Three tours in Ljubljana, Slovenia that you must take
Trotting obediently along in a group of 50, behind someone waving an umbrella, is not my idea of fun. I know this because I’ve tried it. But taking an organised tour in a city? Sign me right up.
However much research I do in advance, I can’t hope to think I’ll know all the secrets, the hidden corners, the history and highlights that a specialist would, especially when they’re local.
Whether it’s walking or cycling, food tours (one of my favourite things to do) or uncovering ghosts and history, I always try to fit in at least one. On my recent trip to Slovenia, I made the most of it – here are my three top tours in Ljubljana.
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Ljubljana bike tour
Slovenia’s capital is pretty compact. With a few tips from the Lonely Planet guide, a handy map from our hotel and comfy shoes, we had spent our first afternoon tramping around the city’s unfeasibly picturesque streets and discovering everything from Roman remains to Art Nouveau buildings.
So by day 2, I wanted a bit more. And this bike tour from Watermelon Ljubljana by bike was perfect.
A lot of the city centre is pedestrianised (although discovering how recently that was done was one insight from Tevz who runs the tours) so cycling is the ideal way to get through the streets, as well as letting us get further out of the centre.
Views up to the castle, grassy spots along the river, traditional churches filled with modern art and the street art of Metelkova were just a few of the stops.
And everywhere we went, we learned something new – the story behind one statue of a former mayor, an unexpected tale of forbidden love, the fact that the main rule of cycling in Ljubljana’s highway code seems simply to be ‘don’t hit anyone’…
The groups are a maximum of six, running every day between April and September (book a day in advance) and by arrangement outside those times.
The two-and-a-half hour tour costs 35 Euros, and there’s a longer private four-hour option and child-friendly bike tours of Ljubljana – the cycling is all pretty relaxed as well.
Ljubljana food tour
I love a foodie walking tour – not only do you learn more about local traditional dishes, but it’s a great place to get tips on where to eat. And Iva, who runs Ljubljanayum, definitely knows her stuff.
As well as walks themed around wine, craft beer and dessert, there’s a highlights tour and the chance to arrange a personalised version.
The friend I was travelling with can’t eat dairy (well, it’s more complicated than that, but for simplicity this is what we told Iva) and is allergic to beer, so Iva whipped up a menu which would suit both of us.
I promised not to reveal all her secrets but we had traditional sausage, an incredible soup with chocolate in and got a taste of some local specialities, along with drinks.
We were introduced to a few places I’d never have stumbled across alone – as well as a tasting session where I’m sure you needed to know the owner (helpfully Iva seems to know half the city, or at least the foodie inhabitants).
There’s even a helpful handout with the Dos and Don’ts of eating and drinking in Ljubljana, a mini lesson in how to say ‘Cheers’ in Slovenian, plus tips on where we should have dinner another night.
We followed the advice and it was fantastic – while I won’t share all the tour’s secrets, this one I am going to give away. Druga Violina works with adults with Downs Syndrome and serves some fantastically warming dumplings.
Tours cost 105 Euros per person for three and a half hours, as well as some cheaper options based around beer or wine. You can also get in touch to personalise tours, which means it’s suitable for children (though better for older ones).
Guests can also get a Slovenian food e-guide from Ljubljanayum
The Communist history tour
I’d heard very good things about the free walking tour of Ljubljana – but after exploring on our own, plus the bike tour, I felt another general walk would be overkill.
Besides, I was really pleased to discover we would be in the city on the day the same company runs its Communist history tour.
Slovenia itself has existed for less than 35 years. As the native of a country with almost a thousand years of (reasonably) consistent history, I find this such a hard concept to get my head around.
My friend and I both remember Yugoslavia as a place with a reputation for cheap sunny holidays when we were growing up – and the horrors of the Balkan War which followed its collapse.
But while school history lessons covered the Cold War and countries behind the Iron Curtain, Yugoslavia never quite seemed to get the same treatment so I had large blanks in my knowledge.
These had partially been filled in by a trip to the City Museum which detailed the various empires and republics which had governed Slovenia, but our guide Tina was a mine of information – not least because she had first-hand tales of growing up in Yugoslavia, and with a father who had joined the Communist party as the only way to further his career.
The tour itself is themed rather than chronological, so takes you to some spots you might otherwise miss altogether, including stories of everyday life under Tito and how different it was (for Slovenes, at least) than the Iron Curtain.
Even locals might not know what lay behind one ordinary anonymous door: the cells of the secret police.
Because with only a quarter of a century of independence when we visited, Slovenia is very definitely a post-Communist country still – the events of that time cast long shadows and not everyone is keen to shine a light upon them.
This is also an option as a private tour but you can find cheaper scheduled options – we took ours on a Saturday afternoon in October but there are more running in high season, so worth checking directly.
And at 15 Euros per person, it’s an absolute bargain. If you do no other tours, this is definitely worth a few hours of your time.
*First published 2015, updated 2026*
PIN FOR LATER: THE TOP LJUBLJANA TOURS
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Ljubljana looks like such a beautiful city to visit and i love the sound of taking a bike tour to explore the sights and everything it has to offer. This is definitely my kind of destination x
It was a lovely way to see around – definitely a good way to get your bearings too.
A food walking tour sounds right up my street. Love the idea of strolling round and trying different food (and drink).
I’ve only done a couple so far but I think they’re fantastic, especially with kids – you get to explore, usually have more food than you can manage (and in snacky bits which is useful) and gives you a different side of the city often.
I think i would enjoy the food tasting tour best! Thats for sure! Nice pictures!
angela
It was a great tour, I loved that we could personalise it too. Thanks!
I went to Ljubljana about 7 years ago on a work project and loved it, such a beautiful little place to see and visit and so many things to do x
There really is a lot packed in to a fairly small capital, and so lovely to wander.
It looks beautiful. I would love a food walking tour! I wish we could have done a tour in Barcelona recently as we missed so much x
There is so much to see in Barcelona though – that would be a great place for a food walking tour too, I think. I find them such a fun way of nibbling my way around a new city.
It looks absolutely beautiful there, I’ve been to Bulgaria but not Slovenia. I’ve never heard of a food tour, my hubby would love it (and i’d be happy with the drinks!)
The ones I’ve done are great – a bit of wandering, a bit of chatting, a bit if background and lots of food. Bulgaria is somewhere I’ve never visited but sounds really interesting.
what a beautiful destination and another one to add to my list of places to visit. The communist tour would interest me as a sociology teacher.
It was so interesting – not just the tour, although that too, but hearing what life was really like and the ways they tried to live within the system.
I’d love to go, and I think the history tour sounds amazing my husband would love it. It’s definitely moving to the top of my list to go to!
It was absolutely fascinating – great for a weekend break (or longer!)
Ohhh Slovenia looks like a beautiful country! It sounds it, too. I like the idea of a cycle tour, what a good idea! Also being child friendly options is a necessity for me as I have three! I’d so love to visit here one day.
Lovely post and beautiful photos xx
It was a really fun way to see a bit more of the city and area – it is gorgeous there. You can request trailers and tagalongs (and presumably kids’ bikes though didn’t ask about that) so probably doable even with three… 🙂
Wow this is a total bargain a 10 euros. It looks a great city for a weekend and not one I would have thought of. Tasting menu looks fab too.
It really was – there were only four of us too so practically a personal tour too for under a tenner!
We really loved Ljubljana and were only there for an evening! We will definitely have to go back and do one of these tours, especially the food tours! The food was amazing in Ljubljana! #MondayEscapes
It’s great, isn’t it – definitely one to go back to for a bit longer!
I’m not a big fan of tours either, but I enjoyed the Free Walking tour around Zürich. I think it would be interesting taking the tour in Ljubljana – town I’ve visited so many times, but never really learn its less known (hi)stories. The Communist history tour seems like the tour I would enjoy! Thanks for sharing!
#MondayEscapes
There is so much to discover in Ljubljana I think but this is a great one that I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.
Beautiful photos! And your description of the food made my mouth water – the foodie tour is definitely going on my list for when/if I make it to Ljubljana! #MondayEscapes
Thanks! We ate SO well 🙂
The food tour sounds interesting and that’s probably my kind of organised tour that I wouldn’t mind joining. Sometimes when we are on our own, we might not know which is the best local food to taste, etc, so a food tour is a brilliant introduction. Thanks for sharing 🙂 #MondayEscapes
Definitely, and it’s lovely that you can personalise it – so it’s a really individual tour too, depending what you like most.
Slovenia is definitely on my wishlist. Surely I knew about the war in Yugoslavia (Greece is nearby after all) but I had no idea how these cities looked like! Thanks to the internet (and travel blogging) I got to see lovely photos from Ljubljana, Lake Bled and the other countries that used to make up Yugoslavia.
It’s so easy to get an image from the news and that gets stuck in your mind, I think – certainly that’s been true for me at times before visiting. Hope you get to Slovenia soon!
I can’t remember doing a walking tour but these sound like a great way to find out more about your destination. I must look into one during our next holiday. I really hope I can find a food tour!! #MondayEscapes
Definitely, I think they’re a lovely way to get your bearings and learn a bit more of the destination’s secrets at the same time – although I am a total convert to food tours where you get all that AND more food than you can guzzle. Mmmmmm
Seems like we have similar interests. I would love to do a food tour in every city I visit. I am a history freak, so, I would be interested in a history tour too.
I think so! History + food usually makes for a perfect trip for me. Ljubljana sounds perfect for you then.
I think you’ve just done a round up of my favourite kind of tours: food, biking and history! Oh how I want to go to ljublijana! I love how the food tour is themed around wine. YES! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes
This is basically my favourite way to see a city – lots of food, some cycling around to see the best bits and plenty of history for the geek inside. And wine, obviously! 🙂
I will try the food tour, atleast I will be fed on that one lol
It’s a really great one – you’ll be fed a lot!
One of the be st blog with great travelinformation
Thanks!
Hi! I am wanting to do the food tour, and I don’t want to have you give away the secrets of where they take people, but I am only in town 2 days and the food tour would be on my 2nd day, and I want to make sure I don’t accidentally eat any of the same places my first day. Like we plan to eat at Klobasarna which i suspect may be the sausage place you mentioned.. could you let me know? thank you!
It’s a little while since I’ve done the tour so I don’t know if they’ve changed any of the places (there was an element of tailoring it as well, as there were just two of us and a few allergies to work around) so I’d suggest contacting them and explaining. They were lovely and I’m sure they’d be happy to let you know about a specific place, or eg if you let them know the names of what you have in mind, about whether there are any clashes. Hope you have a great trip.