Bike Tour Reviews Emerald Tour Of Slovenia’s Gems
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Self guided from EUR € 1066
Description:
This classical Slovenian bike tour takes you to the country's most famous historical attractions and points of natural interest! Starting in lively Ljubljana - Slovenia's stunning capital - you'll explore the city's splendid old center and mighty…
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★★★★★ WLG63 August 19, 2017Love Slovenia!
The trip is a wonderful overview of Slovenian geography and culture. The biking is varied and not too difficult, and the routes incorporate stops and side trips to interesting cultural sites. We had 1/2 board and the breakfasts were average to better than average and certainly enough to feel satiated. We had to do some route finding...day 2 was particularly confusing, however, on day 3 we learned of the app Bikemap which is fantastic and we highly recommend....far easier to follow than the included materials (the Slovenian tour does not offer a GPS option). Though the printed material was a nice addition, we relied on Bikemap for the remainder of the trip. The lodging was average to nice, depending on the area, and all places, with the exception of one, had good air-conditioning in the rooms (we were there in August during a heat wave) and we were able to comfortably relax and sleep. Our only complaint was with the hotel in Piran...it was noisy, run down, and did not have air-conditioning though they claimed to. We were hot and tired after a day of biking and unable to relax in the stuffy, dumpy rooms (we had 2 rooms and both were bad). The staff was very nice but the overall experience was a disappointment after and otherwise great trip (our experience at this hotel was not unique, I discovered many negative reviews on the internet). We were particularly frustrated because in Piran and Potoroyz there are many lodging options. I suggest the company charge
more and put clients in a nicer hotel. It's best to have clients end on a positive note. If the tour company continues to book this hotel I suggest guests find alternative lodging for the last night. Otherwise, Slovenia was wonderful and the tour a fantastic family vacation. We travelled with our 19 year old daughter.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Anne H 3 weeks ago
Fabulous, scenic odyssey
What a wonderful journey! The scenery was spectacular as we biked through rolling hills, quaint villages, and especially as we arrived at the Adriatic Sea. A few days consisted of biking up and down some fairly significant hills, so get an e-bike if you aren’t in shape for biking uphill, which we thought we were but we underestimated how challenging the hills would be. The route includes several gravel roads but the bikes handled the bumps just fine. Slovenian drivers seemed very accustomed to sharing the road with cyclists and were quite respectful. Almost all of the roads that we biked on were sparsely traveled. The hotels were nice and they all had good hearty breakfasts for us to stoke up on before our rides. The tour company was responsive and we appreciated having our luggage delivered to our destination each day. Slovenia is a beautiful country inhabited by welcoming, friendly people. We loved it!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ David A. 3 weeks ago
A great experience
This was an unguided town-to-town bike trip, 6 days, from Ljubljana to Piran. I rented a (non-electric) bike.
The bike (Trek FX2 gravel bike) was good, and fit me well. The rear derailleur was a bit out of alignment. They give you a spare tube and some tools, which I didn't need.
The nav was pretty easy. You get a nav app (Guibo) that has some glitches but works OK. There are little arrow stickers along the way that confirm the directions, but don't replace the app
The route was about 50% roads with fast cars and no shoulder, 30% paved village roads with few cars, 10% bike paths, and 10% gravel farm roads. This was more cars than I would have liked, but the tour has to work with what's there.
The hotels were all excellent - generally the best available place in each town.
The towns, and the associated attractions (castles, caves etc.) were great.
The rides were moderate - 20-30 miles each day, some elevation gains. Day 2 gained 2000' and was a little hard. They generally took ~3 hours including breaks. Take your time, otherwise you might arrive too early to check in.
In summary: a very well-planned and well-organized tour. I had a great time, and would definitely consider doing another tour with this company. Also, I thought the price was quite reasonable.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
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★★★★★ John E. 3 months ago
Awesome experience
Well organised bike trip in stunning scenery. Overnight stays were fantastic and great fun. Our cycling companions made for a memorable trip.
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★★★★★ Julie Krey 3 months ago
Enjoyable ride through Slovenia
Very much enjoyed our bike ride. Flawless support and organization by the local partner as well as the GPS map enabled us to enjoy the ride without the hassles. Beautiful countryside and very friendly people and excellent accommodations. Only slight improvement would be a bridge detour and new road out of Muggia that were not on our GPS that would have been helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Chris Mauriello 11 months ago
Amazing trip!
I've been a number of European bike tours and this one was excellent. The mapped route is a nice change and variety of scenery.
Flat and through the vegetable filed when you leave Ljubljana then mild hills with vineyards and farms with a great ride down to the coast to Muggia with lots of olive tress and ending up in Piran, a very cool place on the Adriatic.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Heinrich Tillmanns July 31, 2024
Amazing country by bike
We booked this tour to celebrate two of our daughters graduations from university. We were a group of 6 and everything went super smooth. Amazing e-bikes, scenery, amazing people and would book again!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- First tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Suzanne Kellett July 12, 2024
Great ride through beautiful scenery
A great ride for everyone even those who may not be regular cyclists. The schedule is not too taxing for e bike riders who only cycle occasionally. The route takes you through some really beautiful scenery albeit a bit hilly at times and the hotels were all in great locations.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- Five
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Carrie Sciammas October 12, 2023
Slovenia is wonderful
We had a fantastic bike trip in Slovenia. The country is beautiful as are the people we met along the way. The food was delicious and there were so many things to see along the route. We enjoyed seeing nature, castles, caves ( so many caves!), water powered saw mills, quaint villages, vineyards, Lipanzer horses, rivers, the sea, etc etc.
The app was a bit tricky at times and we encountered some road construction nearly every day but that is all part of the adventure!
I'd love to see more of Slovenia from my bike!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Michael Schwartz July 18, 2023
Great Exposure to a Slovenia not seen by tourists
The bike tour of the Gems of Slovenia afforded us a glimpse into the hidden life of the country, at least the part we saw. The hotels were comfortable, especially the M Hotel in Ljubljana. Breakfast at the M Hotel and the Hotel Piran were great; the others middling to OK. The luggage delivery to each hotel was excellent. The routes from Ljubljana to Piran were good, although our navigation system failed us after the second day. The company faxed us paper directions but they were in black and white and were repeat documents of what we had already.
A few suggestions for change:
1. Provision of a cell phone holder (the plastic bag with velcro strips did not work)
2. A better GPS app
3. Two, not one, but two panniers
4. A way to ensure the charger for the E-bike does not fall out or be removed (someone removed my charger whether accidentally or intentionally I don't know)
5. A way to do laundry, either in town or at the hotel with turn around time to keep the momentum of the trip goingI would also consider making a town in Slovenia a central location with day trips to the surrounding environments.
Good job!
Michael
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 4 - 11
- How many tours have you completed?
- Two including this one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Amy Reller November 16, 2022
Epic trip!
We did a self-guided tour (two couples) and it could not have been better! From the first night trip orientation in our Ljubljana hotel to our final stopping point in Piran, we couldn't stop talking about how smoothly everything went. The hotels were well familiar with the electric bike routine, our luggage was always waiting for us upon arrival in the lobby, the routes took us through beautiful Slovenian countryside and stopped at points of interest and historical sites that were worth the side trip. Our detailed route map (provided by local bike tour group Helia) was experienced enough to mention ideal locations to stop for lunch along the way which proved helpful when traveling through small villages with limited spots to stop to eat. We lucked out on the early October weather and had no rain which was a bonus. Having breakfast in our hotel before departing each morning made it easy to pack up and get back on the road. Would highly recommend this trip!
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★★★★★ Julie November 4, 2015
Europe's hidden gem
A great trip! Explored big cities and small town! A little bit of everything! Busy city life, quiet cafes, horses, cobbled streets, castles, caves...
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ JHSMTB July 15, 2018
A beautiful ride!!
Excellent tour. Beautiful roads with wonderful views. Mostly low traffic roads. Not too hilly. A little bit of gravel roads and a little bit of bike path. Views/landscape changed every day as we moved from (nearly) alpine to Karst to coastline.
Hotels were good to excellent (Vrnika hotel was so-so).
Guidebook was excellent - no problems following it, and there were even stickers on road sign posts that directed you for straight/left turn/right turn. Tour operator briefing was good.
Bikes were fine - shifting worked and brakes worked.
Make sure you visit the caves at Postojna and Skocjanske Jame. They are awesome.- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/21/2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ TJS53 November 22, 2018
Loved Slovenia
We toured June 21st – 27th in wonderful Slovenia. The tour combined urban and rural riding on a mix of bike paths, bike lanes, country roads, natural surface forest tracks and a little busy urban riding. We enjoyed challenging climbs and at least one white knuckle descent, under mostly deep blue skies in very comfortable temperatures. Two mornings we delayed our departures until rain ceased, but we always had plenty of time to make the next hotel before nightfall. On the first three days we dealt with hills and pedaled through rolling hills with views of the Julian Alps on the horizon. We stopped to tour castles, churches, and caves. We rode with old friends and met some new ones along the way as well. The accommodations were always adequate and often very nice. In all this was a really fine tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 21, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ arfarb March 28, 2019
Exceeded expectations
Some of the best cycling I have ever done. The food and people are just as amazing. Great options for nature and culture lovers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- March 20, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ GobaGirl June 11, 2019
An absolutely fabulous cycling experience.
Cycling from Ljubljana to Piran, from the Julian Alps, through the Karst region, past vineyards and little villages, by caves and castles and eventually down a stunning descent and along the Adriatic Sea was a stunning experience. We cycled along back roads, cycle paths, through kilometer long tunnels, along gravel trails and even made a short jaunt through a flooded marsh! We have cycled in France and Germany and the Czech Republic and this beats them all. The tour company did a fine job - wayfinding materials were a bit intimidating at first but the Route was marked with stickers placed on sign posts and the written directions were (usually) accurate. Accommodations were good (Mantova not so much but Hisa Posebne Sorte blew us away). Stop and see the sights - the castles the caves the museums and the Lipizzaner farm. We had a breakdown one day but the company has mechanics at the ready with a voucher system - we were back in the road in no time. MY ADVICE: rent the Ebike. There were 14 people doing the same ride as us and 9 used ebikes. Three of the days have LOTS of feet of climb. I have done many, many weeklong bike rides and thought these climbs were challenging (I used the regular bike). Unless you are a pretty experienced cyclist, rent the ebike and enjoy the ride. This is a MUST vacation for everyone.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 1, 2019 - June 8, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ NancyLouWho October 13, 2019
Nice way to experience Slovenia
Two couples decided to do this trip together and I considered myself the weakest link - but thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it!
Being a non-biker with a dodgy knee and several decades on me, I feared I was in over my head. I relied on BikeTours assertion that reasonable fitness and good attitude would carry me through, and they were right! (I started riding my bike for an hour or two a few times a week about two months before the trip, which was an excellent idea.)
This was a level two trip, about 30 miles per day with some long hills included. I was able to ride it all, and readily agreed to every side trip included in the itinerary. Those added anywhere from 3-7 miles to the day’s riding - and also added some special experience to the trip. (Postojna Cave and the nearby castle were my favorites.)
Bikes were in excellent condition, comfortable and well-maintained, and the overnight accommodations everywhere were very nice. I especially liked the guest house in Kodreti, Hiša Posebne Sorte, where the meal was entirely locally sourced. The combination of maps, turn-by-turn instructions, odometer, and strategically placed stickers along the route made way-finding pretty straight forward. We only went off once, but realized it after about a mIle, and quickly got back on track.
Seeing this country by bicycle allowed us to get a real feel for the variations of city vs village, and hilly regions with an Austrian flair vs Mediterranean coast with an Italian vibe.
The couple we traveled with had done a few other trips with Bike Tours and say the quality has been consistent in each. I look forward to traveling with Bike Tours again!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept. 28- Oct. 5, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Anne52 October 15, 2019
A Gem of a Tour!
We have been on five tours with Biketours.com now and although we have loved every one, the Emerald Tour of Slovenia was one of the best. The route was extremely well chosen with a huge variety of terrain, several interesting and worthwhile side trips and lovely hotels with friendly service.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 28 - October 5, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Gail October 27, 2022
Beautiful Slovenia
This was an excellent tour to see the diversity of Slovenia's landscape! I highly recommend the e-bikes as it was hillier than expected (and e-bikes are just fun!) Everything went smoothly, especially the weather this late in the season (we went in mid October). Highly recommend!
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★★★★★ Pieter Van Niekerk July 12, 2023
Quiet, beautiful and well organized.
Excellent cycling roads with beautiful scenery. Well-spaced stops. Excellent GPS app. Good hotels. Good bikes and helpful upfront orientation.
