Highlights of Slovenia

Duration: 5 Days / 4 Nights

Our Highlights of Slovenia holiday tour programme is designed for discerning travellers visiting Slovenia for the first time who want to experience a nice blend of iconic sites with hidden treasures. Our Slovenia tour programme is hand crafted to offer a good balance of guided sightseeing and free time to make your own personal discovery's.

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Day 1: ARRIVAL and SKOFJA LOKA

Arrival to the Airport Ljubljana in the afternoon. Pick-up by our driver and transfer to a gorgeous traditional guest house to stay there for four nights. Welcome drink on arrival.

Late afternoon transfer by car to the medieval town of Skoja Loka, one of the oldest and most picturesque Slovene towns with a perfectly preserved medieval centre, the former estates of the bishops of Freising. The guests will discover the town on their own with help of a map and an informative brochure.

We suggest: Walk through the narrow streets and squares with most interesting architecture. Peep into one of the numerous art galleries and handicrafts’ workshops. Crossing the “Devils Bridge” over a wild section of the river Sora. Visit of the medieval castle and its museum with vivid presentation of numerous handicrafts and development of the town and the region. Take a coffee and a cake in the picturesque Homan’s coffee house Transfer back to the farm house for dinner and overnight stay.

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Day 2: LJUBLJANA

After breakfast transfer by car to the capital of Slovenia Ljubljana to spend their the whole day. Ljubljana is located on the banks of the river Ljubljanica, under a medieval castle on a hill. It boasts predominantly baroque architecture, but also an exquisite fin-de-siècle quarter. Numerous masterpieces of the famous Slovene architect Jožef Plecnik can be admired at every step. The banks of Ljubljanica, numerous squares, medieval streets and, last but not least, the marketplace, are certainly worth a visit. The city is also a modern and lively one due the important and large student population.

We suggest:

2 hours guided sight-seeing tour by bicycle, or by walking through the streets Visit the picturesque flower and vegetables market Lunch in the scenic local restaurant Sokol in the city centre Take a walk or a small tourist train to the castle hill to enjoy the panorama of the city from the tower, visit the museum of the castle with a multivisual presentation of Ljubljana Visit the National Gallery and its collections of Slovenian paintings and sculptures from the middle ages to the 20th century Enjoy an ice cream on the banks of Ljubljanica Transfer back to the farm house for dinner and overnight.

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Day 3: OLIMJE MONASTERY and SPA RESORT OLIMIA, STICNA

Stajerska – Today the eastern region of Slovenia will be discovered. Take a 90 minute ride by car through the agricultural landscape of hopf gardens, orchardas and vineyards past the town of Celje; arriving at one of the most popular Slovenian thermal spa resorts 'Olimia'. After a coffee break enjoy a two hour swim in the hi-tech indoor and open air swimming pools with themal water. Followed by a visit to a nearby monastery Olimia and the oldest pharmacies in Europe. Almost nextdoor to the monastery a small chocolate factory and its factory shop can be visited. After a ten minute walk you can reach a deer farm and come in direct touch with them. Our suggestion: take a lunch on this farm and enjoy in some genuine venison or mushroom dishes. In the afternoon follow a ride through the hilly landscape of the Dolenjska region. Stop at Sticna to vist the best preserved monastery in Slovenia, the cictercian monastery of Sticna. Towards the evening, arrive back at the farm house near Ljubljana. Dinner and overnight.

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Day 4: PORTOROZ, PIRAN and POSTOJNA

After breakfast departure by car towards the Karstic region of Slovenia and the Adriatic coast. This part of the tour will be discovered by the guests themselves, with help of our brochures and maps. On the way to the coast a short detour to visit the fortified small medieval church Hrastovlje with precious frescoes representing a most rare motive of the “Dance of Death”. Upon arrival to the coast visit of the fascinating salt-pans (ancient salt works). Stop for a coffee in the modern holiday resort of Portoroz. Half an hour walk along the coast to the most beautiful coastal town of Piran, lying on a peninsula, protected by walls and boasting the most interesting architecture from the Venetian period.

We suggest:

take a lunch in a scenic fish restaurant Pavel, located on the promenade along the coast walk to the top of the hill to enjoy a panorama and to visit the baroque church of St. George take a short swim in the sea On the way back stop at Postojna to visit the world famous Postojnska cave. A guided tour through the caves in English will be taken; consisting of a ride by a small open train and walks through the large subterranean halls decorated by stalagmites and stalactites and other carstic shapes. Return to the farm house near Ljubljana. Dinner and overnight.

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Day 5: BLED, BOHINJ and DEPARTURE

Leaving the farm house after breakfast for the last trip by car to the Gorenjska region. Stop at Bled, undoubtedly the most visited Slovenian tourist centre. Its crystalline blue lake with an island in the middle and a Romanesque church on it as well as its castle on a steep rock above the lake make it the most romantic and famous attraction in Slovenia.

We suggest:

A boat trip to the island to visit the old pilgrimages church and to ring a bell for a wish to come true. Visit the Bled Castle for a stupendous view of the lake and the surroundings, the Gothic chapel and the museum, representing the history of Bled and from prehistoric times to nowadays. Make a walk along the lake. Take a lunch in the excellent restaurant Mlino at the lake shore. Take a 30 minutes ride by car to what many feel is the even more beautiful and peaceful lake of Bohinj lying at the foot of high mountains. We suggest taking a 20 minutes walk to the waterfall Savica, one of the most picturesque waterfalls in the Alps, or just walk along the lake itself. On the way back ride through picturesque villages between Bohinj and Bled with typical alpine architecture, houses with beautifully carved wooden balconies, and fields with numerous hay racks, special wooden structures intended for drying of hay or field crops. Arrival to the Airport Ljubljana for departure.

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Prices include:

International flights from the UK
All transfers by air conditioned passengers car with a driver
Accommodation in a farm house - 4 x halfboard in single or double room with toilette and shower
2 hours guided tour in English in Ljubljana (rental of bicycles included)
Entrance fees to: the Castle of Ljubljana, monastery Olimje, monastery Sticna, church in Hrastovlje, thermal swimming pools in Olimia and Postojna Caves.
Boat trip to the island in Bled
Brochures and plans of the locations to be visited without a guide

This tour is subject to availability and is governed by Vamos Travel Terms & Conditions.