Walled Cities

Dubrovnik, Split and Kotor — the stone cities of the coast, privately.

Two coastlines of walled cities, wine-terraced islands and hidden coves, all close enough to weave into a single seamless journey by water.

When to go

Late May through September, when the Adriatic is warm, the light is long and the islands are at their most alive before the autumn quiet returns. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.

The experiences

A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:

• A private walk of Dubrovnik's ramparts at first light, the old town and the sea entirely your own.
• An unhurried afternoon inside Diocletian's Palace in Split, guided through the layers of a living Roman city.
• A crossing into Montenegro to explore the medieval alleys of Kotor beneath its towering fjord walls.
• A privileged after-hours visit to a cloister or treasury, opened for you when the gates are closed to all others.

A sense of the rhythm

This is a journey of stone and story, moving unhurriedly from one great walled city to the next. Mornings are given to guided exploration before the heat and the crowds; afternoons to slow lunches, quiet courtyards and the pleasure of watching a familiar city change with the light. Each city earns a night or two, so you never feel you are passing through.

Base yourself, or move city to city?

Settling in Dubrovnik and taking day trips keeps your evenings settled and your bags unpacked. Moving between Dubrovnik, Split and Kotor gives you each city at dawn and dusk, its finest hours, at the cost of a few more transfers. For most travellers the moving journey is the more rewarding, and the drives along the coast are part of the pleasure.

How to do it well

The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:

• Walk the walls and palaces early or late; midday belongs to the cruise crowds and the sun.
• Keep your passport close on the day you cross into Montenegro, as the border still applies.
• Ask us to arrange private after-hours access to a site or two; it transforms the experience entirely.
• Allow a full unstructured day in each city, not merely a stop, so its quieter corners can reveal themselves.

What only your advisor can open

The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.

Who it's for

Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.

Estimated investment

From US$7,000 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.

Designed entirely around you

Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.

Your Virtuoso privileges

As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.

Continue exploring Croatia & Montenegro

Part of our Croatia & Montenegro travel guide. Related private journeys:

• Island-Hop by Yacht
• Coast & Konobas
• The Montenegrin Riviera

Begin the conversation

Tell a Forest Travel advisor how you like to travel and they will design Walled Cities around you — privately, every Virtuoso privilege included. Request your private consultation →