Top Travel Deals in Slovenia

Slovenia is a relatively-unknown jewel of Central Europe and this trip is effectively an excellent “highlights” tour, covering the beautiful capital city, the stunning Alpine region and the relaxing Adriatic coast. Lake Bohinj was probably the top spot and the walk up to the Savica waterfall. For any birdwatchers, make sure to visit the Skocjanski Zatok nature reserve in Koper, which is a 20-minute taxi ride from Izola (I did that on the free day in Izola - Friday - and also booked a guided tour, in advance, by emailing ). There are both freshwater reedbeds and brackish, tidal mud-flats. Highlights - a Little Bittern plus nesting Black-winged Stilts and Pygmy Cormorants !

A lovely trip to some beautiful places, and a well thought-out itinerary. On our tour the optional walk in the Triglav National Park, and the trip to Piran were well worth doing.

A very varied trip combining the lakes and mountains of the Julian Alps, the Slovenian coastal area and the capital, Ljubljana. We enjoyed the different activities on offer - hiking, sightseeing, swimming. Slovenia is a beautiful country and this tour incorporated the very best of it.

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.

A great holiday in a beautiful place I’d never been to before. There were some challenges with the weather as heavy rain fell on several days, but careful management of the itinerary by Grega our leader meant that we did all the planned walks, albeit some were in waterproofs. The accommodation was not my favourite as our room had visible dust and cobwebs, some with resident spiders, but overall this was a great holiday. As ever the group of travellers is important and part of the experience, a great group. If you haven’t been to Slovenia get it on your wish list, you won’t regret it.

Brilliant trip, Slovenia is the hidden gem of hiking in Europe. Far away from the crowds of the Amalfi Coast, Dolomites and Mont Blanc you have uninterrupted days to yourself on the mountains peaks!