Split to Venice by luxury yacht shows off the best of the Mediterranean

Our series Bespoke Behind the Scenes lets you in on some of the incredible trips that B&R Experience Designers create for travellers. Whether it’s a multi-generational family reunion or an exploration of a dream destination, our team works one-on-one with travellers to design original journeys that meet every need and desire. Here, Experience Designer Tom Abraham explains how a multi-generational and multi-active trip helped one family explore Croatia’s hidden gems. 

A sailing adventure exploring hidden gems along Croatia’s coastline and ending in one of Italy’s most iconic cities on the water was the perfect summer adventure for this family trip. Experience Designer Tom Abraham created a 10-day itinerary for multiple generations gathering to spend quality time together while indulging individual interests.  

“Bespoke really is the only way to do a multi-generational trip and please everybody,” says Tom. “It’s magic when you can find the right amount of activity for everyone’s ability, cultural opportunities for the entire group plus experiences for those in the group who are less active.”  

Instead of hotel hopping up the coast for this extensive trip, which covered a lot of ground along the coast, the family chartered a stunning luxury yacht to navigate the waters from Split, Croatia to Venice in Italy. Whichever activities the group members chose during the day, the ship was where everyone could gather to share stories of their days and spend time together swimming, doing watersports off the edge of the boat, or climbing to the top deck to relax and watch the incredible Dalmatian sunsets. 

Expert planning resulted in a diversity of experiences to choose from—enthusiastic cyclists could be on their bike every day, but there was always the choice of a non-active experience, too. While some in the group biked past vineyards and conquered challenging terrain to reach hilltop medieval villages near Split, others explored the UNESCO designated town of Trogir, winding their way through centuries-old cobblestone streets. Up the coast in Istria, some family members pedalled past castles and villages to the Istrian hinterland, while others toured relics of the Roman Empire in Pula, including the incredibly preserved amphitheatre. And during another morning of riding, part of the group had an immersive adventure truffle hunting in the world’s most prolific black truffle forest. 

Meals were enjoyed in the gardens of a wine estate in Istria, one of Croatia’s premier wine regions, and at a tiny family-owned restaurant known for their traditional coastal menu and house-made grappa. The family had many dinners on board the ship, too, a chance to spend quiet time together and enjoy the privacy afforded to them with a yacht. 

“Yachts work particularly well for intimate family time compared to hotels, which require more transportation time to get from activity to activity,” Tom explains. “And often there’s no matching the complete level of service that a high-end yacht crew can offer.”