Ljubljana Walking Tours and Walks Across Slovenia

Walking Tours in Ljubljana

Ljubljana’s old town is small and mostly car-free, so it’s easy to cover on foot. Most walking tours in Ljubljana start in the center and stay close to the river.

A classic group walk takes about two hours. It covers Prešeren Square, the Triple Bridge, the Dragon Bridge and Plečnik’s market, and ends with a taste of local schnapps. Another group walk runs about 2.5 hours with a local guide. And one city walk adds a visit to Ljubljana Castle, on the hill above the old town.

If you want to see more of the city than the old town, browse the full list of Ljubljana tours.

Private Walking Tours

Several Ljubljana walks are private, so it’s only you and your group with the guide. You set the pace, stop where you want and ask as many questions as you like. One private city tour runs about four hours, which leaves time to go beyond the main squares.

Private walks work well for families with kids, slow walkers, or travelers with a special interest they want the guide to focus on. Piran has a private old town walk too. For more options around the country, see these private tours in Slovenia.

Food and Wine Walking Tours

Food walks combine sightseeing with tastings. In Ljubljana, they usually start at the Central Market and move through Stari trg and Mestni trg, with stops at small shops and restaurants. Depending on the tour, you’ll try things like burek, cured meats, pumpkin seed oil, truffles, goulash with štruklji, and Slovenian wine.

• About 3 hours: 7 tastings and 4 Slovenian wines
• About 3.5 hours: 9 or 10 tastings with local wine, ending near the castle on one of the routes
• Small group of up to 7 people: food, wine and beer with a guide who explains the dishes

A pub crawl in Ljubljana is the pick if you want bars rather than food. If eating is your main goal, compare more options for a Ljubljana food tour.

Walking Tours in Piran and Near Koper

Piran is a small old town on the coast, with narrow streets that are best seen on foot. A two-hour walk goes through the old town and up to the St. George viewpoint, then ends with local wine and food on First of May Square. There’s also a half-day gourmet walk in a small group. More things to do in town are on the Piran tours page.

Near Koper, two tours mix walking with food. One is a truffle hunt in Istria, followed by cooking and a tasting. The other is a day with fish, wine and olive oil tasting, and it offers pickup from the port, which helps if you arrive on a cruise ship.

Day Trips With Walks in Nature

Some tours in this category leave the city. You travel between stops by vehicle and walk at each one.

• Triglav National Park and the Soča Valley, from Bled or Ljubljana: Peričnik waterfall, Zelenci, Lago del Predil, Bovec, the Soča Gorge, Vršič Pass and Lake Jasna
• Bled, Kranjska Gora, Planica and Peričnik waterfall, from Ljubljana
• Triglav National Park from Bled, a seasonal tour
• Maribor and Ptuj, a private trip from Ljubljana: the oldest vine in the world in Maribor, a wine tasting on the Jeruzalem wine road, and Ptuj with its castle

In Bled, there’s also a family outing to the Enchanted Forest theme park, made with kids in mind. For more full-day options, see the day tours from Ljubljana. And if you want longer walks with more climbing, look at hiking tours in Slovenia instead.

How to Choose a Walking Tour

• First time in Ljubljana: a group old town walk of two to three hours shows you the main sights and helps you find your way around.
• You want flexibility: a private tour lets you change the route and the pace.
• You travel for food: a food walk covers sightseeing and a meal’s worth of tastings in one go.
• You’re staying on the coast: the Piran walks are short and end with a tasting.
• You want nature: pick a day trip to the Julian Alps, where you walk at each stop.

Practical Tips

When to go

Most of these tours run all year. A few are seasonal, including one private old town walk in Ljubljana and the Triglav tour from Bled, so they don’t run every month. Spring and early autumn are comfortable for walking. In summer, a morning start helps you avoid the midday heat.

What to bring

• Shoes with good grip, since old town streets are cobbled and get slippery when wet
• Layers and a rain jacket, especially for the mountains, where the weather changes fast
• Water, especially in summer
• For food walks: come hungry, and tell the guide about any diet needs before you start

How much walking to expect

City walks in Ljubljana and Piran are mostly on flat streets with plenty of stops. Expect a climb if the route goes up to Ljubljana Castle or the viewpoint in Piran. On day trips, the walks at each stop are short, on paths and trails.

Frequently Asked Questions