Trails of Green Istria

8 Days & 7 Nights 4.5 Read 14 reviews

Walking through the sublime green and fertile landscapes of Istria
Hike to the ancient hilltop village of Motovun and Grožnjan, an artist’s colony
Following trails through the Učka mountain range with views to Kvarner Bay
Enjoy the stunning seaside resort of Lovran on the sparkling Adriatic Coast
Sampling the Momjan muscat wine and white truffles famous to the region

Get off the beaten track and enjoy walking through Istria's untouched interior and coastline. Often referred to as the 'Adriatic Tuscany’, Istria is sure to charm you. Follow trails through magnificent rolling landscapes along sparkling turquoise coastlines and revel in the relaxed way of life. Enjoy stays in medieval hilltop villages, such as Buje with its Venetian palaces, 15th century tower, Baroque church and ancient city walls. Vineyards and olive groves are never far away and you can sample the treasures of the land, including the incredible local muscat wine of Momjan and the white truffles of Livade.

What To Expect

If you love incredible walking through serene and untouched landscapes and coastline that will take your breath away with their beauty, then you have found your perfect walking holiday. This tour particularly suits those who enjoy gourmet food sourced from this green and fertile area of Istria.

Tour Style:

Self Guided | Go at your own pace on an independent active trip.

Activity:

Multi Center Walking | You will spend multiple nights in one or more of the locations on this walking tour

This trip is suitable for:

Families, First Timers

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Wine, Whiskey & More...
Coastal & Island

Inspiration:

Classic

Activity Level & Terrain

This walking tour is graded moderate. The trip involves some longer walks, generally from 4-5 hours a day, but offers shorter options on most days. The nature of the terrain presents a little technical difficulty, but some previous hill walking experience is useful and if you walk to the summit of Vojak on Day 6 you will require some surefootedness as the terrain is quite rugged. Some sections can also be quite slippy after wet weather, particularly Day 4 and Day 6 on the descent to Lovran. It is possible to take an alternative shorter route on Day 6 into Lovran to avoid the steep descent, or you can also take a taxi transfer from the summit of Vojak down to Lovran. There is also a short section on Day 5 which involves using cables to come up out of a ravine. However, it is possible to take a taxi from Hum back to Buzet to avoid this section. You will be fully briefed on the alternative options at your welcome meeting in Croatia. We recommend checking local weather forecasts before setting out and avoiding walking in very wet weather. The ascents will vary from 400m to 800m altitude gain per day.

Navigation

Some of the walks on this trip are waymarked but many are not and are quite remote so you will need to be able to follow the route notes and maps supplied.

Accommodations

The accommodation on this tour is in a combination of 3* and 4* hotels and one guest house. Many are renowned for their excellent cuisine and all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and an authentic experience. It should be highlighted that there are no hotels in Buje itself so the accommodations used there are family run small guesthouses approx 3km outside Buje. However the warm welcome and personal touches make this worth it!

Included

7 Nights in 3* or 4* hotels and a guesthouse
7 Breakfasts
Daily luggage transport
Transfers to the start of the walks as specified
Transfer from Pula Airport to Buje
Detailed route notes, information pack and maps
Local support and 24 hour phone support from our UK office

Excluded

Travel insurance (required)
Travel to Pula and from Lovran
Lunches & Dinners
Drinks and snacks
Personal equipment

Extras

Extra Nights
Additional Transfers

When To Go

Spring in Croatia is sublime and April, May and June are absolutely lovely. Autumn is also a favourite time of year to be there as the landscape is made up of gold and red pallet so September and October are unmissable. July and August can be hot so you will have to start walking early to miss the heat of the day, although the towns and villages are busier with many seasonal festivals which can be fun. Please note that at the very beginning and end of the season (early April and end of October) any swimming pools at accommodations may be closed and restaurant offerings may be more limited during this time.

Getting to the Start

Pula is the regional airport and flights are available via Zagreb. Trieste Airport is the closest airport serviced by direct flights from the UK with Ryan Air and Alitalia also offering services. A transfer from Pula Airport to Buje on Day 1 is included in the cost of your tour. If you fly into Trieste we recommend that you pre-book airport transfers as public transport is very limited.

Getting from the End

At the end of the trip when leaving Lovran you can either take a local bus to Pula or we can arrange pre-booked airport transfers. If you need to get to Trieste from Lovran we recommend that you pre-book airport transfers as public transport is very limited. Transfers are available to other airports on request. Further bus information to and from Pula may be found here.

Luggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

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