Private Tour: Olive Picking in Solta Island with Lunch

We had our tour in April, for a total of €140 for two people. It was a bit expensive compared to other activity options around Croatia, but I don't think anything else would be as worthwhile and unique... And we did have a private tour and Frane's time for the majority of the day. We were picked up from the ferry port at 12:15 and treated to a ton of information. Frane was friendly and we were immediately comfortable with him, asking lots of questions. I felt like I had known him for years. Similar to other recent reviews, he drove us through the island, picking herbs to smell and telling us all about the island and anything else we asked. At his olive trees we learned the detail about olive oil production and the chemistry of the make up of oils. We learned so much and were interested the entire time. At the mill, we learned about the machines and the processing steps, and were give a nice lunch after our oil tasting lesson. The only areas I'd recommended for improvement would be 1) to perhaps offer an option for lunch... Understanding this is a family operation, I didn't have the heart to tell them I don't normally eat shrimp or anchovies (the focuses of the lunch). But it was cooking when we arrived and since I'm not allergic and was touched by the whole personal experience, I made due and didn't mention. 2) The other is to more clearly explain the end of day options... We opted not to ride bikes but then felt a bit stranded waiting for the 6:30pm return ferry (about 2 hours). Granted, we were told the ferry time well in advance but we didn't connect that, because it's not summer, there was pretty much nothing to do at either of the waiting areas; just a stroll around and a coffee to kill the time. My understanding is that the return ferry comes more often in the summer so perhaps this soon will be a non-issue. Despite the areas for improvement, I still highly recommend this activity. It is unique, personal, non-salesy, and very authentic. It is created for you by a real family of real people who sincerely want you to enjoy yourself. And--- the olive oil is delicious!!

Having a private tour of an olive grove with the owner was an exceptional experience but was so much more. Frane who picked us up did not just explain about olives and olive oil but about the island, the economy, the herbs, anything we asked. His son Marko was already cooking lunch when we had forgotten to mention a gluten intolerance. No problem, the pasta was replaced with a risotto whipped up at the last minute. The risotto was the best I have had in Croatia. Marko then drove us to the far end of the island where we walked around a picturesque village for 30 minutes or so then drove us back to the ferry where we found a rocky beach and had a lovely swim. A day in paradise! I found myself comparing the day to a show you would see on the food network but instead of the host of the show being shown this beautiful paradise it was me. Of our 10 days in Croatia this was the best and that is saying a lot because it is a beautiful place. My only hint: bring water shoes to Croatia and to the island. I did not know about the sea urchins and had to be very careful.