Croatia

Thank you, Silvy, and the VBT reservation office for making this a true vacation and taking care of all the details. From the moment we hung up the phone I was certain my first trip with VBT would not be my last. Our local, native Croatian host, Andrej, was friendly, timely, helpful, informative, and an all-around nice guy. I also loved the Ride GPS app and the opportunities to explore Ston and other points of interest — I especially enjoyed roaming around the uninhabited town of Nakovana. With VBT arranged hotels all along the coast and beautiful September weather, I was able to swim in the Adriatic most days of our trip (bring water shoes to walk along the rocks and cobblestones!) So much more to explore…I will be back!

This was our first VBT tour - the cycling, scenery and support from Andrej was excellent. Unfortunately, the value for the accommodations was lacking. Two out of three hotels were not what we would have expected for the cost. While we thoroughly enjoyed Croatia and the cycling, we will be looking for alternative tour operators in the future.

From start to finish - this was an amazing trip. 1. Flew into split and transferred to hotel 2. Great hotel short walk from the main part of the downtown water area. 3. Great initial tour of city and history of Roman involvement (and Popes) before boarding the yacht. 4. The Yacht was amazing - great staff (Captain, Sailors, wait staff, and chef staff) - 7 total. 5. Meals on Board were exceptional. 6. Rooms were far larger than a typical cruise ship (8 below deck and 10 above deck). 7. Bar was also exceptionally well stocked. 8. Bike rides were challenging (we were on road bikes) ... but the sights were stunning ... riding to the tops of mountains made the views that much more rewarding. 9. Mid-day activities were exceptional ... things like an olive oil demonstration with lunch ... 10. Port towns (where we docked at night) - gave some outstanding options for meals and sightseeing. 11. Yacht also had a "sun" deck and a jacuzzi - it was truly exceptional. 12. Post tour extension in Dubrovnik was a must if you have not been ... toured the walled city and walked it, took the cable car to the top of the mountain and watched sunset, visited the cave bar in Hotel More (our hotel) - it was pretty amazing by itself, and then of course ate at some amazing restaurants. 13. Guides were amazing ... Irena & Matija (we did the VBT Lake District tour 6 weeks later and bumped into Matija & family on vacation there).

The guides were wonderful. The biking was wonderful. Beautiful routes and we loved seeing the countryside and small towns. It was surprising to us that EVERYONE spoke English. Not just the tour guides, but all the people in the cafes and coffee shops we visited. We do miss the days when everyone actually rode a bike, not a motorcycle. Maybe VBT could have some “no e-bike” trips? The boat was spacious and very convenient. The staff was professional and very helpful. This was our first trip on a boat and we would definitely do it again. Our time in Split and Dubrovnik did not live up to our hopes. Everything was impassable 8-5 when the multiple cruise ships dumped their thousands of passengers. Both were nice after 5 and we got a sense of what it was probably like 5 years ago. We have dreamed of “walking the wall” in Dubrovnik for a decade, but it was more of a trudge with a line of people. Everyone said we were lucky we were there before the “busy season”. We are happy for that. An introduction to a new culture is always good, but not on our list to revisit. We would give the trip 3.5 if that were an option. VBT did a great job, but the experience was diminished by the crowds of people in the cities. Not the fault of VBT

Just returned yesterday from Croatia. This was our first VBT tour and I'm sure it will not be our last. Our guides, Marko and Vanja were exceptional and we hated to leave them. They went above and beyond with recommendations for restaurants, things to see and do during the tour as well as the post tour extension in Split.

Wowsa, what a wonderful adventure. We explored the Dalmatian Islands on beautiful scenic roads... and most importantly from the comfort of e-bikes, which made the "rolling hills" a little easier to ride. Our guides did an outstanding job from day one. Highly recommend this trip!

This was a terrific trip, especially because of our wonderful guides Vida and Dani. We lucked out with glorious weather. Our walking trips were varied and really wonderful. The hotels were first class with superior service and meals. The short tours provided were very interesting. I always felt very well taken care of with thoughtful small acts of kindness. Our guides answered all of questions with great in-depth conversations. A first-class experience!!

The guides where wonderful I learned so much about the countries we visited. Everything was top notch. The reason I always choose Country Walkers is the fact they always use local guides this makes the trip stand out above the rest. You get an insight not found with other tour companies.

This walking tour was awesome. The different venues, hikes and lodging was all terrific . The single factor that made the trip so good, were the two Guides. Dani and Dani were so thoughtful, knowledgeable, and their trips to lunches and meals and wine tasting, at various venues were remarkable. Getting to know some of the locals at these venues, and visiting places off the beaten path, were one of the high points, in my view.

We had a great trip thanks in a large part to our guides and our Croatian hosts! Dani and Dani were a great guiding team, who adapted the itinerary to meet our needs. They were thoughtful, informative and knowledgable. I would highly recommend this trip. You will learn so much about the wonderful and beautiful Dalmatian coast.