Day 1- Vienna
Arrival in Vienna International Airport and transfer to your overnight hotel. In the evening join your fellow travellers for a welcome dinner. Overnight in a 4-star hotel.
Day 2- Vienna
Depart the hotel by bus this morning on a panoramic city tour. Drive past the beautiful baroque Schönbrunn, the Belvedere Palace, the extraordinary Hunderwasser House and around the famous ‘Ring’ Boulevard. Continue on by foot through the heart of the former Habsburg Empire, the Imperial Palace. Get a sense of the lustre and glory of the old empire by visiting St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the famous Spanish Riding School. Stop briefly at one of many important galleries in the city centre and finally reward yourself with coffee and Sachertorte at a Viennese coffee house. After lunch in the city centre, your afternoon is at leisure. This evening, enjoy an (optional) classical music concert or opera performance.
Day 3- Maribor
In the morning drive to Maribor, enjoying lunch and wine tasting at a local farm in the countryside. In the early afternoon, embark on a city sightseeing tour, visiting the town park, one of the most beautiful in all of Europe; Lent, a district along the River Drava and the oldest grapevine in the world, ‘Old Vine’. This evening enjoy your first performance at the Maribor Music Festival.
Day 4- Ptuj, Olimje
After breakfast, drive to Ptuj – the oldest town in Slovenia. Monuments throughout the town bear witness to its ancient past. Commence at the castle, which stands proudly on a hill above the River Drava. Next, visit Ptuj Wine Cellar and enjoy some of the locally produced wine, followed by lunch at a local farm. Drive to Olimje where you visit the third oldest apothecary in Europe. The herbalist activity here is still continued today by the Minorite friars. Next, a special treat—a visit to a chocolate house, where delicious Slovenian chocolate is made.
Day 5- Jeruzalem, Prekmurje
Today you drive to Jeruzalem. Otherwise known as “Slovenian Tuscany,” this is one of the most beautiful wine regions of Slovenia. It is a land of many vales and low rounded hillocks and ridges, where sunny south-facing slopes are covered with vineyards and orchards. Continue to the most eastern part of Slovenia, Prekmurje – the largest agricultural region of Slovenia and one of the most authentic ones with delicious regional food and its own dialect. Visit a shop where traditional crafts are still alive. Watch the making of several different crafts including black pottery, basket making and traditional cooking. Enjoy lunch before returning to Maribor in the early afternoon, where you have the option of attending a performance at the Maribor Music Festival.
Day 6- Dolenjska
Enjoy a cooking class this morning at a local farm near Celje; learn how to make typical Slovenian dishes including the most popular Slovenian dessert – Potica. After lunch, drive to Dolenjska – a Slovenian region of vineyards and beautiful river valleys. Visit the Pleterje Carthusian Monastery founded in 1407 and the only remaining Carthusian Monastery in Slovenia. Here you find the Dolenjska Museum which has a collection of delicate articles made from eggshell. Next, enjoy a short stroll through one of the oldest and smallest Slovenian towns – Kostanjevica na Krki. The old town centre is today an island, lying on the Krka River and is a cultural and historical monument. Visit Kostanjevica Castle where you will find some famous works by Slovenian painters.
Day 7- Otočec, Bela Krajina (Metlika)
Today, visit Otočec Castle – a jewel rising from the mists of the Krka River, it is the only water castle in Slovenia. Its foundations were laid in the middle Ages and its present appearance was created during the Renaissance. Continue to Bela Krajina, another very authentic region of Slovenia with traditional food, wine, folklore and craft. Visit the Ethological Museum in Metlika, featuring life in Bela krajina from prehistoric times to the middle of the 20th century. Continue to a local farm for a presentation of everyday life (cuisine and crafts) typical of this region. Enjoy an early dinner before driving along the beautiful river valley, Krka, to Ljubljana. Overnight in Ljublijana.
Day 8- Ljubljana
This morning enjoy a sightseeing our of the Slovenian capital. Walk through the old town centre with its Renaissance, Baroque and Secession facades, decorated portals and vaulted atriums. Its Baroque churches and palaces are among the most beautiful examples in Central Europe. Visit a lively market, where fresh fruits, vegetables, herbals and flowers are sold. By funicular rail, continue up the castle hill and visit the beautiful Castle of Ljubljana. Finally, enjoy a 1hr boat trip on the Ljubljanica River. Dinner will be served at a restaurant on the banks of the river.
Day 9- Cerknica lake, Postojna cave
Today, visit Cerkniško jezero (Cerknica lake). This body of water appears and then disappears again throughout the year, a phenomenon which has proved a challenge to many who search to understand why. Visit Postojna cave. which is one of the most famous Slovenian tourist attractions. Admire the beautiful subterranean world, by observing the stalactites hanging from the ceiling, the stalagmites growing up from the floor, the pillars formed when stalactites and stalagmites meet, the folds of calcite curtains and other sequences of fantastic shapes and forms. Enjoy an early dinner at a eco-tourist farm. Cross the border into Croatia andcontinue on to Opatija.
Day 10- Opatija, Croatian Istra
Enjoy a morning stroll along the Opatija promenade. The very elegant city of Opatija, lies in the centre of the Riviera. Lush green scenery and a pleasant climate are some of the many reasons why people flock to this town. Enjoy a boat trip with a picnic on board. Continue afterwards by coach, through the beautiful Croatian region of Istra. Visit Motovun and Grožnjan, hilltop towns with splendid views over the region, covered with vineyards, forests and interesting architecture. Enjoy a wine tasting with truffles (an Istrian special) and mushrooms.
Day 11- Slovenian Coast and Slovenian Istra
Today you explore the Slovenian coastal cities. Firstly, the medieval town of Piran with its narrow streets and compact houses. Then Portorož, a typical Mediterranean towns where palm trees mix with roses and evergreens and relaxation and fun are the order of the day. The unusual architecture of the ancient town of Izola demonstrates the rich history of a town which was once an island. Continue through the Sečovlje Saline Nature Park. The Sečovlje salt flats are the northern most salt flats in the Mediterranean. The salt is produced in the traditional way based on a 700-year-old method. Here, over the centuries, a unique habitat has formed for halophytic plants and animals and migrating birds. Enjoy dinner at a local farm in Istra with typical Istrian dishes and a folklore performance.
Day 12- Kras, Štanjel
This morning. drive through the unique Slovenia region of Kras. The Karst is the land between the Trieste Bay and the Vipavska Valley. It is also the name for all the amazing shapes created by waters in the fusible stone. Here you visit a local stud farm for the famous white Lipizzaner horses. Afterwards, continue to the picturesque town of Štanjel, another jewel town of Karts region and Idrija.
Day 13- Idrija and Škofja Loka
Visit the city of Idrija which lies in a basin between undulating hills where the natural environments of the sub-alpine and Karst worlds meet. Visit the school of Inrija lace, where the intricacies of this valuable and famous art are taught. Enjoy lunch at a local farm. In the afternoon, drive to Škofja Loka, a thousand-year-old city considered to be the most beautifully preserved medieval city in Slovenia. Enjoy a stroll through the city centre and visit Loka Castle, built in 1202. Continue on to Bled.
Day 14- Bled, Radovljica, Bohinj
This morning visit the town of Bled, which together with its surroundings, ranks among the most beautiful Alpine resorts. Enjoy the views from Bled castle over the lake and the surrounding areas. Continue to Radovljica; enjoy a walk through the city and visit a Bee Museum. Drive to Bohinj – the pearl of the alpine lakes, located in Triglav national Park. Enjoy an early dinner at a local farm.
Day 15- Triglav national park, Kobarid
After breakfast, depart on a panoramic drive through Triglav National Park, containing the highest mountain of Slovenia, deep river gorges and highland karst potholes. En-route, pass Kranjska Gora, drive over Vršič mountain pass and continue along pictur-esque Soča valley towards Kobarid and Furlanija (Friuli). Enjoy lunch at a family restau-rant with dishes typical of the region. Afterwards, visit a war museum which docu-ments the tragedies of World War I where close to a million soldiers became the casu-alties of fierce fighting and the landscape was changed dramatically by grenades, mines and trenches. . Continue on to Goriška Brda for overnight.
Day 16- Goriška Brda
This morning explore Goriška Brda , a combination of small hilly ridges and very special landscape covered with countless vineyards, churches and orchards of cherries, peach-es, apricots and figs. Enjoy a Farewell Lunch at a local farm. In the afternoon, cross the border into Italy and continue on to Venice for overnight.
Day 17- Venice
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight or extend your stay in this beautiful Italian city.
Inclusions:
- Accommodation with private facilities
- All sightseeing (with entrance fees)
- Meals as stated in Itinerary
- Transportation in private coaches
- Services of a local guide