Konavle Gastro-Tour ab Dubrovnik

Our driver to Konavle, Ivan, was absolutely unprofessional from start to finish. He was hurried and stressed when he arrived. Apparently the original driver cancelled at the last minute leaving Ivan to fill in. He complained about the traffic and said he would likely get a high fine for driving through Old Town Dubrovnik without the proper identification required. He double parked in a random lot, leaving us alone for 5-10 minutes to go get cash to pay for the evening's activities. He talked incessantly. He tried to talk us into a side trip the following day to Montenegro, changing his prices to try and sway us. At the vineyard he sat with us during the presentation and he helped himself to the wine as well as the food that the host had prepared for us. At the restaurant he sat with us again and he took it upon himself to order for us. I changed my order because I don't eat beef and he teased me about that. He even ordered our dessert. He joined in with our conversation with a couple at the next table. And when we finished our meals he ate our leftovers right off our plates. Suffice it to say, it was a weird and uncomfortable experience. Do not use this company.

Ivo was a nice guide and driver. He was very talkative and told us about Dubrovnik and the area aswell. He was on time to pick us up and gave us enough time for dinner. It is a nice area and it was nice to taste 4 different Croatian wines while trying some dried meats and cheese. We went to see the mill and the clear water of the river in a very nice area. It was very relaxing to listen to the “cascades” of water. The meal by the river was good, a lovely setting and very tranquil. It seemed a popular restaurant for locals. They welcomed us with grapa and there was plenty of food. We could not finish it.

This was one of our favorite excursions that we booked while on our Adriatic/Mediteranian cruise. Am so glad that researched and went outside the cruise sponsored excursions for this one. Food was great and host was friendly, entertaining and accommodating. Highly recommend!!!

This tour was kind of a spontaneous decision - we had some time to kill before our flight and decided to take this 4 hours tour, and it turned up to be a great decision. Our guide, Ivo, picked us up just outside the old city and drove us to the Konavle Valley, pointing out some information along the way. Then we had an easy wine tasting with a cheese and ham platter. The owner of the winery was also very hospitable, and told us (sometimes with the help of Ivo as translator) about his family heritage as wine and olive oil makers. We then went to the conoba, where we had a table reserved for us just over the stream. Food was good and well served, both of us left satisfied. After that, we went to see the origins of the channels that gave the valley its name. Ivo then dropped us off at the airport, which is actually just along the way. This was a great way to end our trip in Croatia.

Ivo and Mili are the perfect tour hosts. They took 15 of us on a fantastic wine tour around the Konavle valley. They picked us up from our villa outside Cavtat. We visited three different wineries and all three were different but the wines were all excellent. The value for money for the volume and quality of wine and food that we were served is so good. They also took the time to show us local highlights and tell us the history of the region. Nothing was too much. I’d say it’s one of the best excursions I’ve been on ever and I travel a lot. They also took us to and from Dubrovnik the next day, picking us up in the early hours of the morning at two different time without complaint. I would recommend Smiley tours to anyone wanting a great trip in the Dubrovnik area.

We had a relaxing and unique day to enjoy the Konavle valley. We stopped for a wine tasting at Botaro winery with a cheese and meat platter. Our guide Ivo was very knowledgeable about the place and offered a lot of info. He even picked some fresh figs for us to taste. The highlight of the tour is the delicious lunch in a konoba named Vinica - Moncovic in a lush garden beside a river. We were served with a generous portions of local cheeses and meats. We enjoyed the delicious lamb and veal cooked under a bell. We enjoyed a very good selection of white wine - Posip Monur (at our expense of course). In summary it was an awesome gastro tour away from the maddening crowd of crowded Dubrovnic.

A last minute decision to book a tour turned into our favourite night of our holiday. Dino our tour guide picked us up outside our AirBnB and we drove to Konavle Valley stopping along to way at local farm for some wine tasting, liquor tasting and some amazing homemade food. We were welcomed by the owners, their really friendly dog Ben and their 2 donkeys who we got to pet. We then proceeded to a local restaurant Konoba Vinica Monkovic and got the best table in the restaurant. We were seated under the bridge on the river, a really magical experience. We couldn’t have asked for more, the fresh local food was beautiful, our guide was informative and a pleasure to chat to and the whole experience was relaxing and the perfect way to end a wonderful time here. Thank you Dino for showing us the best part of Dubrovnik. Živjeli

My husband and I met Ivo at the port for a transfer and we are so glad we did. He mentioned he offered tours and what they involved without being pushy. We booked this tour for the next day and he was punctual and offered so much information about the local area, the history and was so knowledgable and friendly. He kept us informed at all times and even took us to a stone mill at the end of the trip for more wine tastings and more Croatian history which was awesome. Could not recommend this enough, it was great to get out of old town hustle and bustle and visit some local businesses and learn their history. If I could give ten stars I would!