Hidden Slovenia – Small Group

You’ll arrive in Ljubljana, where pale Baroque façades line the cafe terraces and willow branches dip towards the Ljubljanica. The river winds through the city centre beneath leafy embankments, its rippling green water passing rows of pastel buildings and outdoor tables along the banks. Narrow lanes, elegant buildings and riverbanks sit within a compact city centre made for exploring on foot. Meet your Travel Director and fellow Small Group travellers, then perhaps join the group for dinner.

At Prešeren Square, you stand between a poet and his great love: France Prešeren cast in bronze, his gaze fixed on Julija Primic across the square, the woman who inspired much of his poetry. With your Travel Director, you cross Plečnik’s Triple Bridge, three stone spans fanning across the Ljubljanica beneath rows of lamps, then wind through the historic streets of the Old Town. Then you take the funicular up Castle Hill to Ljubljana Castle, the city spread out below. From here, the afternoon is yours. You might head inside the castle to explore its exhibitions, choose a museum or return to the Ljubljanica and board a boat gliding beneath stone arches and bridges lined with balustrades, lamps and sculpted dragons.

Travelling through Slovenia’s Karst countryside, you'll pass forested slopes and pale limestone cliffs while whole cave systems lie hidden beneath the surface. At Predjama Castle, you'll find a Renaissance fortress built directly into the mouth of a 123-metre cliff, with rock curling above its walls and secret tunnels running into the cave behind. At Postojna Cave Park, you can choose how to spend your time. Follow the Pivka River through the park, stop for lunch and try local specialities or head underground, where cool cave air, echoing chambers and stalactites and stalagmites accompany your search for the pale, almost translucent olms that live in this subterranean world. Later, the landscape opens towards the Adriatic as you reach Koper. With your Travel Director, orient yourself around the harbourfront and historic centre, where Venetian palaces and old squares sit close to the marina.

With your Travel Director, you'll make your way through Piran from the harbour into its close-set backstreets, where passages open onto Tartini Square and white Istrian stone fills the broad oval once occupied by the town’s inner harbour. Above it all, St George’s Church stands over terracotta roofs and the Adriatic beyond, a pale bell tower marking the skyline above the old town. From here, the day is yours. You might climb to the church for a wider sweep of the coast, wander among twisting passages between closely packed houses or head down to the beach and spend some time beside the glistening water. Back in Koper, you can follow the shoreline on foot with the Adriatic stretching alongside you. Your Travel Director knows the best places to watch the sun sink below the horizon, casting gold across the water before dusk settles over the coast. Then perhaps choose grilled seafood for dinner, simply cooked with olive oil and lemon, or find a relaxed local spot and gaze out across the water.

Through the Vipava Valley, you'll travel between vine-covered hills, orchards and villages tucked among the slopes, passing rows of vines and pockets of green countryside as the road winds deeper into the valley. In Goče, you'll follow narrow stone lanes between old houses and weathered courtyards, in a village known for having more wine cellars than anywhere else in the valley. Then you'll meet a local winemaking family and step into their world of barrels, bottles and generations of craft. Sip regional wines and enjoy a small bite alongside them, with cool cellar air and the scent of oak around you. Back on the road, vineyards begin to fall away as the landscape grows steeper and more alpine, carrying you towards the Bled region with the first mountain peaks appearing ahead.

With your Travel Director, you’ll walk beside Lake Bled, passing grand 19th-century villas set among gardens and old boathouses. Vila Bled stands close to the shore, once a residence of Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito, while across the lake Bled Castle sits high on its rocky cliff. Then the day is yours. You might find a table beside the lake, follow a forest path or stop for Bled’s famous cream cake, breaking through crisp pastry into soft vanilla custard and whipped cream beneath a dusting of icing sugar. The original recipe has been made here since 1953. For your Optional Experience, step aboard a traditional wooden pletna and cross to Bled Island, rowed by a standing oarsman beneath the boat’s colourful awning. As the boat slips across the lake, the island draws nearer, you catch sight of its white Baroque church and slender bell tower rising above the trees.

Across northern Slovenia, you'll travel from mountain country into vineyard-covered hills before reaching Kamnik, one of the country’s oldest towns. With your Travel Director, you'll walk along Šutna Street past painted façades, old craft signs and the Gothic spire of the parish church, then perhaps pause in the main square for a strong coffee or a scoop of gelato. In Maribor, you'll continue through the old town towards Lent, following the Drava past old walls and towers in the city’s historic riverside district. Bridges span the broad river while the world’s oldest grapevine climbs the front of the Old Vine House, its twisted trunk and leafy branches still producing fruit after more than 450 years. For your Optional Experience, taste wines from the Štajerska region here, letting bright acidity, fruit and spice meet on the palate beside a vine that has watched centuries pass along the river.

Leaving Maribor behind, you'll continue south to Ptuj, Slovenia’s oldest town, where cobbled streets curl between medieval façades beneath the onion-domed City Tower. With your Travel Director, you’ll wander through the old quarter as Ptuj Castle looks down from its hill, then the time is yours. Perhaps climb to the castle and look across tiled roofs, church towers and the countryside beyond, or stay among the old streets and follow whatever catches your eye. Back in Ljubljana, you might browse for something to take home or stop for a slice of prekmurska gibanica, cutting through layers of poppy seed, walnut, apple and cottage cheese. For your Optional Experience, spend the evening tasting your way through the city, pairing Slovenian craft beer and local wine with food stops along the way.

After breakfast in Ljubljana, you’ll share final goodbyes with your Travel Director and fellow Small Group travellers before making your onward journey. Nine days have taken you from Alpine lakes and medieval towns to Adriatic shores, vineyard country and wine cellars.