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Photograph to come · Wide view of Medjugorje with St. James Church and the hills behind

Croatia & Bosnia Pilgrimages

Medjugorje, Dubrovnik, the Bay of Kotor and the Shrines of the Adriatic

Thirteen days from Medjugorje to Ljubljana, with three nights at the apparition site, the walled city of Dubrovnik, Our Lady of the Rocks in the Bay of Kotor, and the road north through Split and Plitvice Lakes into Slovenia.

Departures

Current Tours to Croatia & Bosnia

Upcoming departures to Croatia & Bosnia. Each group has its own host, dates, and itinerary. The route below is our standard.

All current pilgrimages
The Route

Eleven stops across four countries

Medjugorje, Dubrovnik, Perast, Kotor, Split, Trogir, Plitvice Lakes, Opatija, Postojna, Bled and Ljubljana.

Itinerary · EU_BA-HR-ME-SI-13D-01

Our Standard Croatia & Bosnia Pilgrimage

Thirteen days, arriving at Dubrovnik and departing from Ljubljana, with three nights in Medjugorje and three in Dubrovnik before the road turns north up the Adriatic and over into Slovenia. The shorter routes in this family cover the same ground in nine or ten days. Your group travels on its own dates, and the itinerary can be adjusted to fit the time you have and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.

DAYS 1–4

Medjugorje, and the Hill of the Apparitions

Photograph to come · St. James Church, Medjugorje
St. James Church at Medjugorje, where the life of the village has centred since 1981.
Day 1

Depart the United States

We depart on our overnight flight to Croatia. Dinner and breakfast are served on board.
Day 2

Arrival in Medjugorje

Our local tour escort meets us at Dubrovnik Airport and accompanies us by motorcoach, about two and a half hours, into the hills of Herzegovina to the village of Medjugorje. This evening we gather for a welcome dinner to begin our pilgrimage together.Overnight in Medjugorje.
Day 3

Apparition Hill

We climb Apparition Hill above Podbrdo, where the visionaries first met Our Lady in June of 1981, praying the Rosary and pausing at each decade, with quiet time at the statue that marks the first apparition. Descending, we stop at the Blue Cross. This evening the village gathers for the Rosary and the Croatian Mass.Mass is celebrated at St. James Church, the parish at the heart of Medjugorje. Dinner and overnight in Medjugorje.
Day 4

Krizevac Mountain

We climb Krizevac, where in 1933 the villagers carried the materials up by hand to raise a thirty-foot cross, praying the Way of the Cross at each of the fourteen Stations. Later we visit the Community of Cenacolo, founded by Sister Elvira Petrozzi for young people recovering from addiction, and hear their testimonies.Mass is celebrated at St. James Church, with time given to Adoration and Confession. Dinner and overnight in Medjugorje.
DAYS 5–7

Dubrovnik and the Bay of Kotor

Photograph to come · The walled Old Town of Dubrovnik from above
The walled Old Town of Dubrovnik, long called the Pearl of the Adriatic.
Day 5

Dubrovnik

We take leave of Medjugorje and return to the Croatian coast, reaching Dubrovnik in time to check in. The afternoon is free above the Adriatic, with time to walk down into the walled Old Town, long called the Pearl of the Adriatic. We dine at a Dalmatian restaurant.Mass is celebrated in Medjugorje before we depart. Dinner and overnight in Dubrovnik.
Day 6

The Old City

We walk old Dubrovnik from the Rector’s Palace, seat of the elected head of the Republic of Ragusa, past the Bell Tower Clock, Orlando’s Column and the Sponza Palace to the Dominican and Franciscan monasteries, whose pharmacy has served the city since 1317. Throughout, the city recalls St. Blaise, its patron for a thousand years.Mass is celebrated at the Cathedral of the Assumption. Overnight in Dubrovnik.
Day 7

The Bay of Kotor

We cross into Montenegro to the Bay of Kotor, the deepest inlet of its kind in southern Europe. A short boat ride brings us to Our Lady of the Rocks, an islet built up stone by stone by sailors in fulfilment of vows made at sea, with its museum of votive offerings. We return by way of baroque Perast and the walled city of Kotor.Mass is celebrated in the church on Our Lady of the Rocks. Overnight in Dubrovnik.
DAYS 8–10

North along the Adriatic

Photograph to come · The Cathedral of St. Domnius, Split
The Cathedral of St. Domnius at Split, the oldest cathedral building still in use.
Day 8

Split

We travel north along the Adriatic, past old fishing villages and newer resorts, to Split. We tour the inner city built inside Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO site, seeing Jupiter’s Temple, the Peristyle and the Renaissance and Gothic buildings that grew up among the Roman walls.Mass is celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Domnius, the oldest cathedral building still in use anywhere in the world. Dinner and overnight in Split.
Day 9

Trogir and Plitvice

We travel a short way up the coast to Trogir, a small island city of stone streets and workshops, whose cathedral carries the west portal carved by the master Radovan in 1240, among the finest Romanesque sculpture in this part of Europe. Our road then turns inland toward Plitvice Lakes.Mass is celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Lawrence in Trogir. Dinner and overnight in Plitvice.
Day 10

Plitvice Lakes

The day is given to Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO site where sixteen terraced lakes fall one into another over travertine barriers formed slowly by the water itself. We walk the wooden paths among the waterfalls and wooded slopes, with time to pray in a place whose stillness turns the mind readily to the Creator.Mass is celebrated before we set out. Dinner and overnight in Plitvice.
DAYS 11–13

Into Slovenia, and Home

Photograph to come · The Church of the Assumption on Bled Island
The Church of the Assumption on Bled Island, reached across the water.
Day 11

Opatija, Postojna & Bled

We return toward the Bay of Kvarner and Opatija, the former imperial resort of the Austro-Hungarian court, for a walk along its seafront promenade. Crossing into Slovenia we tour the Postojna Caves by miniature electric railway; the first rails were laid here in 1872 and the lighting followed in 1884, before Ljubljana itself was lit.Mass is celebrated at Opatija. Dinner and overnight in Bled.
Day 12

Bled and Ljubljana

Bled lies at the foot of the Karawanks, an alpine lake ringed by high peaks. We cross the water to the Church of the Assumption on Bled Island, honoured on the site of a far older shrine, and drive up to Bled Castle, first recorded in a deed of 1011. This afternoon we reach Ljubljana for its open-air market, the Baroque Town Hall and the Three Bridges.Mass is celebrated at the Church of the Assumption on Bled Island. Farewell dinner and overnight in Ljubljana.
Day 13

Return Home

After breakfast we transfer to Ljubljana Airport for our return flight home, with hearts renewed by the intercession of Our Lady of Medjugorje and Our Lady of the Rocks.

Why leaders choose Canterbury

“Canterbury treats you like family! They handle everything, from creating exciting itineraries to managing calls, registrations, and payments.”

Patrick MadridPatrick Madrid
Catholic Speaker, Author & Host of The Patrick Madrid Show on Relevant Radio®
IMMERSIVE PHOTOGRAPH
Apparition Hill, MedjugorjeWhere the visionaries first met Our Lady in June of 1981.
Dates

Your group travels on its own dates.

Tell us the window you have in mind and we will build the itinerary around it: the time you have, and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.

Your pilgrimage includes

Tour Package Includes

These inclusions can be easily tailored to the individual needs of your group

  • Daily Mass at the churches we visit
  • Round-trip group airfare
  • Airport transfers on arrival & departure
  • 4-Star hotel accommodations
  • Private motorcoach transportation
  • Breakfast & dinner served daily
  • Wine served with some dinners
  • Dedicated tour manager
  • Licensed guiding & admission fees
  • Porterage service at hotels
  • Whisper headsets when touring
  • Tips for hotel & restaurant staff
  • 9 – 5 PM (EST) reservation support
  • 24/7 travel emergency support
  • Canterbury Mobile App
For the group leader

What you get as the group leader

You travel free.

Every group earns complimentary places. The more pilgrims you bring, the more you earn. How complimentary places work

No financial risk.

If the group does not fill, deposits are returned. You owe nothing and neither do your pilgrims. What happens if a group does not fill

We produce the promotional materials.

Flyers, a registration page, and what you need to invite your people. Our guide to promoting a pilgrimage

We handle your pilgrims.

Registrations, rooming lists, payment plans and the phone calls. How leading a pilgrimage works

In your pocket

The Canterbury Mobile App

Every pilgrim in your group gets the app. Their itinerary, hotels and flights, the prayers of the day and a way to reach one another, all in one place and kept current as the pilgrimage unfolds.

  • Group chat

    Your whole group in one thread, so a change of plan reaches everyone at once.

  • Their itinerary

    The full day-by-day schedule, always current, in every pilgrim’s pocket.

  • Hotels

    Where the group is staying each night, with addresses and dates.

  • Flights

    Flight details kept alongside everything else, not in a separate email.

  • Daily prayers

    The prayers of the day, including the Liturgy of the Hours.

  • Shrine passport

    A keepsake record of the shrines your group visits along the way.

  • Live updates

    Times and meeting points pushed to everyone the moment they change.

Photographs
Photograph to come · Apparition Hill, Medjugorje
Apparition Hill above Podbrdo, where the visionaries first met Our Lady.
Photograph to come · The cross on Krizevac
Krizevac, where the villagers raised a thirty-foot cross by hand in 1933.
Photograph to come · Our Lady of the Rocks in the Bay of Kotor
Our Lady of the Rocks, the islet built up by sailors in the Bay of Kotor.
Photograph to come · The Cathedral of St. Lawrence, Trogir
The Cathedral of St. Lawrence at Trogir and its Romanesque portal.
Photograph to come · The waterfalls of Plitvice Lakes
The terraced lakes and waterfalls of Plitvice.
Photograph to come · The Three Bridges, Ljubljana
Ljubljana, the Three Bridges and the Baroque Town Hall.

What group leaders say

“They’re big enough to handle any problem that arises, and small enough to craft truly unique experiences.”

Chris StefanickChris Stefanick
Founder & President of Real Life Catholic
Before you ask

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to travel to Croatia and Bosnia?

Groups travel from April through to late October. May, June, September and early October give the mildest weather and the thinnest crowds, and are the months most groups choose. July and August are hot along the Dalmatian coast and Dubrovnik is at its busiest with cruise traffic. The Medjugorje Youth Festival at the start of August fills the village, which some groups want and others avoid.

How physically demanding is this pilgrimage?

Moderate. Most days involve two to four hours on your feet, with walking on uneven ground, ancient stone, and steps at archaeological sites. Pilgrims who can manage a full day of sightseeing at their own pace do well. If anyone in your group has mobility limitations, tell us early and we will adapt the days around them. What activity level means.

What is generally not included?

Travel insurance, lunches, drinks beyond those served with included meals, personal expenses, and gratuities for your tour manager and driver. Any of these can be built into your package on request, so tell us what you would like covered and we will arrange it. Passports and visa fees are the one exception and remain the responsibility of each pilgrim.

Do I need a passport or visa for Croatia and Bosnia?

A United States passport valid for at least three months beyond your return date is required, and no visa is needed for stays under ninety days in any of the four countries this route touches. Croatia and Slovenia are in the Schengen Area; Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro are not, so the coach crosses staffed borders on the way to Medjugorje and again into the Bay of Kotor. Carry your passport on those days.

Can our priest celebrate Mass at the churches?

Yes. Daily Mass is built into the itinerary, and we arrange times and locations in advance with each church. Your priest should travel with a celebret or letter of good standing from his bishop or superior. We handle the scheduling.

How many pilgrims do you need for a group?

Most of our groups are between 20 and 50 pilgrims, and we can arrange smaller tours as well. We have also organized pilgrimages for groups as large as 2,500, so whatever size your group turns out to be, we can build for it. Minimum group size for a group flight.

Enquire

Interested in Leading a Pilgrimage to Croatia & Bosnia?

A pilgrimage consultant replies within one business day. No deposit or commitment.

    Your Information

    Your Group

    First time? You are in good company. Many of our group leaders start right here, and we guide you through every step.

    Where You Would Like to Go

    Destinations of interest (check all that apply)

    These are some of our most popular destinations, but we build CUSTOM ITINERARIES anywhere in the world. If you do not see your destination, tell us below.

    Italy, Rome and AssisiFrance, Lourdes and ParisPortugal and FátimaSpain and the Camino de SantiagoPortugal, Spain and France togetherGreece and TurkeyThe Holy LandEgypt and Mount SinaiPoland, Prague and Central EuropeMedjugorje and the BalkansIreland and the United KingdomMexico and Our Lady of GuadalupeArgentinaPeruJapan, Nagasaki and AkitaUnited States and Canada shrinesA pilgrimage cruiseSomewhere else, or not sure yet

    When

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