Itinerary is good except that it would be good to have one more day at Istanbul.
Tour guide and the driver are helpful , knowledgeable and the tour guide Suat is delightful to deal with.
AdventureWalking tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Gallipoli
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Gallipoli Peninsula, Selçuk, Ephesus, Fethiye, Kas, Kekova, Antalya
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
Great guides and well thought out itineraries
Tourist class hotels. Fine with us. This was travel. Not a vacation lol. Tino was super I. Getting is set up at last minute. And all hands were I. Deck when we had a little medical scare. Would definitely book with them again
Dora our guide leader was amazing. Very calm and very organised.
The boat, Sans Sova, was very comfortable. The crew were very friendly and the meals delicious.
It was great traveling with other women. I felt some days were too busy, especially the miles we went one day for 45 minutes at a spare. Really enjoyed the meals.
Adventure
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Villa, Resort
Age Range
5-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Rome, Venice, San Gimignano, Luc
Rome, Venice, San Gimignano, Lucca, Parma, Sorrento, Todi, Perugia, Florence
This was a very interesting and well organised tour. I enjoyed all the activities and there was a good mix of food and location.
The main problem was the quality of two of the hotels. The First in Bordeaux was very small and had no air-conditioning, which was unfortunate as we were experiencing a heat wave. The room in the final hotel in Toulouse was rather grubby and again very small. For a tour that cost over £2000 I feel this was unacceptable and I would’ve preferred even a chain hotel such as ibis where one can at least expect air-conditioning and a level of cleanliness for a similar price.
City sightseeing
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Fabulous! We had a small group. Only 24 of us. Everyone was just as invested as we were in our vacation. Everyone got along and our tour manager was the best. Greg was really good. Can't think of any negative. I got so much more out of the Louvre and Versailles with our tour guide. We feel like we really got our money's worth for this trip. It was a trip we had wanted to do for a long time. It was well worth it, exceeded our expectations.
Art and architecture
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
8-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Paris, Bordeaux, Val de Loire, C
Paris, Bordeaux, Val de Loire, Caen, Rennes, Limoges, Rocamadour
Europe the easy way- right way to tell what I experienced. I’ve done my fair share of planning trips in my 40s.booking hotels, figuring out trains, missing connections. This time, I wanted ease. These guys delivered. From the moment we landed in Paris, everything was taken care of: the transfers, guides, comfortable hotels, even entrance tickets to major sites.
We explored iconic French towns like Giverny and Amboise, and that day in Mont-St-Michel was something I’ll remember forever. The Spain portion felt like a warm breeze after the cooler French north..Montserrat’s mountaintop monastery was stunning, and I loved our time in Barcelona. The evenings were ours, which meant we could explore or just relax with a glass of wine.
I met people my age from across North America, and it was so refreshing to travel with others who wanted to experience culture, but not at a breakneck pace. Highly recommend for anyone who wants that balance of exploration and comfort.
City sightseeing
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
8-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Paris, Madrid, Valencia, Andorra
Paris, Madrid, Valencia, Andorra La Vella, Lourdes, Barcelona, Caen, Rennes, Val de Loire, Limoges, Rocamadour, Bordeaux
I concluded the UK/Ireland/France trip in mid-October and am still
raving about it. Trip well-organized, and very knowledgeable guides. Can’t wait to travel again.
City sightseeing
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
8-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Paris, London, Inverness, Cambri
Paris, London, Inverness, Cambridge, Rennes, Val de Loire, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Liverpool, St Malo
