amazing trip and planning process

Croatia | Jun 10 - Jul 15, 2026

We stayed at Hotel Park Bled and had an amazing experience. We were upgraded to the biggest room in the hotel, which had a huge bedroom, a large living room with a kitchen table, a balcony, and a private sun-up area. The view of Bled lake with the castle, church, and island was spectacular. We enjoyed sitting on the lanai listening to live music and watching people go by. The location was great, close to the promenade and food booths. We also enjoyed walking around and doing some hikes to get different views of the lake. It was truly a spectacular stay.

We stayed at the AS Boutique Hotel in Ljubljana. The accommodations themselves were fine, but the parking situation was quite challenging and confusing. We had difficulty finding where to park and eventually had to use a parking garage. It was also hard to find the hotel initially. Clearer instructions about parking would have been helpful. Other than that, the hotel was okay.

We stayed at Hotel Mangart in Bovec, which is in a very recreational area popular for rafting, hiking, skiing, and biking. The hotel was not as high-end as some of the other places we stayed, and I was warned about this in advance. While the hotel itself was not perfect for our preferences, the people there were very nice and friendly, which made up for it. Overall, it worked out for the itinerary.

We did a city tour in Dubrovnik, and it was fabulous. The guide was very knowledgeable, accommodating, and spoke excellent English with little accent. They were enthusiastic about showing their country and made sure not to repeat information we already knew. It felt like we got more than what we paid for, and the experience was very engaging.

We took a city tour in Pula, which was fantastic. The guide was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. We felt like we got a lot of value from the tour, and the guide was very accommodating and engaging. It was a highlight of the trip, especially since we had recently visited Rome and the Colosseum, so it was interesting to compare.

This was an unexpected Gem. there are amazing cliffs and the gorge is cut out of the mountain. there is a path way cut right into the mountain. With the most beautiful water flowing below in waterfalls and rapids. And finished with a pastoral walk thru the forest and where the cows graze.

The city tour in Split was also excellent. The guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating, though maybe a little more time-conscious than the others. The English was great, and the guide was excited to share the history and culture. Overall, it was a very positive experience. if you do this tour make sure to pay for the visit below the Diocletian's palace. it was one of the highlights for us.

We did an excursion to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Honestly, it was just okay. It was during a heat dome, so it was very hot and crowded with tourists, especially cruise ship visitors. The main street felt like a tourist bazaar, and there wasn't much water for the usual activities like jumping off bridges. It felt very touristy and not as authentic as I had hoped. I might not recommend it unless you really want to see it, but I would have preferred spending more time in other places like Zadar or the Istrian Peninsula. This is obviously my personal opinion as many people loved it there.

One unexpected highlight was a two-hour hinterland tour of Ston given by Robbie himself, who lives there. It was not part of the original itinerary, but it was a wonderful, authentic experience. Robbie shared local knowledge, gave us homemade olive oil and honey, and showed us local spots. It felt very personal and genuine, and I highly recommend this kind of local insight for an authentic Croatian experience.