Your painting holiday in Croatia begins with a warm welcome! Upon arriving at Dubrovnik Airport, you will be met by your English-speaking tour guide, who stays with the group all week. Meet your fellow travelers and board a comfortable private transfer along the sparkling Dalmatian coast. The scenic drive takes you to Slano, a peaceful seaside village on the Adriatic.

Once you arrive, check in to the 5-star Admiral Grand Hotel and settle into your serene room. Take time to relax after your journey, or start exploring the hotel’s inviting features: indoor and outdoor pools, numerous bars and a beachfront restaurant with beautiful views over the bay. They are perfect spots for sketching, or for simply unwinding with a glass of local wine.

At 7PM, gather with your art instructor William Graf, your guides and your fellow artists for an Orientation Meeting. You will be introduced to your personalized art workshop itinerary, featuring scenic plein air painting locations chosen to inspire your creativity. Learn about the week ahead, filled with painting sessions, cultural discoveries and memorable moments.

Cap off your arrival day with a welcome dinner of traditional Croatian dishes, served with local wine from the region. It is the perfect start to your oil and watercolor art retreat in Croatia, where art, culture and connection come together.

Begin your day with a generous buffet breakfast and embark on a memorable day of art and history on the Dalmatian coast. Spend the morning painting in the seaside village of Slano. Choose your location with your guide, then let William Graf help you capture the light of the Adriatic in sketches and paintings. During the workshop, the non-painting partners visit the bay and village of Slano.

After lunch, enjoy the scenic drive to Dubrovnik where your expert tour guide leads you through the historic center. Discover how this independent republic protected its freedom through skillful diplomacy and was ahead of its time in public health and social reform. A UNESCO World Heritage Site known as “The Pearl of the Adriatic,” Dubrovnik is among the best-preserved medieval cities in the world.

After a nourishing breakfast, set off across the Pelješac peninsula, Croatia’s longest, a region of wild beauty and crystal-clear coves. It is renowned for its wines, especially Dingač from the Potomje vineyards, counted among the best reds in the country. At Orebić, a short crossing and a drive bring you to the island of Korčula.

Spend the morning painting in Korčula’s Old Town. This island captures the spirit of the Dalmatian coast, shaped by Venetian rule and the influence of the Republic of Dubrovnik, with religious brotherhoods that are still active today. Once an important medieval seaport, it is said to be the birthplace of the merchant and traveler Marco Polo. Set up among honey-colored stone and sea views, and let William Graf guide you in capturing its light and texture. During the workshop, the non-painting partners are exploring the old town with their tour guide.

Enjoy a traditional lunch together in the Old Town . Korčula is also known for its olive oil and wines.

In the afternoon, return to your easel for a second painting session or simply follow your curiosity through the winding streets of the old town, where small boutiques and artisan shops invite you to linger. A gentle, unhurried moment before heading back to your Hotel.

Today is yours. There is no painting workshop, so you can sleep in, enjoy a relaxed breakfast at the hotel and spend the day at your own pace. Linger by the pool, sketch the bay from a sunny terrace, stroll through Slano or simply rest after three days of painting. Lunch and dinner are at your leisure, so you can try the local restaurants as you wish.

For those who want to be out on the water, there is an optional excursion to the Elaphiti Islands.  You board a boat in the peaceful village of Slano and glide across the Adriatic toward the island of Lopud, then onward to Koločep. A lunch of freshly grilled fish, sweet dessert, and unlimited drinks awaits you on board. Afterwards, wander through the quiet paths of Koločep, a protected nature reserve where the sea breeze and pine forests meet, before enjoying a gentle one‑hour sail back to Slano.

After a fulfilling breakfast, embark on a memorable day of art, flavors and history in the Ston area. Spend the morning painting in the village of Ston Mali, capturing the stone houses and the calm of the bay in your sketches and paintings.  During the workshop, the non‑painting partners will explore the ancient saltworks of Ston, learning how this centuries‑old craft shaped the region and still colors daily life today.

A short drive brings you to Luka, where a small boat carries you gently across the bay to a floating platform set among the mussel and oyster beds. Here, you discover how these delicate shellfish are farmed, guided by the rhythm of the tides and the patience of local producers. Then comes a tasting: six fresh oysters, mussels cooked buzara style and a glass of crisp Pelješac white wine. 

Continue on to Ston Veliki for a slice of traditional Ston cake and a coffee. Afterwards, wander through the historic town, where the salt pans of the former Republic of Dubrovnik still shimmer under the sun, and the ancient ramparts—among the longest in Europe—trace a protective arc above the rooftops. Entrance to the ramparts and fortress is included, inviting you to step into centuries of maritime history.

After breakfast, step into a place where beauty was cultivated for centuries: the Trsteno Arboretum, the magnificent former estate of the nobles of the Republic of Dubrovnik. Set up your easel with the Elaphiti Islands shimmering on the horizon, and let the colors and light of these historic gardens guide your brush. While you paint, the non-painting partners explore the garden grounds at their own pace.

Wander through a landscape shaped by Arab and Italian influences, and you will see what Dubrovnik’s nobility valued most. In the city’s golden age they kept their palaces discreet and turned to their gardens instead, competing in botanical richness. Their ships brought home plants and even soil from distant lands. Today you can paint the result, a living masterpiece that has also served as a filming location for Game of Thrones.

At midday, gather in the garden’s gloriette for a picnic of local specialties: wind-dried smoked ham (pršut), cheese from the island of Pag, truffle tapenade, olives, small peppers filled with white cream, homemade bread and the renowned Dingač wine. Savor it slowly, among friends, in the shade of the garden.

Then return to your easel for the afternoon. In this enchanting atmosphere, the hours pass gently, and your canvas fills with the colors of the day.

After a relaxing breakfast, set off for one of the most unusual painting days of your week: the delta of the Neretva River, a landscape of canals and reeds that few travelers ever see. Here you leave the road behind and step aboard the broad, flat-bottomed boats that have crossed these wetlands for generations.

Glide through the network of canals, between whispering reed beds, to a cultivated field set in the delta’s market gardens. A local aperitif is served on board as the scenery drifts past. Then enjoy a two-course lunch on the water, in the quiet of the canals, with the light playing on the reeds around you. It is the kind of lunch you will describe to friends for years.

In the afternoon, set up your easel in the fields of the delta. Choose your painting spot and translate this soft, silvery landscape of water, sky and green into color.  While you paint, the non-painting partners continue deeper into the maze of the delta, discovering more of its hidden channels and quiet corners.

When the day’s work is done, return by traditional boat to the departure point, then travel back to your hotel in Slano.  There, celebrate your week together at the group farewell dinner. Share your favorite moments and your paintings with your instructor, your guides and the new friends you have made, a fitting end to a week of art, culture and connection on the Dalmatian coast.