Upon arrival in Split, make your way to the hotel in the city centre. Feel free to explore at leisure before joining your fellow travellers in the lobby at 6pm for a welcome meeting with our Local Insider. They will accompany the group throughout the trip. You’ll then head out together to a local restaurant for dinner – an ideal opportunity to get to know each other. Afterwards, you might be tempted to enjoy a few more drinks in the lively bars in Split.

After breakfast, take a stroll to Marjan Hill – a 180m (580ft) high peak covered in pine forest, offering panoramic views of Split and the surrounding area. At the foot of the hill, you’ll embark on a sea kayaking adventure to hidden beaches where you can cool off in the calm, clear water. Later, you’ll learn about the history of Split, and have a chance to admire Roman and Venetian architecture on a guided walking tour of the Old Town. Diocletian’s Palace, built between the third and fourth centuries CE, is a particularly impressive sight.

Leave the mainland behind as you hop on a ferry to Hvar island – one of the sunniest places in Europe with an average of more than 2,700 hours of sunny weather per year. Spend the afternoon at leisure; stroll along the palm-lined promenade and cobblestone streets of Hvar Town, climb up to the medieval castle (Tvrdava Fortica), or catch rays on one of the many pebble beaches. Come nightfall, join the rest of the group at a wine bar and, if you fancy, party into the early hours – this is when Hvar really comes to life.

Hop on a speed boat to Vis – the furthest inhabited Croatian island from the mainland and one of the most charming. Formerly a Yugoslav military base, it was closed to visitors from the 1950s until 1989 and, while tourism has grown since, it has retained an authentic, low-key feel. Spend the day relaxing on wild beaches, and wandering through the Venetian courtyards and alleyways of Kut (an attractive neighbourhood in Vis town). You can also visit the Blue Cave – one of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders in Croatia on Biševo island – before returning to Hvar.

Wave goodbye to Hvar and continue south by ferry across the Adriatic Sea towards Korčula – an island known for its densely forested interior, dotted with medieval villages, vineyards and olive groves. It’s worth spending an hour or two exploring the fortified Old Town, which sits on a tiny, oval peninsula on the northeastern coast, characterised by Venetian Renaissance churches, squares and monuments. Beyond the main town, the Korčula coastline features an abundance of peaceful, uncrowded beaches (both sandy and pebble) in secluded bays, where you can swim, snorkel and soak up the sun.

Kick-start your day by cycling past pine forests and olive groves en route to Lumbarda. There, you’ll be able to taste grk – a dry white wine unique to the vineyards around Lumbarda that’s been grown in the area for more than 2,000 years. Pošip (white) and plavac (red) – both indigenous to Dalmatia – are also popular choices. Take time to explore the village or head to one of the nearby sandy beaches, Vela Przina or Bilin Zal, before returning to Korčula town. Later, tuck into a delicious dinner at a local restaurant.

Catch a ferry back to the mainland, stopping in Ston on the Pelješac peninsula, home to the oldest salt pans in Europe (dating back to the 14th century). Here, you’ll have an opportunity to sample the local speciality – oysters fresh from the sea – before continuing along the coast to Dubrovnik, which is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the world. Enjoy a guided walking tour of the Unesco-listed Old Town, with its blend of gothic, Renaissance and baroque styles, intersected by the limestone-paved promenade, Stradun. Cap off your trip with a farewell group dinner.

The time has come to bid farewell to your new friends as your Croatian adventure comes to an end. After one final breakfast, check out of the hotel by 10am and make your way to Dubrovnik airport – or choose to extend your stay and discover what else Croatia has to offer.