Ljubljana Food Tour: 10 Tastings Through Old Town

Ten tastings from market stall to castle, Ljubljana's layers on a plate

A 3.5-hour walking food tour of Ljubljana Old Town led by a local guide, stopping at ten spots (market, riverside cafés, speciality shops, and a traditional restaurant) to taste Slovenian burek, cured meats, cheeses, goulash with štruklji, sausage, and oils, paired with three glasses of wine. The route moves from the Central Market uphill toward Ljubljana Castle, weaving through cobbled streets and historic squares where each stop reveals how food and trade shaped the city.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Ljubljana's food and culture

• Visit Central Market and taste burek
• Taste Slovenian cured meats, cheeses, pickles
• Walk along Ljubljanica River to Triple Bridge
• Taste olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, truffles
• Stop at Town Hall and hear city stories
• Walk uphill tasting classic Slovenian sausage
• Enjoy Slovenian goulash with štruklji and dessert wine
• Visit Ljubljana Castle and enjoy panoramic views

The experience

The tour starts at Ljubljana's Central Market, designed by architect Jože Plečnik and still the pulse of daily city life. You begin with a warm, freshly baked burek and move straight into a shared plate of Slovenian cured meats, local cheeses, and house pickles: the regional flavours that define the country's food identity. From there, the walk follows the Lebanica River as it curves through the old town, pausing at the Triple Bridge, another Plečnik signature, where three bridges meet the main square and centuries of history compress into a single view.

Along the route uphill toward the castle, you stop at a small family-run speciality shop for a guided tasting of Slovenian olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, and truffles: ingredients that travel from the coast to the forests and carry the craft behind them. You pass Ljubljana's Town Hall, a Gothic and Baroque blend, and taste a classic Slovenian sausage, simple and hearty, reflecting the Alpine influences baked into the country's cooking. The walk ends at a traditional restaurant near the castle with a bowl of goulash served alongside štruklji (delicate, hand-rolled dumplings that have lived in local kitchens for generations) paired with a glass of Slovenian dessert wine. From the castle itself, you look out over red rooftops and the river below, where Ljubljana's layered history and flavours settle into place.

The tour involves a fair amount of walking on cobblestone streets and uphill sections toward the castle, so comfortable shoes matter. The guide speaks English and can accommodate dietary requirements if you contact in advance. The itinerary and menu may shift based on location availability and weather, but the ten tastings and three wines remain the core of the experience.

What’s included

• Freshly baked burek.
• a plate of cured meats, cheeses and house pickles.
• guided tasting of Slovenian olive oil, pumpkin seed oil and truffles.
• traditional Slovenian sausage.
• goulash with hand-rolled štruklji dumplings.
• one glass of white wine, one glass of Keros and one glass of Muscat wine.
• a live English-speaking local guide for the full 3.5-hour walk through Ljubljana Old Town.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:00 and 11:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Secret Food Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to walk Ljubljana's cobblestone streets and historic squares with someone who knows the city's food culture from the inside. The stops are places locals actually eat, not tourist checkpoints, and the guide's knowledge of how food and trade shaped the city's medieval centre is what makes the tastings add up to something beyond a meal.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly do I taste on this Ljubljana food tour?

You taste ten items across the walk: freshly baked burek, a plate of cured meats and cheeses with pickles, Slovenian olive oil and pumpkin seed oil with truffles, a traditional sausage, and a main course of goulash with hand-rolled štruklji dumplings. Three glasses of wine (white, Keros, and Muscat) are included to pair with the stops.

Does the tour go inside Ljubljana Castle?

The tour reaches Ljubljana Castle at the end and you take in panoramic views over the city from there, but the focus is the walk through Old Town and the food stops along the way rather than a full castle tour.

How much walking is involved, and what are the streets like?

The tour covers 3.5 hours with a fair amount of walking on cobblestone streets and uphill sections as you move from the Central Market toward the castle. Comfortable shoes are essential, and the route is not recommended for travellers with poor cardiovascular health.

Can I do this tour if I have dietary restrictions?

Yes, contact the operator in advance of the tour date to discuss your dietary needs, and they will work to accommodate them at the stops along the route.

What is the "Secret Dish" mentioned in the tour description?

The Secret Dish is a signature surprise that the guide reveals only on the day of the tour: part of the experience is discovering what it is when you arrive.