Walking Croatia: Islands & Mountains

This was my first tour with Exodus, my first visit to Croatia and I enjoyed every moment. Our leader Zeljko was brilliant, we had a very friendly and fun group of people, the scenery was breath-taking, the hiking interesting and varied, Dubrovnik was fascinating, the Croatian people charming, the hotels excellent and the local food delicious. I could not have wished for a better experience.

The trip was amazing - made so by the friendliest and most accommodating tour guide, great tour group, and the beautiful trails and amazing food.

The previous reviews say it all, a great way to experience Croatia. I had already visited Dubrovnik and Split so for me the mountain hikes were what I enjoyed most especially those in the Paklenica National Park. On the Thursday hike we stopped at a mountain hut for delicious bean soup. Vegetarian choices in restaurants were available and the home cooking at the restaurant on the second evening in Bol was delicious!

This is an excellent exposure to a lovely country. There is a healthy amount of exertion with beautiful scenery and challenging but not killer hikes. There is enough time to explore a number of the coastal towns, but each could use a full day or two on its own. The island of Brach was such a treat with it’s sleepy, but beautiful resort feel to it. Croatia was a wonderful country with friendly people, exceptionally clean cities and countryside and gorgeous scenery. I had a feel that we were visiting sunny seaside resorts from 60 years ago. I mean that in the best way, as the country does not (yet) have over the top big high rise hotels, with the fast paced scenes and crush of tourists. Lot of families enjoying the waterfront and great walks along promenades overlooking the beach. I loved the exertion of the hikes, but also loved the times to simply relax and wonder through the towns and along the beach. Also I was shocked by the amount of the populace that spoke really good English. If you like a good deal of exertion in a clean, friendly, beautiful country that still has a relatively understated tourist feel this is a great tour. (There are tourists, but in late May it was not a crush of humanity by any means)

Our week in Croatia was a very enjoyable mix of hiking, sightseeing, socialising, food and wine. It also included perhaps a little too much adventure when the bora winds struck. On our second hike the winds, gusting at record speeds, literally blew several of us off our feet. Luckily injuries were limited to bruises and scrapes. Our leader, Zeljko Zarak, managed to get us all safely back despite road closures and emergency conditions. Otherwise the weather was beautiful, the hikes challenging but satisfying and the companionship of the group very pleasant. Some beach time was also included, as well as historical and architectural experiences in Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar. Zeljko provided very interesting and informative background on the history and politics of the country. I liked the fact that dinners were on our own but also appreciated Zeljko arranging several optional meals, particularly a bean soup lunch at the midpoint of one hike and a superb dinner at a family farm in Bol. My girlfriend and I are vegan/vegetarian and were initially concerned by what we heard was a heavily meat-based diet in Croatia. But we were very pleased with the options available to us. We were also told the hotels were very basic but all of them were excellent and each was better than the last as we moved from Dubrovnik to Bol to Starigrad and then Zadar.

Another excellent walking holiday with Exodus, with a friendly group in lovely surroundings.  The leader Zeljko was an inspiring and enthusiastic guide, and the holiday exceeded my expectations. 

It's a full on itinerary so not much chill time, but we saw a lot of a very beautiful country in a short time. This was my first trip to Croatia but I'm pretty sure not my last.

Booked this trip having previously been to Croatia and wanted to explore further. The trip was a great mix of walks, each with fabulous views followed by a refreshing dip in the sea and delicious food recommended by our guide Zeljko. There were also sightseeing oportunities in Dubrovnik and Split and a more relaxed stroll round the beautiful Krka waterfalls. We were a small friendly group of four plus our guide. There were lots of opportunities to chat with Zeljko about the walks, history and culture of his country. We also visited some local people for some grappa and figs. Travel between places was very well organised and we stayed in good accomodation in each place. As a vegetarian I was well looked after. Great food everywhere with Zeljko going out of his way to make sure I ate well.

This was my first overseas hiking adventure and probably would not be the last because of my terrific experience and confidence that I can manage it at my age (65) and with my physical stamina. It was terrific because I signed up only one week before the adventure started and everything was efficiently arranged and there was no hiccup at all (except for flight delay from London to Zagreb which was more an airline problem). The group leader was exceptional and the small group of 13 afforded a rather amicable relationship in no time. Our itinerary and what to expect was explained to us clearly every day and special efforts have been made to cater to our culinary needs in the evenings. Croatia is indeed a very scenic country and you would not regret signing up for this adventure.

A great week of walking in a beautiful country!