Trails of Green Istria

8 Days & 7 Nights 4.4 Read 16 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.

Tour Type:

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Coastal Walking

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveler this tour would be suitable for is: 16 Years

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!

Solo Walkers & Single Rooms

Unfortunately this tour is not available to solo walkers due to the remote nature of some of the walks. Single rooms are available for a small supplement.

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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Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Buje or Kaldanija and overnight Day 2 Transfer to Brtonigla; walk back to Buje or Kaldanija 11 miles / 18 km Day 3 Transfer to Grožnjan; walk to Motovun 16 miles / 25 km Day 4 Transfer to Oprtalj; walk the Istrian Mountain Trail to Buzet 11 miles / 18 km Day 5 Hum loop walk; see kotli springs and Bencici abandoned village 17 miles / 27 km Day 6 Transfer to Poklon; walk to Lovran via the Ucka Mountains 10 miles / 16 km Day 7 Free day in Lovrun Day 8 Onward travel from Lovran

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