YPT Tours to Slovenia

Our Slovenia tours are unique and the gateway to many other interesting countries. Slovenia is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe. The word itself, “Slovenia”, etymologically stands for the ‘land of the Slavs’, which is an ethnic group commonly situated in this larger geographical area.

Slovenia is known around the world for its gorgeous snow capped mountains, emerald green lakes, intricate cave systems, and winding rivers. The Alpine, Pannonian, Karst and Mediterranean worlds meet here.

But we´re here to explore beyond the beauty: Slovenia is the only European country that endured three totalitarian regimes in the 20th century: Fascism, Nazism, and Communism. All three regimes implemented similar policies towards Slovenia and caused significant suffering and losses to its population.

In May 1990, Slovenia held a general election, and on December 23, 1990, a referendum in which 90% of voters chose to leave Yugoslavia. In June 1991, Slovenia declared its independence. Despite objections from Belgrade and Yugoslav efforts to prevent it through military force, Slovenia succeeded in its quest to become an independent state.

You’ll see that the Balkans are rich with history, diversity, culture and beautiful scenery. It is more than a region haunted by Nazi occupation and concentration camps, with decaying and forgotten spomeniks (monuments) scattered around.

Then end of the Second World War saw the former Yugoslavia develop and progress under the grip of Josip Broz Tito, renowned for his military tactics against the Axis occupation and his hard stance against Stalin. But peace didn’t last in the region, with the death of Tito followed by the economic failure shattering the framework that kept Yugoslavia united. It led to war, with many wishing to create their own nations. Fuelled by nationalism and ethnic tension, the collapse of Yugoslavia saw the deadliest war in Europe since WWII, with thousands of war crimes and crimes against humanity still under investigation.

Slovenia is but one of seven countries of former Yugoslavia, each unique despite their shared history, where you’ll meet genuine people and learn and about their language, cultures, and political views. A mixture of ancient and modern history through times of peace and conflicts makes this a truly unique place to visit.

Group Tours to Slovenia

YPT runs group tours to Slovenia as part of our Ultimate Yugoslavia Tour, which offers several groups and variations to pick from. 

Ultimate Yugoslavia Tour: Tito’s Winter – November 22^nd-December 3^rd, 2024 – €795 – €1695

Ultimate Yugoslavia Tour – May 16^th-27^th, 2025 – €795 – €1695

Independent Tours to Slovenia

YPT can arrange Slovenia tours deep into the country, leveraging on its network of local partners, or link it with tours to other parts of the former Yugoslavia such as Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, or the Kosovo. Overland trips to Hungary and beyond are possible as well. Prices depend on the number of people and what level of accommodation you desire, but YPT can arrange everything you need for a perfect independent Slovenia tour.

Below is an example Slovenia tour for a post-WWII and post-soviet city experience. This can be extended or combined with other activities to create independent tours. 

Example of a 4-day Slovenia Post-WWII and Post-Soviet Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in Ljubljana

• Arrive at your own leisure into Ljubljana – the capital and largest city of Slovenia which is well connected with many European countries. Self-transfer to our centrally located hotel.
• Pre-Tour Meeting at 6pm before going for a first dinner in one of the cozy Slovenian restaurants. 
• Overnight in Ljubljana.

Day 2 – Ljubljana

• Breakfast in the hotel
• Our journey begins at 9:30am – the city is culturally rich and is considered one of the greenest cities in Europe. The best way to explore the beautiful city is by foot and with our knowledgably local guide. Here we’ll appreciate the historical architecture, including the old town and medieval castle, originally built to defend against the Ottomans. It now serves as a venue for special occasions and is the city’s most famous landmark.
• We’ll cross Dragon Bridge to the other side of the city – dragons being the national symbol of Ljubljana. We’ll visit the monuments dedicated to Franc Rozman Stane, a partisan commander in WWII and Edvard Kardelj, politician, economist and a leading member of the Communist Party of Slovenia.
• On Republic Square, we’ll see our first Spomenik (monument). These socialist monuments were created throughout Yugoslavia to honour the partisans and victims from WWII. Also located on the Square is the TR2 & TR3 Towers, a perfect example of socialist modernism architecture. The Towers are shorter than originally planned due to countries difficult economic conditions.
• Next, we’ll head to the Slovenian National Assembly formally known as the People’s Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia during the socialist era. Here you can appreciate the building’s facade with life size bronze statues depicting various scenes of daily life, culture and industry in Slovenia. We’ll get an epic group picture in front of the impressive entrance.

Afternoon

• We’ll have lunch at Sarajevo ’84 – this is one of YPT’s favourite cafés in Slovenia, which evokes the spirit of the legendary winter Olympics. We recommend trying the Gibanica, a layered cake loaded with nuts and apples is always a good choice with coffee.
• We’ll continue to explore this charming city to capture some scenic pictures and pick up a souvenir Central Market. Once we’re ready we’ll head to one of the most important sites in Slovenia, Žale Cemetery. Prime and influential Slovenian figures are laid here, including Edvard Kardelj. Recently the cemetery is included on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
• Once we’re ready, we’ll head to Prešeren Square. It’s a great place to the late spring evening over a few drinks and get to know your fellow group members.
• In the evening we’ll head to a local restaurant to sample some traditional Slovenian cuisines – we recommend trying the national dish, Matevž with roasted meat and sauerkraut.
• After dinner, we’ll make the most of our time in the capital and head out for a few drinks to experience the vibrant nightlife. Despite Ljubljana having a small population, the city has a very diverse and thriving scene.
• Overnight stay in Ljubljana.

Day 3 – Celje – Maribor

• Breakfast in our hotel before our transfer to Maribor, a (really underrated) Slovenian city nestled among the wine-region hills on the Drava River, features the Renaissance-style Town Hall (Mariborski rotovž) dating back to 1515 on Glavni Trg, the old town’s main square.
• Along the way we will have the chance to get a glimpse of the city of Celje and visit the old Celje Castle where you can admire magnificent views of the region and the old center.
• We’ll stop off at villages and towns which tell stories about the different regimes of the past. 
• We’ll have the chance to grab a coffee, enjoy lunch, and stretch our legs and relax before we continue further to Maribor.
• Afternoon arrival in Maribor, where we check into our hotel before a slow exploration of the old town. During World War II, Maribor was severely damaged, with over half of the city in ruins and many important monuments destroyed. After the war, Maribor became part of Yugoslavia, and since 1991, the city has been in independent Slovenia.
• We will have a slow walk around the Grajski Trg which is one of the main squares in the city and where we will find some of the most important Maribor attractions. 
• Our walk here leads us right to dinner in one of our favourite places, rustic, cozy, and surely traditional. For those still energetic we will head to one of our selected pubs in the centre afterwards.
• Overnight in Maribor. 

Day 4 – Maribor

• Breakfast in the hotel before starting the day.
• Today we start with a fully guided tour with a local expert, that helps us understand the city even better. For example, On the side of the square, already on Trg Svobode, next to the castle, you can see a sculpture that seems out of place – the Maribor Liberation Monument, one of the famous ex-Yugoslav spomeniks, built in 1975. Locals often refer to it as “Kojak” due to its resemblance to a bald head. This monument pays tribute to the nearly 700 hostages and rebels executed by German forces during the National Liberation War (World War II) for their courageous resistance against the occupation.
• Also the town hall, the first brewery, and a 17^th-century plague column are part of this very diverse exploration. We will also stumble over some really impressive Habsburg-style buildings. In Maribor it comes all together, and we will make sure to also wander around the backstreets and soak in the atmosphere at its fullest.
• We are going to have yet another late lunch before concluding the tour over some post-discussions of what we experienced.
• Further transfers inside Slovenia can be arranged from here

From here you can join us further into the former Yugoslavia, go on a tour to Croatia, or venture further on by yourself, e.g. back to the coastal region with beautiful cities such as Koper and Portorož.

Bespoke tours to Slovenia

As part of our travel packages within the Balkans, we can offer bespoke and independent tours to Slovenia. These can be done as full Slovenia tours or be combined with other countries. 

For more information on the following programs, simply get in touch. 

Eco-Travel in Slovenia

Young Pioneer Tours can arrange trips to the lesser seen places of Slovenia, such as the rural areas that cater to eco-tourism within the country, especially in its stunning national parks like Triglav, featuring parts of the Julian Alps. Putting your feet into the hot springs at Lake Bled will surely comfort your days as well.

Slovenia to Croatia Overland Tour

Starting with the exploration of Ljubljana and its surroundings we will then head to Zagreb. After two nights in Slovenia, we enter the country of Croatia to learn about its role in WW2 and the communist era.

Slovenia to Austria Overland Tour

Starting with the exploration of Ljubljana and its surroundings we will then head to Maribor, closer to the Austrian border. After two nights in Slovenia, we enter the country of Austria to learn about its role in WW1 and WW2, specifically via visits to Graz and history-loaden Vienna.

Outdoor Adventure Tour

Explore Slovenia´s natural beauty on a tour that includes options for Canyoning Grmečica, Ziplining and Rafting in Soča, hiking in the Julian Alps in Triglav National Park, as well as Extreme Caving in Bled. 

Underground Slovenia Tours

Ljubljana, Maribor, and the wider country have some amazing dark tourism, urbex and contemporary historical sites that few tourists get to see. Working with our local partners, YPT can arrange and underground and dark tourism tours to Slovenia. Get in touch to have a bespoke itinerary planned for you. 

Wine Tasting Tour

Slovenian wine has a long history and many popular wine regions in the country. The tradition began 2,400 years ago with the Celts, who were the first to cultivate vines in the region and winegrowing continued to flourish under the Romans. The most popular regions are Podravska (Drava Valley), Primorska at the Adriatic Coast, and Posavska (Sava Valley). You can go on a wine tasting tour of one of these regions, or you can visit one of Slovenia´s many wineries run by local families. 

Filming in Slovenia

Through our media arm Pioneer Media we can make arrangements for productions, journalists, or others, to film within Slovenia from big budget to guerrilla productions. We can also arrange meetings in country, as well as correct visas for journalist wishing to do projects within the country.

Frequently asked Questions about travel to Slovenia

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