Slovenia Bikepacking Expedition 2024
Special Offer - Reserve local bike hire with your booking for £30. Offer available on new bookings until 16th May.
We loved our 2023 pilot expedition so much, we’re coming back again. Twice!
Over 7 days, we’ll be bikepacking through some of this gorgeous country’s most iconic spots on a specially curated mixed terrain route. We’ll be riding around the the infamous Lake Bled to the turquoise waters of the River Soca, via the country’s highest mountain pass -Vršič Pass, and into the shadows of the distinctive limestone karst peaks of the Juliana Alps around Lake Bohinj.
Carrying the basics we need for the week on our bikes, we’ll be hopping between hostels and traditional mountain huts on and off the gorgeous Juliana Bike Trail, a highlight of the Slovenia MTB Route. We’ve sprinkled in our own detours and options that keep the trip accessible to range of gravel riding abilities, and take in some of our favourite spots in the area. Expect to spend about half your time on on gravel and half on quiet scenic roads and cyleways that twist and turn through the landscape.
Most days will have two ride length options to choose from with a SITW guide out on each. You’ll be free to ride however you choose - in a group, with one of our guides, or at your own pace. However you ride, we’ll all be back together in the evenings for group dinners, campfires, lakeside sunsets and sprinkle of Sisters in the Wild magic. It’s gonna to be a blast.
Price: £895
(dorm room basis)
Book your spot by placing a £300 non-refundable deposit through Ticket Tailor. Remaining balance of £595 due 60 days before via bank transfer.
Single/Twin upgrade available for some nights at £30pppn, subject to availability. Email us for details.
Alternative date: 29 June - 5th July date here
What’s included?
Sisters in the Wild hosts and guides
Gravel camp will be hosted by three of our British Cycling and First Aid qualified Sisters in the Wild guides who between them have a tonne of experience of riding, travelling, living and working in Slovenia. They’re also pros in creating a supportive space for people to build community, skills and confidence in a fun and friendly atmosphere. They’re pretty handy with mechanicals too!
Accommodation
6 nights simple accommodation included
5 nights hostel (mix of private dormitory & private twin/triple rooms)
1 nights mountain hut (dormitory)
Food
Breakfast: Breakfast included everyday
Dinners: Four dinners included. On our last night we’ll book a local restaurant for us all to eat together, but we’ll pay individually. One night at Tolmin, you’ll be free to do whatever you feel like.
Lunch/snacks: Not included. We’ll make sure you know where you can pick up food on the ride.
Access to our gear library
Ortlieb bikepacking bag loan if you need it
Hammerhead navigation device loan if you need it
Ride Routes
Each participant will be provided with a specially curated collection of routes and route briefings via Komoot, and a free map bundle to access/navigate them. There will be two ride options on most days (5 out of 7) and riders are free to ride the routes at their own pace or with the guide and group.
Key things not included:
A bike, helmet, and tools to fix it
Lunches and snacks
Transport to and from our start hostel
Travel & public liability insurance (mandatory)
Itinerary
Here’s what you can expect over our 7 days. Daily ride stats are approximate - we’ll share the full detailed route options closer to the time.
Day 1 - Saturday 22nd June
Meet at our hostel in Lesce (1A Adventure Hostel, Lesce) from 2pm, and get your bike ready for an evening shakedown ride. We’ll meet at around 3pm, and after introductions, we’ll ride as a group on a 20km-ish loop from the hostel, getting our bodies into the groove and making sure our bikes are all set for the adventure ahead.
Back at the hostel, we’ll share dinner and talk more about the week and what’s ahead.
For anyone arriving on the late Saturday evening flights from London, check in at the hostel when you arrive and we’ll meet you at breakfast!
Breakfast: Not included
Ride options: 20km (everyone). 70% gravel.
Accommodation: Hostel (private dormitory). Adventure 1A Hostel, Lesce
Dinner: Included. At hostel or local restaurant.
Day 2 - Sunday 23rd June
Today we load up our bikes to take on the trail! We’re heading towards a traditional Slovenian mountain hut in the hills before Kranska Gora. Today there’ll be two route options to choose from of varying lengths and terrain. We’ll pass by Lake Bled, picking up supplies for lunch, before heading into the foreseted hills and climbing to our home for the night.
Breakfast: Included, hostel breakfast
Ride options: 50km/900m or 70km/1400m. 60% gravel.
Accommodation: Mountain Hut (Dormitory)
Dinner: Included. Mountain Hut.
Day 3 - Monday 24th June
After breakfast at our hut, we’re on the road bound for our high point for the week - 1611m Vrsic Pass, the highest pass in Slovenia. It’s one route for everybody today, and for some it’ll feel like a big one! But with an early start and a steady gradient you can find your pace. Choose to take the tarmac or gravel way up the pass, and at the top you’ll be rewarded with a chance to grab a mountain hut lunch. We’ll follow the river for miles (with chances for a dip) before arriving to the town of Bovec for our night in a hostel in the fun river town.
Breakfast: Included, mountain hut breakfast
Route Option: 70km/1700m climbing (everyone). Approx 25% gravel, 25% cyclepath, 50% road.
Accommodation: Mountain Hut (Dormitory)
Dinner: Pizza night! We’ll grab takeaway pizzas from our favourite local restaurant and have a pizza fest at our fun hostel. The bar will be open :)
Day 4 - Tuesday 25th June
We’re back to two riding options today, with a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED chance to squeeze in a white water rafting trip on the iconic Soca River before our ride, or to take an easy morning relaxing in Bovec. Our shorter route will set off after lunch, following the river for much of the day, following gravel tracks and skirting the villages of scenic Bovec and Kobarid. The mountains and river always feel close by. Our destination tonight is a lovely small hostel in the town of Tolmin, a fun place to go hit up a local bar and celebrate your ride!
If you’re still craving climbs and enjoy some technical descending, our longer route will take you up to the or a more explorative route through the hills up to the wild feeling Mt Stol
Breakfast: Included
Route Option: 50km/650m climbing, or 70km/1700m climbing (approx 50% gravel/50% road)
Accommodation: Hostel (private dormitory)
Dinner: Not included. You choose! Cook al fresco at hostel, or hit up a local restaurant. We’ll share some recommndations.
Day 5 - Wednesday 26th June
Today we head to the iconic Lake Bohinj! There’s a lot of miles and climbing ahead, but with the chance to hop on a local train to cut out distance and climbing, there’s options for everyone, and hell of a downhill reward!
Our hostel tonight is right on the lake - it’s a bit of a 70’s throwback but there’s no better location or view from our dining room. From bed to lake time in under 2 minutes? Winner.
Breakfast: Included
Route Option: Today is mostly tarmac, with some fun gravel and cycle path sections. Ride all the way 72km/2200m climbing. But there are options to skip distance by taking a local train today, or skip elevation with a more direct road route. See how you feel!
Accommodation: Hostel (private dormitory)
Dinner: Included (at hostel)
Day 6 - Thursday 27th June
We pack up for the final time and head back to our starting hostel in Lesce, with plenty of miles in our legs and stories to tell. The shorter ride is stunning, using a brand new cycle path that follows the river most of the way to Lake Bled. Our long route will take us high into the Potluca plains on a beautiful gravel climb. The scenery opens up as we ride through shepherds villages that feel centuries old. It’s a fun descent back down to Lake Bled, where we join with the shorter route for a last swim and ride back to the hostel.
Back at the hostel, we’ll have time to relax and pack up bikes before a final dinner together at a local restaurant. Hoorah! We made it.
Breakfast: Included, hostel breakfast
Route Option: 40km/440m (40% gravel) climbing or 70km/1500m (60% gravel)
Accommodation: Hostel (dormitory). Adventure 1A Hostel, Lesce.
Dinner: Not Included. We’ll book a local restaurant for a last nights dinner together, pay for what you eat.
Day 7 - Friday 28th June
One last breakfast together at the hostel and we’ll say goodbye! Taxis for the airport can be arranged with the hostel, or take a trip into Ljubliana. There’s an easy bus from the hostel.
Breakfast: Included, hostel breakfast
Route Option: No riding today.
Accommodation: Not included
Dinner: Not included.
FAQ
Payment & Cancellation Terms
You can secure your spot by paying a non-refundable £300 deposit via Ticket Tailor. We’ll then ask for the remaining balance to be paid 60 days before the trip by bank transfer. Cancellation between 60 days and 28 days, you’ll get 50% back. Cancellation within 28 days is non-refundable, but you can transfer your booking to another person should you find one. View the full booking terms and conditions here.
What’s the riding like
This is a mixed terrain route that overall is about 50% off-road on the longer route option, with a little more tarmac overall on the shorter route options.
Expect everything from super smooth tarmac roads, separated cycleways, smooth gravel tracks, singletrack and some short parts of steeper/more technical riding. We fully embrace walking parts of the route that feel a little out of your comfort zone! We can be straight with you about which route we think might suite you better.
There’s no escaping the hills that make this part of this world so beautiful! Both route options will involve a significant amount of climbing, though we try to minimise it on the shorter route.
Ride support approach
There will be a SITW guide out on each of the ride options, who will be moving back and forth amongst the group, and a support vehicle. Our guides are qualified first aiders and experienced mechanics and can help troubleshoot issues on the trail. However, riders should be self sufficient on the rides equipped with their own navigation.
The support vehicle and support host is primarily around to support logistics, and is not intended to be used for shuttling people unless in case of issue or emergency. Our team will help troubleshoot any bike and body issues you encounter on the trail, and help make sure you and your bike get to where you need to be. This might involve public transport or taxis, which will be at your own cost.
Experience/fitness required:
In order to make the most of the riding on offer, we’d suggest that you are comfortable riding 40+ miles in a day in reasonably hilly terrain. Most days we will have ride options that are much less than this, but there is one 70km day with 1600m that will need to be ridden by everyone. There is no pressure to ride fast! Days are long, and you are free to start as early as you want. A little bit of prior experience of riding off road is recommended.
Feel free to drop us an email if you have any questions on this.
Bikes/Bike Hire
A suitable off-road bike is required for this trip, and is not included. We recommend wither a gravel bike with 38mm+ tyres or hardtail MTB which must be in a good state of repair (a pre-trip basic service is highly recommended to avoid encountering any surprises on the ride!).
Life Adventures have a range of Hardtail MTB and Gravel Bikes available to rent, and are not far from our start/end hostel.
https://www.lifeadventures.si/trips/rent-a-bike/
**If you have opted to add bike hire to your booking with us, the bike will be a Hardtail MTB.
Packing list
You’ll need to carry everything you need for the week on your bike. We’ll send a full kit list out a couple of months before, and help you to get ruthless with your packing on the trip! The the key things are:
Bikepacking bags (available to loan - add when booking)
Navigation device (available to loan - add when booking)
Bike lights & headtorch
Waterproof jacket
Waterproof trousers (optional)
Clothes to cycle in
Clothes for evening
Swimming stuff
Lightweight towel
Bike
Helmet
Spares and tools for your bike
Cup/spork/bowl.
Flights
Direct flights from the UK to Ljubliana (EasyJet, BA, Wizz Air) are currently limited to Lodon departures. EasyJet fly on Friday and Sunday. WizzAir fly Saturday morning and BA fly Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Brussels Air have just started flights from Manchester with a connection in Brussels.
Other useful airports are Zagreb (Croatia- Ryanair flights from Manchester, and 3hr Flixbus from Zagreb to Ljubliana), Trieste, Venice Treviso. Rome2Rio is a good website for looking into bus transfers.
Travelling with your bike
Check your airlines bike carriage policy. Some airlines will allow them as part of their checked in baggage allowance, Most require a bike to be added as a specific piece of Sports Luggage, but often you get a higher weight allowance. Usually costs in the region of £40 -£50.
Getting to our starting hostel
Our starting hostel is 20 miles from Ljubljana airport, in the opposite direction to the city. Taxi is the easiest option and should cost around 40 euro at the airport, or you can call the hostel and book a transfer with them directly. You can also take a bus/taxi to Kranj, and change for a bus to Lesce. Some luggage space is available on buses. Again, Rome2Rio is a good checker. We’ll set an optional whatsapp group up for people to share travel plans.
Can I stay at our start hostel on the Saturday night before our trip?
Yes, you can book directly with the hostel. We recommend doing this soon as summer fills up quickly.
Dietary Requirements
We will try our best to accommodate dietary restrictions for meals that we prepare, and will pass on to the mountain huts for meals they prepare. Unfortunately it may not always be possible for them to accomodate due to their limited ingredients and menus. We’ll try to work with you to find solutions. Please let us know any dietary requirements at time of booking.
Insurance
It is mandatory that you get personal travel/health insurance for this trip, that includes off road cycling as an allowable activity. You must also have 3rd party liability cycling insurance. For the later, which we recommend getting as part of Cycling UK’s membership.
Storing bike boxes
Bike boxes/bags can be left at the start of the trip, and we will meet them again at the end!
Can I arrive late?
Yes! Saturday will be a short loop ride and dinner. Feel free to miss these and meet us for breakfast on Sunday morning. You’ll need to be ready to ride by 9am.
Lunch and snacks
Whilst these are not included, we’ll make sure we point out where you can pick up lunch and snacks each day.