Two wheels and a yacht, one great week. This private 8-day Split tour mixes sailing days with motorcycle days, sending you through Croatia’s islands, into Montenegro’s bays, and across Bosnia’s river valleys. You live aboard the yacht, then swap to BMW bikes for the land parts when the views turn inland.

I like two things most: the comfort of having a real base at sea (your yacht stays put so you avoid daily hotel check-ins), and the food-and-wine rhythm that keeps showing up. In the reviews, skipper Boris gets praised for patience with first-time sailors, and hostess Nina is mentioned as making people feel looked after. I also love the lineup of tastings and meals that aren’t just “snacks on a timetable.”

One drawback to consider: this is a high-price trip, and it runs best when you are ready for a full schedule plus real motorcycle time. You’ll ride on curvy roads and sometimes gravel, and the whole plan depends on good weather—no weather, no sailing day.

Quick hits before you commit

• Luxury yacht as your bed: your boat handles accommodation, so you focus on swims and stops, not packing and moving.
• BMW GS bikes for the road days: multiple reviews specifically call out new BMW GS 1250 models.
• Three countries without the hassle: Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia are handled in one coordinated route.
• Food that shows up every day: onboard dinners, plus restaurant meals like a chef-driven seven-course menu in Kobaš.
• Big “wow” stops, with real activities: Krka waterfalls, Mljet’s salt lakes and kayak ride, Ston oysters, Mostar’s bridge story.
• Motorcycle adventure in Montenegro: Kotor and Budva are reached by road, with coffee stop at Porto Montenegro.

How the ride-and-sail format actually feels

This is not a typical “hop off, hop on” cruise. The big idea is simple: you alternate between two kinds of travel.

On sailing days, you’re in island coves, with time to swim and stretch out. On motorcycle days, you get the land angles—curvy coast roads, hills, and the kind of viewpoints you don’t reach from a dock.

That swap is exactly what makes this trip work for you. You’re not stuck doing one slow mode for eight days. Instead, you get sea time to recover and road time to feel the place.

Also, since your yacht becomes your accommodation, you avoid the daily circus of luggage. Your belongings ride with you. That matters after a few days, especially when you’re also doing tastings, museum stops, and longer riding blocks.

Your floating base on the Adriatic: yacht living with a crew that handles it

You’ll meet the Desmo team at the start in Split, then get introduced to the motorcycle fleet and your yacht setup. The yacht becomes your home for the rest of the trip, including relaxed evenings onboard.

The crew approach seems to be a key strength. In reviews, the sailing leader and crew are praised for instruction and calm handling, especially for people who felt new on the water. If you’ve never been on a sailboat before, that kind of support can turn anxiety into confidence fast.

What you’ll actually do onboard:

• Sleep onboard night after night after your first anchoring night in the Šibenik area.
• Swim from the boat during several day stops and cove arrivals.
• Eat with structure: breakfast on most days, lunches on most days, and dinner planning that appears to land almost nightly.

And yes, there’s real appetite fuel here. Multiple review snippets point to big, satisfying meals and wine included as part of the onboard vibe.

Practical note: you should pack with easy-change swim wear in mind. You’ll be wet at least sometimes, and you’ll want to move fast between sun, shade, and dinner.

Day-by-day: Krka to Šibenik, then Hvar and the Pakleni coves

Day 1: Krka Waterfalls and Šibenik to your yacht base

You start with a get-together with the Desmo team and then head to Krka Waterfalls National Park. You’ll walk the park, and if the water is warm enough, you’ll have the chance to swim under the waterfalls. After that, you continue to Šibenik and marina Mandalina (D-Marine), where your yacht waits with your belongings already in place.

Why this day works: it sets the “Croatia feels” immediately—water, stone, and old-town atmosphere—without dumping you into long travel stress on day one.

Day 2: Šibenik to Hvar by sail, with a Blue Lagoon swim

After breakfast on the yacht, you sail toward Hvar (about five hours). You’ll stop for a swim at a Blue Lagoon area near Drvenik/Mali Drvenik for about two hours. Then you anchor in a famous Pakleni Islands cove for the night.

The Pakleni Islands setup is the kind of place where time slows down. You get swims, and the cove sits close to beach bars like Laganini, Hula-Hula, and Carpe Diem. In the evening, you can also go into Hvar old town if you want more streets and atmosphere.

If you’re wondering whether this is party-centered or nature-centered: it’s both, but you control how much of each you take. You can do the beach-bar option or just keep it simple with sea time and dinner onboard.

BMW GS days on Hvar: gravel roads, an underwater wine cellar, and ferry-crossing fun

Day 3: motorcycle from Hvar to Pelješac with tastings and oysters

You start riding in old town Hvar, where your motorcycle is ready for you. Then the route takes you onto gravel roads toward Sveta Nedjelja. Here’s one of the most memorable stops: the Plenković winery and its underwater wine cellar. It’s a weird-feeling, very specific detail that makes the whole day feel less like a standard “scenic drive.”

From there, you ride to Surčuraj and hop a ferry (about 45 minutes) to the Croatian mainland at Drvenik. Then you continue along curvy coastal roads to Ston and onward to Orebić, where your yacht crew is waiting.

Later, there’s a short sail to Korčula’s old town. You’ll have dinner served on the yacht and, if you want, time to explore Korčula at night. It’s known as the birthplace of Marco Polo, so you’ll find plenty of old-town textures and history framing.

This is also a tasting day beyond wine:

• You’ll visit wineries and oyster farms.
• You’ll do private tasting and a private boat ride to the oyster farm in Ston.
• You’ll spend time around Mali Ston for a private oyster tour and fresh oyster tasting.

If you like trips that give you something tangible to take away—like how oysters are farmed or why an underwater cellar exists—this is the day.

Mljet’s salt lakes and kayak time, then a chef-driven seven-course dinner at Kobaš

Day 4: Mljet National Park + Kobaš Bay

Morning swim and breakfast, then a two-hour sail to Mljet. Once there, you visit the national park either by bicycle or by a short hike. The focus is on two salt lakes, plus a kayak ride to an ancient monastery.

That kayak part is the kind of activity that turns “seeing a park” into actually moving through it. Even if you’re not a hardcore outdoors person, you’re likely to feel like you did something real.

In the afternoon, you sail to Kobaš Bay at the Pelješac Peninsula. You’ll moor near Gastro Mare Restaurant. You can swim, relax at a beach bar, and then enjoy dinner: a seven-course menu prepared by chef Antonio Bjelko, using fresh organic ingredients and seafood caught from the sea.

This dinner detail matters for your decision. This isn’t dinner-by-default. It’s a named chef meal with multiple courses. You’re paying for a level of organization and food focus that you’d have to replicate yourself with careful bookings.

Ston oysters, Dubrovnik walls views, and an evening on Stradun

Day 5: Ston wall + oyster tasting, then Dubrovnik

Breakfast happens at Gastro Mare, then you move toward Dubrovnik. Before reaching Dubrovnik, you explore Ston town and its wall system, described as the second-longest man-made wall after the Great Wall of China. You’ll also do a private oyster farm tour with a local guide and taste Ston oysters.

Then it’s back onto the motorcycle to reach Dubrovnik by coastal roads. You arrive around 4 p.m., leave the motorcycles at ACI marina Dubrovnik, and board the yacht for a short sail in front of the city walls.

In the evening, dinner is served while you look toward Dubrovnik’s walls, and then you can walk Stradun in the old town. If you still have energy later, you can also relax onboard while the city keeps glowing.

Two useful “view” additions appear on this day’s plan:

• Milos Winery tour (about 30 minutes) for history and tasting.
• Mount Srđ climb (about one hour) for a view over Dubrovnik and the islands.

Why these details matter: Dubrovnik is one of those places where good viewpoints and good timing make a big difference. This plan tries to build both in.

Montenegro by road: Tivat coffee, Kotor lanes, and Budva beach-town time

Day 6: Dubrovnik area to Montenegro (Tivat, Kotor, Budva), then Cavtat

After breakfast onboard under Dubrovnik’s city walls, you start the journey to Montenegro. You’ll climb Srđ hill again for a panoramic look. Then you cross the border into Montenegro.

Once there, you ride in the Boka Kotorska Bay area and visit:

• Tivat, with a coffee stop at Porto Montenegro
• Kotor, with a walk through the old town’s small streets

You’ll also visit Budva, a well-known beach town, and ride through hills around the bay. Then you head back to Cavtat where the yacht waits for the night. Dinner is onboard, and there’s mention of a party setup for guests, plus an evening swim.

If you’re thinking, Will it feel like too much driving? The route tries to balance it with breaks and town walking. The bay areas reward you with dramatic angles from the road, so you’re not just stuck in traffic.

Bosnia on two wheels: Mostar old town, war history stops, then Blidinje

Day 7: Mostar and the Neretva river split

Breakfast and a morning swim onboard, then you ride toward Mostar. Before noon, your route continues through Bosnia and Herzegovina. Your luggage is returned to the Desmo office while you keep riding onward.

You visit small towns along the way: Trebinje, Stolac, Blagaj, and Blidinje nature park. Then you arrive in Mostar for the night.

Mostar is introduced through its 1990s war history, and the town is described as divided by the Neretva River, with Catholic and Muslim communities on opposite sides. You’ll walk the old town and visit the Old Bridge that was destroyed during the civil war.

This isn’t a “photo-only” stop. The plan frames the bridge and division in a way that helps you understand why the architecture and street patterns feel different across the river.

Day 8: Neretva canyon to Blidinje Nature Park and back to Split

You leave Mostar early and ride alongside the Neretva River canyon. The road climbs up toward Čvrsnica Mountain and the Blidinje area. You also pass small villages that were destroyed during the civil war in the 1990s.

There’s a museum stop in Jablanica to learn about war times in the Balkans. Then you reach Blidinje Nature Park and visit Hajdučke vrleti for lunch with Bosnian specialties prepared in a traditional recipe.

After lunch, you ride back toward Split to end the trip, and your belongings and suitcases are waiting for transport to the airport or a nearby hotel.

Price and logistics: is $10,909.64 per person worth it?

At first glance, this price is jaw-drop territory. But it isn’t just a ticket to a viewpoint. You’re paying for a coordinated private package that includes:

• A private luxury yacht for multiple nights with a captain and a crew
• A private motorcycle setup (BMW GS models are mentioned in reviews)
• Daily planning that strings together national parks, old towns, tastings, and restaurant meals
• Meals scheduled throughout the trip, including a named chef seven-course dinner at Kobaš

If you tried to rebuild this yourself, you’d likely spend time and money just to line up:

• a yacht crew plus a consistent itinerary,
• multiple long-road motorcycle segments,
• and the specific activities like the underwater wine cellar, Ston oyster experiences, Mljet kayak time, and the war-history stops.

So the value question comes down to this: do you want the entire route handled in one package, and are you comfortable paying a premium for that convenience?

If yes, you’ll probably feel like your effort is spent on enjoying the day, not coordinating it.

If no, you might prefer splitting the experience into separate trips: one sailing trip for islands, plus a separate motorcycle tour by land.

Who should book this ride-and-sail, and who should think twice

Book it if you:

• Want Croatia’s Adriatic islands plus real land driving, in one coherent plan
• Like food experiences and tastings (oysters, wine stops, chef meals)
• Are comfortable doing active days with some early starts
• Care about a private feel, not a crowded group schedule

Think twice if you:

• Don’t want to ride a motorcycle for extended stretches, including curvy roads and gravel
• Get stressed when plans depend on weather (the sailing side needs good conditions)
• Prefer slower travel with lots of unscheduled downtime

One small planning note from review feedback: some people said the best order would be to get a motorcycle ride early, then sail. That doesn’t mean it will ruin your trip, but if you’re a rides-first type, ask about the first-day flow when you book.

Should you book this 8-day private sailing + motorcycle tour?

I’d say book it if you want a rare combo: sea days with a yacht base and road days with BMW bikes, tied together with serious food and organized stops. The trip works because it doesn’t treat Croatia as a checklist. It treats it as two experiences—water and roads—and gives you both.

If you want low-cost, DIY flexibility, this isn’t that. This is a premium, schedule-driven adventure where you trade independence for comfort and guidance.

My “green light” rule: if your ideal vacation includes both swimming from coves and riding curvy roads (not just looking at them), you’ll probably love it.

FAQ

What time does the tour start?

The start time is 9:00 am.

Is pickup from Split included?

Pickup is offered from your Split accommodation.

What meals are included?

Dinner is planned for the trip, and lunch and breakfast are included on most days, with some meals prepared on board and others at restaurants during the route.

Do we get to ride a motorcycle?

Yes. The itinerary includes motorcycle riding on several days, including a ride through Montenegro and onward to Bosnia.

Where does the tour end?

You return to Split on the last day, and then have organized transport to the airport or a nearby hotel. Your belongings are waiting at the Desmo office.

Which countries are included in the route?

The tour includes Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. It’s a private tour/activity, and only your group participates.

What ticket do you receive?

You receive a mobile ticket.

What happens if the weather is bad?

This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. If you cancel less than 24 hours before the start time, it won’t be refunded.