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ITINERARY

Day 1: Meet, Transfer, introduction tour, Dinner.

We’ll gather at the Venice airport at noon (12:00 pm)*, from where we’ll journey to our accommodations in the center of Ljubljana. (Time can be adjusted for private groups)

Upon arrival, we will check in, unpack and relax. 

 In the afternoon we'll have an orientation walk in the historical center of Ljubljana. Next, we’re off for an exciting wine tasting. Our wine tasting takes place in a 300 year old wine cellar and is guided by a Slovenian sommelier.  We will  sample seven wines-each from a different wine-producing region in Slovenia. We'll enjoy appetizers as our sommelier entertains us  with fun facts about local culture and the wines of this vibrant country.

After our wine tasting experience we will make our way to a restaurant to enjoy the flavors of Slovenia as we wind down our first day.

Day 2: Lake Bled, Beekeeping, Vintgar gorge.
Our second day in this unassuming paradise begins with breakfast, then a scenic journey through the sweeping mountain vistas that surround the emerald green waters of Lake Bled. We’ll get up-close, and personal with the famed waterway as we board a traditional wooden boat, a pletna, which will transport us to Bled Island for a memorably flavorful lunch. We’ll sample the famous pastry of Bled, Kremsnita, a decadent puff pastry, filled with luscious egg-rich vanilla custard, and topped off with a generous sprinkle of confectioners sugar.

After our lunch we’ll visit a local beekeeper, who’s been recognized and awarded multiple times for his craft. We’ll be captivated as we learn about the world of this busy little creature, how they play a role in every aspect of our ecosystem, and the fascinating truth about why beekeepers live longer than average. The sweet surprise? We’ll sample several different types of locally harvested Slovenian honey, sip some Mead (the ancient, and legendary, honey brandy), and try flower pollen, a proven method for staying healthy, and powering-up your immune system. Our journey continues as we visit one of the most stunning and beautiful examples of nature-in-action, Vintgar Gorge. Limestone cliffs peak in excess of 300 feet, as far below, the River Radovna snakes its way through the canyon. The natural beauty of Vintgar Gorge is a balm for all the senses. A series of contradictions, you may find a peaceful and serene pool of water ‘round the bend, or happen upon a tempestuous river rapid, as we enjoy our walk along the gorge.

This evening you are free to enjoy the evening at your leisure in lovely Ljubljana.

Day 3: Lake Bohinj, Cheese farm, Medieval town, Gingerbread
After breakfast we’ll travel to Lake Bohinj, and pay a visit to a local family for a bread baking session. You will learn about the flours that Slovenian women used, the techniques that they used and the different kinds of breads that were baked for different occasions.  Your host will share stories about the area –  past and present. Finally the dough will rise and the bread will be ready to be placed in the wood fire oven for baking. We will enjoy fresh, warm and sumptuous bread accompanied by home made cheeses.  Amid the breathtaking green pastures, you’ll feel transported to back to the early days of Alpine. Next comes lunch. We’ll dine in a local restaurant where we’ll sample a traditional Slovenian style lunch. Then we travel to Radovljica, a town that could have been lifted from the pages of a Grimm’s Brothers fairy tale. What else would do but a visit to the Gingerbread Museum and Workshop? Long ago gingerbread hearts were presented as a token of love; a sort of anytime valentine. The ages-old tradition of presenting a loved one with this tasty token is quite the intricate process. We’ll visit the 400 year old house where these gifts of love have been lovingly crafted for centuries, learning what is involved, from creating the dough to decorating the perfect gingerbread heart.

We’ll return to Ljubljana for the evening at your leisure.

Day 4: Postojna caves, Karst, Wine tasting in Vipava valley
Our exciting day begins after breakfast with a trip to the Postojna Caves, The second largest publicly accessible cave in the world.  Accompanied by our local tour guide, we’ll wander through the caves amid dripstones and mineral deposits, frosty white stalactites and stalagmites that look remarkably like snow drifts.  After exploring the caves, we head to the Karst region. Karst is a landscape that’s characterized by exposed and eroded limestone formations. This region of Slovenia is well-known for their magnificent prosciutto. This particular local delicacy, an air-dried, cured ham, is produced only in the Karst region. We’ll visit a local family-run homestead to learn more about this magnificent prosciutto, and it’s centuries-old method of production. We’ll be able to sample this heavenly indulgence, as well as other local delicacies, whetting your appetite for lunch in the homestead restaurant.

The Vipava Valley is next on our tour. This fertile valley is alive with nature. Trees burst forth, flowers bloom, and lush, vibrant scenery dances into view. It’s no wonder this gorgeous and idyllic natural wonderland is the home to vineyards which produce some of the most outstanding red and white wines. Wines from the Vipava Valley region have been described as elegant, and harmonious, with an ostensibly rich bouquet. Our journey will bring us to a one cellar where this superb wine has been produced for more than 400 years. Recognized as one of the finest representatives of wines from Vipava Valley, their rich history of wine-making incorporates biodynamic methods of wine-growing and production that ensures ecological integrity.

We’ll return to Ljubljana to enjoy the evening at your leisure.

Day 5: Day trip tp the Coast, Piran, Cooking class
After breakfast, for our drive to we’ll make our way to the city of Piran for a walking tour. Piran is the most picturesque of coastal towns in Slovenia. The Italian influences of yore, combined with the preserved charm, make Piran uniquely alluring. As part of the great Venetian Republic for centuries Piran boasts stunning Venetian architecture throughout the city. As we uncover the history of this enchanting city we’ll find out hat weather forecast the locals rely on the most, and just why Saint George has been chosen as the city’s patron saint.

We’ll dine at one of the local restaurants in Piran, for our lunch. The restaurant is located seaside, offering a captivating view of the true beauty and reflective blue waters of the Adriatic Sea. The restaurant is recognized for its outstanding offering of extraordinary, fresh, local seafood dishes and specialties.

We’ll return to Ljubljana so you may freshen up before we attend our cooking class. We’ll take part in a private session, custom-crafted just for us. This will take place in one of the better local restaurants which has been closed to the public for our benefit. Local food artisans will share their family recipes as we learn how to prepare some of the traditional dishes of Slovenia. Then it’s time for us to enjoy the fruits of our labor, a four-course meal, richly-flavored, and presented in perfection, with digestives, and wine, as is the tradition of Slovenian epicure.

Day 6: Departure
Early morning group transfer to Venice airport.

Arrival Details

  • Airport city:

    Venice

  • Pick-up Location:

    Venice

  • Pick-up time:

    09:00 am

Departure details

  • Airport city:

    Venice

  • Drop off location:

    Airport

  • Drop off time:

    09:00 am

The program includes:

  • 5 nights in a central Ljubljana hotel
  • Breakfasts
  • welcome dinner
  • 4 lunches
  • Hands-on cooking class
  • Visit to winery/Tasting
  • Round trip group transfer from/to Venice airport
  • English speaking tour guide

The program does not include

  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Anything not mentioned in the program
  • Private expenses

TERMS & CONDITIONS

A deposit of $500.00 per person is required at time of booking to guarantee the space on the tour.
Balance of the full amount is due 90 days prior the first day of the tour.

CANCELLATION

Your deposit is refundable within the first 30 days of your deposit, so long as you have booked more than 180 days before the start date of the tour. If you book within 180 days of the start date of the tour, your deposit is immediately non-refundable. 90 days or less before the start date of the tour, the tour is non – refundable. 

Balance

90 days or less before the start date of the tour, the tour is non – refundable unless we are able to rebook another participant for the date/tour you are booked on.

Food N wine vacations, Inc reserve the right to re-calculate prices due to currency fluctuations. For full terms and conditions refer to Terms and conditions page.

You will stay in a modern hotel in the center of Ljubljana, where you can step outside and enjoy this lovely town in the evening.

Examples of hotels:

City hotel – Superior rooms

Hotel Cubo

DATES & PRICES

You can have your own private group tour. A minimum of 4  people is required. 

2025

Single supplement: $500.00.

Prices are in USD.

Looking for a Private Group Tour?
We can accommodate private groups year round

VIDEO

TRAVEL INSURANCE

We highly suggest purchasing travel insurance to protect your travel investment. Many travel products are non-refundable.

You can get a quote here

Emergencies happen when you least expect it. Travel protection provides coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Medical and Dental, Emergency Assistance and Transportation, Baggage, Baggage Delay, Travel Delay and much more. Plus, we offer our exclusive One Call 24-hour Traveler Assistance Service to help you with emergency situations that arise during your trip.

You may also consider ‘Cancel for no reason’. It may seem costly, but if you are deeply concerned about things like Hurricanes, strikes, Coronavirus outbreak, terror attack and such, you should look into that.

For pre existing condition, it’s important to purchase a policy within 10 days of your deposit.

FAQ about Travel Insurance

FLIGHTS

You may find better airfares and more frequent flights to Venice. Venice is only 2 hours away from Ljubljana.

If you wish to combine this tour with other destinations – Consult with us. We provide a complimentary consulting with your pre or post travel plans: Bulk air fares, trains, logistics and ideas.

PRE AND POST IDEAS

You can combine visiting Slovenia with a visit to Split, Croatia.

You can combine it with a tour to Croatia.

You can combine it with a visit to Italy.

We provide a complimentary consulting with your pre or post travel plans.

TOUR PACE

Walking pace is like walking around town.

You will be walking in cobblestone streets and some uneven roads.

The caves visit is about an 1.5 of walking and has some stairs.

we try to start the days after 09:00 am – 09:15 am.

The itinerary is balanced between activities, sightseeing and leisure time.

MORE INFO

What should I wear?

Stay casual and comfortable. Mornings and evening are chilly but during the day it’s warm. Even in full summer, hot days can quickly turn into cool evenings. Be prepared with a light sweater during the summer months, and something a little heavier in spring and fall.

You won’t need to dress up anywhere you go. If you would like to try to blend in with the locals as much as possible, think “smart casual” or “preppy” for men, and “light and stylish” for women. Italians are very fashion conscious, but not formal.

In the summer months, you will most likely want to wear shorts. Make sure they have good pockets. However, always make sure you also have some long pants

Bring flat shoes, as you will be walking in medieval towns with cobblestone streets or farms with unpaved roads.

If you want to dress up for dinner, dress as if you are having dinner with friends.

How many bags can I bring?

We recommend bringing one medium suitcase and another small bag or trolley.

Please check our packing advice.

Packing

We advise you to pack light. We also recommend planning what you need based on each day of your travels.

You will need the extra space for souvenirs. You may not think about it now, but believe us; you’d want to take home that tasty olive oil, a bottle of wine that you can’t find at home, local specialties, or ceramics.

On that note, the best advice we can give you is “bubble wrap”. Bring bubble wrap with you. It’s cheaper and more convenient to bring it from the U.S and you will probably never leave home without it.

We highly recommend you use packing cubes for efficient packing and to keep things organized. You can search for videos on YouTube to learn more about it.

Do I need a passport?

Yes!

Copy of passport

We strongly suggest that you to make a copy of your passport.

Should I bring my cell phone?

It is a good idea to bring a cell phone. See our tips for communications while on a tour down below.

Do I need converters or transformers?

European power outlets run at 220 volts. You must buy a transformer to avoid shorting out and/or causing permanent damage to your devices. You will need it for cell phones, cameras, tablets, and other US-made electronics.

Tip: If your electronics can be powered by either 120 volt or 220-volt outlets (the device will usually have this listed in the technical specifications in a format like 120/240 volts, meaning the device can be powered from any power outlet around the globe), you will only need a plug adapter. Please note that a plug adapter is not a transformer, and using one with a device not capable of handling 240 volts will cause permanent damage and may even render the device unusable.

Money

We find that a debit/credit card of a credit union bank has low rates for an ATM withdrawal or credit card charges. In addition to credit union banks, here is a list of cards that offer a low or no foreign transaction fee: Capital one no fee hassle card, Chase Sapphire preferred, Chase ink business card, United mileage plus, Barclays arrivals world, Amex platinum card, Capital one venture reward, bank Americard travel reward, Marriott, Southwest, Barclaycard arrival plus, United mileage plus, Citi Hilton honors.

It is also important to let the credit card company or your bank know what country you are traveling to and the exact date 

Communications

It is recommended to have a cell phone with you, however, if you plan to bring your smart phone, make sure to turn off mobile data right before you board the plane. If the data is not turned off, your mobile provider may charge you hundreds of dollars for using their services outside the U.S. On certain phones, you may be able to disable data roaming (phones that support this feature will most likely have it turned off by default). This will automatically turn off data outside the U.S.

You may want to check with your cell phone provider what data/voice/ text they offer when you travel to Europe. Things are changing for the better. For example, if you have an unlimited plus plan with AT&T you can pay $10 a day and continue using your phone in Europe as if you were at home.

WhatsApp is a free service that lets users message one another seamlessly between mobile and desktop devices.

WhatsApp is known for its enhanced privacy features, like end-to-end encryption, and its free, web-based international calling. Read on to find out how you can leverage the Facebook-owned messaging giant to make free international calls.


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