Frequently Asked Questions

RowCroatia™ is a premium rowing travel company offering exclusive experiences in Croatia for masters rowers and rowing clubs from the United States, Australia and Europe. We design and operate multi-day itineraries that combine daily rowing sessions at Croatia's most storied clubs with high-quality accommodation, guided cultural excursions, and exceptional food and wine. Every experience is built around the belief that the best rowing in the world should happen in the most beautiful places in the world.

RowCroatia™ is designed for rowers — not tourists who happen to row. Our guests are active club rowers and masters athletes who want to experience Croatia's extraordinary water and culture without sacrificing time on the water. The Masters Experience suits individual rowers and small groups of 8–16. The Club and Group experience is built for rowing clubs travelling together (10–40 rowers). The Elite Experience is for a small group of experienced rowers seeking direct coaching access to Martin and Valent Sinković.

Both. The Elite Experience is built around direct coaching by Martin and Valent Sinković — they are present, coaching, and central to the programme. The Masters Experience and Club and Group feature world-class Croatian coaching at Croatia's finest venues, on the same water where the brothers trained. The Sinković brothers are co-founders of RowCroatia™ and their involvement in the brand is genuine — but their personal coaching time is reserved for the Elite Experience.

We operate across six venues in four distinct regions of Croatia: Lake Jarun in Zagreb (the Sinković brothers' home club, HAVK Mladost); Split harbor (HVK Gusar, one of Croatia's oldest clubs); the Krka River at Šibenik and Skradin; Lim Bay in Istria (based in Rovinj); Hvar Island; and the Neretva Delta. Most multi-day itineraries combine two or three venues, giving guests a genuine cross-section of Croatian rowing and culture.

All six venues operate from April through October. Peak season — the best combination of weather, water conditions, and daylight — runs from May through September. The shoulder months of April and October offer cooler temperatures and fewer tourists, which many experienced travellers prefer. We do not currently operate winter programmes.

All RowCroatia™ experiences include hotel accommodation (4–5 star hotels), all rowing equipment and coaching coordination, airport transfers, local ground transport, welcome and farewell group dinners, guided cultural excursions, and a dedicated RowCroatia trip director on the ground for the duration of your stay. Flights are not included. Full inclusions are listed on each experience page, and your custom itinerary proposal will itemise everything before you commit.

The Masters Experience is our flagship open-enrolment programme — a 7-day itinerary for 8–16 individual rowers combining multiple venues, daily rowing, and cultural immersion. It runs on fixed published dates. The Club and Group experience is a fully bespoke itinerary designed for an entire rowing club (10–40 rowers) — venue selection, coaching format, accommodation, and cultural programme are all customised to your group. The Elite Experience is a small-group (6–12 rowers), 7-day programme at HAVK Mladost in Zagreb built around direct coaching access to Martin and Valent Sinković. It is the highest-tier experience we offer.

The Masters Experience and Club and Group trips are designed for active rowers of all competitive levels — from recreational club rowers to competitive masters athletes. You need to be comfortable in a boat and have basic on-water experience; you do not need to race competitively. The Elite Experience is best suited to experienced rowers who are comfortable on the water and looking to develop their technical skills under Olympic-level coaching. If you are unsure which experience fits your level, contact us and we will advise honestly.

No. You need to be a rower — meaning you have prior on-water experience and are comfortable in a boat. RowCroatia™ experiences are designed for rowers who love the sport and want to experience it in an extraordinary setting, regardless of whether they compete. Masters athletes training for regattas and recreational club rowers who simply love being on the water are equally at home on our trips.

We use the equipment available at each of our partner venues — Croatia's most storied rowing clubs, all of which maintain high-quality fleets. Depending on the venue and experience type, this includes single sculls, double sculls, coxed fours and eights, and select coastal boats. Specific boat availability is confirmed during your pre-trip consultation. If you have a strong preference for a particular boat class, let us know early and we will do our best to accommodate it.

The Masters Experience runs on fixed published dates — you can see current availability on the Experiences page. The Club and Group experience is entirely custom and runs on dates that work for your club. The Elite Experience dates are announced separately; contact us to register your interest and be notified when dates are released.

Yes. We can accommodate non-rowing partners and family members on most experiences. They will share accommodation and join cultural excursions and group dinners, while the rowing programme continues for the rowers. Croatia is an exceptional destination for non-rowers — the old towns, cuisine, wine, and coastline are more than enough to fill a week. Please mention this when you contact us so we can design the itinerary accordingly.

All bookings begin with a conversation. Use the "Schedule a Call" button anywhere on the site to book a 30-minute call with our team, or send us a message via the "Request Information" link. We do not have an automated online booking system — every RowCroatia experience is confirmed personally. This is intentional: we want to make sure the experience is the right fit before either party commits.

We recommend booking 6–12 months in advance, particularly for the Elite Experience and for Club and Group trips, which require significant logistical coordination. The Masters Experience has more flexibility, but popular dates fill quickly. Contact us as early as possible to secure your preferred dates — booking early also gives you the most flexible payment and refund terms.

Your payment schedule depends on how far ahead you book. Booking 121 or more days before departure: 30% at booking, 30% at 90 days before departure, and 40% at 30 days before departure. Booking 61–120 days before: 60% at booking and 40% at 30 days before. Booking 60 days or fewer before: 100% at booking. Full details are in our Terms and Conditions.

Life happens, and we understand that. If you book early, you can cancel for a full refund within 30 days of signing (7 days for bookings made 61–120 days before departure). After that, payments made are non-refundable — unless you add our optional Experience Protection Waiver when you book, which converts your payments to RowCroatia credit if you cancel for any reason before departure. Full details are in our Terms and Conditions, and we are happy to walk through them on your planning call.

We recommend comprehensive travel insurance, including medical and evacuation cover, for every RowCroatia™ guest. It is not required, and choosing a policy is your responsibility. Our Experience Protection Waiver is not insurance and does not cover medical costs, flights, or trip interruption.

All prices are quoted in US dollars and are guaranteed once your Booking Confirmation payment is received. We accept ACH, wire transfer, and credit card (credit card payments carry a 3% processing fee).

Accommodation is carefully selected for quality, character, and proximity to the rowing venues. Specific accommodation details are provided in your custom itinerary proposal before you commit. All accommodation is based on double occupancy; single supplement pricing is available on request.

A detailed packing list is provided to all confirmed guests as part of the pre-trip preparation package. In general: rowing kit for daily sessions (including footwear for the dock), casual clothing for evenings and excursions, sun protection, and comfortable walking shoes for cobblestoned old towns. Croatia's climate from May through September is warm and sunny — temperatures range from 25°C to 35°C (77°F–95°F) on the coast. Light layers are useful for early morning rows.

Croatia is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Area. US citizens can enter Croatia visa-free for stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. EU citizens require no visa. If you hold a different passport, check your country's specific entry requirements well in advance of travel. Check whether you need an ETIAS travel authorization before you travel.

There are no upper age restrictions — RowCroatia™ is designed for masters rowers of all ages, and we have hosted guests well into their 70s. Participants under 18 never travel alone. They must be accompanied throughout the experience by a responsible adult — a family member or a club representative — named in their Guest Agreement, which a parent or legal guardian must co-sign. They must also have prior on-water rowing experience. Contact us if you have specific questions about age-related requirements or fitness considerations.

The Masters Experience accommodates 8–16 rowers per departure. The Club and Group experience is designed for groups of 10–40 rowers; smaller groups may be accommodated depending on availability. The Elite Experience is limited to 6–12 rowers to preserve the quality of coaching access. Small group sizes are a deliberate design choice — they are what makes the coaching, accommodation, and cultural programme work at the level we expect.

The Masters Experience combines one or more venues across a 7-day itinerary, including Zagreb, Split, Hvar Island, Rovinj, Šibenik and Dubrovnik. Specific venue combinations may vary by departure date. Your full itinerary is confirmed in your booking documentation.

Our venues are chosen for sheltered water — lakes, rivers, protected bays and coastal channels rather than open sea. But this is still open-water rowing: wind, chop, boat traffic and cold water can change conditions quickly, and our coaches may shorten or cancel sessions for safety. You must be able to handle your boat independently and swim at least 200 yards. These experiences are not for beginners or rowers still learning basic boat handling. If you are unsure whether your skills are ready, tell us honestly on your planning call — we would rather advise you to wait than have you arrive unprepared.

Martin and Valent Sinković are Croatia's most decorated Olympians — brothers who have competed together at the highest level of international rowing for over fifteen years. They have won three consecutive Olympic gold medals (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021, Paris 2024), six World Championship titles, and set the World Best Time in the double sculls in 2014 (5:59.72 — the first double ever under six minutes, a time that has never been beaten). They are official Red Bull Athletes and co-founders of RowCroatia™.

Direct coaching access to Martin and Valent Sinković is the defining feature of the Elite Experience — coaching sessions, on-water time, and personal interaction with the brothers are central to the programme. The exact format and availability is confirmed at the time of booking. The Masters Experience features world-class Croatian coaching but is not Sinković-led. If rowing with the brothers is your primary goal, the Elite Experience is the right experience.

Martin and Valent Sinković are co-founders and equity partners in RowCroatia™. Their involvement is genuine — not a logo endorsement. The Elite Experience is built around their direct coaching participation. The brand, the experience design, and the venues reflect the brothers' actual training environment and coaching philosophy. They are not silent brand ambassadors; they are part of what makes the experience real.