Verdant Vipava Valley

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 ride your mountain bike on average once per week, and would be comfortable riding a variety of trails including: rooty singletrack through forests; gravel double track climbs; steep, flowing descents; occasional rocky trails. 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 have been mountain biking regularly for at least two years
• You can brake, use gears and corner with confidence
• You have good bike handling skills, and are confident riding rough double track and non-technical singletrack
• You are competent at riding undulating trails with moderate climbs and descents on both double and singletrack, but tend to get off and walk technical singletrack sections
• You mountain bike approximately once a week throughout your biking season

Fitness level: 4/7

• You have a reasonable level of mountain bike fitness, exercising at least twice a week for one hour or more, throughout the whole year
• You can ride a mountain bike for up to five hours per day at a moderate pace, with snack and photo stops, for three consecutive days
• You are capable of tackling one or two moderate mountain bike climbs per day, of up to 400 metres each

Typical trails you’ll be riding

• Double track: undulating forest tracks made up of hard-packed dirt and gravel
• Singletrack: rooty singletrack through pine forests; open, flowing singletrack across plateaux; singletrack climbs and descents
• The trails in the Vipava Valley are largely old hunting paths, with some purpose-built mountain bike trails. The trails are mostly forested, and can be dry or wet, depending on time of year

Training for your Vipava Valley MTB + Wine Tour in Slovenia

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

The ideal bike for the trails in the Vipava Valley of Slovenia is a good quality full-suspension mountain bike with 29” or 27.5” wheels, dropper seat post, and 120mm -140mm of travel front and rear. Ideal tyres for Slovenia are…

If you haven’t travelled with your own bike before, 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″ mountain bikes available to rent for your Vipava Valley adventure.

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 the Vipava Valley of 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 mountain bike and wine tour in Slovenia is a guided mountain biking holiday, ideal for intermediate mountain bikers.

Riding here, in the Vipava Valley of Slovenia, you’ll experience some doubletrack climbs and singletrack descents through forests and vineyards.

The distances we cover each day range from 10km to 40km, in accordance with the altitude and height gain/ loss on each stage.

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 day 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 in the Vipava Valley of Slovenia you’ll spend two nights in charming ‘glamping’ cabins set amongst forest and vineyards, then the final night at a small hotel in Ljubljana.

Breakfast is included each day, and lunch and dinner will be at your own expense. You should budget around 65€ per day for meals and snacks

A good quality full suspension mountain bike with 120mm – 140mm 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 mountain bike and wine 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

Riders from EU member states, Switzerland, USA and Canada do not require a visa to enter Slovenia for less than 90 days. 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.

All travellers should consult the relevant government website to satisfy themselves of their requirements for entering and leaving Slovenia.

Arrival and departure details

This mountain bike and wine 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 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.

We aim to use the best, locally-run accommodation in each country, and that which is traditional to that specific area, whether it be city or mountain.

This ‘Espresso Adventure’ MTB + Wine Tour in Slovenia is no exception. You’ll spend two nights in charming ‘glamping’ cabins set amongst forest and vineyards, then the final night at a small hotel in Ljubljana.

Food and drink are a huge part of this tour, and nowhere is better placed for a foodie adventure than the Vipava Valley. You’ll sample traditional and modern dishes made from the freshest, locally-sourced ingredients, and you’ll taste the finest organic wines courtesy of the producer in their wineries.

Whilst lunches and dinners are not included in the tour price, we will eat together as a group every evening. You will have a set menu on two of the three nights, at our favourite restaurants in the Vipava Valley, where you’ll enjoy fabulous, foodie experiences. In Ljubljana you’ll eat à la carte at another superb local restaurant.

We suggest budgeting around 75€ per day for lunches and dinners (excluding alcohol).

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. Every Slovenian town and village is served by emergency medical assistance, by helicopter if necessary.

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 MTB + wine 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.