Why Croatia is Perfect for a Boat & Bike Tour

Our eight Croatia Boat & Bike tours are among the most popular for our customers and our team alike - read on to find out what makes it the perfect destination.

Croatia is home to eight beautiful and renowned national parks, four of which feature on our Boat & Bike tours.

Located 10km inland from Sibenik, Krka National Park is most famous for its magnificent waterfalls where you can take a refreshing dip in the crystal-clear waters. Don't forget to pack your swimwear... or your camera!

Kornati National Park and Telašcica National Park are close to one another but unique in nature. Kornati's 89 islands, islets and reefs make it a famous diving destination where the crystal clear waters are idyllic for an afternoon swim. Telašcica's stunning cliffs and saltwater lake are highly likely to feature in your trip highlights. Both national parks, as well as Krka, feature on our National Parks of Dalmatia and National Parks of Dalmatia Deluxe Boat & Bike tours.

The Mljet National Park is considered to be the most beautiful island in the Adriatic and some believe it to be Homer's Ogygia, the island home of Calypso where Odysseus stayed for seven years. Photos simply don't do it justice, you'll have to see it for yourself on our Dubrovnik to Split Deluxe Boat & E-Bike Tour.

Alongside its eight national parks, Croatia is also home to eight cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites, seven of which are along its coast.

Two of the most famous are the Old City of Dubrovnik and the Historic City of Trogir. Dubrovnik's ancient city walls and Baroque buildings are captivating and featured heavily in filming for Game of Thrones. A guided walking tour is included as part of our Dubrovnik to Split Deluxe Boat & Bike Tour.

Trogir features as the start and endpoint on all of our Dalmatian Coast tours, so you'll have plenty of time to explore the Venetian architecture of the historic town and harbour. It's a unique town positioned on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the larger island of Čiovo, connected to both by bridges. 

All of our Croatian Boat & Bike tours feature at least one UNESCO World Heritage Site, with others to be found in Poreč, Split, Stari Grad, Šibenik and Zadar.

Aside from the Highlights of Istria, a key feature of any Croatia Boat & Bike tour is hopping between islands with a new one to discover each day by bike. Visiting so many islands, you might think that they would start to blend into one but you needn't worry!

In South Dalmatia, you'll find the lavender island of Hvar with its cosmopolitan bars and restaurants; Brač with its white marble quarries; the honey island of Mljet; and Solta with its famous bee-keepers, the Tvrdic family.

Up the coast in Northern Dalmatia, the islands are home to old coastal villages, ancient ruins and the Kornati and Telašcica National Parks. The beautiful island of Dugi Otok has been inhabited since prehistoric times and provides peaceful cycling with low visitor numbers even during peak season.

Alternatively, see a lesser-known part of Croatia with one of our Kvarner Bay tours. While you can catch a transfer from Zagreb, for a complete island experience fly into Rijeka on Krk Island close to the tour start point. Expect peaceful harbours, cool pine forests and plenty of hidden coves and secluded swimming spots.

No matter which tour you choose, you can't fault the accommodation. Even the comfort class boats are beautiful traditional wooden yachts with air-conditioned en-suite cabins and plenty of space on board so you can be as sociable (or unsociable!) as you like. Every boat features low-slung sun loungers and comfy deckchairs for a post-cycle snooze or a chance to catch up on some reading, and there's always the option to take a day off the saddle and relax on the boat instead. Many boats even have swimming platforms for easy access to the sea when at anchor!

One of the advantages of sailing on board a medium-sized yacht is that you'll sail straight into the harbour of Croatia's amazing coastal towns. While the larger boats and cruise ships have to dock miles away from the centre, you'll literally step off and start exploring. You're also not tied to local ferry times and availability - once your daily cycling is done, you simply reboard your floating hotel and it whisks you to the next stop.

For more information on the boats that feature on our Croatian tours, visit our boats page, or click through from the accommodation section of your chosen tour. You'll find more information on the facilities and cabins on board so that you know what to expect when you arrive.

All of our Croatia Boat & Bike tours are guided, and the guides and crews can make or break a trip. Luckily, they're all fantastic. They tend to be local, passionate about their country and really add value to the tour. And they often receive personal shout-outs from our customers!

" Ivan, one of our guides had a wonderful sense of humor and was able to accommodate even the fussiest of travellers with his considerate actions."

"The crew was so friendly and helpful. Petra our cycle guide was so helpful and encouraging and she took good care of us."

"We had a really wonderful holiday on the Linda, our tour guides were excellent especially Ana who we could not fault. She was attentive, enthusiastic and incredibly engaging without exception."

Croatia offers cycling for all abilities and fitness levels. Coastal and island cycling can be demanding - there's only one way to go from sea level, up! - but modern e-bikes are available to hire on all tours and are recommended if you'd like a helping hand with the up-hill sections.

For the most relaxed cycling, Highlights of Istria offers the gentlest routes along coastal trails. Alternatively, all of our Deluxe Croatian Boat & Bike tours now use e-bikes as standard! Even the guides will use them to set the pace, which makes the hilly terrain more manageable and enjoyable.