Croatian Wilderness Cruise 2027 – Vis, Lastovo & the Blue Cave | Vall Tours
A seven-night small-ship cruise through the wildest corner of the Croatian Adriatic – from Split to Lastovo, Vis, Biševo and the Blue and Green caves, and back. Guided in English, booked and looked after by Vall Tours, a family-run Croatian travel agency.
Most Croatia cruises follow the same line: Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korčula, repeat. This one does not. It spends half the week on islands that are hard to reach any other way – Lastovo, one of the most remote inhabited islands in the country and a nature park in its entirety; Biševo, home to a few dozen people and the Blue Cave; and Ravnik, an uninhabited islet whose only reason to exist, as far as visitors are concerned, is the Green Cave you can swim inside.
8 days / 7 nights
Split
Saturdays
In English
This is a small ship, not a cruise liner
If the word “cruise” brings to mind a floating resort with several thousand passengers, this is the opposite of that. These are small ships carrying a few dozen guests, closer in feel to a private yacht than to an ocean liner. There are no casinos, no theatres and no queues.
What that means in practice: the ship ties up in the middle of each town, not at an industrial terminal miles away. You step off the gangway and you are already in the old town. You swim straight off the back of the ship in the middle of the day. And on one night of the week the ship does not tie up at all – it drops anchor in a bay off Lastovo, with no harbour lights and no traffic, and the captain’s dinner is served on deck.
What makes this route different
Two sea caves in two mornings
The Green Cave at Ravnik and the Blue Cave at Biševo, visited on consecutive mornings – before the day-trip boats arrive from Split and Hvar. You can swim inside the Green Cave.
A night at anchor
The third night is spent anchored in a bay off Lastovo, far enough from the mainland that the night sky is among the darkest on the Adriatic. Guests remember this evening more than any other.
Vis, closed to the world until 1989
Vis was a Yugoslav military base and off-limits to foreign visitors for forty years. That isolation is why it still feels a generation behind the rest of the coast – and why Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was filmed there.
Booked through a Croatian agency, not a booking engine
The ship is operated by a Croatian shipping company we have worked with for years. The booking, the advice and the support while you travel are ours. You are not dealing with a call centre or a web form – you are dealing with a licensed Croatian travel agency with an office, a name and a person who answers the phone.
For visitors flying in from the UK, the United States, South Africa or anywhere else, that difference is practical rather than sentimental. We know which airport actually makes sense for your connection, how long the transfer really takes, and what to do if your flight lands the night before. We arrange airport transfers and any hotel nights you need either side of the cruise, so the whole trip is handled by one company.
One person, start to finish
The same advisor handles your booking from the first email to the questions that come up the day before departure. No ticket numbers, no being passed around.
Licensed Croatian agency, 30 years old
Vall Tours has been operating since 1995 and is a registered Croatian destination management company, working under EU consumer protection rules.
Flights, transfers and hotels arranged
Tell us where you are flying from and we will tell you which airport to aim for, arrange the transfer to the ship and book a hotel night if your timings need one.
Straight answers about the ship
We only sell ships we have checked. Once your departure is confirmed we tell you exactly which vessel you are on, with deck plans and photographs – including whether it is from a higher category than the package you paid for.
Getting to Split
Split is the second largest city in Croatia and the main gateway to central and southern Dalmatia. Its own airport is close, but it is not always the one that gives you the best fare or the best connection.
| Airport | Approx. distance | Typically useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Split (SPU) | ~25 km | Closest by far; good European traffic in summer |
| Zadar (ZAD) | ~160 km | Low-cost European routes, often cheaper fares |
| Dubrovnik (DBV) | ~230 km | Wide seasonal choice, including some long-haul |
| Zagreb (ZAG) | ~410 km | Croatia’s main hub, best year-round connections |
2027 departures and prices
Departures are on Saturdays from Split. For summer 2027 the confirmed dates are 24 July and 7 August, at €1,600 per person for a lower deck cabin and €1,850 for an upper or main deck cabin. Bookings for the 2027 season are open.
| Departure 2027 | Lower deck cabin | Upper / main deck cabin |
|---|---|---|
| 24 July 2027 | €1,600 | €1,850 |
| 7 August 2027 | €1,600 | €1,850 |
Service category and ship category are not the same thing
This trips up a lot of first-time guests, so it is worth being clear about. The price you pay buys a service category – here, Premium Superior. That category determines the meals, the tour manager and the three included guided tours.
The vessel you are actually assigned may be from a higher category. The shipping company distributes its fleet across the season, so a Premium Superior booking sometimes sails on a Deluxe or Deluxe Superior ship at no extra cost. That is why we do not promise a specific ship in advance – we confirm it when you book, and we tell you if it turns out better than what you paid for.
Included in the price
- seven nights in your chosen cabin
- breakfast and lunch every day
- captain’s dinner at anchor off Lastovo
- three guided walking tours: Korčula, Stari Grad and Split
- English-speaking tour manager on board
- olive oil and wine tasting on board
- afternoon tea and coffee
- free WiFi and drinking water on board
- daily cabin service and fresh linen mid-week
Not included
- €60 per person in port fees and tourist tax, paid on board at the start of the cruise
- Blue Cave entrance at Biševo, about €24 per person, paid locally
- Green Cave entrance at Ravnik, about €12 per person, paid locally
- dinners ashore, except the captain’s dinner
- drinks other than the tastings, tea and coffee listed
- gratuities for the crew
- flights, transfers and hotel nights (we arrange these on request)
- travel insurance
Day by day
The pace is unhurried, with a swimming stop almost every day. We have added our own notes to each day – the sort of thing guests tell us afterwards they wish they had known beforehand.
Day 1 · Saturday – Split to Pučišća, island of Brač
Boarding in Split harbour between 11 am and noon, departure at 1 pm with lunch served on board. The afternoon brings a swimming stop, and the evening is spent in Pučišća, a village set deep in a bay on the northern coast of Brač. It is known for white Brač limestone and for a stonemasonry school that has been teaching the craft since 1909.
Our note: the stonemasonry school courtyard is open and free, and full of students’ work. The stone is the same one used for Diocletian’s Palace in Split and for Šibenik cathedral. Fifteen minutes well spent.
Day 2 · Sunday – Pučišća to Korčula
An early start and a morning swim in one of the Brač bays, then on to Korčula. A guided walk through the old town is included – thirteenth-century walls, bastions, and a street plan laid out like a fish skeleton.
Our note: that street plan is not decorative. The lanes on the east side are straight to let the summer breeze through, and those on the west are curved to block the winter bura wind. Try the local white wine, pošip – the best comes from the villages of Čara and Smokvica.
Day 3 · Monday – Korčula to Lastovo
Sailing to Lastovo, one of the most remote inhabited islands in Croatia. The island and the forty-odd islets around it form a protected nature park. The ship spends the night at anchor in a bay, and the captain’s dinner is served on deck.
Our note: if you get ashore to Lastovo village, look up at the fumari – Renaissance chimneys built like miniature towers, no two the same. They were a way of showing how well a family was doing. And because there is no light pollution here, this is the night to stay on deck after dinner.
Day 4 · Tuesday – Lastovo to Ravnik (Green Cave) and Vis or Komiža
An early departure for the islet of Ravnik and the Green Cave, where sunlight falls through an opening in the roof and lights the water from above. Swimming inside is allowed. The afternoon is spent sailing to the island of Vis, with the night in Vis town or Komiža.
Our note: bring a snorkelling mask. The Green Cave takes five minutes to look at and half an hour to swim. In the evening, Komiža’s waterfront has none of Hvar’s crowds and better fish – this is where the Adriatic’s sardine fishery began.
Day 5 · Wednesday – Vis to Biševo (Blue Cave) and Stari Grad, island of Hvar
The morning begins at the Blue Cave on Biševo, where light entering through a submerged opening turns the whole chamber an intense blue. Then on to Stari Grad on Hvar – the oldest town on the Adriatic, founded by Greek settlers in 384 BC. An afternoon guided walk is included.
Our note: the Blue Cave has to be caught before midday, when the light is strongest. Behind Stari Grad lies the Stari Grad Plain, a Greek land division 2,400 years old that is still farmed along the original boundaries – it is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Day 6 · Thursday – Stari Grad to Bol, island of Brač
A short crossing of the Hvar channel to Bol and Zlatni rat, the beach that changes shape with the wind and the current. It is reached on foot through a pine wood, or by tourist train for a small fee.
Our note: Zlatni rat looks better from above than from the sand. Ten minutes uphill on the road towards Murvica and you have the photograph you came for.
Day 7 · Friday – Bol to Split
The last day of sailing is given over to the quiet bays along the south coast of Brač and a final swim. Split in the afternoon, followed by an included guided walk through Diocletian’s Palace and the UNESCO-listed old town.
Our note: Diocletian’s Palace is not a museum – people live, work and drink coffee inside the walls of a Roman emperor’s retirement home. Go down into the cellars: they are the coolest place in the city and the best-preserved Roman part of it.
Day 8 · Saturday – Split
A final breakfast on board and disembarkation in Split. If you would like to stay on in Croatia afterwards – Dubrovnik, the Plitvice lakes or a few days in Zagreb – tell us in advance and we will put it together.
Other Adriatic cruises
Alongside this route we offer two more cruises, both on small ships and both with the same support from our agency – from booking and transfers through to the journey home.
Southern Explorer – luxury southern Adriatic cruise
The opposite of this route: Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korčula, Mljet and Zlatni rat. For guests who want the famous names of the Adriatic, moored in the centre of each town.
Kvarner Bay of Islands – northern Croatia
The northern Adriatic – Krk, Rab, Zadar, Ilovik, Mali Lošinj and Cres. Fewer crowds than Dalmatia and easy to combine with Venice or Ljubljana.
Enquire about this cruise
Send us your preferred dates, the number of travellers and the cabin category you have in mind. Tell us where you are flying from and we will advise on the airport, arrange the transfer and book any hotel nights you need either side of the cruise.
Send enquiryFrequently asked questions
How long is the cruise and where does it start?
It runs 8 days and 7 nights as a round trip from Split. Departures are on Saturdays, boarding is between 11 am and noon, and the ship sails at 1 pm.
Which islands does the route cover?
Split, Pučišća on Brač, Korčula, Lastovo, the islet of Ravnik with the Green Cave, Vis and Komiža, Biševo with the Blue Cave, Stari Grad on Hvar, and Bol on Brač with Zlatni rat beach.
What are the 2027 departure dates and prices?
For summer 2027 the confirmed departures are 24 July and 7 August, both Saturdays from Split. The price is €1,600 per person for a lower deck cabin and €1,850 for an upper or main deck cabin, in the Premium Superior service category. VIP cabins are on request. The shipping company releases dates in stages, so we check other weeks on request.
Which ship will I be on?
The price buys the Premium Superior service category, and the specific vessel depends on the departure date and the fleet schedule. It may be from the same or a higher category, such as Deluxe or Deluxe Superior, at no extra cost. We confirm the ship when you book and send a description, deck plan and photographs.
Is the cruise guided in English?
Yes. The tour manager on board and the three included guided walks – Korčula, Stari Grad and Split – are in English, and all correspondence with our agency is in English.
Are there any extra costs on arrival?
Three: €60 per person in port fees and tourist tax paid on board, about €24 for the Blue Cave at Biševo and about €12 for the Green Cave at Ravnik, both paid locally. Dinners ashore, drinks and crew gratuities are also not included.
Does the ship spend a night at anchor?
Yes, one. Most nights are spent moored in a harbour, but on the third night the ship anchors in a bay off Lastovo, where the captain’s dinner is served. It is the highlight of the week for most guests, but it does mean there is no going ashore that evening.
Does the ship sail into the Blue and Green caves?
No. Both caves are entered by small local boats, as the openings are too narrow for a larger vessel. Entrance fees are paid locally. Swimming is permitted inside the Green Cave at Ravnik.
Which airport should I fly into?
Split is closest at around 25 km and has good European traffic in summer. Zadar is often cheaper, Dubrovnik has a wide seasonal choice, and Zagreb gives the best year-round connections for long-haul travellers. Send us your departure city and we will advise, then arrange the transfer.
How is this different from the Southern Explorer cruise?
Croatian Wilderness is built around unspoilt nature and the less-visited islands – Lastovo, Biševo, Ravnik and Vis. Southern Explorer goes to the famous names of Dalmatia – Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korčula and Zlatni rat.
Who operates the cruise?
The ship is operated by an established Croatian shipping company we have worked with for years. Vall Tours handles your booking, advice and support throughout, as your travel agency.
Can you arrange transfers and hotels as well?
Yes. We arrange airport transfers from Split, Zadar, Dubrovnik and Zagreb, hotel nights before or after the cruise, and onward travel elsewhere in Croatia.
