Skocjan UNESCO Caves and Piran full day tour (small group, max. 8)
Description
The beauty of the caves is enhanced by multi-coloured stalactites and stalagmites of various shapes including curtains and limestone pools. Walking through the cave you will enjoy many waterfalls and underground halls. In the afternoon part of the visit you will enjoy the scenic ride to the most charming town on the Slovenian coast – Piran. A walk through its narrow medieval streets wedged between beautiful houses, churches and squares will take you back to the medieval times. Take your time to enjoy the breeze that blows from the sea and to admire the main square named after a famous violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini. You will certainly enjoy the small-town ideal to wander around for a coffee, cake, gelato or some good fresh seafood. Visit the Unesco heritage listed Škocjan caves, a majestic underground river canyon, and let it take you to world of fantasy. The exceptional volume of the underground canyon is what distinguishes the Škocjan Caves from other caves and places and is easily placed among the most famous underground features in the world. In the afternoon enjoy a scenic ride towards the Slovenian coast. Stop at Socerb castle for breath-taking views of the Slovenian coast and the Gulf of Trieste. Once in Piran you will discover the most romantic and picturesque coastal town. Piran is a tourist highlight of the Slovenian coast, strongly influenced by the old Venetian Republic. The main square is named after Giuseppe Tartini, a famous violinist and a composer who was born in Piran.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start your small-group tour with a pickup from your central Ljubljana hotel, and depart to explore the Škocjan UNESCO caves and a charming coastal town Piran, in an air-conditioned minivan. During your roughly 1-hour journey, admire rural Slovenia and enjoy interesting stories about Škocjan UNESCO caves that your guide describes. Take a 2-hour guided tour of the caves and explore multi-colored stalactites and stalagmites. The exceptional volume of the underground canyon is what distinguishes the Škocjan Caves from other caves and places and is easily placed among the most famous underground features in the world.
The visit continues to Socerb Castle that offers breathtaking views of the Slovenian coast and Gulf of Trieste. The castle ruin is placed high up above the coastline at the very edge of the Karst Plateau and has been dominating that cliff since the Illyrian times.
Continue to explore the coast of Slovenia and the most charming coastal town Piran. You will soon realize that Piran is a town that is almost impossible not to fall in love with on your first visit. Walk through its narrow medieval streets wedged between beautiful houses, churches and squares and enjoy the breeze that blows from the sea. Your guide will tell you about the historical part of the town and show you the marvelous Venetian architecture. Take your time to enjoy a cup of coffee, gelato or some good fresh food. After a well spend day we will end the tour in Ljubljana, with a drop-off at your hotel.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- Not wheelchair accessible.
- Please keep in mind that there are quite a few stairs in the cave, but you would do that in a fairly slow pace.
- Small group tour - up to 8 people per van.
- Warm and comfortable clothes and footwear are essential to visit the Škocjan caves (temperature in the cave is 12°C / 53 Fahrenheit).
Reviews(117)
This was a last minute tour because two different vendors both had canceled my coveted tours. However, this made up for the dissapoint of the promised tours. Went to the Ŝkocjan Caves, and Piran. I felt went into two different environments one was mountainous and other Mediterranean. My guide Tomaź was great. He answered all my questions, was always prompt, and warmly personable with the travelers.
So glad we could step in when your other plans fell through, and even happier the day made up for it. Going from the underground to the coast in a single trip is quite a contrast, and we love that it landed for you. Thank you for the kind words, and we would be glad to welcome you back to Slovenia.
A lot of driving on the road and ticket is not included in the price but this is a small group compared to other tour group.
Thank you for the honest review, Rayner. The admission tickets are optional on purpose, so each guest can shape the day to suit them rather than pay for stops they would skip. We are glad the small group made a difference compared with the bigger coaches. 🙏
The guide Thomas was extremely knowledgeable, interesting and accommodating. Varied experiences. The caves were awe-inspiring with a pleasant walk to get to them and a walk up to a viewpoint with Thomas afterwards. Seeing the river flowing through the cavern was marvellous as were the columns formed over thousands of years. Made me think of 'Alien'. We drove to the home of the Lippanzaners. Seeing literally (I mean it) hundreds of the white horses fulfilled a childhood dream. I was impressed that we could drive past their fields and take photos without hindrance. Then a drive to Piran, a picturesque place with a nice seafood restaurant recommended by our guide. A worthwhile experience.
Thank you for such a lovely review. The white horses are a real highlight, and hearing that seeing them fulfilled a childhood dream is exactly why we do what we do. We are glad the day felt varied and well looked after, right down to a good seafood spot to finish. We would be happy to welcome you back to Slovenia. 😊
What a day out! Our guide Nina did a brilliant job on that day, her pace was gentle and clean, her commentary is well constructed and relevant and also pleasing to the ears, she is one of the best guide I had in Slovenia, very clear instruction throughout the day. The day is well out together, with the beautiful magnificent cave to start the day then relaxing in Piran, a great day out.
Thank you so much for this beautiful review! We are especially happy to hear that the pace of the day felt relaxed and enjoyable, as that balance is something we really care about on this tour.
Went to both Postojna and Skocjan Caves, both should be visited, each has something unique and breathtaking. There are around 500 steps to go up in Skocjan Caves, worth it, but something to consider when deciding your itinerary. Piran is a lovely little town, unfortunately for us it rained the whole day, but we had a fabulous meal and dessert, so enjoyed the experience regardless of the weather.
We completely agree that both Postojna Cave and Škocjan Caves are unique in their own way and absolutely worth visiting. We are sorry that the weather did not cooperate during your visit, but we are happy to hear that you still enjoyed the atmosphere of Piran. A good dessert often helps! 😊
Pure nature and beautiful town on the Slovenian coast. The guide knows a lot about country, people, nature
Vielen Dank, Karin. Es freut uns sehr, dass Ihnen die unberührte Natur und der Küstenort so gut gefallen haben, und dass unser Guide so viel über Land, Leute und Natur erzählen konnte. Wir würden uns freuen, Sie wieder in Slowenien begrüßen zu dürfen.
Great guide and amazing views/scenery.
The cave is outstanding but it’s 3 kilometers and 500 steps, plus a lot of sloping up and down walkways. My watch said I climbed 59 stories. Piran is an attractive coastal town - only 4000 residents. Not too crowded for his time of year. The guide was great. Shares much knowledge of Slovenia and the sites we saw. Highly recommend!
George was a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable and friendly. The weather was perfect and views amazing.
The caves are amazing... well worth the trip and the cost. Out guide - Jure - couldn't have been more accommodating. He gave us lots of info about the locations and Slovenia and made the trip brilliant. When we got to Piran it was raining very hard so we all agreed to cut that part a little short, which was a shame but, given the conditions, it was good to have some flexibility.
