We start our tour with a walk around the most famous sight in Slovenia, the enchanting Lake Bled. Afterwards well take a boat ride to the island that sits in the middle of the lake. Ringing the islands church bell will grant you a wish. How about coffee and sweets from the towns castle? Its perched high above the lake. After a visit to the castles regional museum, well head back to the Pri Biscu farmhouse where their family will serve us the first of many delicious home-cooked meals.

After breakfast, well head to the ruins of the 12th century Kamen castle, nestled in the Karavanke Mountains. For lunch well head to a gostilna (traditional-styled eateries), popular tourists and locals alike. The afternoon will find us at the regions other scenic spot, the tranquil Lake Bohinj, to take in the alpine dairy museum and a few Baroque churches. Those wanting an easy-to-moderate 30-minute walk can follow me to the beautiful emerald-green Savica waterfall, which plunge down 60m. Dinner at the farmhouse.

One of Slovenias oldest settlements, the medieval town of Skofja Loka awaits us in the morning. After seeing the old town and castle, well have a unique opportunity to dine at traditional 17th century house with an authentic rustic interior. In the afternoon well see two very unique regional museums, the iron forging museum in the small village of Kropa and the bee-keeping museum in Radovljica. This fascinating museum is filled with hundreds of hand painted beehive panels, hives carved from hollowed-out tree trunks and an engaging glimpse of the people who made this an important trade in 18th and 19th century Slovenia. Tonight, well have dinner at a local gostilna that has a terrace with great views to the nearby valley.

Well say goodbye to Bled and our farmhouse and take a car train through the Julian Alps to Soca Valley. Our first stop is Kobarid, located in the heart of the Krn mountain range (the Izonso Front during the First World War). This is where some of the fiercest battles took place, captured by Hemmingway in his novel, A Farewell to Arms. Here well visit the award winning World War I museum and the ossuary on the nearby hillside where seven thousand Italian soldiers lie buried. Heading south through the Soca valley to the karst region, well stop at Stanjel, the regions most eye-catching hill town. A local guide will show us around the stone-built houses, art galleries and the picture-postcard Ferrrari Gardens. Well have a traditional karst dinner and try the local Teran red wine at the Skerlj farmhouse.

Today well visit the highlight of the karst region, perhaps the greatest natural attraction in Slovenia, the fascinating underground world of Skocjan caves. With its stunning chambers, the worlds largest subterranean canyon and a natural bridge that takes you over an underground rivers. Afterwards, you may try an easy 2km walk around some of collapsed valleys nearby. Well stop for a lunch in the tiny village of Hrastovlje, which is famous for the small, stone-built Church of the Holy Trinity. The churchs interior is painted with wall-to-wall frescoes, including the noteworthy Dance of the Macabre, featuring a group of skeletons leading various members of society into the afterlife and judgment. Time permitting, well make a stop at the Socerga valley for views across its many limestone ridges, walls and caves before heading back to the farmhouse for dinner.

As we leave the karst region, well stop at the most renowned castle in Slovenia, the Predjama castle. This 16th century castle clings to limestone cliffs and rich history, including a Slovenian Robin Hood who once lived there. Underneath the castle theres a labyrinth of underground caves and passageways for us to explore. After dropping off our bags at the next farmhouse, well have lunch and then visit Sticna, one of the oldest active monasteries in Europe. Before dinner, well stop at the Trebnje gallery of Naive Artists to see this vibrant form of folk art that is quite popular across many of the countries of ex-Yugoslavia. Well have dinner at the Grofija farmhouse, located near the Sticna monastery.

Well spend the day exploring the rolling hills, vineyards, forests and Krka River that make up the Dolenjska region. Included on our stops will be the religious and cultural center of Novo Mesto on the banks of the Krka. Well have an opportunity to try brandies, cheeses and honey produced by the resident monks at the 15th century Carthusian monastery. After visiting their skansen (outdoor ethnographic museum) well stroll around Kostanjevica, a tiny town on an island in the Krka. Well head back to our farmhouse for dinner.

Before heading off to the airport for our flight to Sarajevo, we will pay a visit to the Bogensperk castle, which holds the works of Valvasor, Slovenias famous Renaissance man who, among other things, researched the countrys extensive cave system and regional cultures. Then its off to catch our flight to Bosnia Herzegovina. Well arrive in my personal favorite city in the Balkans, Sarajevo. There is not another city like it in Europe. Theres a heavy oriental feel mixed with Austro-Hungarian buildings, scars from last decades war, vibrant cafes, sweet shops and very warm people that give the city an astonishing vibe. We will have a tour of Sarajevos center (Turkish and Austrian quarters) and then have dinner at its oldest restaurant, situated in a traditional wooden house and featuring a heavenly sirnica (baked cheese pie in phyllo dough) - my personal recommendation. Accommodation will be at the Dom Faletici hotel tucked in the hillside surrounding Sarajevo.

Today will be the first of our two excursions with Green Visions, a wonderful local eco-tourism company that offers excellent outdoor excursions and insightful cultural trips. After a little more than an hour’s ride from Sarajevo well pass through the colorful outskirts of the ancient village of Kraljeva Sutjeska. Rich in natural wonders, Bobovac has long been a mystical oasis. Well begin our trek from the ancient village of Kraljeva Sutjeska - home of the centuries old Franciscan Monastery. Well follow the picturesque valley of Bukovica Stream, where the recent rains will cool our walk with rushing mountain water. Deeper into the valley well gently ascend to the steep ridge to reach the ruins of the 14th century citadel Bobovac, the last residence of the Bosnian kings Tvrtko II and Tomas. Well pay a visit to the remains of the ancient fortress situated on a steep limestone rock. High in the hills, this will be our lunch spot. After lunch, well visit the old city of Travnik that served as the Ottomans seat of power for many centuries. After a climb to the ancient fortress, well relax by the Plava Voda (Blue Waters) and enjoy fine Turkish coffee and sweets. Dinner will be at one of the many fine establishments in the old Turkish quarter of Sarajevo.

Green Visions will take us on one of their most unique excursions, a visit to the highland village of Lukomir. Not only is this the highest and most isolated village in Bosnia (1500 meters), it is possibly the only one of its kind in southern Europe still left. Traditional dress, the occasional turban and fez are still worn so you will have a peek into the lifestyle traditions of the Bjelasnica highlanders that have survived since ancient times. We will fist visit with the local villagers before heading off into the canyon to witness Peruc waterfall and the amazing Rakitinca Canyon. Lunch will be served on a high ridge over the 800meter drop into the canyon with stunning views of majestic mountains. In the late afternoon well head back to Sarajevo where youll have free time to browse around on your own and find tonights eating spot.

After breakfast there will be one more chance to shop around Sarajevo. Ved, our local guide from Mostar, will then pick us up and take us to the southern region of Herzegovina. We will have lunch at a traditional cafe in Mostar, where you can order a plate that includes a sampler of many different local dishes and specialties. After lunch, Ved will guide us through his hometown and show us its rich history, the scars of the Balkan war and the worldfamous and now rebuilt Mostar Bridge. Ample time to browse around the riverside shops and galleries will be provided after the tour. During our dinner down by the citys watermills, be sure to try some of the regional wines - Herzegovinas sunny Mediterranean climate and rich hinterland soils produce the finest in southern Europe. Well be in no rush after dining and you can drop by one of the many sweet shops and cafes for a late evening dessert or nightcap. Lodging is in the quaint, family-run motel located in the plateaus outside of Mostar.

The motel will provide us with a homemade breakfast, including delicious organic honey, bread, jam and soft cheese. Izmet, our host, will show us around this stark, strikingly beautiful countryside and old world villages, where traditional lifestyles have been preserved for centures. After exploring Podvelezje and a delicious lunch, we will visit the UNESCO-protected hill town of Pocitelj, which is once again a functioning artists colony after years of rebuilding from the war. Later well head to the town of Blagaj. Those who choose to can follow Ved and I up to the fortress of Herceg Stjepan, the ruler of Herzegovina during the middle ages. The views of the Neretva river valley are rewarding. To cool off afterwards, well enjoy a cold lemonade next to the cold waters of the Buna river. Then well tour the dervish monastery that dates back to the 1500s and nestled under 200m high cliffs. Izmet and his wife will prepare us our last supper in Bosnia.

There will be time in the morning to do a bit of shopping in Mostar before heading back to Sarajevo to catch our flight back to the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. After a late lunch in the capital, well have a guided tour of the old town including the Franciscan church that dominates the center square, the riverside market, and the hilltop castle, which provides wonderful views onto the town below. Dinner will be at rustic restaurant in the old town and schedule permitting, we will have an opportunity to catch a concert or show in the evening. Lodging at the centrally located pension Pri Mak.

Free time in the morning to shop, wander and visit the large outdoor market that offers many arts, crafts, local honey and regional wines. For those wanting a look at the recent history of Slovenia, we will visit the museum of 20 th century history. After lunch, we have an optional excursion to the oldest Slovenian town of Ptuj. This medieval town, originally founded by the Romans, contains a charming old town, an extensive regional museum in its castle and many good wines from the eastern regions of the country. For those who join me in Ptuj, we will have dinner there. If you choose not to come with, you can spend the remainder of the day in Ljubljana and I can help provide with sights to see and places for dinner.

Unfortunately all good things come to an end. Well have breakfast at the pension and perhaps a stop at one of the riverside cafes before taking you to your departure point.