You can't visit Slovenia and NOT go to Lake Bled. But you don't have to get stuck in the tourist throngs.  

Our private guide grew up here and knows everyone in town. She'll take us to visit local artisans that are behind the scenes.  We'll also relax and try the famous Bled cream cake at the former mansion of the President of Yugoslavia, Tito Broz.

• CleverDever Exclusive: Visit the home of a woman who has captured the feel of the Yugoslavian countryside over the last 100 years, and snack on her handmade products.

Meals: B, L

Take in the unbelievable beauty of the Kranjska Gora region. With water so green you'll think it's a filter, you'll have the opportunity to hike along a gorge deep into the forest, where gorgeous waterfalls await. 

Today you'll be immersed in nature from breathtaking mountain views to icy streams you can wade through to wake up your circulation.

• CleverDever Exclusive: Feast at the home of locals. You'll get the opportunity to visit different families in small groups and feel like you're having a night in with friends.

Meals: B, D

Today you'll have the opportunity to revel in the "sweetest town in the world," Radovljica. 

Historically known for its gingerbread arts, this picture-perfect medieval village is obsessed with chocolate. It's also low-key home to one of the best restaurants in Slovenia where you'll have another opportunity to have your mind blown by the flavors and textures of this alpine country.

• CleverDever Exclusive: Learn how to make herbal remedies from mountain flowers, get a firsthand look into the daily lives of the people of the Carniola region, or take a hike into the serene forests.

Meals: B, L

Heading up into the "chicken beak" of Slovenia we'll visit several artisans and get a taste of the region's special dark green pumpkin oil at a local mill.

• CleverDever Exclusive: Lunch at an agri-tourism farmstead in the east of Slovenia

After lingering with Grega the potter to watch him handmake traditional baking dishes on his wheel, we'll collect ourselves and check into the old Roman city of Ptuj. 

You'll have a free night to wander the cobblestones, checking out bistros, cafes, live music, or wine tasting.

Meals: B, L

Learn about the pagan ritual of the Kurenti, a terrifying group that assemble every February to scare away winter. We'll go behind the scenes to one of their workshops and have the opportunity to see the costumes up close.

Enjoy more free time in the city to explore the castle, stroll the riverfront or take an old roman ruin tour.

Meals: B, D

We'll drive from the Austro-Hungarian side of the country clear down to Istria on the coast of the Adriatic. Good thing Slovenia's not that big! 

Our marvelous migration will be interspersed with stops in the Karst region. We'll grab some insta-shots at one of the most photogenic castles in a cave, and refresh ourselves at the home of a winemaking family that is now seven generations strong.

Meals: B, L

Part of Istria, Piran was once a part of the Republic of Venice. This medieval town is sandwiched between Italy and Croatia and shares a fair bit of cuisine with its neighbors.   

Today you'll have the chance to get out onto the Adriatic sea, visit working salt pans, and spend your free time climbing the church's hilltop clocktower, getting lost in the laneways, or hiking a seaside cliff.

• CleverDever Exclusive: Dinner is at a true farm-to-table kitchen. We'll take you on a culinary journey of Istria, a sea-faring peninsula filled with fish, olives, and pasta.

Meals: B, D

On the border of Italian wine country sits this terraced terroir, filled with vineyards and hilltop towns. 

We'll take time out to meander through another medieval village filled with artisans and a natural cosmetics shop that just this year was featured in Vanity Fair. 

• CleverDever Exclusive: Lunch in an abandoned village with a family affair making everything from the wine to the desserts.

Meals: B, L