‍Depart with Elite Coach, 1685 West Main Street, Ephrata at 9::00 AM (charter bus takes us to JFK Airport (JFK)

KLM (national airline of the Netherlands) flight #642 departs JFK at 5:30 PM (multi meals)

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KLM flight #642 arrives Amsterdam (AMS) at 6:50 AM

KLM flight #1971 departs AMS at 9:55 AM and arrives at Split Airport at 12:05 PM. Then, short charter bus from airport to the 4 star Hotel Santa Lucia (www.hotelsantalucia-central.com), our centrally located hotel for the next 3 nights.

Our day will start with a 2-3 guided walking tour of this seaside city with cafes and ancient alleyways. It will be a day of leisure to explore bustling Split, one of the Med’s most compelling cities. it has a unique historical heritage, having grown out of the palace built here by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in 295 AD. The palace remains central to the city, with a warren of houses and shops. Overnight in Split.

We will have a 1 hour boat trip to Hvar and back. Hvar, a small island coastal town, has a beautiful Old Town that melts into its harbor. Hvar Island is the sunniest and greenest in Dalmatia.

Charter small boat for time at beautiful Mleni Beach.

Overnight in Split.

1 hour drive to Makarska, our home for the next 2 nights at the 4 star Park Hotel (www.parkhotel.hr). Makarska is known for its mix of coastal beauty, outdoor activities, and a lively atmosphere. It offers stunning beaches, a charming old town, and the nearby Biokovo mountain range for hiking and scenic views. There is a 70 minute path to a beautiful village of Kotisina. The Biokovo mountain range offers hiking opportunities, including a challenging climb to Sveti Juri, Croatia's second-highest peak. Makarska has a vibrant nightlife and a historic center with interesting architecture and a palm-fringed promenade. Makarska boasts a range of restaurants, cafes, and bars, many with waterfront views. If you enjoy beaches, hiking, exploring charming towns, and a vibrant social scene, Makarska is likely a place you'll enjoy. 

2.5 hour charter bus drive to Dubrovnik. We will stay the next 2 nights in the 5 star Hotel More (www.hotel-more.hr) Our hotel is on the coast, with a beautiful view of sunsets and it is a 10 minute public bus ride to the old town.

Dubrovnik’s nickname is the Pearl of the Adriatic within its thick medieval walls and ramparts is a traffic-free Old Town with a fun jumble of quiet, cobbled backlanes, narrow alleys and friendly squares. Dubrovnik flourished in the 15th & 16th centuries. Things to see include the Stradun pedestrian thoroughfare, mile long walk on the walls, museums, cathedral, and churches. Enjoy quiet mornings and evenings after cruise ship crowds have departed and visit local beaches.

We will have a 2-3 hour guided walking tour and then time for independent exploration. You can walk the walls at your time and pace.

3.5 hour drive to the ruined walled city of Stari Bar in the country of Montenegro. Despite its small size, Montenegro’s beauty is boundless with many walled towns, and its sights of cerulean seas beneath lavender-hued mountains. We will stop along the stunning Adriatic coast in towns such as Petrovacna Moru, and Sveti Stefan on the way to Stari Bar. Stari Bar is a lost in time, partially ruined ancient settlement that is one of the most enchanting places on the entire Adriatic coast. We will stay 2 nights at the 5 star Stara Carsija. https://www.staracarsija.me/homepage

Our day will start with a 2 hour guided walking tour of this ruined walled town. Controlled by the Ottoman Empire for much of its history, we will see a Mosque as well as an 11th Century citadel and an aqueduct. Afternoon may include a 25 minute drive to the Haj-Nehaj Fortress, a medieval fortress built by the Venetians in the 15th Century high on a bluff to defend themselves from the Ottoman Turks. The hike to get here is 30 minutes that climbs through blissful oak and pine forest, finally overlooking the peaceful Adriatic.

Another possibility in the afternoon is a 40 minute drive to Ulcinj, a magical, hilly, coastal walled town that is largely residential. Ulcinj is the only coastal walled town with an Albanian and Muslim majority. The minarets of multiple Mosques highlight the skyline here, a legacy of 300 years of Ottoman rule. Return to Stari Bar. Overnight in Stari Bar

40 minute drive to Lake Skadar National Park, a wetland paradise with tranquil waters, encircling mountains and floating meadows of water lilies. We will have a choice of exploring Lake Skadar either by boat or kayak, the 2 best ways to explore this treasure known for its 280 species of birds, especially flamingos, as well as monasteries and ruined fortresses. Lunch along the lake in one of its many fish.

2 hour drive to Kotor, a stunning medieval city located right at the base of the Bay of Kotor. Kotor has an authentic Old Town with a maze of cobbled streets, narrow lanes, stone churches and orange-roofed houses encased in a fortification wall and set against a backdrop of towering mountains. it has white stone walls, laneways and staircases that create a maze of passages and hidden courtyards. There is a fortress offering incredible views and several historic churches within the Old Town that date back to the 12-14th centuries. Kotor is packed with amazing restaurants that you will be more than happy to indulge in after a long day in the Montenegrin sun. Seafood is a specialty for obvious reasons, but Italian and Turkish cuisine are also very popular.

We will visit towns like Perast and Risan enroute to Kotor. Charming Perast has quaint streets and we can wander the waterfront promenade, visit the Baroque Palaces and crumbling churches, eat at a local restaurant, go swimming, and take a boat out to Our Lady of the Rocks.

Stay 2 nights at the 4 star Hotel Vardar (www.hotelvardar.com) in central Kotor.

40 minute drive to Lovcen National Park, offering arguably the best views in all of Montenegro, overlooking the Bay of Kotor. The country gets its name from Mount Lovcen, also called the Black Mountain, or Montenegro. Lovcen National Park offers hiking trails and lookouts with amazing mountain and sea views, along with the highest mausoleum in the world. We will venture to the top of Mount Lovcen to see the Njegos Mausoleum and the surrounding views via cable car.  Rest of day in Kotor to explore this beautiful old town. Overnight in Kotor.

Leisurely drive along the beautiful coastal towns of the Lustica Peninsula, about 30 minutes from Kotor, overlooking the pristine Bay of Kotor. This western coast of Montenegro stretches into the Adriatic Sea, with dramatic green hills rising behind breath-taking beaches with crystal blue waters. Here we will explore secluded coves such as Blue Grotto, quiet fishing villages such as Rose and Bjelila, and historic forts. Possible boat tours to nearby caves. Overnight in Kotor.

20 minute drive to Perast.  Charming Perast, often dubbed Little Venice, has quaint streets, numerous palazzi and beautiful Venetian architecture. We will enjoy wandering the waterfront promenade, visiting the Baroque Palaces and crumbling churches, eat lunch at a local restaurant, and take a boat out to Our Lady of the Rocks, a palace on a man made island.

45 minute drive to Herceg Novi, one of the prettiest towns on the Bay of Kotor. We will explore its fortresses and stroll to the picturesque Savina Monastery. Possible tour at the Savina Winery. We will stay 1 night at the 4 starGarni Hotel Kruso. (https://hotelkruso.me/en)

Leisurely morning in Herceg novi. Depart Herceg Novi around 10am.

40 minute drive to Dubrovnik Airport.

KLM Flight #1978 departs DBV at 1:20 PM and arrives at AMS  at 3:50 PM

KLM  Flight #643 departs AMS at 5:05 PM and arrives at JFK at 7:05 PM

arrive in Ephrata too late to attend school the next morning…I will give you a teacher’s excuse.