The format is the same across the tours: you ride independently, and everything around the riding is arranged in advance. Helia books the hotels and guesthouses along the route, transfers your luggage ahead each day so it is waiting when you arrive, and provides route notes and GPS tracks. Their local team is available for advice and support during the tour, and there is a WhatsApp line for questions before you travel.

Routes are designed by a Slovenian company that has been running active travel for over 25 years and rides these routes themselves. The tours cover very different ground. The Emerald Tour goes through limestone country and stone villages before meeting the sea, with time allowed for an optional cave visit and a stretch along a former coastal railway. The Best of Slovenia route crosses the country, taking in alpine lakes, a medieval town, the capital's riverside cafés and vineyard country on the way to the coast. The Istrian Coastal Tour stays in Istria, linking Venetian towns, olive groves and hilltop villages. Vistas and Wines combines the Soča Valley's river scenery with vineyard hills and the stone villages of the Karst, with regional food and wine in the evenings.

Because it is self-guided, the day is yours to shape. You can spend longer at a stop or push on for a full day of riding. The tours suit independent travellers, couples and friends, and solo cyclists are explicitly welcome — there is no minimum group size. Guests who have ridden with Helia mention well-organised logistics, comfortable bikes, clearly signposted routes and luggage arriving without delays, plus courteous drivers on Slovenian roads and cycle paths they rate alongside Belgium and Holland.

Optional extras vary by route. The Emerald Tour has an optional cave visit, the Best of Slovenia tour has an optional Lipizzaner stud visit, and Vistas and Wines has an easier Soča Valley option. Bike rental is separate from the tour price and covers road, gravel, MTB, touring and e-bikes. The company is based at Trubarjeva cesta 8 in Bled, near Lake Bled and the Julian Alps.

What's included

- Accommodation along the route - Daily luggage transfers between accommodations - Route notes - GPS tracks - Local support during the tour - Self-guided format with no fixed schedule

What's not included

- Bike rental (available separately from a fleet of over 300 bikes) - Travel to and from Slovenia - Travel insurance - Meals, unless stated for a specific tour - Optional extras such as the cave visit or the Lipizzaner stud visit