Adriatic Discovery: Northern Italy, Slovenia and Croatia

Ciao! Welcome to Venice. As lights twinkle over the floating city, we'll meet our small group for the first time – and the expert Tour Leader who'll help us discover what lies beyond each destination's surface at every step. Once smiles and pleasantries (and the odd joke to break the ice!) are exchanged, we'll venture out of our 18th-century accommodation and make our way to a local restaurant. What the Italian chef dishes up tonight will combine traditional flavours and creative inspiration!

Sip plenty of cappuccino this morning, it's our first full day of Adriatic adventures! Boarding our minicoach together, we'll roam through the back roads towards Villa di Maser, a 16th-century estate inspired by temples in Ancient Rome. And the location of our wine tasting! We'll settle beneath open beams in the farmhouse next to the villa as an array of charcuterie boards are placed on the table in front of us. Pick at local hams, jams and cheeses between clinks of wine made from hand-harvested grapes that have grown in the 30 hectares of eco-friendly vineyards. Salute!

Tastebuds happy, we'll venture to Bassano del Grappa to fill our memories with spectacular views and fun facts. During a welcome walk of the town, our Tour Leader will take us across Ponte Vecchio, the famed 13th-century bridge. Together, we'll also stroll through Piazza Libertà, the town's main square that buzzes with clinks of glasses, bursts of laughter and wafts of freshly baked bread.

After some free time to discover more of the town for yourself, we'll gather at the Poli Grappa Museum for another tasting. This time, the local tipple of grappa will pass our lips – five flavours of it, in fact! Before we take our first sip, we'll discover the distillery machines that create the town's signature spirit.

We have a day trip to Rovereto planned for our third day together! A walking tour with a local guide will introduce us to its calm presence. First stop: Rovereto Castle, where we'll discover what lies behind the fortress walls together. Polished armour of past soldiers encased in glass. Snug tunnels that lead lower underground. And kingly secrets waiting to be unearthed.

Then, we'll set our eyes skyward to take in the Bell of the Fallen which commemorates those who gave their lives in the Great War. Our time in Rovereto will wrap up at our included lunch where we'll taste a blend of local ingredients creatively prepared with an Italian chef's kiss.

Back in Bassano del Grappa for the evening, take the time to savour every moment. Settle on a bench in a tucked away square to watch the world pass by. Or find yourself beside the rippling river as the sun sets over Ponte Vecchio.

We can't say arrivederci to Italy without one more stop. Nestled beneath snow-capped mountains is Belluno, a small town with a name that derives from the old Celtic phrase belo-dunum meaning ‘shining hill'. Our Tour Leader (with their years of expertise!) will point out grand palazzos, and the Torre Civica – the only remaining part of the 12th-century castle that once stood as the heart of the town.

As we scatter for lunch, let the aroma of local dishes such as chenedi (dumpling) or pastin (pork or beef sausage in white wine) lure you to a cosy, low-lit restaurant where you can thank Italy for the memories before we cross the border into Slovenia.

Are you ready for views you truly wouldn't witness unless you travelled the back roads with us? Tranquil, teal waters that shimmer as the sun begins its descent. Clusters of green trees so thick, you feel as though you're looking into a magical forest. And the peaks and valleys of the Dolomites that spear into the sky. Lake Bled's the fairytale centre of it all – and it's here that we'll stay for two nights.

A castle on top of a hill, above a lake that glitters beneath the dapple of sunlight. The setting certainly seems like a page from a children's book. Today, we'll see it up close and personal. Making sure our footwear is strapped tight, we'll gently climb a small hill to Bled Castle. Inside lies a modern museum that peeks into the stronghold's past where our local guide will share tales behind the artefacts on show. For lunch, we'll dine like royalty in the Castle Restaurant! A sweeping romantic vista is our companion – alongside our fellow travellers – as we tuck into traditional Slovakian dishes with a contemporary twist.

Back on ground level, we'll settle into a pletna boat and cruise across Lake Bled to seek the Baroque Church of the Assumption. The island was once home to a temple dedicated to the Slavic goddess of love and fertility, Ziva. Despite the pagan architecture being a thing of the past, her story remains among the wind. For a small donation, you can venture inside the church to discover its frescoes and make a wish as you ring the bell, before returning to the mainland for an afternoon of free time.

Wave goodbye to the calming waters of Lake Bled as our minicoach takes us to Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana. See how many dragons you can spot (not including those in the gift shop!) during our welcome walk around the city. As we amble across cobbled stones, weaving through streets and along bridges, our local guide will share the legend behind the monster-turned-protector creature. Following our wander, we'll take the funicular up to the castle that overlooks the city like a sleeping giant. What whispers will lure you deeper inside its ancient walls? Follow your intuition for a discovery into the past.

Swap castle heights for the subterranean systems at the next stop of our journey as we venture deep into Postojna Cave on a train ride that rolls through low tunnels. As soon as the snug train stops, we'll be led by an expert guide through the wider cave system where stalactites and stalagmites have grown for thousands of years. Stories firmly lodged in your mind from Postojna, we'll move on to the seaside town of Rovinj. Pretty as a picture with bobbing boats and bright buildings, follow your feet on a mini adventure through crooked streets in search of traditional grilled fish, calamari or octopus salad.

After a slow morning, perhaps with a coffee in bed, we'll head to today's main event. Under the roof of a local restaurant, we'll transform into Croatian chefs for the next few hours. A local will welcome us with homemade brandy and fritule (deep-fried pastries) as we settle for an olive oil tasting with chunky bread. Then, our personal chef will start kneading the dough to create homemade pasta. We'll follow suit at our stations, making pasta dishes laden with truffle sauce. Afterwards, our creations will be served with side dishes and – to finish on a sweet note – dessert. Uživancija! An absolute delight!

A new skill unlocked, the rest of the afternoons is ours to discover Rovinj. Seek the Church of St Euphemia, a three-nave Roman Catholic presence originally built to honour St George. Stroll along the walkways as the sea laps against the shoreline. Or get lost among the narrow alleyways of the Old Town. You're likely to want a small bite to eat before returning to our hotel for the night – and there are plenty of opportunities to try local dishes infused with Istrian culture.

Our journey takes us to smaller towns and villages today – venturing beyond the surface of the usual Croatian destinations. First, we'll stop at the coastal town of Opatija, full of colourful houses and views of teal waters. Rest a moment at a local café with a warm coffee between your hands before we continue to Rastoke – a fairytale land filled with lush greenery, cascading waterfalls and hushed streets. Here, we'll visit Rastoke Mill where our Tour Leader will share pieces of history from the great milling period.

Prepare to be surrounded by harmonious waters as we travel to the Plitvice Lakes region. Burrowed in the heart of UNESCO's first national park lies our accommodation for the night. Surrounded by wooden slats, soft furnishings and large windows, we'll slumber in peace. Don't forget to make use of the hotel restaurant! Regional dishes inspired by the Croatian hinterlands will be served with a smile.

Shimmering waters that lure you with their beauty. Trees as tall as giants of old with gnarled branches that point in every direction. And waterfalls that that rival the crashes of gods. This morning, we'll follow the planked path through Plitvice Lakes National Park at our own pace, taking in every tranquil moment that allows us to simply be.

We'll follow the back roads south where we'll stop in the village of Smiljan, birthplace of famous inventor Nikola Tesla whose vision transformed the 21st century. Venturing inside the Tesla House Museum dedicated to the life and work of the engineer, scan your eyes across personal artefacts and experimental notes of his hopes for the future.

Zadar calls our name! We'll arrive and freshen up for our farewell dinner – anyone plan on bringing something special to wear? Let's clink glasses and share our favourite moments of the tour over a selection of locally prepared dishes.

Before we say our goodbyes in Split, we'll take a wander around Zadar with our Tour Leader. Allow your imagination to conjure up the time when Romans ruled the world as we saunter along the smooth flags of the Old Town, pointing out ruins that allow us to sink into the past. Admire the largest church in all of Dalmatia, St Anastasia's Cathedral, taking in its blend of Gothic and Romanesque architecture. And let the stories of the city rush over you as we climb onto our luxury minicoach one last time.