Slovenia Bike Tour

Meet your guides at the Trieste airport train station for a transfer to our castle hotel in the heart of the Collio-Brda—a prestigious cross-border wine region that straddles Italy and Slovenia. Get fitted to the bikes and set out on a warm-up ride through the vineyards, winding into Slovenia. Climb through a series of small hilltowns to a ridgeline offering panoramic views of the undulating landscape below. Lunch awaits at a boutique winery, where we’ll meet the family that has been producing biodynamic wines for five-generations. After, opt to tack on some extra miles or hop in the van for a ride back to the hotel. This evening, we’ll gather for cocktails before a relaxed welcome dinner at the estate.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: San Floriano, Smartno, Dobrova
Accomplished: 24 miles / 38 km, elevation gain: 2,198 feet / 670 meters
Longer Option: 30 miles / 49 km, elevation gain: 2,788 feet / 850 meters
Accommodations: Castello di Spessa

From our castle hotel, the views of Italy and Slovenia are seriously moving—be sure to take a moment to appreciate it all over your morning coffee. The shared scenery of the two countries sets the tone for our ride today as we cross back and forth over their borders. Pedal along the vine-clad ridges that lead to Cividale on the Italian side. This town can trace its roots back to Julius Caesar, and the main piazza is a perfect place to stop for a mid-ride espresso and a little people-watching. Then it’s back towards Slovenia for a picnic lunch. We’ll return to the hotel for some downtime this afternoon. This evening we’ll head to another stunning Slovenian winery, this time for an unforgettable dinner hosted by our friend Alessia, an Italian chef—the perfect homage to our day of duality.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Cividale, Prepotto, Ceglo
Accomplished: 37 miles / 59 km, elevation gain: 2,020 feet / 616 meters
Shorter Option: 20 miles / 33 km, elevation gain: 1,414 feet / 431 meters
Accommodations: Castello di Spessa

Begin the day riding through an area that saw some of the most intense fighting of World War I. Between 1915 and 1917, Italy and Austria-Hungary engaged in no less than 12 battles along the Isonzo River until the eventual collapse of the Italian Front (immortalized in Hemingway’s Farewell to Arms). To illustrate the impact, we’ll explore an intact section of tunnels and bunkers that changed hands in those two years. From there, continue cycling across the Carso—or Karst—the striking limestone plateau that gives the region’s wines their distinct minerality. We’ll stop at a family-owned inn for lunch with our friend Ago, a brilliant young chef who crafts refined Karst cuisine using ingredients grown onsite. Bike or transfer to our dreamy forest hotel, a collection of sleek wooden cabins perched above the clustered village of Vrhpolje with beautiful Vipava Valley views. Relax in your private hot tub or take a stroll to the sauna. Later we’ll regather for an evening of timeless Slovenian hospitality during dinner with our winemaker friend Davorin and his family in the courtyard of their inviting farmhouse.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: San Martino del Carso, Komen, Vipava
Accomplished: 25 miles / 40 km, elevation gain: 1,991 feet / 607 meters
Longer Option: 41 miles / 66 km, elevation gain: 2,995 feet / 913 meters
Accommodations: Theodosius

Start your morning with breakfast at the hotel followed by a one-hour transfer to the Sava Valley, where our ride begins from a fairytale church. From there, the route traces the foot of the mountains, meandering through fertile farmland and deep forests with impressive views of the Julian Alps rising dramatically toward Austria. After lunch at a charming country inn, we’ll pedal the final kilometers to the shores of Lake Bled, home to Slovenia’s most storied sight: a church-crowned island rising from the blue-green waters. So captivating is the setting that Marshal Tito chose it as his summer residence during the Communist period. Check into our lakefront villa hotel, then spend the afternoon as you wish—glide across the water in a traditional wooden pletna to explore Bled Island or relax in the gardens with a glass of wine. Tonight you’re free to dine on your own in town; your guides are happy to recommend their favorite local restaurants.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations: Golnik, Radovljica, Bled
Accomplished: 30 miles / 48 km, elevation gain: 2,854 feet / 870 meters
Shorter Option: 25 miles / 40 km, elevation gain: 2,381 feet / 726 meters
Accommodations: Villa Adora

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before setting off on a scenic loop around the shores of Lake Bled. Take in the spring-fed waters, weathered boathouses, and exquisite scenery before leaving the lake behind for an even more spectacular stretch—a bike path that follows the crystal-clear Sava Bohinjka River and climbs into Triglav National Park. Our destination is Lake Bohinj, the largest natural lake in Slovenia, where a local chef treats us to a spectacular lunch. The reward for our efforts this morning is a gradual descent all the way back to Bled. This evening we’ll regather for a farewell dinner to remember, held in a medieval castle perched high above the shimmering lake.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Bohinjska Bela, Bohinjska Bistrica, Lake Bohinj
Accomplished: 40 miles / 64 km, elevation gain: 3,205 feet / 977 meters
Longer Option: 22 miles / 36 km, elevation gain: 1,922 feet / 586 meters
Accommodations: Villa Adora

Sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast or take a final spin or stroll along the lake. There’s no wrong way to enjoy your final morning in Slovenia. Your guides will transfer you to the Ljubljana airport later this morning as you head to your next destination.

Meals: Breakfast
Destinations: Ljubljana