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Duration
1 day50 days
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Physical Rating
Accommodations
Simple stays with essential amenities. Typically guesthouses, hostels or hotels rated below 3 stars — clean, no-frills, and great for value-conscious travelers.
Comfortable and reliable 3-star stays. Expect private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and solid amenities — a great balance between comfort and cost.
Upscale 4-5 star hotels and lodges. Enjoy high-end service, refined comfort, and premium locations — ideal for travelers seeking extra indulgence.
I had done one trip previously – Amalfi coast hiking, fall 2023 – with EXPLORE. I was so impressed I asked my excellent guide, Pete, what else he would recommend knowing my abilities and interests. He immediately recommended the Slovenia trip, and it actually was on my list of places to visit. He had apparently set the trip up about seven years ago and was very familiar with it.
I have been in 50 countries to date - some several times- and Slovenia is now in my top five and I am already planning my return for next May.
We had a lovely small group, being the first of these hikes of the season, hailing from Canada, Spain, Australia, and the UK.
The accommodation, staff, management, and food at Art Hotel Kristal were A+ – and I especially loved and took advantage of the options of the sauna and cold plunge, Ayurvedic massages with the wonderful Bhatri, chocolate tasting with the owner, Alenka, and a fantastic wine tasting with her son, Jan. I went home with a lovely assortment of chocolates and also a wonderful bottle of wine that I will try to hold onto for a few years until it is optimal to drink.
The hikes were not difficult at all, but I found that I did feel like I got a good amount of exercise by the end of the day. I spent my free day doing a mountain bike ride. The whole area around Lake Bohinj is stunning and there are so many activities that one can partake in, as well as really yummy local restaurants close by the hotel. I loved that the hotel offered a pre-fixe three course menu for hotel guests for only €25 on the nights that were not included with the hike. An incredible bargain given the quality of the food, as with almost all of the food we had in Slovenia, it was locally sourced and delicious. I am not typically a meat eater, but I had the venison twice – locally sourced, and wild – and it was by far the best I have ever had.
I would definitely stay at this hotel when I return to the area. I would strongly encourage others to spend some time in Ljubljana – either before or after the trip. A beautiful city a two hour bus ride awaythat is just the right size and full of so much to offer. Next time I am going to see a lot more of this country – it is half the size of Switzerland, but the variety of the terrain and ecosystems is quite impressive. Also, to be noted is that English is widely spoken and children start in grade 3, learning this second language. The Slovenians couldn’t have been nicer and more helpful everywhere I went. What can I say?? Get yourself to Slovenia before it is overrun: safe, clean, and green – a beautiful country of farmers, foragers, wine makers, and beekeepers. Also note that they have some fantastic fly fishing there as well as mountain and road biking – very cycling friendly. After all, it is the country of Pogacar.
Trekking and HikingWaterfalls
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Hut
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Ljubljana, Bled, Lake Bohinj, La
Ljubljana, Bled, Lake Bohinj, Lake Bled, Brod, Julian Alps, Mostnica Gorge
The island tours and optional experiences provided were so worthwhile! These experience allowed us the opportunity to truly experience the places we visited and learn fascinating and phenomenal pieces of information. The costsaver and local guides truly made the optional experiences a part of the trip we HAD to experience for every place we visited.
This trip provides the opportunity to walk a beautiful long distance path, led with skill and charm and with excellent accommodation along the way. I had a wonderful experience.
Walking tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
The trip was well paced, with a variety of activities to suit all tastes. Lots of local knowledge was provided on extra activities and places to visit,shop and eat outside the tour plan.
This trip was suggested to me by a friend, but as an 83 year-old who ‘peaked’ more than 10 years ago I had some reservations about going on it. However, my fears were put to rest when I saw that the same hotel was used before and after the most challenging stage – the 14-mile final stretch of the northern trail, including the crossing of Mount Pantokrater. But in the event, although the terrain is hilly with some steep climbs I didn’t find any of the walking particularly difficult. It helped that a lot of the journey was on shady woodland tracks. Mt Pantokrator was quite an easy climb, the only challenge being the length of the day and the distance.
Not having visited Corfu before I found it a fascinating place, and have many vivid memories of the trip. We were fortunate to have, in Spiros, a leader who was very knowledgeable about local history, politics and wildlife. He worked very hard to make the holiday enjoyable for us, including leading us on a beautiful coastal walk to Kassiopi on the free day. I only wish I had discovered the island earlier so that I could walk the southern section as well.
Walking tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Well organised which made the whole trek lot more pleasant. The accommodation was all very good except for one that was average but quite doable. Overall, very pleasant experience, thanks!
Walking tours
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Santiago De Compostela, Tui, Arc
Santiago De Compostela, Tui, Arcade, Pontevedra, Caldas De Reis, Padrón
Trip was excellent. Tour Guide, Gus, was fantastic, very knowledgeable, great communicator, and made sure all of our needs were met.
Food and wine tour could not have been better. Never really liked many wines but the tastings proved me wrong. The agricultural farms were great and the food fresh and abundant.
Villages were quaint. Castle was very interesting - 34 generations living in it and continuously running a vineyard and producing wine since 1141 is unbelievable!
Looking into another food tour in another country.
Gave accommodations less rating because hotels were in old buildings and they made due with space available:
1) First 2 nights in Hotel Bologna, the room was very, very small and had 2 twin beds aligned in tandem against one wall - would not have fit any other way,
2) Hotel Le Cisterna, last 3 nights, walls were so thin we could hear every word people next door said.
Wine tasting toursFood tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
It was cool that we got to see so much of the beautiful country and making new friends along the way. It would have been nice to spend longer in certain spots , but we were pressed for time.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Villa
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Rome, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Flor
Rome, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Florence, Cinque Terre, Milan, Venice
