Southern Dalmatia Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 33

Harbor on Hvar Island, Croatia. Flickr:Arnie Papp

Southern Dalmatia

8 days from €1595

4.9 out of 5

Southern Dalmatia

Moderate–Difficult Bike + Boat Tour in Croatia

This bike and boat tour in Croatia is through Southern Dalmatia, the smallest and most sparsely populated region of Dalmatia. It will take you past unique little towns and through the beautiful…

4.9 out of 5

 


Jo-anne K.
2 years ago

Verified Reviewer

The guides, Senad and Martin, were fabulous. The Romantica crew we’re also excellent. Meals were great. Cycling was generally good, although there was one day where the roads were a bit busy and there was really no scenery to make it worthwhile.
The Romantica is an older boat, and some of the mattresses and pillows are much too soft. The other thing is that there is no soap or shampoo supplied for the shower. Supplying that wouldn’t cost much and would go a long way to increase satisfaction.

Dan S.
2 years ago

Verified Reviewer

The itinerary is fantastic. The boat crew was excellent with food and service beyond what was expected. An E bike is very helpful as there are several long steep hills with 10 degree slope. The outdoor seating on this boat wasn’t great but everything else makes up for this.

Gina Friedlander
3 years ago

Verified Reviewer

This tour could not have been better. We were blown away by the hospitable and spacious Melody cruise ship and every ride brought us incredible views of the Dalmatia landscape. The air is clean, the water a remarkable blend of deep blue and aqua and always the trademark orange roofs of the modest but charming buildings. Our guides, Toni and Dini, went out of their way to make sure we enjoyed all aspects of the tour and provided interesting background information. I highly recommend the rafting trip which was a blast. As I've told many of my friends, you can't go wrong when booking with Tripsite.

Michael J.
3 years ago

Verified Reviewer

What an amazing way to see Southern Dalmatia - by boat and bike. From the first greeting arriving at the boat to the farewell breakfast, we had a truly outstanding vacation. We chose the e-bike option and are glad we did. Out of six days riding, one had nearly 1,000 meters climb, another day 600, and a couple more 500 meters. The e-bikes definitely made each ride fun for the entire group on the boat. Our guides were awesome - encouraging, informative, and engaging. The boat crew was fantastic, keeping us safe, sound, and happy the entire time. Each day was a different island, along with stops for swimming in the beautiful Adriatic sea. We were sad to see it end.

Bring your helmet and sturdy riding shows - they'll get a workout. You can even bring your own pedals and they will attach them to your bike.

Joseph S.
3 years ago

Verified Reviewer

A Fantastic journey!! The boat was great, the food wonderful and only 12 passengers. Now is the time to visit!! Our guide Lucy was outstanding leading us flawlessly across many islands with a lot of variety. This was our third journey to different islands in Croatia. We highly recommend Tripsite and Island hopping ,The weather is great, the people most friendly and the islands absolutely beautiful.

Jean-Jacques T.
4 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Southern Dalmatia with the San Snova has been a unique cycling experience in terms of venue, the crew, our guides and cycling participants. The accommodation were great, the meals were excellent and the service outstanding. Our guides were exceptional in terms resources and support during our cycling rides and prepared for the trip. The islands provide an unique cycling experience and good challenge for road bikers and very enjoyable. Croatia is a very welcoming and safe country to visit and cycle. Strongly recommended to anyone.

Bonnie H.
4 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Excellent guides, fabulous food, breathtaking scenery, challenging, but fun cycling(no e-bike), and great camaraderie!

Malcolm H.
4 years ago

Verified Reviewer

My wife and I are biking enthusiasts and found this trip very exciting. But be forewarned it is a challenging ride and if your not riding a lot I'd recommend an e-bike. The guides were great, food was also great. We upgraded to a top cabin and found it very comfortable. Late Sept. weather was in the low 80's and sunny most days. My only negative was the bar bill and water bill were collected at the end of the trip and no credit card was accepted, cash only. I'd wrap the water bill into the price of the trip and collect the bar bill on a credit card. We also signed up for the "extension trip" which was two additional nights. We found this part of the trip poorly planned and a real disappointment.

Gary R.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

The challenge of riding through Croatia whilst making friends with a wide range of people from around the world.

Katherine R.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

The Adriatic was beautiful.

Maryanne & Greg M.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

An awesome cycling holiday
Great food delicious wine and stunning scenery!!! A really memorable holiday and a must do for any keen cyclist

Kurt W.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

The crew, guides, boat, food, bikes were all great. The scenery was spectacular and the weather (end of Sept, first week of Oct) was ideal -- except for some heavy winds that caused the itinerary to be modified for safety (we never experienced the winds ourselves). Biking was really good -- lots of hills, steep and long, but I had an e-bike so they weren't a problem for me -- and others on the trip, even those older than I am (I'm 72) on "normal" bikes, did fine on them. The one thing I'd say was I would have liked was more biking -- longer routes, more time pedaling. We biked from 9 a.m. to lunch, never after lunch. Having said that, swimming off the boat or cruising after lunch were also very nice. Other guests on the trip were fun, interesting, and friendly. I was sorry to say good-byes.

Deborah A.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Most Memorable Part: The islands have breath-taking views of the blue Adriatic Sea and the red roofs of the villages.

Jeff W.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

There were so many memorable rides, islands, towns, meals and staff it is difficult to choose. This was our first bike and boat experience and it is truly memorable because it exceeded all expectations. Previously we have done sportiv tours and also cycling hotels. Bike and boat combines the best aspects of both- you only have to unpack once, as with a cycling hotel, but you travel to a new destination each day, as with a sportiv.

André G.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

The atmosphere among the guests thanks to the two guides was exceptionally good. Congratulations to Tina and Lannis.

Constance R.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

This was a most memorable trip! Everything was truly top-notch! Especially loved the scenery, staff, food, company ... what more can I say! The only thing I'd like folks who are considering this to know is that the rides are hard. It was noted as moderate to difficult and most all of us would say it was difficult. But it was worth the effort as the views from the top of the mountains (not hills!) were incredible! And then I could reward myself with all the scrumptious food served at every meal. The camaraderie that developed amongst us travelers was truly a highlight. These are people I wish I could travel with again - so much fun! I know I can't count on this happening again but maybe...! I will definitely book another Bike and Barge trip!

Greg and Maryanne M.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Bike and Boat in Croatia is a must. Add it to your list today.

Nellie V.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Best parts: Relaxing and traveling on a boat for the week of the bike trip, no packing and unpacking!

Connie Ramsey
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

I did this trip in early Oct. 2017 and it was truly fabulous! The boat, Romantica, was very comfortable; our guides were wonderful; the food was great; our co-riders were the best; and the sights were truly to die for! What more can you ask for? Even our weather was perfect! Just know that our guide said this really should have been marked as "Difficult" as it's the most difficult one they do. Be prepared... or get an electric bike!

Claudia H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Most Memorable Part: The beautiful scenery, the people and guides and the biking

Kathy H
7 years ago

Verified Reviewer

The Southern Dalmatia tour was the 2nd of a 2 week back to back bike tour we took in Croatia (first week was National Parks of Dalmatia). The cycling on this tour was considerably more challenging compared to our first week ... "moderate to difficult" is an appropriate descriptor if a non-electric bike is used. With more challenging cycling there less emphasis on site-seeing while cycling. However one hour walking tours before dinner at destination sites were interesting and appropriate.

The Croatian Coast and countryside is absolutely beautiful with it's small towns and marinas in every cove. Cruising among the islands in a beautifully clear sea was an unexpected highlight... and a welcome break after a morning or afternoon of strenuous cycling. The frequent opportunity to swim off the boat was amazing!

Romantica was a clean sailing yacht with good amenities. Although rated as "Comfort Plus", we would consider it on the lower end of that scale Read More

M. McPhee
8 years ago

Verified Reviewer

A fantastic tour. Really well organised and the guides had great local knowledge. One of our guides even spoke 5 languages so he made everyone feel welcome. The scenery was amazing especially the island of Brac with the most wonderful early morning reflections of the beautiful village in the bay. The food was tasty and plentiful rivaling the odd episode of "Masterchef"
At the Captains dinner we also learnt that the boat was built by the captains family over 4 years with no design drawings. Amazing. We met some great people on board from Brazil and Germany. A fantastic adventure. We enjoyed the Croatian undulations!!! There are a few hills but it is worth it!!!! Enjoy

Valerie Purcell
8 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Our only real complaint is with the description of our South Dalmatia Island Tour. It was mentioned that the bike ride was moderate to difficult but we (and I speak for all 28 of us because we all thought the same and there were some riders that were very experienced) that the ride was mostly difficult. There was no mention of this in the description that it would be "mostly"! There were a lot hills with very steep grades that would go on for kilometers, something that I was not prepared for. I don't know if bike tours can be rated (perhaps like white water rafting) so that one can have a better feel of what the ride will be like or perhaps train or prepare for it. It was our first bike tour so we now know more of what questions we can ask so that we can see if the tour is the right one. Overall we really enjoyed ourselves and were proud of what we achieved (what a fantastic feeling!) and the views were awesome! Really appreciated having two guides one at the Read More

James Purcell
8 years ago

Verified Reviewer

It was more challenging than expected, but very rewarding. Great value.

Nell Venir
8 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Overall we were very happy on this trip, it was a wonderful experience. Two friend have also taken the Croatia trip this year and they too had a great experience. The small boat, efficient staff, and great food made up for the killer hills. My only complaint was the quality of the ebikes, very poor!

Maureen Ryan
8 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Scenery was great! A few times the directions could have been more clear.

Margaret Pattison
8 years ago

Verified Reviewer

My daughter and I had a great time.

Linda Hofer
8 years ago

Verified Reviewer

The "barge" (more like a schooner) and everything along with it was better than imagined. Thank you for a wonderful biking trip. We are already looking for our next adventure on two wheels.

Frank McDowell
9 years ago

Verified Reviewer

My wife and I did the So Dalmatia tour aboard the San Snova in Sept '14. Beautiful country, excellent crew and guides and great group of bikers. It was a wonderful experience with good value.

Elize Steyn
12 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Our extended family of 7 did the cruise/cycle trip on the Romantica for a week in July. We all agreed this was one of the most successful family holidays we have ever enjoyed. Our boat, crew and Captain were wonderful. The guides were entertaining and always helpful and the bikes very well maintained. The food was excellent and much better than we expected. The wine was expensive and the variety limited. Since we sailed in very hot weather I think some salad lunches would be a good idea, instead of hot meals most days. The afternoon snacks were great. We quickly made good friends with other people on board. The cycling was not really tough, but we all cycle regularly. A lot of climbing and descending. We did get frustrated sometimes at the long waits in the middle of nowhere for some slower riders to catch up and our guide requesting us not to go ahead on our own, which we could have done quite easily. The white water rafting was a highlight. The views were amazing and the water Read More