The Best of Slovenia
There are only so many times that Slovenia can be called a “hidden gem” and still remain reclusive. But if you visit this tiny country with us, nestled between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, you might feel you’ve discovered a little-known paradise tucked away in Eastern Europe. Full of wonderland landscapes, Slovenia offers travelers a destination that is easy to navigate in a country where English spoken just about everywhere, even beyond the confines of charming, Zürich-like Ljubljana. Slovenia is one of the safest countries in the world, not to mention the cleanest (it won National Geographic’s 2017 World Legacy Award), as the most sustainable tourist destination, and Ljubljana, the capitol city, was Green Capital of Europe in 2016.
We’ve created the Grand Tour of Slovenia for a small group with all the best sites the country has to offer, in a safe and secure way.
Itinerary: Sept. 17-28 2024
Assuming most of you are unfamiliar with this area, our itinerary is a bit more descriptive than usual. Most days are half-day programs with other-wise free time.
Tues. Sept. 17 Day 1: Depart SFO or LAX for Ljubljana via Lufthansa Air. Time: TBA
Wed. Sept. 18 Day 2: Ljubljana. (D) Arrive at Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport where we are met by a private transport and drive (30 minutes) to the city center and the Vander hotel. Time to rest and then welcome drink/meeting and traditional dinner at a local restaurant.
Thur. Sept. 19 Day 3: Ljubljana (BL*) Relaxed breakfast and then visit of the National Gallery of Slovenia with included guided tour and introduction to Slovenian art, highlighting Slovenian impressionism. Then an easy paced city tour with culinary stops in Ljubljana’s historical city center. You can expect a mix of Mediterranean, Central European, and Balkan flavors as well having a good idea of the best restaurants in the city. Slovenia was awarded the official title European Gastronomic Region of 2021. Afternoon and evening are free for you to explore the town on your own.*Lunch” is replaced by light tastings on the city tour.
Fri. Sept. 20 Day 4: Ljubljana (B) After breakfast, a 15-minute walk to the castle hill, an opportunity to stretch our legs and get rewarded with an over-view of Ljubljana city. There we experience the Time Machine, a guided costumed representation of the castle and Ljubljana through seven ages, from the Roman times to the 19th century. Then, a relaxed boat ride on the river of Ljubljanica for a romantic perspective of the city. Lunch break and opportunity to enjoy in one of the numerous restaurants lining the riverbank. Afternoon options include a bike tour or a visit to the museum quarter. Ljubljana is third among European capitals in bicycle usage— not surprising considering Slovenian sustainable, active, and green strategy in tourism. Another option is to take a short walk to a Museum quarter where you can choose between the National Museum of Slovenia, the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum, or the Museum of Contemporary Art. Dinner on your own.
Sat. Sept. 21 Day 5: Ljubljana – Bled (BD) Spend your day with a local guide. A short ride brings us to the shores of the beautiful glacial lake of Bled surrounded by the Julian Alps, characterized as an escape for those searching for peace and fresh mountain air. To step back in time, we will visit the typically medieval gothic Bled castle built on 130 m (426 feet) high cliff. We visit the tiny island of Lake Bled with a Pletna, a traditional wooden row boat. In the island’s church, you can ring a bell of wishes, a tradition possibly 500 years old. Free time for lunch. In the evening visit a typical Alpine village for an ultimate Slovenian dining experience, dance to the sounds of Avsenik music and enjoy the unique atmosphere ion a restaurant known by accordion lovers worldwide.
Sun. Sept. 22 Day 6: Bled – Bohinj – Bled (B)This day we explore the heart of Slovenian Alps, driving deeper into Triglav National Park and and on through delightful alpine villages and pastures to the biggest Slovenian lake – Bohinj. A beautiful hike along the shores to the village of Ukanc and then ascend to the third most visited attraction in Slovenia, Savica waterfall. Fed by the waters from the Valley of the Triglav Lakes that flow to it through a horizontal cave tunnel. Free time for lunch in a mountain hut in a natural setting. In the afternoon visit of the Shepherds Museum designed to experience a way of life in this area. Drive back to Bled and evening at leisure.
Mon. September 23 Day 7: Bled – Radovljica – Bled (BL*) Start your day with a scenic hike in a 1,6 km/1 mi long Vintgar gorge —carving its way through vertical rocks, and graced with waterfalls, pools and rapids. Then visit the charming little town of Radovljica, with views of the Slovenian Alps. Radovljica preserves the design of a medieval town, adding to its unique beauty. After visiting a beekeeping museum, we drive to a nearby village of Selo, where a local beekeeper has built an apiary (freestanding house of beehives) and teaches visitors about his uniquely Slovenian form of agriculture. You’ll see painted panels with bees buzzing in and out, including Winnie-the-Pooh-style hive transplanted from a tree trunk. Honey tasting and snacks included in the farmstead. Evening at leisure.
*lunch is replaced by a snack on the farm homestead
Tues. Sept. 24 Day 8: Bled – Kobarid – Piran (B) Today we immerse ourselves in western Slovenia: the emerald river, the Socha valley and the breathtaking views over the Julian Alps. Our first stop will be in Kobarid, After a lunch break, we cross Napoleon’s bridge in an easy trek (1.5 miles) visiting the Kozjak waterfall guarded by a stony amphitheater. Drive to Slovenian coast to reach the town of Piran.Piran is a captivating mix of old and new. The historic centre, ringed by the city’s ancient walls, displays Venetian architecture alongside modern art galleries and boutiques. The town's charming streets, lined with cozy cafes and restaurants, invite visitors to stroll and soak up the atmosphere. It’s all very romantic as well. Short orientation walk and evening at leisure.
Wed. Sept. 25 Day 9: Piran – Koper – Merezige – Piran (BL) The Venetian Republic left its legacy in the mediterranean town of Piran, with narrow winding streets, closely huddled houses, and stately squares and churches. Enjoy your morning time on the seaside promenade. A short ride will take us to the town of Koper, dotted with churches, monasteries, and galleries, and to a guided visit of Pretorian Palace. Lunch in the village of Merezige, known or its wine fountain and tastings. Lunch and Slovenian wine included. Drive back to Piran and enjoy evening at leisure.
Thur. Sept. 26 Day 10: Piran – Lipica – Postojna – Maribor (B) Morning departure to Lipica, a stud farm and home to almost 400 Lipizzan horses, nourishing a tradition of over 400 years. Then a visit to the number one attraction in Slovenia, – Postojna—also known as the Queen of caves. Entering by an open cave train, this adventure leads to a system of chambers, halls, and passages festooned with countless well-lit stalagmite and stalactite formations —a photographers dream. You will hear about Slovenia’s most unusual creature fondly referred to as a human fish. Drive to Maribor, Slovenia’s second largest city. Maribor is a home of the oldest – 400 years old – vine in the world. Perhaps take a lovely stroll through this city of wine, friendly people, great sights, and monuments. Evening at leisure.
*free time for lunch in Postojna.
Fri. Sept. 27 Day 11: Maribor – Jeruzalem – Maribor (BLD) Start your day with a guided city tour of Maribor. Continue to the small, tranquil village of Jerusalem, rich in history, wines, winding roads, culinary specialties, and cultural heritage. The Romans brought the vines, but locals perfected the art of winemaking, transferring the region into one of the most well-known Slovenian attractions. The area was a muse and an inspiration to many Slovenian artists, poets and painters, not just because of the wine but the countryside itself. In Slovenian Tuscany we will join locals in grape picking since October is the grape harvest time. Lunch included. In the evening we will remember the best moments from the past days while we will enjoy a memorable farewell dinner.
Sat. Sept. 28 Day 12: Maribor – Ljubljana Airport of Joze Pucnik (B) A 1.5 hour trip in our private bus to the capitol for our flight back to the US or continue your holidays and visit neighboring Croatia or Northern Italy.
Trip members may opt out of any activities, however there will be no refunds for missed activities, and anyone who leaves the tour at any time, for any reason, is on their own.
*Price includes:
Hotels:
3 nights in Ljubljana – Hotel Vander 4*
3 nights in Bled – Hotel Rikli Balance 4*
2 nights in Piran – Hotel Piran 4*
2 nights in Maribor – Hotel Maribor & Garden Rooms 4*
Meals
(10 Breakfasts,2 lunches with wine tastings, 2 lunches, 3 dinners including welcome dinner and farewell dinner)
Museums, included entrance and guided tour:
National gallery
Time Machine Ljubljana castle
Bled castle
Shepherds museum Bohinj
Radovljica beekeeping museum
Kobarid WW1 museum
Pretorian palace Koper
Nature atractions:
Waterfall Savica
Vintgar gorge
Warefall Kozjak
Postojna cave
Other:
Ljubljanica river boat ride Ljubljana
Pletna boat ride Bled
Visit to apitourism homestead in the village of Selo
Lipica stud farm tour
Grape harvest Jeruzalem
Guides:
Local guides in Ljubljana 2x
Local guide Bled
Guide in Bohinj
Local guide Radovljica
Local guide in Kobarid
Guide in Koper and Piran
Guide in Maribor and Ptuj
Transport:
Transfer from Airport to Ljubljana to hotel Vander
Transfer from Maribor to Ljubljana airport
Modern coach from days 5-11 with all the tolls and parkings
4 nights’ accommodation and meals for driver
Trip costs and fees: $4950.00 The tour cost is based on two persons sharing a double or twin-bedded room with shower, breakfasts and other meals, excursions listed in the itinerary, seminars, services of local and US guides, and all inter-island flights and boat trips.
Not Included: RT international air, laundry, additional excursions, meals, tips.
Passport and Visa: A passport, valid six months from date of entry to Slovenia. Visa is not required for citizens of the USA, Canada or the EU. No health requirements.
Roommates: Single people may sign up for accommodations desired on a share basis and will be assigned a roommate as circumstances permit. If a roommate is unavailable, the participant will be notified of the adjusted price for a single supplement: TBA
Deposit: A $500.00 deposit, check made out to Danu Enterprises and sent to Danu Enterprises PO Box 156 Capitola CA 95010, is required to make a booking. Deposit is fully refundable, minus $300.00 cancellation fee until July 17, 2024, when a $500 penalty fee will become attached to all cancellations received in writing. Once air tickets have been issued, cancellation fees will apply. Final payments are due July 17, 2024, after which all cancellations will be charged a 50% cancellation. There will be no refunds for cancellations made 2 weeks prior to departure. Changes in exchange rate may affect the tour price. Trip is limited to 14 people with a minimum of 6.
Accommodations: Generally rooms have two single or one queen bed with modern flush toilets, sinks, showers, and hot water. All accommodations are charming 4 star hotels, well rated, clean and comfortable. Several have spas and pools.
Food: Weather: September is one of the prettiest months to visit Slovenia. With few visitors, experience the changing foliage throughout the country, the Julian Alps being a great place to start.Also harvest season for the many vineyards.
Tour Organizer/ Leader: Judy Slattum is a professional tour organizer and Instructor who has been leading study tours since 1975. She has been the co-director of Danu Enterprises, educational travel since 1985. Assisted by local guides, guest lecturers, and informal visits with local citizens.
Comments from 2023 Participants
“Thank you for organizing such a comprehensive and immersive experience. I fell in love with Slovenia, and had a wonderful time getting to know new people over the duration of the trip.
There was very thorough preparatory materials and daily updates.
I really appreciated the personal, "off the beaten path”, intimate experiences like the private tour of the National Gallery, hike to the cave overlook near Bled with view of the valley below (with treats and stories of the area), Sheepherder museum, Ribno resort, Marezige wine fountain, and especially the Ptuj wine harvest with the local community— we saw basically every major attraction and area of significance in the country.
All seminars very informative and worthwhile. All guides were wonderful with their individual personalities and areas of knowledge.
Accommodations were all very comfortable, clean, with wonderful breakfasts. All ideally located.
What I remember most about the trip islearning about a new culture and their historical significance in the world. BeingImpressed with the ethos of land preservation and ecology as a common priority. Meeting new people and enjoying time together.
This trip was very well done, and I know that many more people are going to want to share this experience in the future.”
— PJ Attbery, Pasadena CA
“The Slovenia trip was fabulous! It is a beautiful, varied country with Slovenians proud of their country and eager to share it with tourists. Highlights for me were the buzzing, youthful energy of Ljubljana juxtaposed with the medieval village, the intimate up close introduction to Slovenian beekeeping, and the comraderie of experiencing grape harvesting with the locals. And oh my goodness! - the fun of watching traditional dances accompanied by accordion music made for a very festive dinner!”
— Elizabeth Saint, Aptos CA
“Judy put together the most stunning and educational trip that encompassed the beauty of this little country as well as the history it told.
Loved the guides, the people, the beautiful countryside and the many activities we were able to do. It was 5 star”!
— Patricia Anderson, Aptos CA.
‘What stands out for me is that I did not even know for sure where Slovenia was before this trip was planned and so I had no expectation, and I had never heard of anybody who had gone there to even share their experience with me. I think what I tell people over and over especially my poor patients while I’m working on their teeth, is that it was really the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. So green and so peaceful. I loved the countryside with the small, quaint little villages and charming architecture and flower boxes everywhere. It was exactly what my soul needed. Meeting some of the lovely people from there and how generous they were with their time guiding us through major cities and quaint villages and vineyards. I just loved the whole thing. The food was delicious. Especially the pumpkin soup with truffle oil! The wine was tasty and inexpensive. The accommodations were amazing especially that we got a full breakfast every morning. The croissants!! Our driver made me feel safe and comfortable. I enjoyed the natural beauty of that country, the rivers, the waterfalls, the hiking. I loved learning about their history. It was amazing as I really didn’t know that much about it before this trip. It really was a very special experience for me. Meeting new people and hearing their stories and getting to know them was really heartwarming. Thank you for all your hard work and organizing the guides and the itinerary. I loved every minute of it. “
— Kerri Brumbaugh, Pleasant Hill, CA
“I was looking forward to a trip abroad and was lucky enough to select a trip planned by Danu Enterprises. What a great job orchestrating 13 days of travel, hotels, transport, special museums, points of interest, historical spots, activities not usually available to large groups and Devine food at every turn. We were accompanied by English speaking tour guides that were ever ready to answer our questions. I learned so much from these guides, who spoke of Slovenias complicated history.
Slovenia is a beautiful country with the Alps to one side, the Adriatic Sea to another and in between lies small, tidy hamlets. Every village was beautiful with all the houses dressed with window boxes spilling over with red geraniums. And every hamlet had a church no matter the size of the population. Small farms dotted the countryside of crops of corn and hay. Remnants of Slovenian hay storage rack were everywhere along the roads. Some still in use, some collapsing from their years of service, some repurposed but all had a back drop of beautiful mountains.
The capital city of Ljubljana was a lovely walkable city. Bustling nightlife along the River was a safe, well lit promenade of restaurants and shops and happy people. Restaurants and bars were very reasonably priced. I was amazed that the Slovenian citizenry spoke English. Never did I feel a language barrier of any sort.
The small city of Bled is nestled in the Julian Alps. A charming little village that sits along side Lake Bled and its iconic castle that rises on an island in the middle of the most beautiful blue lake. A very walkable 4 mile trail that circles the lake is a painters dream. The colors of the water and it clarity is a site to behold.
We visited a bee keepers operating apiary. I loved the way the bee keepers painted their hives in such colorful and meaningful scenes. And was especially surprised that 20% of all Slovenians keep bees. It was an enjoyable stop.
Slovenia is a hiker and bicycles dream. There are trails for every level of expertise. We hiked up to the most beautiful falls. The trails were lined with wild Cyclamens, ferns and moss covered limestone rocks. Wooden walk ways along the most beautiful cerulean blue river highlighted by streaming sunlight that illuminated the fern covered cliffs that towered above us. What a site.
There wasn’t anything left out of this tour. From the spectacular caves, to the parks, the river walks, picking grapes with wine makers and city tours and the guides and the bus driver. Heroic attempts to find missing bags and left behind passports, all led “to happy endings. Many thanks to an incredible group of coordinators that made this trip so stress free and delightful. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that such a knowledgeable team was assembled. Not having to make a decision (except what to eat) was a real vacation! I really did feel pampered. Thank you Judy and your expert team.