❀ group (bus) ❀ individuals and small groups ❀
My tours
...for individuals and small groups (max 15 p.)
If you are travelling with friends and family and decide to visit Plitvice Lakes and stay more days, you might consider booking one of my one-day trips presented here. Each one of these tours is designed as a one day trip, with it's specific theme. But they all can be combined as one custom tour just for you. The tours here are made with a specific subject in mind and present one of the aspects of the country and people. Here you will read short descriptions giving you an impression about each one. If you would like some more information or a customized tour offer, please contact me. Before contacting me about the tours please read the legal notice at the bottom of this page.
Plitvice Lakes national park - magic of water
The national park of Plitvice Lakes is world famous for its lakes arranged in cascades. Currently, 16 lakes can be seen from the surface. These lakes are a result of the confluence of several small rivers and subterranean carst rivers. The lakes are all interconnected and follow the water flow.
They are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae, and bacteria. The particularly sensitive travertine barriers are the result of an interplay between water, air and plants. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm (0.4 in) per year.
The tour takes you around the lakes, visiting lakes and waterfalls, mystic and mythical places. While walking around we talk about the importance of water in our daily life, about the importance of preserving the nature and its ways for the future.
This tour is pure joy of this immense power, power that creates and destroys life, power of nature. And as we walk alongside this masterpiece, we become aware of our place in it, not bigger, not smaller, just the pure fact of oneness in this brief moment of existence.
There are many possibilities to walk the Plitvice lakes. There are walks from 3 to 9 hours walking along the many faces of the lakes. If your accommodation is near the lakes, it is best to visit as much as you can, taking 2 days to completely experience this pearl of nature.
Price
Half day walk (up to 4 hours): € 120,-
Whole day walk: € 150,-
As well as the rest of my personal tours here presented, this one can also be combined with the others, depending on the time available and your own trip plans. These tours are also not meant to suit everybody. You have to have a desire for the unseen, unexplored, less popular, unknown. Be eager to learn more about the world we live in. If you like all of that, you are going to love sharing these tours with me. Get in touch.
Clay adventure
Near the famous Plitvice lakes national park you can experience a unique clay workshop. In this one day you will learn the basics of ceramics art. At the arrival (10.00 A.M), after the welcome drink, you get the short theory lesson in ceramics. After that you will get your hands in clay and make your sculpture, cup or any other ceramic form. To complete the experience and learn the whole process you will then glaze some other works and fire them in one of the kilns.
This program is a perfect day trip if you are in the area of the Plitvice Lakes.
This tour can be combined with other tours offered, also including workshops that last more days.
Everything needed for this workshop like clay, glaze, tools, coffee/tea, lunch, and (partly) self made souvenirs is included in the price.
Example of the day
10.00 arrival, welcome drink, short introduction to the atelier and workshop
10.30 - 13.00 glazing and decorating ceramics, one ready baked piece (bird, fish, cup, etc...) and/or work with clay
13.00 - 14.00 lunch,
14.00 - 15.30 work with clay (basic techniques of ceramic art)
14.00 - 17.00 firing of the prepared pieces, further working with clay
17.00 finishing of the firing, getting the hot pieces out of the flames, cooling down, washing and preparing.
18.00 departure
Notice
Clay is a material that needs its time to become a piece of art. Working with it slows you down, brings you back to the earth, literally. But that also means that works made on the workshop can not be taken away the same day. It is possible though, to have it dried and fired at the atelier and then picked up, or have it sent to your home address (on your own costs). That is why the workshop begins with the decorating and glazing of already prepared pieces. That way everybody still can take a small ceramic piece home (included in the price).
International ceramics centre Atelier Janja Gora (janjagora.com) is a small ceramic atelier in the hills of Croatia. Small but well known in the world of ceramics as one of the co-organisers of a big international travelling expo dedicated to the Japanese tea cup - Chawan (chawanexpo.com). Each year there are international workshops at the atelier, as an active international cultural exchange but there are also lots of projects and programs aimed at the local community and creativity as a way of improving your life. If you visit the atelier you will see many art works, a great wood-firing kiln (anagama) Janjagama and hear about the traditional crafts and artistic life in the unknown parts of Croatia.
Price:
- day workshop: € 40,- per person (includes all of the materials needed, coffee/tea, self made souvenir)
- visit to the atelier ( 1,5 hour) with presentation € 7,- per person (inclusive coffee/tea, slivovic, cake)
Walking in the forest
This tour takes us 30 km from the lakes in the area of Plaški, not too crowded with visitors and with many hidden beauties. The Plitvice lakes can be very crowded, ecpecially during the peak of the season, even though it has spots that are somewhat a little more peaceful and quiet than the others. Contrary to that, the areas surrounding the lakes are not crowded at all. In the wide area surrounding the lakes lies a place of fantastic beauty and natural treasures. Just 30 km from the lakes, in the area of Plaški valley, you can really walk alone in the woods.
This tour will take you to relaxing walks throughout the centuries old forests, alongside mountain springs, old trees, lakes, flowers, animals. Walks are easy to do and adjustable to the needs of the group. After a few hours walk we always pick a nice spot to have picnic and take a moment to enjoy the stillness and power of nature. While walking, your guide will give you information about plants, animals and the cultural heritage of the place.
This tour, as well as many other of my tours, is very flexible and can be changed and adjusted right on the spot, depending on the mood and the interest of the group.
Price € 100,- á day
Hiking in the mystic mountains
This tour will take you to explore the mountains of Croatia. Velebit, an old Croatian mythical mountain holds legends and secrets of many centuries of coexistence between man and nature. Our tour takes us along the mountaineering trails marked by the Croatian mountaineering society (hps.hr), safe to walk and easy to access.
Once we reach one of the many mountain tops (from 900 to 1400 m above the sea level) a breathtaking scenery meets our eye; beautiful slopes, forests and valleys on the continental side and the see, islands and the sun on the Mediterranean side.
This tour can be organized as a one-day or more days trip. In case of the more days trip, the group can sleep over in one of the mountain hut's. Good physical condition and sufficient clothing and shoes are necessary for this trip. Other things will be provided by your guide.
Price € 150,- á day (for the groups up to 15 people).
The Mountain Velebit
The mountain Velebit belongs to the mountain Dinaride system and it is its longest mountain. In the same time, Velebit is the most interesting and the richest natural landscape in Croatia. In order to protect these values, whole Velebit was declared as nature park, and its most precious landscapes are protected as national parks, strict reserves and nature monuments. The whole mountain was 1978 included in the list of biosphere reserves in the network of UNESCO programme "Man and the Biosphere"."
Source: Croatian mountaineering society web site.http://www.hps.hr/English/velebit-hiking-trail/
Witness the history
This tour is a tour through time. Croatia as well as the wider Balkan area has been a front-line of many wars and conflicts, a cradle of culture, a meeting point of world's major religions. All of these have left traces in space and time, in people's hearts and minds, in the food, drink and culture. This tour brings you the knowledge and background on many aspects of life and past times of these areas. Often we start at some important historical point and follow the line of the story visiting the old castles, battlefields, mills, churches, ruins and many other historical places.
From prehistoric sites to still visible traces of the latest war in Croatia, we time-travel through these rich and challenging times.
The trails and actual tour details are always set individually, depending on the interest of the group.
Price € 100,- á day (for the groups up to 15 people).
Legal notice:
These are the things you should take care of before planning your trip:
- you should have your own travel insurance arranged;
- you should always take care that you have sufficient equipment for the daily trips, like good shoes, clothes or any other necessity;
- if you have any health issues and/or use any medicine, you should let me know before the trip. You yourselfare responsible for anything that happens regarding your physical and mental health;
- in case of cancelling reservations from the client's side: 8 days before trip - full amount return, 7-3 days before trip 50% of amount return, 2 days or no show up, no money return
- in case of weather which makes the trip impossible (especially for the hiking tours), another activity can be planed for less or the same price as the planned trip, even if the proposed replacement trip costs more (that excludes extra tickets or other 'external' costs).
Please note that in accordance with the Croatian law I am allowed to offer only my guiding services, not the tour operator and agency services. Therefore, anything outside my work area, like accommodation reservations and other tourist facilities will and should be arranged by an official tour-operator. You always engage in my tours on your own responsibility and risk.