National Park Ring MTB

Itinerary

Day 1: ARRIVAL IN LAKE BLED

First stop Bled, a world-famous town on the shore of a beautiful glacial lake. With its distinctive island church surrounded by towering alpine mountains and the clifftop castle standing guard over the town, Bled is one of Slovenia’s most popular tourist attractions.

Day 2: BLED–BOHINJ (↔ 42 km, ↑ 870 m, ↓ 820 m)

From the high plateau at Pokljuka, you can marvel at the alpine views as you glide down into the neighboring Bohinj Valley with the Julian Alps as your backdrop. Upon reaching Lake Bohinj, the largest and deepest in the Triglav National Park, you can spend the rest of the day seeing sights such as Savica Waterfall and the best view of Mount Triglav from Vogel mountain.

Day 3: BOHINJ–TOLMIN (↔ 56 km; or 35 km if taking train to Podbrdo, ↑ 1.220 m, ↓ 1.560 m)

Today you ride off into the heart of the Julian Alps through a narrow, almost canyon-like, valley and join the beautiful emerald-green Soča River as it rushes out of the mountains and into the western valley. Weather permitting, you can take a swim at the confluence of the Soča and Idrijca Rivers.

Day 4: TOLMIN–BOVEC (↔ 46 km, ↑ 810 m, ↓ 550 m)

Today you continue along the mighty Soča River as it roars its way down from the Julian Alps. As you cycle along this crystal clear alpine river, you will pass through the area that saw some of the fiercest fighting during WW1, immortalised in Hemmingway's novel: A Farewell to Arms. Visit Boka Waterfall: at 106 m high and 30 m wide, this is a spectacle not to be missed.

Day 5: BOVEC (a rest day or 17,6 km)

Enjoy a free day in Bovec – the adrenaline capital of Slovenia. So many opportunities - hard to make a choice! One option is to take a white water rafting trip down the Soča river, or a circular cycling trip to a viewpoint above the river. If you like to fly, try one of the tandem paragliding trips.

Day 6: BOVEC–KRANJSKA GORA (↔ 45 km, ↑ 1.340 m, ↓ 970 m)

As the sun illuminates the eastern sky, you will be heading on the bike towards it into the tranquillity of the Upper Soča Valley of Trenta, and then twisting your way around 50 hairpin bends as you cross over the high mountain pass of Vršic (1611 m above sea level - altitude gain 1100 m / 3600 ft) 

Day 7: KRANJSKA GORA – BLED (↔ 38 km, ↑ 340 m, ↓ 670 m)

After your challenging climb of the mountain pass on day six, day seven takes you across more relaxing terrain along the Radovna River as it meanders its way through a wilderness valley between two plateaus. As you exit the valley and head back to Bled, stop at the 1.6 km Vintgar gorge and take a stroll alongside the rapids as they cut their way through the hills.

Day 8: DEPARTURE

After breakfast your tour ends. However, you can prolong your stay and continue cycling taking one of the tours: Best Of Slovenia, Lakes & Cities Short Tour, Pearls Of Slovenia.

Price

Price per person based on two people sharing:

Low season: May 18 to June 7 and September 21 to October 12, 2024: 1.025 EUR
High season: June 8 to September 20, 2024: 1.090 EUR

(Currency converter)

Price includes:
•    seven nights accommodation in in hotels 3*/4* and country guesthouse in a two-bed room with WC and shower, on a bed & breakfast basis
•    luggage transfer – one piece, max 23 kgs / 50 lb. Lufthansa dimensions Every additional item 60 EUR per trip, payable on the spot
•    tour description and maps in GUIBO application electronic form
•    welcome meeting and bike handover
•    local tourist and other taxes
•    backup service (hotline) during the trip

Optional extras:
•    single traveler 295 EUR - applies when a person travels alone
•    single room 195 EUR - applies when a person travels with a group
•    bike rental 150 EUR. Mountain bikes are equipped with 24 gears. One pannier per bike. One lock, one spare inner tube, one set of Allen keys and a basic puncture repair kit per couple/pair of bikes. Every additional day: 30 EUR per bike. Bike rental period starts at 9:00 on day 2 of the tour and ends at 18:00 on day 7. Helmet included.
•    electric MTB bike rental 300 EUR
•   printed information package including route notes and corresponding maps delivered upon arrival - 30 EUR per set

Additional nights:
•   4* Hotel in Bled 130 EUR per person per night in a standard double room, B&B. Single room 170 EUR
•   4* Hotel in Bohinj 115 EUR per person per night in a standard double room, B&B. Single room 165 EUR
•   4* Hotel in Kranjska Gora 85 EUR per person per night in a standard double room, B&B. Single room 155 EUR

Discounts:
•   children up to 12 years when sharing room with parents 30% discount on basic price
•   third adult in the room 10% discount on basic price

Not included: optional train ticket on day 3 if you would like to shorten the day trip. Entrance fees, lunches, dinners, drinks with meals, saunas and massages in hotels

Transfers:

Ljubljana Airport to Bled
1–3 persons: 80 EUR
4–8 persons: 110 EUR

Ljubljana City to Bled
1–3 persons: 110 EUR
4–8 persons: 150 EUR

Villach to Bled
1–3 persons: 160 EUR
4–8 persons: 180 EUR

Klagenfurt Airport to Bled
1–3 persons: 200 EUR
4–8 persons: 230 EUR

Lesce Bled Railway Station to Bled
1–3 persons: 20 EUR
4–8 persons: 30 EUR

Trieste Airport to Bled
1–3 persons: 340 EUR
4–8 persons: 390 EUR

All prices per transfer, one way. No pooling permitted. Price includes transport of bikes.

Route profile

Total Length: 227 km (244,6 km)

Waytype:single track and paths 10%, cycleway 10%, street (town approach sections) and country road 80%

Surface: natural, unpaved and gravel 10%, hard tarmac 10%, asphalt 80 %

Difficulty: 3/4 Sportive - For riders who go on longer day tours at home, cycle to the neighboring town and have a solid physical condition. The terrain can be hilly and even if there are several ascents between the stage towns. Average daily elevation gains exceed 1.000 meters.

Accommodation

Helia supports responsible travel. On our trips we therefore use small, authentic hotels and guesthouses with character operated by locals or their families. Here you can find the list of standard accommodation we primarily use on the trip. The actual hotels may differ from this list, depending on time of booking and rooms availability.

Day 1: 4* Hotel Park, Savica or Triglav in Bled

Day 2: 4* Eco Hotel in Bohinjska Bistrica

Day 3: 3* Hotel Dvorec Tolmin

Day 4-5: 4* Hotel Mangart in Bovec

Day 6: 3* or 4* Hotel Miklič or Kompas in Kranjska Gora

Day 7: 4* Hotel Park, Savica or Triglav in Bled

Travel options

Starting point of this trip is Bled in NW Slovenia.

Getting there...

By plane: closest airport is Ljubljana (LJU). Several airlines serve it. From the airport, you can travel to Bled by bus (change once, takes about 2 hrs) or book our transfer (faster - 20 min): Ljubljana Airport to Bled or vice versa 30 EUR per person; one way, two-person minimum.

By train: Bled has two railway stations: Lesce-Bled on the Villach - Ljubljana mainline, 4 km away from town center, you'll need to take a bus to town centre. The other is Bled-Jezero on Jesenice - Nova Gorica sideline, only a few trains a day. Two km away from town centre.

By car: take exit Lesce from A1 motorway Ljubljana - Jesenice, Karavanke.

.... and away

Simple, use one of the above options or - cycle away: consider our cycling trip Best Of Slovenia!

Your bike

Helia bikes are available in different sizes in unisex model:

Standard FUJI NEVADA 26 1.9 V or EMTB ROCK MACHINE

Features:

• aluminium frame
• mudguard
• rear rack
• comfort gel saddle
• anti-puncture Continental tires
• ergonomic bicycle grips

All rented adult bikes are equipped with:

• Vaude one-sided saddlebag
• combination bike lock

Only for self-guided tours: one repair kit per two bikes: one spare inner tube, glue, patch, a pump, two Allen keys and tire levers

Other available rental bikes 

Gallery