Wine & gastro trip

Zagreb to Istria - a week of private premium gourmet explorations

From Michelin star restaurants, and wine tasting with expert sommeliers to truffle hunting, this one-week trip will show you some of the best gourmet wonders Croatia has to offer. After you indulge your delicate palate with locally grown and prepared meals, stretch your legs with light walking through historical cities and intact nature.

Trip highlights

  • Enjoy the best of cuisine and sights in Croatia’s capital Zagreb
  • Be dazed by one of the world’s most famous national parks, Plitvice, and its local specialities
  • Discover Istria’s burgeoning wine and food scene, aromatic olive oil estates and farms along with the region’s most prominent wineries
  • Go truffle hunting and have a taste of this pricy delicacy
  • Take a dab at fresco painting in Roč, explore the fresco art there 

Create your adventure

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The journey begins in the Croatian capital of Zagreb by tasting the best the city has to offer in addition to a Michelin star restaurant experience. After a private sightseeing walking tour of the Plitvice National Park, you head to the region of Istria on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. You will stroll through Rovinj and Motovun, the town of artists. Follow trained truffle hunting dogs while they are tirelessly seeking “The Gold of Istria” in the forests. Visit the immersive fresco art workshop in Roč and eat at the finest restaurants, both in Roč, Rovinj and their surroundings.

Zagreb is the capital of Croatia, best known for its strolling culture and a mix of a vibrant yet relaxed vibe, with a myriad of cafés at every corner. 

The city offers its guests the baroque atmosphere of the Upper Town, the colourful open market Dolac, which is buzzing with life in the morning and early afternoon hours, green parks and promenades, but also superb culinary delights and exciting nightlife. Downtown area or Lower Town is a perfect mix of secessionist, neo-baroque and art deco buildings which tell a lot of stories from its vast history, centuries-old yet not forgotten.

Plitvice National Park is a protected natural wonder, listed as UNESCO's World Heritage Site. The park is a magical world of lakes, waterfalls, moss and forests. Nestled in the embrace of the surrounding wooded mountains are sixteen smaller and larger crystal turquoise lakes, interconnected by foaming cascades and deep falls. The park includes the headwaters of the Korana River in an area surrounded by dense forests and is additionally ornamented by several caves, springs and flower-filled meadows, which show the vast diversity of flora and fauna in the park.

Istria is the western littoral region of Croatia with many hidden treasures, some of them literally covered with dirt. The forests along the Mirna River in central and northern Istria are home to truffles, aromatic and pricey underground mushrooms. They grow in the soil and are considered as the pinnacle of the regional cuisine. Istria is famous for its top-quality white truffles which are often compared to those from the Italian regions of Alba and Piedmont.

Istria is also known as the best olive oil region in the world, according to the Flos Olei, the first international and the most relevant European olive oil guide.

The endless list of Istrian treasures and hotspots would not be complete without the drink of the gods i.e. wine. Local wines won many international awards, grabbing the attention of world-acclaimed sommeliers and wine aficionados throughout the last decade or two.

At Kabola wine cellar you will be a part of a professionally guided wine tasting, and get recommendations from the sommelier. You will taste several wine varieties among the famous Kabola wine collection: Istrian Malvasia, Amfora Malvasia, Momjan Muscat, Sparkling Wine RE, Teran, Merlot or Cabernet. Cheese, bread, dessert and olive oil will be tasted too. The winery Kabola won the Luxury Lifestyle Award by Luxury Travel Guide as the best in the category of Traditional Winemaker of the Year 2017 along with other accolades.

Day-by-day itinerary

DAY 1

Private tour of Zagreb and dinner in a Michelin star restaurant

Fly into Zagreb. Private transfer to your boutique 5-star boutique hotel in Zagreb centre such as Le Premier or similar. Check-in and time to freshen up. Depending on when you fly in and arrive at your hotel, time to explore Zagreb with your private local guide in English and later on destress in the hotel’s wellness/spa zone. Dinner at Noel, a Michelin star winning restaurant in the evening. Overnight.

DAY 2

Private tour of Plitvice National Park & local delicacies

After breakfast and check out head to Plitvice National Park, with its unique flora and fauna and its 16 magnificent and world-renowned lakes and cascades. A private sightseeing walking tour of the National Park, which includes a boat ride and a panoramic train ride (subject to weather conditions), allows you to experience first-hand the magical beauty of the lakes and waterfalls, each spectacular in its own right. Lunch at a local restaurant features a delicious array of local specialities including local cheese and cold cut delights, specifically prepared and scrumptious spit-roasted lamb and „pole“ potatoes. Late afternoon private transfer to your Rovinj hotel 5* such as Hotel Lone or similar. Dinner at the hotel after checking in and overnight.

DAY 3

Rovinj private tour with a visit to a boutique winery and restaurant

Breakfast at the hotel. Afterwards head to Kabola winery for a tour of the winery, presentation and wine tasting (several wine varieties) and some cheese, olive oil and homemade bread tastings as well. You will be able to buy some souvenirs to take home to your families and friends. In the early afternoon, drive back to Rovinj for lunch on your own in the centre followed by a private guided tour in English of the gorgeous old town and its local sites. This city is known as the pearl of the western Istrian coast and the most romantic place in the Mediterranean. What makes the old city centre – a cultural monument – so special are the characteristically built chimneys. The view of Rovinj is dominated by the baroque church of Saint Euphemia, with a 60-meter-high tower as the replica of the bell tower on the basilica of Saint Marcus in Venice. The top of the church holds a bronze statue of Saint Euphemia which turns in the direction of the wind. Take a walk around the Carrera street, Bregovita street and Grisia street, the gallery under open skies and open to all – academic artists and amateurs. Buy some local souvenirs and gifts to take home as a „memento“ to this Istrian journey. Return to the hotel to freshen up and head for dinner to the famous Monte or Barba Danilo restaurant (or equivalent). Overnight at the Rovinj hotel.

DAY 4

Private tour of Motovun and fresco art workshop

Following an earlier breakfast, your chauffeur will take you to Motovun and your private local guide will wait for you there to take you around this quaint, fortified little Istrian dreamy town. You can end this visit with a quick cup of great espresso overlooking the hills just outside the fortified Motovun. Afterwards, you will visit a small place called Roč near Motovun and Buzet to take a short private walking tour, followed by a visit to the little fresco church, with a presentation there and an immersive fresco art workshop included so you can take a dab at being an artist yourself.

Lunch in Roč or the surroundings with autochthonous Istrian dishes and local wine varieties, that will make your palate remember this for years to come.

In the afternoon you head back to Rovinj. Upon return to the hotel, you can freshen up, use the spa and wellness there if time permits and afterwards go for dinner to the acclaimed La Puntulina restaurant or equivalent in Rovinj. Overnight in Rovinj.

DAY 5

Truffle hunting and tasting the locally grown and prepared delicacies

Following breakfast, there will be a private transfer with your driver to Livade, near Motovun for the truffle hunting demonstration and activity with a professional truffle hunting guide in English. Truffle pasta lunch will ensue in a local Livade restaurant, followed or preceded by various tastings (honey, wine, olive oil) included at a nearby location and grown by local farmers, making them as organic as they come.

In the afternoon transfer to Poreč for a private guided walking tour in English with a local guide and a pitstop for coffee by the water and delicious Italian-style gelato with a Croatian twist. Early evening return to your hotel to freshen up and head to dinner.

Dinner at La Puntulina or Orca or equivalent for trying out local gourmet delights. Overnight.

DAY 6

Try various local herbs and spices, olive oil and shellfish

After breakfast, your driver will drive you to the nearby farm for an aromatic herbal journey, giving you a unique opportunity to try out the local herbs as presented by your Istrian hosts, olive oil tasting ensuing and a visit to the Lim channel/fiord coupled with a local and unique shellfish tasting experience. Afterwards visit the Veralda winery in the town of Brtonigla (yet another quaint and charming Istrian town) for local gourmet delights (3-course) lunch preceded by a wine demonstration, wine cellar tour and tastings. Evening return to the hotel. If you are still hungry after these culinary visits - dinner optional and on your own in one of Rovinj’s numerous restaurants. You can take a final walk around town before saying bye to the Istria region the next day. Overnight in Rovinj.

DAY 7

Check out and back to Zagreb

Check out after breakfast followed by your private transfer to the Zagreb International Airport as per your flight itinerary. 

Ask about availability & get an offer

What happens when you request an offer?

1

We will double-check availability and make reservations for your rooms, restaurants, guides etc.

2

With reservations confirmed, we will prepare the best offer possible in regard to your arrival date & party size

3

You will get the offer via e-mail, along with the payment options. Feel free to request further customisations!

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