Read our day-by-day itinerary of the action-packed Austin Adventures Croatia Family Vacation.
With my kids now ages 10 and 15, time seems to be moving really fast. Every day I’m reminded that childhood is finite and fleeting, so the past few summers have been all about making memories and spending time together. The summer of 2023 may go down as our best ever, and I’m about to tell you why.
We had a trip to Europe planned for the summer of 2020, but that didn’t happen for obvious reasons. So we went all in for the summer of 2023. We wanted to go everywhere and do everything, but we had to consider how much time and money we could actually spend.
With Croatia being high on our bucket list, we made sure to include it as one of our destinations. However we quickly realized that there’s a lot to see in Croatia, and we didn’t want to plan all of the logistics.
That’s where Austin Adventures came in. The small group, adventure travel company launched in North America back in the 80s. It’s well known for its specialized national park trips. But over its decades in operation, Austin Adventures added unique vacations around the world, including Europe. Austin Adventures employs local guides to run its trips, making the experiences truly authentic.
The itinerary for the Croatia Family Vacation was a perfect match for the destinations and activities we wanted to experience. This itinerary is actually one of the company’s most popular European offerings.
Follow along on our day-by-day journal to find out why this particular trip is so special.
Pre-Trip: Split
The Austin Adventures Croatia Family Vacation starts and ends in different cities. It begins in Split and finishes in Dubrovnik. However, the Austin Adventures itinerary won’t involve exploring either of these cities. So we recommend adding at least 1-2 days to the beginning and end of your trip.
We arrived a day early in Split and reserved a room at the Austin Adventures recommended hotel: Hotel Luxe.
The hotel offers transportation from the airport, at an additional cost. Upon our arrival at the Split Airport (SPU), our driver was waiting for us. Having this pre-arranged was an easy and efficient way to get to the hotel.
Our suite at Hotel Luxe comfortably slept four people. The suite had a pull out sofa in the living room that slept two, a separate bedroom with a king sized bed, plus 1.5 bathrooms. The room was modern with views of the old city. Breakfast was included in the cost of the stay.
KidTripster Tip: This is a small, boutique hotel with limited family rooms. Reserve your room early as the hotel does book up during the busy summer months.
Hotel Luxe sits in an ideal location, just a few blocks from Diocletian’s Palace. The palace was built in the 4th century AD. Emperor Diocletian commissioned the structure to serve as his retirement residence and military fortress. Today, the remaining structure takes up about half of the town of old Split. It contain dozens of shops and restaurants. Allow yourself time to wind through the maze. Be sure to look up, down, and all around because there’s so much to see in all directions. We spent several hours sightseeing here. Expect it to be busy during summer months as this is Split’s main attraction and it’s located close to the ferry terminal and cruise ship port.
We’d heard about a public beach within walking distance of the hotel so we decided to check it out. Bacvice Beach was about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. There was a large beach area for sitting, with shallow water for wading. My kids enjoyed the chance to dip their toes into the Adriatic Sea. I wouldn’t describe this as a particularly nice beach. We visited on a Saturday afternoon in late June. It was crowded and a bit grimy.
KidTripster Tip: Don’t traipse around town in your swimsuits. Be sure to cover up! Swimwear is forbidden in the old town and violators can be fined as much as 150 Euros.
There was certainly more to see and do in Split, but we had an early meeting time the next day, so it was lights out for us by 9 p.m
Day 1: Ferry from Split to Hvar, Cycle 26 Miles
Day 1 started early. Our meeting time was 7:40 a.m. in the hotel lobby. Knowing our day included a bike ride, we needed to eat breakfast before heading out. That meant an extra early wake up call for the kids. It helped that they were excited about the trip, so we encountered few complaints when the alarm went off.
The breakfast buffet was full of interesting flavors with an assortment of both hot and cold food items. Even more intriguing was looking around the room and trying to guess who would be joining us on our adventure.
During our pre-trip call (something Austin Adventures does with each traveling party), we asked how many others would be on our tour. We were told there were four families, with seven kids ranging in age from 9-17.
KidTripster Tip: Austin Adventures uses a trip planning website. It will contain your itinerary, local contact information, emergency contact information, etc. Be sure to read and bring these documents with you just in case.
At around 7:30, two of our guides showed up in the lobby. We recognized them by their Austin Adventures t-shirts. After months of planning, it was finally go time!
After taking attendance and making a quick round of introductions in the hotel lobby, we headed out to the ferry. We pulled along our own luggage, walking about 10 minutes. This was the only time we transported our luggage for the rest of the week.
We boarded the ferry as a group, finding a space where we could all sit and talk. Every Austin Adventures trip starts with a welcome meeting. Our guides got right into it. Daniel and Darija explained the day ahead. Daniel handed out maps that showed our bike route. We were also encouraged to download an app that would allow us to follow the trail on our own devices. The top questions from the group concerned how long and how arduous the ride would be. The ride from Stari Grad to Hvar was 26.78 miles, and, yes, there would be some hills to navigate.
From there, it was on to more complete introductions. With a two hour ferry ride ahead of us, there was plenty of time to break the ice with our fellow travelers. The families in our group were all from the U.S. We’re from Portland, Oregon, the others came from Washington, D.C., Orlando, and Kansas City.
The other families had all previously participated in Austin Adventures trips. Based on their positive experiences, they’d traveled all the way to Croatia to do another one. While I knew we’d have a great time, it was encouraging hearing the other families rave about Austin Adventures.
The younger kids were eager to get to know each other, whereas the teens were a bit more reserved. They warmed up to each other as the week progressed.
Our 10-year-old son was feeling a bit apprehensive about the bike ride ahead. He wanted to see the bike he’d be riding. We asked Daniel if he had a photo of it. He didn’t, but he checked with Marko, our guide on the ground in Stari Grad. Within minutes Marko sent him a photo of the bike. Seeing the picture put my son at ease. This was an early example of the excellent customer service we’d experience in the week ahead.
Once the ferry pulled into port, it was time to move. We deposited our luggage at a van waiting just outside the ship. Then we geared up for our ride. The team had an assortment of snacks ready for everyone to grab. They even had gluten free snacks for me, knowing I had a food allergy.
This was our first introduction to Marko, the trip leader. He excitedly greeted each one of us as we excited the ferry. He already knew the kids by name, and got right to work making sure the youngest kids were all set with their bikes.
Marko labeled each bike with our names. We had a few minutes to test out our bikes before our ride got underway. Only minor adjustments were needed as we’d provided our heights and weights in advance of our travel.
KidTripster Tip: Austin Adventures provides bike helmets, bike bags, and water bottles. Bike shorts are recommended, and most everyone wore them for the rides. We ordered inexpensive shorts from Amazon. Kids sizes are available.
Our ride started out on a paved bike trail that led us alongside the water and away from the ferry port. It was a good spot to get our feel for the bikes. The day was already warm, but the guides assured us we’d have the chance to cool off soon with some gelato.
Our gelato stop in the cute town of Jelsa, was short, but sweet. We momentarily panicked, realizing we’d left our wallets in our luggage, but it was all taken care of. In fact all of our meals (except for one) in the week ahead were covered by the Austin Adventures team.
[ Related: The Austin Adventures Croatia Family Vacation: Your FAQs ]
The break was nice, but it was time to get back on our bikes. The next portion of our ride took us through Stari Grad Plain, a UNESCO World Heritage site. As we rode through fields, divided by stone walls, we marveled in the continuity of life on this island. The fields had been continuously cultivated for thousands of years. In addition to its beauty, it smelled of lavender, which was in season at the end of June. It’s hard to describe how picturesque this moment was, but that’s when I realized just how special the week ahead would be.
I lagged behind on that portion of the ride, and our guide Marko, kept me company, chatting about how the fields were built up by hand, by generations of people. It’s the best preserved Greek plot system in the Mediterranean which is why it’s now a UNESCO site. Part of the ride was paved, but some of it was not due to the historical designation. Although that section of the ride was a bit bumpy, the beauty made it worthwhile.
We finally arrived at our next stopping point … lunch! We parked our bikes alongside a stone wall, rounded an alley and our lunch spot awaited. When I say we were well fed on this trip, I’m not exaggerating.
Jurin Podrum in Stari Grad served an array of fresh seafood, including octopus and black risotto. While my daughter was excited by the menu, my son was not. Fortunately, pasta with salsa (aka tomato sauce) was an option.
By then, it already felt like a full day, but we weren’t even close to being done. Another leg of the ride awaited and we were told this one involved a very steep hill.
KidTripster Tip: While participation is encouraged, the guides are very supportive when someone needs a break. A van follows behind and the driver will pick up those who need, or want, a ride. Several of us skipped the trek uphill and took the van to the top instead. Darija pulled an assortment of snacks out of the van and waited for the riders. One by one, they made their way up the hill. Those of us waiting at the top, cheered them on.
After this it was mostly downhill. The views of the lavender fields and sea were stunning and perhaps even a bit distracting. A few of the kids fell off their bikes, getting some minor scrapes. It was the only day anyone fell and the Austin Adventures team was ready to respond with a First Aid kit.
The bike ride concluded in the parking lot near the old town of Hvar. Everyone hopped off their bikes. One guide loaded up the bikes on the trailer, while the other two led us to our hotel.
We’d be spending the next two nights at Hotel Adriana, located right in the harbor. Accommodations are included with each Austin Adventures booking. The rooms at Hotel Adriana were nice, but small. Our family of four was assigned two rooms next to each other. The Austin Adventures team had transported all of our luggage to the hotel and it was waiting for us in our rooms.
We had some time to clean up, all of us a bit sticky due to the ride and the heat. Then we relaxed before our first group dinner.
In spite of meals and snacks, we were pretty hungry after a day of riding. Our group met in the lobby and walked to dinner at Black Pepper.
We sat at a banquet table, our three guides spread out amongst the families, helping to initiate conversations. Because of our busy day, we had a lot more to talk about with each other than we did on that initial ferry ride. Marko ordered a round of appetizers for the table and we selected our own main dishes. Choices included octopus, sea bass, tuna, duck, lamb, and steak. As you do in Croatia, we took our time savoring our meal and we didn’t say no to wine or dessert.
Before we left the restaurant, Marko and the team gave us a rundown of what to expect on our second day together. This was something they did each evening to prepare us for the next day. They provided instructions about what to wear, what to bring with us, and when to meet.
We walked slowly back to the hotel as a group and turned in for the night. Falling asleep was not a problem on that first night. We were wiped out from the excitement and physical activity of the day.
On Day 2, Austin Adventures had a different type of activity planned for us. Our legs got to rest and we put our arms to work instead. Click 2 to read all about it.
