You'll arrive in Slovenia at Ljubljana Airport and will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in the city.
On arrival you can check-in to your Hotel and take some time to refresh and reset after your journey.
The rest of the day is yours to spend as you like, whether that's exploring the charming streets of Ljubljana and immersing yourself in the city's rich history, or taking the opportunity to fully relax in your hotel before the week's activities begin.
For dinner Ljubljana has a large variety of restaurants to choose from.
After breakfast, you might want to start your first full day exploring city. Highlights of the capital include the charming old town, Ljubljana Castle, and many museums, parks and markets. However you choose to spend your day there will be lots to see and do.
After breakfast you'll set out for Bovec, a journey that takes just under 4 hours.
On arrival you can check into your hotel and stretch out in the warmth of the southern European climate, taking in the fresh air after a few days in the city. If you wish to explore Bovec, the small town has two gothic churches, and a town square with some shops.
For dinner you have the option to eat at your hotel or venture out to a local restaurant.
After breakfast this morning, you might want to set off in search of the beautiful wildlife.
Beech and spruce forests cling to the lower mountain slopes, with pines and larches on the higher slopes. You can admire far reaching views of the Triglav mountains, to the peaks of the Kamnik and Savinja Alps, and look out for yellow billed choughs and golden eagles.
You can also visit the Triglav National Park located between Bovec and the Italian border, a tranquil place surrounded by meadows, huge cliffs and stunning views of mountain peaks. Being so close to the Italian border has influenced the cuisine in this region, and you can expect wonderful cuisine.
For early risers, a visit to witness vultures swooping and circling in graceful flight is an unforgettable experience and brilliant way to start your fifth day. Every morning a neighbour feeds the vultures, resulting in hundreds descending across the mountainside to home in on the food in a striking display, showcasing the best of Slovenian wildlife. Most birds are the majestic griffon vultures, which have a huge wingspan up to 2.8 metres. The vultures feed in groups and as they land, squabbling for a place at the ‘buffet’, they somewhat resemble a cauldron of bubbling wings, beaks and talons. It’s a spectacular sight!
After breakfast you could visit one of the many enchanting local villages nearby, exploring stone houses, archways, ancient fountains, and remnants of gothic carvings dating back to the era of the Knights Templar…
Imagine a day filled with village views, Alpine meadows, wild flowers, butterflies, and colourful beehives. Bee-keeping is an important part of Slovenian culture and tradition; some families have kept bees for 100’s of years with bee-keeping skills passed down the generations. Painting beehives in bright colours and decorating the panels with folk art identifies the owner of the hives and warns people of the presence of bees. The native bee is the Carniolan bee, a protected species in Slovenia. Honey is used to sweeten and in baking, different flavours include flower honey, forest honey, acacia honey and linden honey.
Not far is the River Soča, a most beautiful spot. The icy cold, crystal clear river cascades over rocks, fly fishermen and bathers wade through the startlingly bright turquoise water. You may like to bring your swimsuit today for a ‘very refreshing’ dip! The surrounding countryside would also be the perfect setting for an afternoon walk.
After breakfast you will depart and you might want to explore as you meander down from the mountains to the low valleys, where storks nest on telegraph poles and chimneys and the verges are full of flowers. This is a rural area, farmed in old traditions with charming villages and farmsteads. The journey to your next hotel takes around 3 hours, and you could take a picnic lunch so that you remain flexible.
You can enjoy a dinner at a local restaurant to end the day.
After breakfast you will be driven to the Markovec area, close to the Croatian Border (approx. 3hrs drive). You may stop en route for photographs of the scenic journey.
This pristine area supports European Brown bears, wolves, jackals, Ural owls, otters and lynx. In the bear hide you can observe as they come to forage and feed.
Four your last day you might wish to visit the small hamlet of Markovec, with village houses, a picturesque bridge, meadows and plenty of butterflies. In the nearby mature spruce forest you can look look for the Three-toed Woodpecker. There is also the option to visit some spectacular caves, the journey from Markovec is around an hour.
After a full day of activities, you can enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
After breakfast you can return to Ljubljana ready for your departure flight.
