MEET YOUR LOCAL HEROES
Travel with locals who call this coastline home.
WHO ARE LOCAL HEROES?
Your Local Travel Designers for Private Bespoke Journeys in Croatia, Slovenia & Montenegro
Local Heroes Travel is a boutique local travel agency from the Dalmatian Coast, created by people who live here, understand this coastline, and genuinely love sharing it with curious travellers. We’re a small team of local travel designers who live and breathe Croatia. These places are not just destinations for us; they’re home. That’s why we design private bespoke journeys across Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro, built on deep local knowledge, years of personal connections, and the belief that travel should feel authentic, human, and meaningful.
Our story began with a simple idea: travellers deserve more than generic tours. They deserve honest advice from real locals, hidden places worth visiting, and support from someone who knows how this region truly lives. That philosophy shaped everything we do — from handpicking and personally testing every accommodation and experience, to partnering only with the warm, flexible guides we call our Local Field Heroes. They are true specialists in their regions, always ready to adapt each moment to your wishes.
Today, Local Heroes is led by Lucija, a local travel designer from Kaštela who grew with the company from its earliest days and now runs it with the same values it was founded on: expertise, transparency, respect for local communities, and genuine care for every traveller. When you plan your journey with us, you’re not just booking a trip — you’re travelling with locals who treat your holiday as if it were their own, helping you explore Croatia (and beyond) in the most real, personal, and crowd-free way.
OUR STORY
Local Heroes Travel started with a simple but powerful idea: travellers should experience Croatia the way locals do.
The company was founded by Joep, a Dutch entrepreneur who fell in love with this coastline and believed that real travel comes from real local knowledge — from the people who live here, understand the rhythm of the seasons, and know the hidden places worth visiting. He built Local Heroes as a boutique agency that avoids tourist traps, supports local communities, and focuses on meaningful, personal, crowd-free travel.
Lucija joined Joep from the very beginning. Over the years, we created trips together, tested experiences, met guides, built a network of trusted local partners, and shaped a philosophy based on transparency, care, and honest advice. As the company grew, so did my role. Joep trusted me completely, and when he decided to retire, it felt natural that the company should be passed on to someone who lives here — someone who embodies the values Local Heroes was built on.
In 2025, I became the owner of Local Heroes Travel. Today, I continue the mission we began together: designing private bespoke journeys across Croatia, with seamless extensions to Slovenia and Montenegro, rooted in local expertise and respect for the places and people who make this region so special. Our story is still the same at its core — authentic, human, local — but now told through the eyes of someone who calls this coastline home.
MEET LUCIJA
Your Local Travel Designer for Croatia, Slovenia & Montenegro
I was born and raised in Kaštela, near Split, and I’ve always been curious about the Adriatic — its people, its stories, and the places that make this coastline special. I studied French and Archaeology, but exploring my own region pulled me naturally into tourism.
I joined Local Heroes in the earliest days, when everything was still being built. I didn’t just design trips — I tested them. I travelled across Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia, checked hotels, met guides, and experienced every tour myself. Over the years, I grew with the company, shaping itineraries and supporting travellers on the ground. Along the way, I built relationships with local partners and became the person clients and our team relied on for honest, insider advice.
When Joep decided to retire, he entrusted me with the company because I already lived its values. Taking over Local Heroes felt like a natural continuation of the work I had been doing from the inside for years.
Today, I lead the team with the same philosophy that shaped me from the start: be honest, be curious, support local communities, and take real care of every traveller. My goal is simple — to design private bespoke journeys across Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro that feel personal, meaningful and created with true local insight.
"For me, travel is personal — and I design every journey as if I were planning it for someone I love, with honest advice, thoughtful design, and real local insight every step of the way."
HOW DO WE DESIGN YOUR JOURNEY?
We listen.
Your journey begins with a conversation. Whether you call or email, we take the time to understand who you are — how you like to travel, what inspires you, and what you want this trip to feel like. No forms, no templates. Just a real local expert listening to your wishes.
We design.
Every itinerary we create is completely bespoke. We combine your ideas with our deep local knowledge of Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro to design a tailor-made journey that fits your style — from handpicked accommodations to private guides, meaningful experiences and hidden places you wouldn’t find on your own.
We prepare.
Before you arrive, we take care of every detail. We confirm reservations, plan logistics, and stay available for any questions. From ferry schedules to restaurant bookings and timing each day so it flows perfectly — you can trust us to make sure everything is ready.
Experience.
Travel with full confidence, knowing your Local Heroes are with you every step of the way. Enjoy private experiences crafted by trusted local partners, stay in carefully selected hotels, and explore at your own pace — with real-time support from our team, 24/7.
WHY TRAVEL WITH LOCAL HEROES?
Traveling with Local Heroes means stepping into a journey designed with heart, precision, and insider knowledge you simply can’t Google. We take the stress out of planning and turn your ideas into a seamless, tailor-made itinerary that reflects who you are. From boutique hotels we personally know to experiences shaped through years of local friendships, every detail is hand-picked with care. You arrive relaxed, travel effortlessly, and discover Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro in a way most visitors never will — privately, authentically, and always with a trusted local team by your side.
Be un-tourist.
We avoid crowded hotspots, long lines, and tourist traps. Instead, we guide you toward local angles, hidden places, and moments you would never discover on your own.
Stay somewhere special.
Where you sleep shapes how you feel. We personally visit every boutique hotel, villa, and retreat we recommend. Each place is chosen for its character, charm, and connection to the local community.
Eat like a local (not like a tourist).
We know the restaurants locals love — not the ones on Google Maps. You receive a curated dining list based on your itinerary, and we make all your reservations on a private basis.
Tailor-made experiences, always private.
Every experience is designed around you and led by our Local Field Heroes — expert guides who know each region inside out. All tours are private, flexible, and shaped around your pace and interests.
We’re by your side 24/7.
We double-check every detail and stay available throughout your journey. If you need anything — a last-minute change, a recommendation, a phone call — we’re always one message away.
Flexible itineraries built around you.
We’ve explored every corner of Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro. We know where to go, when to go, and the little details that make a big difference. Every itinerary is fully adapted to your style, budget, and travel rhythm.
THE PEOPLE WHO BRING YOUR JOURNEY TO LIFE
Your journey is shaped by people who live here, love it, and know its hidden corners.
Travel becomes meaningful when you experience it through the eyes of the people who call these places home. Our Local Field Heroes are the guides, skippers, storytellers, and specialists who bring your journey to life — each with their own passion and corner of this region they know by heart. Daniel can read every bike trail in Istria like a map etched in memory; Captain Šime knows the hidden coves of the Kornati Islands better than most people know their own neighborhoods; Karmela will lead you through Zagreb’s culinary scene like a friend showing you her secret spots; and Tanja in Montenegro always seems to have a winemaker waiting with an extra glass ready.
While our guides shape the magic out in the field, the quiet precision behind your journey happens in our office. Tea, our office manager and the backbone of our operations, is the person who makes sure every transfer, reservation, and detail aligns perfectly. She coordinates with all our partners, checks everything twice, and somehow always knows when something needs adjusting before anyone else notices.
Together, our guides and our office team form the heart of Local Heroes — real people, genuine locals, all working with one shared goal: to make your trip feel effortless, personal, and filled with moments you couldn’t experience any other way.
SUSTAINABILITY & LOCAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Our work has always been rooted in people — real locals, small family businesses, and the partners who have grown with us over the years. We don’t outsource to big operators; we team up directly with the guides, skippers, winemakers, and artisans who shape the character of this region. These partnerships are the backbone of Local Heroes, and supporting them means strengthening the local economy in the places you visit. Sometimes that support starts long before your trip even begins — like helping our Local Hero Dean launch his first bike tours by financing his bicycles.
When you travel with us, you’re not only experiencing Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro through local eyes; you’re helping the communities who call these places home.
START PLANNING.
We tailor make every trip and that is not an empty phrase. We design your trip from scratch and no two holidays are the same.
Do you have a bucket list or do you want to be surprised? What is your balance between nature and culture? Do you want to be active or do you prefer a more laid back trip? Tell us about your special interests, hobby’s, passions.
The best trips are often those that intelligently combine different elements into a balanced holiday. And the more we know about you, the easier it is for us to make sure your trip will be the perfect mix.
Looking for inspiration?
For more travel insight from Local Heroes' specialists take a look at our travel journal and discover beautiful places in Croatia, Montenegro & Slovenia!
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?
We’re always on-hand to help you plan your bespoke trip.
A good starting point is to send an email or submit your online request form, so we get a good idea of what you are looking for. After that we can discuss the details over a phone or video call. We get to know each other, share ideas and discuss the various options, putting human interaction back in the world.
All our contact details can be found here.