Luxury Croatia Southern Adriatic Cruise - Southern Explorer
A seven-night small-ship cruise through the best-known corners of southern Croatia – from Split to Dubrovnik, Mljet, Korčula, Hvar and Zlatni rat beach, and back. Guided in English, booked and looked after by Vall Tours, a family-run Croatian travel agency.
This is the route for people who want to see what brought them here. The Dubrovnik walls, the Hvar waterfront, the lanes of Korčula and the most photographed beach on the Adriatic – reached from a mooring in the middle of each town, with no coach transfers and no car parks. If you would rather have empty bays than famous names, our Croatian Wilderness route does the opposite.
8 days / 7 nights
Split
April – October 2027
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.
On this route the difference is sharpest in Dubrovnik and Hvar. Large ships dock at commercial terminals and bus their passengers in; you step off the gangway into the old town. And because the ship carries a few dozen people rather than a few thousand, you are walking into these places as a visitor rather than as part of a wave.
What you actually see
Two UNESCO World Heritage cities
Dubrovnik’s walled old city and the historic core of Split built inside Diocletian’s Palace – both entered on foot from the mooring, at the start and the end of the week.
A national park on an island
The western third of Mljet is a national park built around two connected saltwater lakes, with a twelfth-century Benedictine monastery on an islet in the middle of the larger one.
Three guided walks included
Dubrovnik, Korčula and Hvar are included in the Premium Superior category, led in English. Everything else is yours to arrange or to skip.
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 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 17 April to 16 October 2027, and prices run from €1,300 to €1,850 per person depending on the date and the cabin. Bookings for the 2027 season are open.
| Period | Departures (Saturdays) | Lower deck | Upper / main deck |
|---|---|---|---|
| April and May | 17 and 24 April, 1, 8, 15 and 22 May | €1,300 | €1,450 |
| Late May | 29 May | €1,500 | €1,750 |
| June to early September | 5, 12, 19 and 26 June, 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 July, 7 and 21 August, 4 September | €1,600 | €1,850 |
| Late September | 25 September | €1,500 | €1,750 |
| October | 2, 9 and 16 October | €1,300 | €1,450 |
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.
For reference: Premium ships measure 29 to 35 metres and Premium Superior 35 to 41, with Deluxe and Deluxe Superior larger again. The lower Premium service category includes only the Dubrovnik walking tour, with the others paid separately – but it is not offered on this route for 2027.
Included in the price
- seven nights in your chosen cabin
- breakfast and lunch every day
- captain’s dinner
- three guided walking tours: Dubrovnik, Korčula and Hvar
- 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
- Mljet National Park entrance, about €25 per person, paid locally
- optional excursions: the Cetina canyon zipline, the Srđ cable car in Dubrovnik, the tourist train to Zlatni rat and winery visits
- 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
Split – Makarska – Mljet – Dubrovnik – Šipan or Trstenik – Korčula – Hvar – Bol – Split. 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 Makarska
Boarding in Split harbour between 11 am and noon, departure at 1 pm with lunch served on board as the ship follows the coast south. A swimming stop in the afternoon, and for anyone in the mood, a zipline run across the Cetina canyon. The evening is spent in Makarska, below the cliffs of the Biokovo range.
Our note: walk the Makarska seafront out to the lighthouse at dusk, when the Biokovo cliffs turn red. It is a view that never appears in the brochures.
Day 2 · Sunday – Makarska to the island of Mljet
An early start towards Mljet with a swimming stop off the Pelješac peninsula. The western end of Mljet is a national park built around two connected saltwater lakes, with a twelfth-century Benedictine monastery on the islet of St Mary in the middle of the larger one.
Our note: hire a bicycle at the park entrance. The loop around both lakes is flat and easy, and you will see three times as much as you would on foot. The park ticket is paid locally, around €25.
Day 3 · Monday – Mljet to Dubrovnik
Sailing to Dubrovnik, the city George Bernard Shaw called paradise on earth. A guided walk is included, and afterwards there is time for the Stradun, the two kilometres of city walls, or the cable car up Mount Srđ.
Our note: walk the walls either first thing in the morning or after six in the evening. At midday the heat and the crowds both peak and there is almost no shade.
Day 4 · Tuesday – Dubrovnik to Šipan or Trstenik
A morning departure for Šipan, the largest of the Elaphiti islands, or for Trstenik on the Pelješac peninsula. The afternoon is free for swimming, with an optional visit to a local winery. The captain’s dinner is served on board that evening.
Our note: if the ship calls at Trstenik you are in the middle of the Pelješac vineyards – Dingač and Postup grow on the slopes above the village. An hour at a winery is well spent.
Day 5 · Wednesday – Šipan or Trstenik to Korčula
On to Korčula, the town that claims Marco Polo as its own. Lunch in a bay near the town, then an included guided walk through thirteenth-century walls and bastions.
The overnight mooring is in one of Korčula’s harbours depending on availability – either the town harbour or Dominče, the ferry port about 1.5 km from the centre.
Our note: the street plan is laid out like a fish skeleton, with straight lanes on one side to draw in the summer breeze and curved ones on the other to block the winter bura wind. Try pošip, the local white wine – the best comes from Čara and Smokvica.
Day 6 · Thursday – Korčula to Hvar
An early start for the Pakleni islands, where lunch and swimming take up the middle of the day, then on to Hvar town. An afternoon guided walk is included – the Renaissance cathedral and the theatre of 1612, one of the oldest in Europe.
Our note: if the waterfront crowds are not for you, climb to the Spanish Fortress above the town. Half an hour uphill, and the view over the Pakleni islands justifies every step. Lavender from the local stalls is the best souvenir on the island.
Day 7 · Friday – Hvar to Bol and Split
A stop at Bol on Brač for Zlatni rat, the beach that changes shape with the wind and the current, reached on foot through a pine wood or by tourist train for a small fee. Split in the afternoon, with the Split Riviera seen from the water, and an evening 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.
Croatian Wilderness – southern Adriatic cruise
The opposite of this route: Lastovo, Vis, Biševo and the Blue and Green caves. Unspoilt nature and the least-visited islands, for guests avoiding the crowds.
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 places does the route cover?
Split, Makarska, the island of Mljet, Dubrovnik, Šipan or Trstenik, Korčula, Hvar, and Bol on Brač with Zlatni rat beach.
What are the 2027 departure dates and prices?
Departures are on Saturdays from 17 April to 16 October 2027: 17 and 24 April; 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 May; 5, 12, 19 and 26 June; 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 July; 7 and 21 August; 4 and 25 September; 2, 9 and 16 October. There is no departure on 14 August. Lower deck cabins are €1,300 in April, May and October, €1,500 on 29 May and 25 September, and €1,600 from 5 June to 4 September. Upper and main deck cabins are €1,450, €1,750 and €1,850 respectively. VIP cabins are 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.
What is the difference between Premium and Premium Superior?
They are service categories. Premium Superior includes three guided tours – Dubrovnik, Korčula and Hvar – while Premium includes only Dubrovnik; the route, meals and accommodation are the same. The same names are used for ships, with Premium Superior vessels measuring 35 to 41 metres and Premium 29 to 35, but the ship you are assigned need not match the category you paid for and is often higher. For 2027 this route is offered in Premium Superior only.
Is the cruise guided in English?
Yes. The tour manager on board and the three included guided walks – Dubrovnik, Korčula and Hvar – are in English, and all correspondence with our agency is in English.
Are there any extra costs on arrival?
Two: €60 per person in port fees and tourist tax paid on board, and about €25 for the Mljet National Park ticket, paid locally. Optional excursions, dinners ashore, drinks and crew gratuities are also not included.
Do we dock in the centre of Dubrovnik and Hvar?
Yes. Small ships moor in or beside the old harbours, so you walk into the old town rather than taking a shuttle from a commercial terminal. In Korčula the overnight berth may be at Dominče, about 1.5 km from the centre, depending on availability.
When is the best time to sail this route?
June and early September give warm sea with slightly calmer towns, and they sit in the highest price band for that reason. April, May and October are the quietest and cheapest, though the sea is cooler. July and August are hottest and busiest ashore.
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 Croatian Wilderness cruise?
Southern Explorer goes to the famous names of Dalmatia – Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korčula and Zlatni rat. Croatian Wilderness is built around unspoilt nature and the less-visited islands – Lastovo, Biševo, Ravnik and Vis.
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.
