Croatia Cooking Vacations And Wine Tours on Dalmatian Coast

Our Croatia food tours and cooking vacations combine the best of culinary traditions with an in-depth exploration of this fascinating country. See a sample itinerary for our culinary vacations in Croatia below, or contact us to customize the tour to suit your tastes!

Day One

• Arrive at Split airport, and private transfer to your hotel, the centrally-located 4-star Hotel Marul.
• Tonight enjoy your first foray into Croatian cuisine with a welcome dinner with wine pairings.
• Overnight.

Day Two

• Breakfast.
• In the morning, delve into the cuisine of the Dalmatian coast with a private cooking class in Trogir, a UNESCO-protected islet. The class takes place in chef Tatjana’s 13th-century palace home, and you’ll learn more than just recipes. Tatjana will teach you what it’s like to live like a local in this historic town when she takes you to the farmer’s market, fish market, and the local butcher, depending on the menu for the day. In her kitchen, you’ll participate in every stage of the food preparation process; perhaps make homemade pasta, clean fish, and prepare entrees along with side dishes, sauces, and marinades.
• Lunch to follow based on your efforts, wine included.
• Return to Split in the afternoon for some time on your own. Perhaps walk over to the UNESCO-protected Diocletian’s palace, which dates back to the 4th century, and has more than 2,000 buildings spread across acres; it’s like a city of its own.
• Dinner on your own.
• Overnight.

Day Three

• Following breakfast, depart for the Dalmatian hinterland, a southern inland region in Croatia that some say is on the verge of being forgotten with its unspoiled green pastures and breathtaking river canyons. In the hinterland, visit the special and ancient village of Truse and see the old stone block houses. You’ll also take an easy walk up the mountain for an unforgettable view: the coast and islands on one side, and the hinterland and old villages on another. This is how the region got it’s name: “hinterland” translates to “zagora,” which also means “behind hills.”
• Return to the village of Truse and step into a 200-year-old house, where local chef Rino will led you in your next part demonstration, part hands-on cooking class.
• Start by tasting a few local specialties, such as homemade smoked ham, bacon, and cheese, along with wine, while Chef Dino demonstrates how to prepare soparnik (kale pie) and other local specialties. You’ll also have the chance to make your own bread that you can bake in a komin, an open fireplace that’s an important feature in all Croatian households. Lunch to follow with wine.
• Return to Split for some time at leisure. Some sights of interest include the Gallery of Fine Arts, which is located in an 18th-century building, and a stroll along the Riva waterfront promenade.
• Dinner on your own.
• Overnight.

Day Four

• Breakfast.
• In the morning, head out to Solta Island, also known as the “island of olives,” via the ferry, about a 45 minute ride. One of the most beautiful Croatian islands, the island is known for its uninhabited bays, rocky coastline, and unspoiled nature. Solta only has a few villages, such as the fishing village of Necujam and the main ferry port of Rogac. Upon arrival you’ll meet your guide for a private tour of the Olynthia Olive Mill, where you’ll see both modern and traditional production methods. Taste a few of their oils, including some of their signature flavors, such as lemon, garlic, and rosemary.
• Next, visit the Tvrdic family’s home. The family are third-generation beekeepers who teach you about how they produce honey, as well as introduce you to honey varieties and flavors. You’ll take a private tour of the island, where you’ll visit the beehives, as well as see how honey is made. You may even make some of your own!
• Enjoy a fabulous home-cooked Dalmatian lunch paired with local wines.
• Return back to the mainland for some time on your own to relax or explore.
• Dinner on your own.
• Overnight.

Day Five

• After breakfast, check out of the hotel for the second part of your Croatian culinary adventure: Dubrovnik. En route to the city, stop at Mali Ston bay, which is known for its fabulous oysters that are considered to not only be an aphrodisiac but also are known for their medicinal properties. During this special outing, you’ll take a private motor boat out with a local family to see how they harvest the oyster beds straight from the sea and learn about how the oysters breed, how they are formed, and what they eat. Retreat to a private island for some time to relax on the beach, and enjoy a light seafood lunch of the oysters — with a sprinkle of lemon juice, mussels, olive oil, and wine.
• Continue on to Dubrovnik and check into Hotel Kompas.
• Meet a guide for a walking tour of the Old Town in Dubrovnik, which George Bernard Shaw once called the “pearl of the Adriatic,” and stroll down the main pedestrian thoroughfare, Placa, home to cafes, shops, and monuments.
• Return to the hotel for dinner on your own.
• Overnight.

Day Six

• Following breakfast, embark on a private culinary and wine tour on the Peljesac peninsula with a renowned Croatian wine-maker as your guide. The tour consists of a trio of wine tastings at a variety of respected wine cellars, including Milos winery – home to a poet and wine maker – and Grgich winery in Trstenik to taste their famous white and red wines.
• The tour ends at a 500-year-old wine cellar for a class on peka making. In Croatia, a peka is an iron bell that is placed over a pan — where meat and potatoes are cooked — and is then covered in hot charcoal to cook and bake the food. Lunch to follow based on your efforts, along with local wines.
• Return to the city in the late afternoon for a bit of time on your own.
• Dinner on your own.

Day Seven

• Breakfast followed by check out. Transfer to Dubrovnik airport.