Harmonia boat/barge tour reviews — 31 to 60 of 194

This was the most well organized and most thought out tour I have every taken. Every detail was concidered yet seemed effortless. Our guides Dora and Alen were laid back, yet professional. Loved that they had confidence that everyone in the group could complete every ride and enjoy it. There is some boat movement on windy days so plan to have something to help with that. Take your bathing suit and water shoes on every ride! So many opportunities to get in the water. Pace yourself as the day doesn't end after the bikes are stored. So much to do at every port. We loved every minute. It was the trip of a lifetime.

So, how about adventuring and pedaling along the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia?!

WHAT is there not to like?!
My week aboard was incredible!

We thrived on our well-appointed, gorgeous yacht, with other Salty Dogs and Intrepid Travelers, who knew how to cruise on a two-wheeler, share their stories, several even danced in our dining room!

We could stroll each evening while docked at a new and charming island quay. This Adriatic Sea adventure had plenty to write home about! However that could wait….

Add E-assist bikes, I was in two-wheeled heaven! Our bike guides were fun, creative, careful, and loved to story-tell!

We swam in comfy ocean temps, breathtakingly clear, turquoise ocean,YES and YES!

Our sailors knew their ropes, the chefs had ThatTouch, dining room staff warm and welcoming, handsome dynamic duo, our Captain and Chief Engineer set the scene for thoughtfulness and harmony between crew and visitors aboard M/V Harmonia last month, I will definitely be back for more!

Other highlights: dice a’rolling, cards a’snapping: one choice of an evening activity, aside a night cap or warm cuppa’ in our classy dining room.

Our yummy culinary delights? OMG!

My group of 8 Oregon baby-boomers were well cared for, and all of us are now inspired to journey again, somewhere, sometime with our Trip-Site hosts
Gratitude to all,
Cathy Ellis
September 2024
Eugene, Oregon, USA

The entire trip was stunningly beautiful, to the Adriatic Sea, biking on the numerous islands and the views of the mountains while traveling on the boat and riding our bikes. The tour guides were knowledgeable and attentive as well as the entire crew on our boat. The bike trips were full of interesting sites and easy to complete. If you’re looking for a relaxing trip that includes biking on numerous islands, swimming at some of the some most gorgeous beaches around then this trip is for you. Book it now, you won’t regret it.

It's impossible for me to name a single most memorable part of this trip; it was the total package- beautiful scenery, beautiful boat, delicious gourmet food, excellent cycling equipment, excellent fun guides and ship crew. The size of the group was good and happily we all got along great. We were also lucky with the weather as shoulder season brought some rain we dodged with a slight itinerary adjustment. Despite an initial snag due to a couple of cabins not being what people had reserved via Tripsite, the trip guides managed to sort things out to everyone's satisfaction thanks to kindness and generosity within the group and I am confident in writing that every single person aboard had a wonderful time.

The scenery while biking and swimming off the boat the first day. If you are going on this trip, you owe it to yourself to try and get in decent biking shape. Even with e-bikes, some of climbs are long and challenging…but definitely worth it!! This is the third bike and barge trip we have done with Tripsite, and the first one that didn’t serve coffee until 7:30 in the morning. We are early risers, as were a few of the other passengers, and not having coffee nor tea available was a disappointment.

I was a little nervous about the e-bike tour after reading the pre trip descriptions of the daily rides. So on the first day I was very pleased with the results of that day's ride. It was a challenging uphill c;limb filled with switchbacks, but the e-bikes made it possible to make it to the top of the uphill section with energy to spare for the long downhill run. This positive experience was reinforced with each ride, especially when we did a 60km ride later in the trip. Again my e-bike carried me through a challenging ride through a long uphill section followed by a long downhill run. Our guides Bubbi and Nicky looked after us and made the whole experience very special.

As well as the biking the food was top notch thanks to our terrific chef. The whole experience added up to one of the best vacations I have ever had.

The whole experience was memorable. I
loved this trip from the beginning to the end . Nikki and Bubi were excellent guides, both fun and informative. We were never left wondering what was happening next. Even the food was very good and the server always remembered our preferences.
Thanks so much to everyone!

The 60 km day. Great sense of accomplishment. The best guides ever. The staff were amazing.

Biking throughout the islands was majestic and the views were breath taking. There were certainly some steep parts but the e-bikes made them very doable. The guides were super friendly and knowledgeable about the local environment and culture. The atmosphere on the boat was super friendly and relaxed.

People!! Do this trip!!! What an amazingly beautiful country and what a wonderful way to see it. Every time we'd go around a corner we'd say there's no way we could see something more beautiful than that. And then, we'd go around the next corner and it would take our breath away. This country is beautiful, clean and safe. The yacht Harmonia is everything they say it is and more. The crew is top notch, the food was wonderful and we felt very welcome. We had professional and attentive guides that did an excellent job of pivoting when the weather occasionally threw us a curve ball. (Thank you Dora and Alan! You were great!) The E bikes were in excellent condition and perfect for the sometimes hilly terrain. They smartly booked all english speaking guests on the same trip and we all bonded beautifully. It's so fun to be in a group with like minded people all experiencing the same thing for the first time. All in all we felt we got great value for dollar, will highly recommend Tripsite, and will book another trip with them in the future.

OMG amazing!!
We were trying to settle on one word along this journey to describe this trip. Part way through we chose "Stunning" however, on completion
this had changed to "Epic". Its difficult to zero in on a memorable part of the trip when it offered so many. the Harmonia was
a beautiful and spotlessly clean motor yacht. Our cabin on the main deck was a good size and very comfortable. The crew was hard working, courteous
and very professional who always made us feel special and safe. This along with wonderful meals, knowledgeable guides and gorgeous scenery made a trip we will talk about for years. Also, booking with TRIPsite was a pleasurable, professional and seamless experience - thus "EPIC"!
This will be the word going forward when we discuss this trip with our many friends and those we casually meet along the way.
Hennie, it was such a joy to have you join us on the trip and share your many travel experiences...

Stephen and Kathleen
London. Ontario, Canada

The most memorable part of the trip was the scenery and the tour guides that TripSite arranged to give us challenging routes which allowed for gaping at and stopping for photo opportunities. My tip is to have sleeveless biking tops as well as a true waterproof jacket, so you are prepared for any weather. We had e-bikes with comfortable seats, but I would suggest bike shorts with a pad for the longer rides.
The second most memorable part was the food, local favorites and 3-course meals and olive oil sampling with cheese and tomatoes and bread!
Last, I signed up as a single and appreciated TripSite encouraging everyone to alternate what table they sat at; therefore, we met so many new people from all over the world.

Experiencing the beauty of Croatia, swimming in the Adriatic, getting to know others from around the world and sharing laughs with our fabulous guides.

I was pleasantly surprised at the comfort and cleanliness of the boat, nice air conditioning (which was critical in August) and the quality of the food. The crew was extremely hard working and did everything to try to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable. Our guides (Filip and Bubi) were fantastic and made our trip extra special. They followed the protocols to make sure we stayed safe but were also flexible when the weather conditions did not cooperate; they were able to switch plans seamlessly and find activities that were fun and enjoyable. They also both had wonderful senses of humor and made us laugh throughout the trip. I give them the highest rating of all!

A couple of suggestions:

1) Allow passengers to bring their own wine/spirits on the boat. I realize that this is a money making venture for the boat company but I would rather be charged more overall and be able to bring on board and share the local wine/spirits with our fellow guests.

2) Have a cappuccino machine (or Nespresso) to use at our leisure on the boat. I saw these on other boats when we were docked up with them. Again, I'm happy to pay extra upfront for this but I hate to be nickled and dimed every time I want to enjoy a cup of coffee.

3) Make time in the daily schedule to swim off the boat. We only enjoyed this opportunity the last two days and it was a highlight. Also, more water toys - floats, kayaks and paddle boards would be appreciated.

4) Develop a more comprehensive packing list - I'd be happy to help with that if someone would like to call me about it.

5) Make sure to advise participants to bring plenty of local currency (in this case Euros) and make sure to bring a cash debit card in case you run out. There were a lot of instances on the islands where vendors did not take credit cards and I was concerned about using all of my cash because I wanted to save it for tips for the crew.

Overall, it was a fantastic trip and I'd be happy to be a reference if anyone has any questions or would like to discuss the trip.

Thanks!

Kari

Our 2 guides, Philip and Bubi were excellent. Always in great moods, funny and receptive. They did everything to ensure our safety while on the bikes and instructing us in where we were going. Very helpful with arranging Ubers at the end of the trip and taking time with us.

What a spectacular trip on the Harmonia starting in the old city of Dubrovnik, thru the Beautiful Dalmatia Islands and ending in Split. The entire Harmonia crew were delightful and very talented/professional. They more than made our home on board comfortable and welcoming. Our cabin was just the right size, and there was plenty of room on the ship to socialize or relax on our own. The food was delicious, and galley staff were wonderful and very accommodating. The ship's captain and crew made the ride through the sea and ports incredibly smooth.
Our Islandhopping bicycle guides, Edi and Tara, were very knowledgeable and made biking thru the hills, coastlines and villages both extremely fun, safe and interesting.The ebikes made it all the more enjoyable, so the hills and distances were exercise, but still felt like vacation!
I would definitely take this type of trip to any destination with the Harmonia, Edi and Tara again :)

The last bike ride on Brac where we made several stops, especially the visit to the olive mill. The guides were awesome and made the rides and time on the boat fun. Making friends with other travelers was also memorable.

We loved our vacation on the Harmonia! The crew was wonderful. The ship was awesome and the food was delicious. Tara and Edi, our tour guides were awesome! They knew the bike tour routes well and let us know what to expect and made it fun. The e-bikes were great. Even though I’m not an avid bicyclist I was able to keep up. The only suggestion I would make is it would have been nice to have coffee available earlier in the morning. We will certainly consider taking another bike and boat tour. Croatia is stunning!

Beautiful scenery! Boat/bike riding is the best way to enjoy Croatia. Our guides Edi and Tara were amazing! Personalized our trip to fit what we wanted to see/do. The Harmonia is a great boat/way to travel!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip on Harmonia. The boat was kept spotless by a hardworking crew. Our lower cabin was very comfortable. Meals were tasty. The tour guides were super friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. Be sure to take plenty of cash for water, drinks and tips.

I loves the turbo gear on my bike. I felt like Harry Potter on his broom every time I passed my fellow bikers on the hills. They were all calling me “turbo Nancy”. This is a adventure anyone can do!

The guide and crew were amazing. Views and history were interesting. I loved interacting with the local culture.

I would have liked to have spent more time in the villages and the beach stops. It felt a little rushed. Also, the last day would have been nice to stay on the last island, rather than going to Split and just docking.

The scenery on this trip is absolutely stunning, and the e-bikes make it accessible to anyone. I am 65+ and not a regular cyclist, yet I had no problems at all conquering the hills. I would suggest bringing water shoes -- the beaches in Croatia are rocky, and there are often sea urchins underfoot.

The beautiful boat, the excellent cook and crew.
I would suggest that the bike tour leaders would take a tiny bit more time to allow the bikers to stop at scenic sites to take photos.

Beautiful - not able to bike because of recovering from surgery but everything was pleasing to the eyes. Only downsides was almost all Croatians smoke so the back of the boat that had the best covered seating wasn’t good on the lungs. We had to ask the cook to use less salt.

Biking through the quaint villages and islands on well-planned routes was fantastic.

My wife and I boarded the Harmonica on Friday May 24. We were immediately welcomed by the entire tour and boat crew. The following seven days have provided us with some incredible memories that we will cherish forever. We were expertly guided by the bike crew and professionally nourished (perhaps overly so) by the boat crew. The islands we visited were far beyond our expectations. The minimal car/truck traffic encountered on our rides complemented the entire experience. The bikes are professionally maintained. The bikes provided were just right for our fitness and riding abilities.
The lead guide, Ivan was completely professional. Because of his Croatian heritage his “local knowledge” he was an impressively good fit for this tour. The other bike guides, Laura and Philip, were obviously in training. Their enthusiasm was noted and appreciated. There is no doubt that with Ivan’s guidance they will one day be lead guides also.
The boat crew was fantastic. We have never been on such a well maintained boat anywhere. The Harmonica is truly a gem.
Overall, we would give it a rating of 9.5 on the 10 scale. Holding back .5 because we would have liked longer rides and more chocolate mousse.
The meals provided were fantastic. Smaller portions would have sufficed but then again, no one went hungry.

Jim & Laura Herrick

They did an excellent job of selecting routes that were interesting, beautiful, and the right level of difficulty. The routes go over some steep terrain so it was easy to see why e-bikes were required on this ride. The leaders did an excellent job of keeping us together so we didn't feel like we were being herded, but the slower riders were not feeling rushed. Several days they dropped us at one port and hassled around to the other side of the island to pick us up at a different town. I recommend this ride.

The entire experience was most enjoyable and spectacularly scenic. The guides were fun and professional. They knew the roads, and provided appropriate guidance about the traffic or terrain. E bikes allowed a group of 29 riders to stay together. We had opportunity to swim and explore the ports towns. Rooms and common space aboard was very comfortable,

The day we rode all day was probably the most memorable. The farm stop for lunch was very enjoyable. We would have liked to have more of the longer rides

The trip fell short of what was advertised. Operator over promised and under delivered so expectations were not exceeded, much less met.
The guides were great and did their best but the popularity of the region, even in the off season, resulted in crowds that prevented the boat to access dock space needed to unload and load bikes, required rafting up with as many as 9 other boats, did not allow one “explore on your own opportunities”, resulted in premium priced deck cabins being worse than more private and quieter below deck cabins, and so on.
All-in-all, 4 out of the 7 planned rides were offered and 80 of 143 miles covered.
This type of trip is always subject to change, due to conditions, but this trip fell so far short I blame the operator for the lack of contingency plans.