Kristin Olson have hosted over 100 people to Croatia on tours. Avid travelers, they create highly customized tours to include experiences that promote the best in class to include accommodations, meals and visits to local producers, such as wineries, breweries and food specialties. Combined with Croatia’s beautiful countryside and rich traditions in music and art, participants have long lasting memories of their travels.

  • Bok! We are  Alex and Domeniko, an American and Croatian duo in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Based on our mutual love of this country, we founded Mindful Travel Croatia to share our insider knowledge with others. Alex is the founder of the award winning travel blog, The Mindful Mermaid, while Domeniko has over 10 years working as a local expert in Croatia tourism. Together, we’ve traveled to every corner of the country, gathering a wide base of expertise and contacts.

Testimonials

  • "This tour far exceeded my wildest expectations. I had such a wonderful time. Without the collective guidance of the tour planners I would have never found such hidden gems. The experiences were off the beaten path. Most were not on the standard tourist trail, as one could see by the specialized welcomes and the lack of other tourist groups. I genuinely enjoyed every outing on the tour."

    Janice - Montana

  • "Our first trip to Croatia, and happy to have Randall & team plan it! Amazing unspoiled scenery and coastlines. The winery tours were unique because Randall knows the owners, so in most cases it was a very personalized experience. We gained a few pounds with the fabulous food, but worth every belt loop!"

    Dave & Lisa - Minnesota

  • “I traveled to Croatia in 2023 and had no idea what to expect. It is a beautiful country to visit, and also has a rich music tradition. The food and wine experiences were very memorable, but there was also free time for me to explore destinations on my own. The people in my group were great to travel with, and I remain in contact with many of them. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in visiting Croatia.”

    Chris - Pennsylvania

  • “I have traveled to Croatia with this group twice. The experiences with the wineries, ruins, locals, tours and especially the food were all 5 star, as were the accommodations. The relationships with the other travelers was an added bonus. They were excellently curated trips and I look forward to more!”

    CKC - Minnesota

  • "As a single traveler, I very much appreciated that all the accommodations, transportation, and activities were taken care of by the experts at Strategem Travel together with their Croatian contacts. All I needed to do was enjoy myself! There was a nice balance between free time and scheduled activities. The planned events were well thought out and immersed me in Croatian culture, food, and wine."

    Sandy B - Minnesota