The Eastern Discovery
Start: Zagreb Finish: Athens
Duration: 13 Nights
Tour Operator: Insight Vacations
Prices From:
Tour Overview
This multi-layered journey takes you from Plitvice Lakes in Croatia to the mighty Parthenon in Athens and on to the shimmering Greek isles with a stopover in Corfu.
Highlights
Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Zagreb
Location: Zagreb
Accommodation: Sheraton Zagreb Hotel.
Meals: Dinner with Wine
Transfers to your hotel depart from Zagreb airport at 11:30 and 14:00. Relax and settle in or perhaps head for the romantic chestnut-lined Stross Promenade for your first views over the city. At 17:30, join your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant with the opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers over a pleasant evening with wine.(Dinner with Wine)
Day 2: Zagreb’s Twin Towns
Location: Zagreb
Accommodation: Sheraton Zagreb Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast
Join your Local Expert to explore the two-tiered capital of Croatia. Drive through the squares of the Lower Town, Donji Grad, designed to give a sense of grandeur. See the Mimara Art Museum in Roosevelt Square and continue to Ban Josip Jelacic Square en route to the cathedral. Board the city's funicular to the medieval Upper Town, Gornji Grad. It's a network of little streets, stretching between the Kaptol and Gradec hills. View the former Presidential Palace, Stone Gate, St. Mark's Church and the Lotrščak Tower. The afternoon is at leisure. Relax and enjoy your hotel's amenities or perhaps take an Optional Experience to the Zagorje region to learn about the local traditions and visit the house of Marshall Tito?(Breakfast)
Day 3: The Crystal Lakes of Plitvice
Location: Zagreb
Accommodation: Hotel Lyra, Licko Petrovo Selo.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Take this morning to relax and enjoy your hotel's facilities. In the afternoon depart for your next hotel, located inside the Plitvice Lakes National Park. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, this is Croatia’s first and largest national park of Croatia. While the park is predominately forests and grasslands, the true highlight are the interconnected lakes that cascade from one to another.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)
Day 4: Plitvice Lakes, Ancient Trogir and Split
Location: Trogir, Split
Accommodation: Hotel President Solin, Split.
Meals: Breakfast
Explore Plitvice with Insight Choice. Choose between two Make Travel Matter Experiences: Join a guided tour of the National Park and walk along forest paths among 16 interconnecting lakes or alternatively, head to the National Park's viewpoint and learn about folklore at the Tara Community centre. Travel along the coast and visit Trogir, founded by the Greeks more than 2,300 years ago. This town is renowned for its beautiful cathedral and Renaissance Cipiko Palace. Continue to the historic port of Split.(Breakfast)
Day 5: Diocletian’s Palace
Location: Split, Dubrovnik
Accommodation: Hotel Croatia Cavtat.
Meals: Breakfast
The Roman Emperor Diocletian built his palace here, and today it forms the heart of the Old Town of Split. With your Local Expert, explore the 1,700 year-old palace cellars, and learn the story of the infamous emperor. Continue through the labyrinthine streets and arcaded squares to see St. Duje's - originally Diocletian's Mausoleum, and the Temple of Jupiter, which today is a baptistery, as well as the Golden Gate. Travel alongside sparkling deep blue seas and the rocky islands of the Dalmatian coast to Dubrovnik.(Breakfast)
Day 6: Dubrovnik, Pearl of the Adriatic
Location: Dubrovnik
Accommodation: Hotel Croatia Cavtat.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
The walled town of Dubrovnik, was once described as 'paradise on Earth', according to George Bernard Shaw.Join a walking exploration of the city, guided by a Local Expert. Get a glimpse into local life, as you explore the stone-paved streets inside the 16th century bastions of the Old Town. Walk past Onofrio's Fountain, see the Old Jewish Quarter and the synagogue, and marvel at the grandeur of the cathedral and the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries. This evening, should weather permit, embark on a dazzling cruise around the fabled bay. Gaze out at views of the glistening Adriatic and the mighty city walls rising straight from the cliffs. Start your dinner with a glass of grappa, before savouring authentic flavours of local specialties washed down with locally produced wine.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)
Day 7: Mediterranean Montenegro
Location: Dubrovnik, Budva
Accommodation: Hotel Budva.
Meals: Breakfast
Stop to visit the old town of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admire the bay, with its azure waters lapping at the edges of the medieval towns which dot the coastline. Next, make your way along the Adriatic sea to Budva. Discover the medieval old town, home to religious sites such as 9th century Church of Santa Maria in Punta.(Breakfast)
Day 8: Scenic Drive to Tirana
Location: Dubrovnik, Kotor, Tirana
Accommodation: Maritim Hotel Plaza Tirana.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Travel through the spectacular scenery of Montenegro and Albania and continue to the fascinating capital of Tirana. Led by your Local Expert, explore this warmhearted and colourful city, and see the diverse relics that remain from its Ottoman, Italian and communist past. This evening, feast on a traditional dinner at a local restaurant.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)
Day 9: Across to Corfu
Location: Tirana, Corfu
Accommodation: Divani Palace Hotel Corfu.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Take in Albania’s unique scenery, as you journey across the country to Greece, and set sail for the cobalt-blue waters of Corfu. Renowned since Odysseus for its untamed beauty and strategic position in the Mediterranean, Corfu today is one of Greece’s most charming islands.(Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 10: Relax in Corfu
Location: Corfu
Accommodation: Divani Palace Hotel Corfu.
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a full day at leisure to relax and enjoy the beautiful island of Corfu. Perhaps explore the Old Town and admire the interesting mix of architectural styles, from Roman and Venetian to French and British, each resembling an era of the island’s interesting past before it was united with Greece. Alternatively, you may want to lay-back and unwind at one of the incredible beaches, or board a cruise for stunning views around the island?(Breakfast)
Day 11: Delphi, Centre of the Ancient World
Location: Corfu
Accommodation: Amalia Hotel Delphi.
Meals: Breakfast
Set off from your island paradise for Delphi, a spectacular cliff-side amphitheatre and worthy of its status as the centre of the ancient world. History and mythology run deep here, with finds of ritual artefacts that date back to 4,000 B.C and remains of a Mycenaean settlement. It is said that Delphi is the location where two eagles crossed paths, after they were released by Zeus from opposite end of the universe to find ‘the navel of the world.’(Breakfast)
Day 12: Delphi sightseeing and on to Athens
Location: Athens
Accommodation: Divani Caravel Hotel, Athens.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Ascend the Sacred Way of Delphi with your Local Expert. Pass the Parian marble Treasury of the Athenians and Polygonal Wall with its interlocking stones, still perfectly intact after thousands of years. You'll approach the Temple of Apollo, where for 14 centuries the mysterious Oracle of Delphi breathed her enigmatic ‘words,' rumoured to have successfully predicted events related to the Argonauts expedition and the Trojan War. Your travels then continue to the ancient city of Athens, the modern capital of Greece. In the evening, enjoy a hearty Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant in true Greek style, complete with wine and good cheer.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)
Day 13: The Glory of Athens
Location: Athens
Accommodation: Divani Caravel Hotel, Athens.
Meals: Breakfast
Join a Local Expert for a morning of city sightseeing. Enjoy the glory of ancient Greece from the Acropolis with the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, also known as the Temple of the Wingless Victory, and the six stone-carved caryatids that make up the Porch of the Maidens on the Erechtheion. You will also see the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Arch of Hadrian. This afternoon is yours to explore at your own pace.(Breakfast)
Day 14: Depart Athens
Location: Athens
Meals: Breakfast
Your journey comes to an end with a transfer to Athens airport.(Breakfast)
What's Included
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Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available)
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If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport
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From time to time, your Travel Director will enchant you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination
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If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport
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If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times
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Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxury, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom
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Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas
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We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door
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Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary
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We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels
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Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency
Your Peace of Mind Options
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Low Deposit
Insight Vacations requires a deposit of 20% to secure a place on this tour, and the final balance is not due till 56 days before departure..
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Secure payments
All payments to TourHub are deposited into an externally regulated Trust account.