Slovenia Discovery — Self-Launched
7 days · Slovenia (with a day trip to Trieste, Italy)
G Adventures charges £1,650
No-markup version: ~£501 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 7-day self-launched version of G Adventures' "Slovenia Discovery" loop from Ljubljana: capital food markets, the Venetian-style Adriatic towns of Piran and Portorož, a border-hop to Trieste for coffee and Miramare Castle, a wine tasting in the Brda hills, the underground world of Postojna Cave, and lakeside days at Bled and Bohinj. Instead of a CEO and private minibus you use Slovenia's excellent and cheap public buses and trains, self-booked cave and castle tickets, and small family-run guesthouses. Slovenia is a compact, safe and very solo-friendly country — everything on the original route is easily done independently. Costs are rough estimates in GBP per person for budget/mid-range travel; book Postojna Cave, the Ljubljana food tour and any wine tasting ahead in peak season (May–October).
Day-by-day
Arrive in Ljubljana — old town orientation
Ljubljana
Fly or bus into Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU). The public Arriva shuttle bus to the main bus station takes ~45 mins for around €10 (£8.50); a shared transfer or taxi is €30-45 if you arrive late. Check into a hostel or small guesthouse in or near the old town (Hostel Celica, Hostel Tresor and various private rooms around Trubarjeva cesta are good value and central). Spend the late afternoon on a free self-guided walk: Prešeren Square, the Triple Bridge, the riverside market colonnade, Dragon Bridge and the funicular up to Ljubljana Castle (funicular + castle entry ~€13, or walk up for free). Evening: cheap eats in the covered market or a riverside beer — try a local craft brew.
🚌Arriva airport shuttle bus ~€10 (£8.50), then walking
🛏Central hostel or small guesthouse, Ljubljana (dorm €20-30 / private room €45-60)
- →Airport shuttle bus to city centre
- →Self-guided old town walk: Prešeren Square, Triple Bridge, Dragon Bridge
- →Optional: Ljubljana Castle by funicular or on foot
Ljubljana food tour and markets
Ljubljana
Join a small-group Ljubljana food walking tour booked via GetYourGuide or directly with a local provider (roughly £45-60 for 3-4 hours, typically including market tastings, štruklji, cured meats, cheese, wine and a light lunch). Tours usually start at the central market under Plečnik's colonnade — arrive early to browse the farmers' market yourself. Afternoon: free time for the National Museum, Metelkova's street art district, or a riverside café. If you'd rather DIY, build your own tasting trail: market produce, a bakery štruklji, a Kranjska sausage stand and a glass of local Rebula for under £25.
🚌Walking
🛏Central hostel or small guesthouse, Ljubljana
- →Guided Ljubljana food walking tour (GetYourGuide/local provider)
- →Ljubljana central farmers' market
- →Afternoon: Metelkova or National Museum of Slovenia
Ljubljana to Piran and Portorož — Adriatic coast
Piran / Portorož
Take an early direct bus or train-and-bus combo to the coast (~2.5-3 hrs; buses from Ljubljana bus station to Piran cost roughly €12-15 / £10-13, book on Arriva or Nomago). Drop bags and walk Piran's gorgeous Venetian old town: Tartini Square, the city walls (small entry fee), the seafront and the narrow lanes climbing to the cathedral. In the late afternoon walk or take a local bus 10 minutes to Portorož (resort town, salt pans nearby) and check into a guesthouse or small hotel. Fish dinner on the Piran waterfront is the move.
🚌Arriva/Nomago coach ~€13 (£11); local bus Piran–Portorož ~€2
🛏Guesthouse or small hotel, Portorož/Piran (€35-55 private room)
- →Bus Ljubljana–Piran
- →Piran old town and city walls walk
- →Walk or local bus to Portorož
Day trip to Trieste, Italy + Brda wine tasting
Trieste (Italy) / Brda (Slovenia)
Cross into Italy by local bus (Piran–Trieste services run several times daily, ~1 hr, €5-8; check Arriva or the coastal line). In Trieste self-explore Piazza Unità d'Italia, the neoclassical new town and medieval old city, then do a coffee stop at one of the historic Caffè San Marco or Caffè degli Specchi (Trieste's coffee culture is legendary — a standing espresso costs €1.50). Bus or local line 6 out to Miramare Castle and its park (entry ~€10, park free). Return to Slovenia in the afternoon. For the wine tasting, book a small Brda winery tasting in advance (many family cellars near Dobrovo offer 3-4 wines with snacks for €15-25 — arrange a transfer or taxi from Nova Gorica/Portorož area, or simply do a tasting at a coastal wine bar such as in Piran if logistics are tight).
🚌Cross-border local bus ~€6-8 each way; local bus to Miramare ~€2; taxi/transfer to Brda ~€15-20 shared
🛏Guesthouse or small hotel, Portorož/Piran
- →Local bus Piran–Trieste
- →Trieste old town and Piazza Unità d'Italia
- →Coffee at a historic Trieste café
- →Miramare Castle and park
- →Brda-region winery tasting (pre-booked)
Postojna Cave, Lake Bled and on to Lake Bohinj
Postojna / Bled / Bohinj
A full travel day. Take a morning bus or train from the coast toward Postojna (buses via Sežana or Ljubljana take 1.5-2.5 hrs; you can also leave luggage at Ljubljana bus station lockers and do Postojna as a hop). Book Postojna Cave tickets online in advance (~€30-35 / £26-30, includes the cave train and guided walk; combo tickets with Predjama Castle ~€45). After the cave and a quick lunch in town, continue by bus/train to Bled (~1.5 hrs from Ljubljana). Walk the 6 km lakeshore path, see the island church from the shore, and optionally row a pletna boat out (~€18). Late afternoon bus to Bohinj Jezero (30-40 mins, €3-4) and check into a lakeside guesthouse or hostel.
🚌Coach/train between coastal Slovenia, Postojna and Bled ~€20-25 total; local bus Bled–Bohinj ~€4
🛏Guesthouse or hostel near Lake Bohinj (€30-50)
- →Postojna Cave guided tour (pre-booked online)
- →Lake Bled lakeshore walk
- →Optional pletna boat to Bled Island
- →Bus to Lake Bohinj
Lake Bohinj — Triglav National Park day
Lake Bohinj
A free day in the Julian Alps. Easy option: swim or rent a rowboat on the lake, walk to the Savica waterfall (entry ~€5) or the Mostnica Gorge (Ribčev Laz trailhead, ~2-3 hrs return, no guide needed). More active: hike to Vogel's viewpoint (cable car ~€22 return, then marked trails), rent a bike in Ribčev Laz for the Bohinj cycling route, or book ziplining at Bohinj Zipline (roughly €40-50, book direct). Evening: hearty Slovenian dinner — žlikrofi, kranjski štruklji or trout — at a village gostilna.
🚌Walking / bike rental ~€15 per day
🛏Guesthouse or hostel near Lake Bohinj
- →Mostnica Gorge walk
- →Savica waterfall
- →Optional Vogel cable car and hiking
- →Optional Bohinj zipline
- →Lake swim or boat rental
Bohinj back to Ljubljana — depart
Bohinj to Ljubljana
Morning bus from Bohinj Jezero back to Ljubljana (~2 hrs via Bohinjska Bistrica, or scenic train from Bohinjska Bistrica to Ljubljana — the car-train through the mountains is a fun budget experience, ~€8-10). Arrive Ljubljana around 11am. Store bags at the bus/train station (€3-5) if your flight is later, grab a last coffee in the old town, and take the shuttle bus to the airport. Don't book onward flights before mid-afternoon to allow for bus delays.
🚌Train Bohinjska Bistrica–Ljubljana ~€8 plus bus ~€3; airport shuttle ~€10
🛏None (departure day)
- →Scenic train/bus Bohinj–Ljubljana
- →Free time in Ljubljana old town
- →Airport shuttle
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£501 | £1,650 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,149 per person (70%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£501
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Slovenia Discovery — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £501 per person for 7 days in Slovenia (with a day trip to Trieste, Italy). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,650 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £501 — a saving of roughly £1,149 (70%) per person.
How long is the Slovenia (with a day trip to Trieste, Italy) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Slovenia (with a day trip to Trieste, Italy).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, hiking trip through Slovenia (with a day trip to Trieste, Italy), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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