Compare Friuli Venezia Giulia and Slovenia Cycling Tour by Tourissimo vs Scenic Slovenia & Croatia by Great Value Vacations

Day 1: Grado - Aquileia

Meals: Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Villa Bernt

Terrain: Flat

Ride: 13 mi or 22 km

A private shuttle will take you to our hotel on an island-village on the Adriatic. Grado is Friuli’s lagoon city, a town with 1600 years of history, which can still be experienced by strolling the calli (streets) of the ancient city center. Grado was the first port of entry for ships headed upstream to nearby Aquileia, a powerful Roman city on the river Natisone.

After some lunch and presentations, we ride inland to Aquileia. The colony was founded in 180BC and served as a strategic frontier fortress at the northeast corner of Transpadane (on the far side of the Po river) Italy.

Back at the hotel, you will receive an overview of the tour program followed by dinner.

Day 2: Collio Hills

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: La Subida

Terrain: Rolling

Ride: 30 mi or 48 km

After fine tuning our bikes some more, we ride along the Natisone river and we reach Gorizia for a short visit and some lunch. Once a favorite spot of the Hapsburg nobility, since 1947 Gorizia has been split in two, with Nova Gorica developing on the other side of the Italian–Slovenian border. We are in the dramatic Carso area with its limestone formations, grottoes, and underground rivers. La Subida is a charming country hotel and the hospitality of the Sirk family is legendary. Tonight, we will have dinner at l'Osteria, which is part of the La Subida Estate. La Subida is a place that makes our guests feel at home and relaxed. It's unique.

Day 3: Cividale Loop

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: La Subida

Terrain: Hilly

Ride: 28 mi or 45 km

Today's ride leads us northward to Cividale del Friuli (UNESCO site). We will be pedaling through the Collio and Colli Orientali del Friuli wine area for about 30 mls of easy and rolling terrain. Cividale del Friuli will be our lunch stop and then we will head back to La Subida from a different road. Before reaching the hotel, we will stop at a local winery for lunch and wine tasting. The family-owned Grillo winery is in the center of the Schioppettino wine production (very rare and hard to find anywhere else in Italy). Relax back at La Subida before dinner.

Day 4: Bovec

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation:  Hotel Alp

Terrain: Rolling Hills

Ride: 46 mi or 74 km (shorter option available)

Today's ride takes us out of Friuli, heading northeast to the border of Slovenia. We will notice the landscape changing as we ride through the lowest mountain pass of the Alps, a long, easy smooth climb that takes us to the former border between Italy and Slovenia. Entering Slovenia we will find ourselves in a lush, green landscape with the typical vegetation of a mountain region, with rivers, waterfalls, and forests. Silence and very few cars make this and the next rides heavenly. Our lunch stop is in Caporetto/Kobarid and we have planned a visit to the WWI museum, a small but very complete and interesting house where the people from Caporetto have collected pictures and objects through which they tell the history of WWI as it was lived by the soldiers and civilians in that valley where we bike during our tour. In the afternoon we cruise to Bovec following the Soča river valley. You'll have time to explore Bovec on your own ant to enjoy a cold beer while watching the sunset behind the high mountains that surround the valley where Bovec is nestled. A short walk to the center of Bovec and we will find our dinner table ready at a local Gostilna, a simple, typical ‘trattoria’ style restaurant where we can enjoy our Slovenian meal.

Day 5: Bovec

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Alp

Terrain: Rolling Hills

Ride: 23 mi or 37 km

Bovec is known as the adventure capital of Slovenia, and we have a full day here to rest and enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities: kayaking, rafting, canoeing, paragliding, mountain biking, hiking and more. Kayaking in the emerald waters of the Soca River while immersed in the landscape of high peaks, forest and waterfalls is an unforgettable experience not to be missed. For those who like hiking there are some interesting trails with historical traces of WWI and WWII just outside of Bovec, with a war cemetery, two old forts and some bunkers and tunnels dating back to the Napoleon era and WWI. A bike ride will also be available if you want to explore the countryside up to the edge of Triglav National Park, in a remote little valley where only sheep and cows are witnesses to our slow-paced ride through paradise. Dinner is on your own.

Day 6: Fusine Lake to Bled

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Astoria Bled

Terrain: Rolling Hills

Ride: 37 mi or 59 km

Today we’ll go across the Alps to reach Tarvisio, a town on the border where Italy, Austria and Slovenia meet. A bus will shuttle us and our bikes over a mountain pass and down to the enchanting Fusine lakes where an easy and flat bike path starts. We’ll follow the bike path along the valley, once again immersed in a beautiful forest and with mountains all around us. Past the town of Kranjska Gora we’ll leave the main path and enter a secondary valley, now riding on an unpaved (but smooth) bike path.  This valley, the Radovna Valley, is the most beautiful, magical and enchanting place of the whole tour. Streams, small waterfalls, tall trees, water mills, a few old farmhouses and some cows are what we will see during the almost 10km of riding in this heavenly valley. Once we leave the valley we will be very close to Bled and if time and weather permit we can take a detour to admire the Vintgar Gorge, a canyon carved by the Vintgar River. A boardwalk runs along the gorge and from there we can view waterfalls and rapids.

Bled is our final destination today. We’ll bike along the lakeshore to reach Hotel Astoria in the center of Bled. Dinner will be at a castle overlooking Lake Bled. If time allows it, you can visit the interesting museum inside the Bled Castle. 

Day 7: Ljubljana

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Allegro Garni Hotel

Ride:  None

Today we’ll transfer by private bus (about 1 hr) to Ljubljana. Upon arriving, you will have a guided visit of the town center of this UNESCO-recognized gem. You will have some free time in the afternoon to explore on your own and to do some shopping. We will enjoy our final dinner at one of the finest restaurants in town.

Day 8: Ljubljana

Meals: Breakfast

Terrain: Departure

Ride: None

After breakfast, we’ll provide a transfer to the Ljubljana airport.

Day 1 Welcome to Ljubljana, Slovenia!

Say "zdravo" to Slovenia! Check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day seeing some of Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, with a strong alpine architectural flavor. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at your included dinner.

Day 2 Ljubljana - Postojna Caves - Zadar, Croatia

Today, visit one of Slovenia's highlights: the Postojna Caves! Hop aboard a legendary tourist train inside the caves, then explore its tunnels, halls, galleries and caverns by foot with a guide. Discover what are possibly Europe’s most extensive and best-known caves!

You'll then travel into Croatia along the coast to Zadar. Over the centuries, Zadar was ruled by Venetians, Austro/Hungarians, by Italy after WWI, and today belongs to Croatia. Find out more about this historical city during an included guided tour. 

Day 3 Zadar- Split - Dubrovnik

Leave Zadar today as you drive south to Split, Croatia's second-largest city after Zagreb. Visit Diocletian's Palace, the former home of Roman Emperor Diocletian dating back to A.D. 295 that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With more than 200 buildings and 3,000 residents this "palace" is more like a mini-city!

Leave Split behind as you continue to the “Pearl of Adriatic,” Dubrovnik. You'll enjoy a drive along the picturesque Dalmatian Coast, where you'll be treated to views of the world-famous natural beauty of the area.

Upon arrival in Dubrovnik, head to Old Town and stroll through its shiny limestone-paved streets. This is truly one of the most beautiful cities in Europe!

Day 4 Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is the best-preserved Croatian medieval city and the liveliest on the Dalmatian Coast. Visit the Franciscan Monastery and the Rector Palaces, where a local guide will give you a full tour, including the history of this beautifully preserved medieval architectural wonder - a popular filming location for TV shows and movies, like Star Wars, James Bond, and Game of Thrones! 

In the afternoon, consider riding the bright-orange cable car up from old town to the mountain of Srd on your own. Once you reach the top, you'll enjoy sweeping views of the city below. 

Day 5 Dubrovnik - Neretva Gorges - Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Sarajevo

Leave Dubrovnik and enjoy a scenic drive into the rugged beauty of the Neretva Valley. Make your way into southern Bosnia-Herzegovina and stop in Mostar, where a local guide will take you to the Turkish Quarter with the Turkish House, the Mosque, and the reconstructed 16th-century bridge.

Continue on to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina and certainly the most Turkish-looking city in the Balkans famous for its mosques, markets, and bazaars.

Discover the city with a guide and get acquainted with its architectural highlights, including the 16th-century Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque that is considered one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture in the world. 

Day 6 Sarajevo - Plitvice National Park, Croatia

Travel north today back into Croatia to visit the country’s famous Plitvice Lakes National Park, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Enjoy a walk with a local guide through the breathtaking scenery of this breathtaking wonder. Its 16 lakes, wooded hills, waterfalls, and cascades make it one of Europe’s most beloved and famous national parks. 

Day 7 Plitvice - Zagreb - Ljubljana, Slovenia

Say goodbye to Plitvice Lakes as you travel to Zagreb, Croatia's capital and largest city. The city is packed with historic buildings like the 13th-century St. Mark's Church, with its colorful tiled roof. Get to know the city on an included tour!

Leave Zagreb and make your way back to Ljubljana where a guide will help you appreciate its imperial beauty. Sample delicious Slovenian dishes like Carniolan sausage and cabbage.

Day 8 Depart Slovenia

Your tour of Eastern Europe ends today. At the appropriate time, make your way to the airport for your flight home.