A typical itinerary for our 7-day photography holiday to Istria

Day 1

Arrive and transfer to Hotel Kastel in Motovun

After landing you will be greeted at the airport by your tutors. We will then transfer to the spectacular medieval hilltop town of Motovun. It is here that you will be given an introduction to the holiday in the hotel’s lovely garden, while enjoying an ice-cold afternoon glass of wine and taking in the views of the magnificent landscape surrounding this hilltop town.

Dinner at Dolina

After freshening up we’ll have an early evening stroll around Motovun and then eat at one of the area’s most celebrated local restaurants, Dolina. Famed for its mouth watering local menu of truffles, meats and olive oils, this little restaurant serves as a perfect introduction to gastronomy in Istria.

Day 2

Introduction to holiday, landscape photography and lunch at Oprtalj

After breakfast, the photographic element of the holiday will be introduced, where we will firstly look at landscape. It's then a picturesque stroll around Motovun to put into practice what we have covered. We shall then travel around the local area, photographing some of the most spectacular views. Before lunch we travel up to the hilltop town of Oprtalj, with spectacular views of Motovan and the surrounding landscape. Here we can capture some stunning vistas of the Istrian landscape before sitting down to lunch in a small loggia. Here we have the chance to taste the very best local food and wine.

Afternoon rest and dinner

The rest of the afternoon is spent in Motovun making use of the hotel's pool or sitting in the bar taking in the spectacular views across Istria. Then it's on to dinner at Tikel’s agrotourismo. Everything the Tikel family serves is grown on their farm and the small restaurant has a stunning outdoor terrace overlooking the hills and valleys surrounding Motovun, so bring your camera! During dinner we shall have a look at some of the best shots taken that day, which will have been picked out by your tutor.

Day 3

Morning workshop and the stunning hilltop artist town of Grožnjan

After breakfast we shall have another class, this time on portraiture. We then visit the picturesque hilltop artist town of Grožnjan. Here, among the cobbled streets and medieval alleyways you have the chance to practice what we covered in the morning's class, with the help of a tutor. Here we can also dip in and out of the various artist studios and galleries before sitting down to a nice glass of wine and lunch in the village's quaint main square.

An afternoon rest, look at your photos with a tutor and a lovely BBQ dinner in the vineyard (weather dependent)

This afternoon is spent at your leisure while dipping in and out of tutorials. As the sun goes down we venture up into the hills to a small church surrounded by vineyards for a very special BBQ dinner. Tonight we are privileged to be able to feast on fruits and veggies grown in Boban's parents garden, as well as sample some of the family's excellent red wine! As the sun sinks below the horizon your tutor will show you some of the best shots from the day.

A private tour of the Visnjan Observatory

After dinner it’s a short journey to the Visnjan Observatory (one of the world’s leading telescopes for discovering stars and asteroids). Here Professor Korado Korlevic will talk to us about the night sky and let us look through his impressive telescope, all while we enjoy some evening drinks, of course! Oh yes, and then the professor likes to give us a talk on the end of the world…

Day 4

A wander around the colourful town of Vrsar and then all aboard the Frui boat!

This morning is all about colour as we travel to the Istrian coast and to the town of Vrsar. Here you can wander around the old town filling your viewfinder with the beautiful colours of the buildings, doors and shutters. Afterwards it’s a short walk down to the marina to our private boat. Our captain will host lunch and take us on a cruise around the small islands overlooking Istria’s most beautiful town, Rovinj. Here we have plenty of time for a dip and the chance to photograph Rovinj from the water.

Welcoming dinner at second hotel

After disembarking the good ship Frui, we head back inland to our second hotel. As the sun sets, there is a chance to freshen up and enjoy an evening drink in the hotel's idyllic lavender garden. Then we'll sit down to a hearty traditional Istrian dinner and plenty of wine!

Day 5

The beautiful coastal town of Rovinj and fish lunch

This morning we travel to the beautiful coastal town of Rovinj, where we have the chance to explore the old town and take part in a fun and informal photography exercise designed to get you thinking creatively and noticing things that you might have previously overlooked. After a morning of shooting we sit down to a few crisp glasses of white wine and a lovely lunch comprising of freshly caught fish and seafood.

Wine tasting, evening drinks and dinner

Following lunch we head to one of Istria's most celebrated vineyards for a spot of wine tasting and the chance to learn the secrets of it's unique taste. After returning to the hotel we'll enjoy another glass of wine or two in the garden and then it's on to dinner at a very special local restaurant. Here, we'll set down to a delicious feast and take a look at the photographs from the day.

Day 6

A morning exploring the coastal town of Umag and lunch overlooking the bay

This morning we'll visit the little know coastal town of Umag, which offers a very different, and more local, feel to the larger town of Rovinj. Here there's plenty of time to explore the old town with your camera, and tutor, of course. We then wander to a lovely restaurant, right on the waterfront, for a delicious lunch with some local wine.

Afternoon tutorials and final dinner

This afternoon we return to the hotel, where, with help from the tutors, you will spend time editing all your images from the past couple of days into a final series. After some early evening drinks we will look at everyone’s photographs before strolling down the road for our extra special final dinner. Steak with truffles anyone...?

Day 7

Leisurely morning and transfers to airport

After a leisurely breakfast there is a chance for some final one-on-one tutorials and a wander down to the coast. We then pack our bags, bid farewell to Istria and head to the airport.

But your Frui experience doesn’t end there as you now have a tutor for life, who is always on hand to offer you advice and guidance!