Alps to Adriatic

We want you to have the best experience in Slovenia, so it’s important to be sure that this is the perfect MTB tour, with the right level of challenge, for you.

You’re an experienced mountain biker, riding at least twice a week through the season and comfortable on: long climbs on doubletrack; technical singletrack descents with switchbacks; rooty, off-camber forested singletrack; and some rocky terrain. Read more on our intermediate+ skill level.

Does this sound like you? Your vacation time is precious and we want to be absolutely sure that you’re making the most of it, by finding the perfect adventure for you. Be honest with yourself, if this adventure isn’t right for you, we have other tours that may well be a better fit for your mountain biking experience and ability.

Please note: The skill level required reflects an overall rating for the trails on the trip but you should expect to find sections and obstacles that push your ability levels.

Skill level: Intermediate+

• You are generally comfortable riding most types of terrain in different conditions: singletrack, double track, muddy, dry, loose, bedrock…
• You can brake, use gears and corner instinctively
• You’ll have a go on moderate technical features, such as small rock gardens, small drops and steeper sections, but may get off and walk certain technical features
• You mountain bike two or three times a week throughout your biking season
• And the ‘+’ part of ‘Intermediate+’ means that you will be aiming to ride more of those moderate technical features

Fitness level:

• You have a good level of bike fitness, exercising at least three times every week throughout the year, for an hour at a time
• You can ride a mountain bike for up to six hours a day at a moderate pace, with snack and photo stops, for three or more consecutive days
• You can tackle two or three fairly significant climbs a day, up to 600 metres each

Typical trails you’ll be riding 

• Double track: undulating and sometimes steep forest roads made up of hard-packed dirt and loose tracks with golf ball- to fist-sized rocks
• Singletrack: natural rustic singletrack, at times loose, with up to head-sized fixed rocks, roots, cobbled rock sections, and mainly through forests
• Tight switchbacks are also fairly characteristic of mountain biking in Slovenia
• Trail surfaces may be dry dirt tracks or muddy, depending on the weather, and you will encounter river crossings

Training for your Alps to Adriatic MTB adventure in Slovenia

To get the most out of your mountain bike tour in Slovenia you should plan plenty of training in advance of your tour.

The ideal bike for the Slovenian trails is a good quality full-suspension mountain bike with 29” or 27.5” wheels, dropper seat post, and 130mm -150mm of travel front and rear. Ideal tyres for Slovenia are…

If you are thinking of travelling with your own bike, we have some handy tips on how to do this. When travelling with your own bike, you must ensure that it has been properly serviced before the trip.

If you would prefer not to travel with your bike, we can arrange rental of a high quality full suspension mountain bike for the duration of your mountain bike tour in Slovenia.

We have a fleet of Pivot Switchblade 29″ full suspension mountain bikes available to rent in Slovenia.

We only run small group mountain bike tours to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, and we can take a maximum of 10 riders in each group. The minimum number of people we require to run this mountain bike tour in Slovenia is four.

Our mountain bike tour in Slovenia caters for a wide age range; typically between 30- and 60-years-old. Regardless of age, you must have the appropriate level of physical fitness and mountain biking skills to participate in this adventure. Please refer to clause 14 of our terms and conditions of booking to find more information on rider age.

This European mountain bike tour Slovenia, Austria and Italy is a guided mountain biking holiday, ideal for intermediate+ mountain bikers.

Riding here, in the Julian Alps and on the Adriatic coast, you’ll experience some challenging climbs and descents, as well as some lovely flowing singletrack.

The distances we cover each day range from 20km to 60km, in accordance with the altitude and height gain/ loss on each stage. We will gain height gradually over the course of the trip to ensure that your body becomes accustomed to the increased altitude.

Each evening your guides will chat with you about the following day’s mountain biking and give you an idea of the sorts of trails you can look forward to. If there’s anything you feel anxious about, your guides will be happy to discuss it with you.

No, you only need to carry a 16-litre back pack with you whilst riding. We have your large kit bags transferred to your next accommodation as required, and have it ready and waiting for your arrival.

Your guide will be very happy to give you some bike skills help during your trip to help improve your confidence and your enjoyment of your mountain bike adventure in Slovenia. If there is a section that you would prefer not to ride, then you can simply hop off your bike and walk.

You won’t be the only one to walk certain sections and it’s not a competition in biking ability; it’s a mountain bike holiday!

Your mountain bike guides are local to Slovenia and experienced professionals who have a real passion for mountain biking and for the culture and landscape of Slovenia.

Your safety is their number one priority, closely followed by your enjoyment of your adventure. They will always be on-hand to answer any questions or requests you may have throughout your trip.

On this mountain bike tour Slovenia you will be staying in a range of comfortable, welcoming local accommodations, including traditional mountain guest houses, small hotels and a boutique hotel with its own vineyard!

Breakfast is included each day, and lunch and dinner will be at your own expense. You should budget around 70€ per day for meals and snacks.

A good quality full suspension mountain bike with 130mm – 150mm travel front and rear will be ideal for this mountain bike tour Slovenia.

The terrain you will be riding is rough in places and you will feel more comfortable on a full suspension bike for the duration of the trip. To avoid punctures we recommend that you bring tubeless tyres or tyres with thicker walls and extra thick inner tubes.

Read the full kit list to find out what you need to pack for your European mountain bike tour in Slovenia.

Yes, there are laundry facilities at your accommodations.

Unfortunately not. We are working hard to provide each and every customer who rides with us an unparalleled mountain bike experience in every destination we ride. This takes years of experience, riding and planning to get right, and a drone adds a very real danger to the group’s riding experience and health & safety.

Ljubljana airport is easily accessible from many destinations within Europe, including major hub airports such as London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Frankfurt. Low-cost airlines such as Easyjet and Wizz Air also fly direct from London Luton and Stansted, which are accessible by train from Heathrow.

Other nearby airports to Slovenia include: Venice Marco Polo, Zagreb or Trieste, from which there are good public transport links by train, road and boat.

Visas

It is your responsibility to find out the visa and passport requirements to enter Slovenia from your country.

For information on visa requirements from your home country, and applying for a visa, visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Slovenia.

Arrival and departure details

This mountain bike tour Slovenia starts and finishes at Ljubljana airport, in the capital city of Slovenia.

Ideally, you should arrive in Ljubljana a day or two before the tour start date to allow for any travel delays, and we have created this handy guide to spending 24 hours in Ljubljana before the start of your Slovenia adventure.

Your guide will meet you at B&B Slamic on the first morning of your e-mountain bike tour in Slovenia.

On your departure day you will be returned to Ljubljana airport by 12 noon to catch your homeward flight. If you have a much earlier flight we can arrange a separate transfer for you, but this will be at additional expense.

Our local mountain bike guides in Slovenia are of the very highest standard. They are qualified in first-aid, and have the knowledge and experience to lead a group safely in these very remote, wild and unpredictable parts of Slovenia, Austria and Italy.

Our guides have years of experience in the saddle on the Slovenian, Austrian and Italian trails and will be able to enhance your holiday with facts and fables on local history, flora and fauna. They’re also genuinely nice people and will do their best to make sure that everyone in the group has a great time.

You’ll experience a wonderful mix of accommodation in Slovenia; from traditional alpine lodges, to a gorgeous Venetian hotel on the Adriatic coast, and a four-star boutique hotel overlooking vineyards.

We have researched these areas extensively to select the most comfortable accommodation in the region, and we have planned the itinerary accordingly. You’ll be spoiled with a wide array of delicious local dishes from Slovenia, Austria and Italy, and some fine wines and craft ales. Plenty of reward for your big days on the bike!

Whilst lunches and dinners are not included in the tour price, we will eat together as a group every evening. On three nights you will have a set menu at our favourite restaurants in Bohinj and Brda, where you’ll enjoy fabulous, foodie experiences.

We suggest budgeting around 75€ per day for lunches and dinners (excluding alcohol), with certain dishes, for example fresh fish in Piran, costing slightly more.

No specific vaccinations are needed to enter Slovenia.

Healthcare is very well spread across Slovenia. Practically every Slovenian town has a health centre, and villages have individual clinics.

It is wise to carry basic medicines such as paracetamol or aspirin for fever and pain and Pepto-Bismol for stomach upset.

You should always consult your own doctor or physician before travelling to new countries to seek their advice on matters concerning your health abroad.

Your health and safety on tour is our top priority and when you travel with us you will be covered by Global Rescue emergency medical and evacuation services.

The official currency of Slovenia is the Euro EUR and is the only currency that will be accepted. ATM machines are available in most towns.

Tipping

It is not compulsory to tip your guides or drivers in Slovenia, but if you feel that you have had a tremendous experience on your E-MTB adventure in Slovenia, you can tip at your discretion; as a rough guide, around 5% of your tour price for your guiding team.

It is not compulsory to tip in restaurants, however should you wish to tip your servers, 10% of your meal cost would be acceptable.

You are required as a condition of booking to be insured against medical and personal accident risks. In this policy you must include cover for mountain biking and we recommend that you take out a policy which covers cancellation and baggage, including your bike.

We work with Global Rescue whose policies are specially designed for adventure travel and you can arrange your insurance cover directly with them.