Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran

Traveler photos

Route Map

Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.

• ★★★★★ john saunders 1 week ago

  Interesting and friendly country, beautiful countryside

  This was a very good trip to explore and see various parts of the country. Overall, the trail markings were good. Good use of smaller roads with less traffic, but some roads were Busy with no shoulder and cars appearing to drive too fast. Accommodations were well-placed, except for Ljubljana Where the hotel was placed too far from the historic District where you would prefer to spend most of your time there. It was over 30 minute walk from the historic district. The bikes were durable, and we experienced no mechanical problems, but they were of a low quality, heavy, and not suited to some of the climbing that was required. We opted to purchase the route and map booklet for 30 euros which was poor quality and not useful or worth the money spent. Most of the important information was already provided in the materials. The Maps were useless in that you could not read road names, or city names because the font was too small and the poor print quality. On our last day in Piran, We had confirmed with bike tours, that we could schedule a late day transport back to Ljubljana so that we could spend a full day in Piran but apparently the local operator, Helia, only transports at 9 AM. Bike tours did a good job of arranging alternative late day transportation for us, but the Helia Representative was rude and unaccommodating And refused to discuss the matter.

  Again, as to the bikes, which were basically “city bikes”, where the mileage each day is 25 to 35 miles, we believe most people would prefer better quality bikes, and we certainly saw other tour operators in the country that were utilizing higher quality bikes that were not electrically assisted. We would recommend that better quality bikes be offered or at least an upgrade to a higher quality bike that is not electric assisted.

  What was the date of your tour?

  September 2023

  How many tours have you completed?

  20

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 4/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 3/5 Tour documents
  • 3/5 Local tour company services
  • 2/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Jo Christofferson 3 weeks ago

  ?

  Great trip. It was our first self-guided and it went well. We enjoyed the freedom of this type of trip.

  What was the date of your tour?

  Aug 2023

  How many tours have you completed?

  6

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 2/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Carey 3 months ago

  Exploring Slovenia by bike

  This was our 5th self-guided cycling trip, and a great way to see Slovenia. The route was great and highlighted the different areas of the country, from the alps to the adriatic. There are some hills which can be challenging in the heat, but very manageable with some training. Most of the roads were fairly low traffic; even on the busier roads Slovenians seemed to be pretty courteous to cyclists. There were some gravel roads which were manageable. Note that there is some conflicting information about whether you'll receive a paper copy of the route directions - you won't unless you've requested this for a fee. And there was also supposed to be one odometer included per couple - there wasn't. So I strongly suggest having a phone with a data plan so that you can follow the GPS instructions. These were fairly easy to follow, but in some cases the app had trouble finding the route so having access to google maps, etc was handy.

  Hotels were good for the most part with some being really great; a couple were only adequate, but that is likely due to what is available in the specific town. Included breakfasts were all fabulous. We arranged to spend an extra day in Ljubljana after day 3, which was a great idea. We also added extra days in Piran which we were happy with. For lunches and other stops during the riding day, there are recommendations that appear on the app. However, these don't seem to be in any order for each day, so it's probably worth while to take a look at them all before you set out for the day to see what they're recommending and where.

  Overall a really great vacation! Biketours.com was great to work with for booking, and although we had no issues needing local support, we were happy with the planning and the bikes were perfectly adequate.

  What was the date of your tour?

  June 2023

  How many tours have you completed?

  5

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 4/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 2/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Harry Dobrowolski 4 months ago

  Best of Slovenia

  11 days was perfect to enjoy the beautiful bike tour of Best of Slovenia. Food and Hotels had been outstanding. It’s worth to book hotel upgrades. Standard rooms are very small.

  What was the date of your tour?

  May/June 2022

  How many tours have you completed?

  more than 20

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 4/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 3/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Audrey Block 11 months ago

  Great way to experience Slovenia

  Overall, we really enjoyed the trip. Hotels were nice with the exception of one, which was so-so. Route was interesting and showed off the beauty of the country. Beware -- one should be in good shape and expect to face a few steep hills, some on gravel backroads. Most of the roads were low traffic but even on busier roads Slovenians are courteous to cyclists.

  What was the date of your tour?

  September 2022

  How many tours have you completed?

  6-8

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 3/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Ben August 3, 2022

  Great trip through Slovenia

  The best way to visit and get to know a new country

• ★★★★★ Barbara G May 8, 2019

  Best of Slovania

  How many tours have you completed?

  Many- now using electric bikes

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 4/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Purple Sneakers September 9, 2018

  Slovenia is wonderful!

  an excellent tour around western slovenia, though too little time in Ljubljana which deserves more than a full day. by the same token the tour could lingered in the mountains as well, which are breathtaking. an extra day would enhance the tour enormously. on the other hand, Hela Tours are the worst. our bikes were not properly fitted; required a bike shop on the second day to adjust the derailleur, the brakes, add air to the tires and adjust the seat post and handlebars. the description for the route was in general adequate, but there were far too many wrong turns or simply bewilderment, indecipherable language. a GPS would have eliminated these nuisances.

  What was the date of your tour?

  july 2018

  How many tours have you completed?

  numerous

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat easier

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  First-time bike tourists

  Do you recommend this tour?

  No

  • 3/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 1/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 2/5 Ease of navigation
  • 2/5 Tour documents
  • 1/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Breno Ok June 24, 2018

  Great Tour to the Best of Slovenia

  It was really beyond my expectations. Surely one of the best self-ride bike tour I have ever had.
  Staff was great from the time we started talking until the last minute of the tour. Even in an event of a cancelled flight they managed the situation and rearranged the transfer to Bled with no extras.
  Bike worked very well and was in perfect conditions. I opted to get the MTB bike and this proved to be the right thing for this tour. Hybrid ones may work fine as well.
  Scenary is awesome. Each day a highlight to tell. Terrain was not a big issue, except for the second day, with a 12-km hard climb. But if you are in good condition you can try it. Other than that I found the entire tour easily rideable.
  Hotels are very good on average. One or another was slightly below the expectation. Breakfast was also great. I did not booked other meals because I wanted some free choice along the way.
  Roads are in good condition. Some of them has considerable traffic, but I felt a nice respect from drivers. Just assume caution and stay focused on the way. Others were so tranquil and peaceful with jaw-dropping views.
  Cue cards were accurate but there are some tricky parts. Not a big issue though. They can also send gps files so that you can load them to your device if you have one. Just ask in advance.
  Luggage transfer was on time everyday. It was really handy.
  All in all, great tour where you will definitely glimpse the best of Slovenia.

  What was the date of your tour?

  June 2018

  How many tours have you completed?

  1

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
  • 4/5 Guides (if applicable)
• ★★★★★ psteckler October 22, 2017

  Good sampler for western Slovenia

  No one told me about the cows. On the riding first day, in a rural area, I encountered a trio of cows blocking the road. I wasn't sure about the protocol for dealing with them, but we all managed to get by one another without any injuries.

  I really lucked out with the weather. I started in mid-October, and every day ended in sunshine. There was no rain at all. For the first few days, most mornings were chilly and overcast, sometimes even foggy. By the end of the ride, I got full days of sunshine. Don't expect this weather every October!

  For the most part, I liked the route. The climb on the second riding day would have been a nice challenge on my road bike; on the rented touring bike, it was pretty hard, and I had to walk much of it. The Helia truck came by and offered me a lift, but I was determined to get to the top under my own power. There were some gravel sections, and a couple of stretches along busy roads that were unpleasant. Much of the route was on lightly-traveled roads, and many roads were nearly-vacant farm or forest roads. With a couple of exceptions, the drivers gave me a wide berth.

  The rented bike was predictably sturdy and heavy. I had no mechanical issues during the ride, other than a squeaky back brake.

  The accommodation was very good, for the most part. Yes, I found a cockroach in one room; that gives me a story to tell. The electricity went out at Hotel Tartini in Piran on the final morning, but breakfast was already prepared; another story to tell. The hotel staff was very helpful everywhere. The breakfasts were all good, perhaps too good. Too bad I don't like to ride after eating a lot.

  There were some confusing bits in the cue sheets, and I got lost a couple of times. I've written to Helia about the issues I found. For the most part, the cue sheets were adequate. Asking locals and Google Maps set me straight.

  I flew in and out of Ljubljana. To get to Bled at the start, and back from Piran at the end, I used ordinary commercial bus services, which worked well.

  I really enjoyed Slovenia, and hope to visit again to see more of the country.

  What was the date of your tour?

  9 October 2017

  How many tours have you completed?

  Over 20

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 4/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Chris 77 September 16, 2017

  Best of Slovenia

  Of all our European tours, the route and scenery was the best - Slovenia really is a hidden gem. Some of the hotels are just average - one great - Hisa Posebne Sorte. Try to have the tour company not book their fall back hotel, Vila Bojana in Bled for you. But this is not an experience to miss.

  What was the date of your tour?

  Sept 4 to 14

  How many tours have you completed?

  Many

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 3/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 4/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Ian Fraser August 29, 2017

  Slovenian Bike Tour

  It was an absolutely fabulous bike tour. The country is varied and beautiful. The bike tour we were on "Best of Slovenia" took us through all sorts of different landscapes from the Alps to the Adriatic. Quite fantastic.

  What was the date of your tour?

  July 2017

  How many tours have you completed?

  2

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  First-time bike tourists, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 4/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 4/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ TriaT July 10, 2017

  Hillier than described

  This was our third family trip booked through Bike Tours Direct. The previous two were in Austria (Danube and Salzburg loop). We have two daughters, age 11 and 13, who are physically fit and mentally strong. This trip, lovely as it was, was too challenging for them. There is some serious climbing required and it should be rated at least a 3. It doesn't necessarily look like much on the profile but with the scale it's very deceptive. After 6 days cycling we needed a rest day so gave in and the bike company helped order a taxi that could take us and the bikes to Lipica. Overall the route took us through some wonderful scenery, starting in the Alps, then the Karst hills, and finally to the Adriatic coast. But most of it was on roads rather than bike paths, often with busy traffic. We're experienced road riders but found the Slovenian drivers to be rather aggressive and none of the roads had shoulders.
  We also were a little disappointed in the destinations each night. The trip started in a fantastic place, Lake Bled, and ended in a very different but equally picturesque town, Piran, but too many of the overnights in between were in nondescript towns with little to explore. The distances weren't huge each day so we took our time and ate lunch along the way. Typically we arrived at the hotel around 2pm so had plenty of time to explore the new location but in 3-4 of the locations there was nothing to see, which was a real shame as on a trip like this part of the excitement is getting to the new place each day.
  The hotels were of mixed standards. Some were modern, some very old and tired. Air conditioning seemed to be a challenge in all of them, though sorely needed. Wifi was spotty at best. Bathrooms are universally tiny.
  We did some but not all of the side trips. It was raining at Lake Ribcev so we didn't do the waterfall or swim in the lake, which was a shame. Indoor Aquapark at the Eco Hotel was a godsend, given the rain that afternoon. Predjama Castle is a must. Also the Postojna caves. The Lipica stud farm was lovely, though the show a little underwhelming.
  The food in Slovenia was a pleasant surprise. It's heavily influenced by Italy so every other restaurant offers pizza and pasta, plenty of salads, grilled meat and fish. Local wines were good. And everyone we encountered along the way spoke excellent English.
  If you're looking to explore a new country, this is a great way to sample Slovenia. But the infrastructure and culture geared towards cycling just isn't there yet in the same way that it is in countries like Austria, Germany.
  There were a few times where the directions didn't match the odometer readings and we had to rely on Google maps for cross reference. If you don't have an international data plan on your phone I highly recommend it. Overall though the directions were pretty good. And Helia, the local bike company, was very appreciative of any suggestions for improvement.  SHOW MORE 

  What was the date of your tour?

  July 2017

  How many tours have you completed?

  3

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Much harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson July 11, 2017

    Thanks so much for your detailed and thoughtful response! That's one of the many aspects of our clients that we truly treasure: You give feedback not to complain or simply be critical but to improve the experience for future clients. We know that Helia will also take your feedback to heart. For 2018, we will change the tour to a Level 3 and add more information to the "Surface and terrain" part of the tour page.

    Again, thank you for being a part of the BikeTours.com "community!

  • 4/5 Value
  • 3/5 Included meals
  • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 3/5 Hotels or boat
  • 4/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 3/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ TheVerns June 5, 2017

  Slovenia seems like an undiscovered jewel of a country!

  We chose this tour because we knew that Slovenia was beautiful but we did not expect the country to be so friendly, the food was excellent, the hotels were very comfortable. Bled is like a fairy tale and likely the most famous of the stops it was not our favorite. It truly is difficult in hind-site to pick a favorite but we really loved Piran at the end! Maybe we just needed to see the ocean?

  What was the date of your tour?

  May 15th

  How many tours have you completed?

  3

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Families with young kids

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 3/5 Included meals
  • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ hhhh October 19, 2016

  Slovenia,,Wonderful Country

  Good bikes, maps, reliable drivers, everything we needed...well organized..overall very good, mostly nice hotels a very good value
  two exceptions...
  1 we paid for the A hotels and 2 hotels were particularly bad...
  Vila Andor and M Hotel in lbjuana.
  2 do not get the meal package..they often gave us special menus with lower end meals....you are best just to use restaurants and meals of your choice

  What was the date of your tour?

  october

  How many tours have you completed?

  20

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • BikeTours.com staff reply from Lindsay Nash October 20, 2016

    Hi, thanks very much for sharing your experience! I just wanted to note that this tour only has 3- and 4-star hotels available (no Category A or B options), and it looks like our tour advisors also chatted with you further about this in an e-mail. But, as this local tour operator said, Slovenia is a very small country and staying in small hotels and guesthouses adds to the wonderful experience of the country and its local people. Thank you again for your feedback, and we're happy that overall you had a wonderful experience.
    Kind regards,
    Lindsay

  • 5/5 Value
  • 2/5 Included meals
  • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 3/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Alpskier November 14, 2015

  A Great Trip Across a Great Country

  Loved cycling through Slovenia. Warm, friendly people, terrific accommodations, and spectacular scenery made it very, very special. The ride begins in the majestic Julien Alps and courses its way through verdant farm lands, remote villages, the capital city of Ljubljana, and ends on Adriatic sea at the beautiful & ancient town of Piran. Accommodations were fine, some were truly charming, featuring architecture unique to Slovenia. The meal plan was a bargain and the foods and beers were delicious. The 9 day ride largely followed low-trafficked roads, where drivers were courteous. The well-devised road book made navigation manageable, as the route isn't as clearly marked the way it's done in most of Western Europe. Still, there were no worries at all, even as a solo rider. Surprisingly, English was widely spoken. The route featured rolling hills, none of which were too strenuous, nor was mileage an issue. There were lots of downhills as the trip starts high in the Alps and descends to the sea. The local tour operator was very helpful and the bikes were well maintained. Starting out in the fairy-book town of Lake Bled with its famous island church was a reward in itself. Here's a good tip: It's worth the 15 Euro to have a van bring you to the top of the mountain on the second day. Biking it seemed absurd. The capital city was accessible and having dinner near the famous three bridges confluence still brings a smile to my face as I remember the sea of young people going from bar to bar. It's all good, not to mention one of the great travel bargains in the Biketours universe.

  How many tours have you completed?

  8

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ SWTA November 6, 2015

  Slovenia: Europe's hidden gem!

  We did this trip as a family of 4, including a 13 and 15 y/o. We have traveled extensively and we all found Slovenia wonderful. We all agreed this was one of the our best trips ever. Modern enough to be comfortable but still having a lot of old world charm. The hotels were comfortable and we had no trouble finding a good meal. The other positive is that everyone spoke English and we had no language barriers.

  The biking was moderately challenging even as a 2 rated trip. But every day was was really great and different. From the mountains to the sea. We rented the bikes from the base company - Helia - and didn't have any equipment failures!

  How many tours have you completed?

  2

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 4/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection