Time in Ljubljana pre-tour.

Great question and I hope you don't mind me piggy backing on it as I'll be on the 9/1 tour and arrive via train 2 days early solo. I'm hoping there is a bus I can use, I know RS will give us directions when the tour list is published but anyone who has been there recently would be good to hear from. I'll also be staying at Hotel Mrak for those 2 days prior.

We booked a half day tour of the Postonja Cave and Predjama Castle. I recommend it but the half day was a long half day. I suggest making sure you have some snacks with you.

We spent some time in Ljubljana in December. The Time Machine tour of the castle was different, in that instead of just a tour guide, the tour was conducted by actors who played different roles depending on the period being described (e.g., Roman soldier, medieval peasant, etc.). Also, a company called Ljubljana Free Tour (www.ljubljanafreetour.com) has some themed tours in addition to their free tours each day. I would have liked to have tried their communist tour, but it was not offered during winter, so I can't give a review. We did have a private classic city tour, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I also recommend Julija restaurant, very good local food and reasonably priced. I strongly recommend reservations. Also, our guide told us that Klobasarna, a true hole in the wall, had the best sausages in town. Not sure whether that's true, but we enjoyed them very much, and it was a true experience.

The castle is an easy get. Great views, and the Slovenian history museum and puppetry museum are worth visiting. You can spend some time in the history museum. Recent history is complex to say the least, and the museum really gives you the Slovenian perspective on things. The Ethnography Museum is rated pretty highly by RS, but I did not go there. On reflection, there’s a lot I didn’t see because I enjoyed strolling around this city SO MUCH that I didn’t worry about filling the time. Not great advice, since you’re on a long walking tour with RS, but this is one of the best cities to just relax and take in.

I have a hard time believing taxis are that unscrupulous in this town, but here’s a possible option: https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/travel-information/getting-around/kavalir-getting-around-the-city-centre-by-electric-car/
These are little electric cars run by the tourist office that cover the city center. It’s free, you just call and they pick you up (or so the theory goes.)

We booked a half day tour of the Postonja Cave and Predjama Castle.

How far in advance did you book this tour?

We will be on the RS tour starting 9/3.

The information we got about "shady" taxi cabs was in Rick's tour book. He says that there are "unscrupulous" taxis at the Train Station, that's why we asked. He does recommend some taxi companies. We were curious if anyone has experienced this.

We took a bus from Zagreb to Ljubljana, and grabbed the first cab in line at the bus/train station. We stayed on the river, a couple of blocks from the Mrak hotel. I had seen Rick's warning, but I thought our cab was clean, efficient and priced fairly. And I echo the part about it being a wonderful town to simply walk around, there were a few things I wanted to do that we simply did not get to, yet I don't regret the time we spent simply wandering.

My trip report has the details of what I did pre-tour last year, the transportation I used and recommend, plus some helpful hints for the trip. Have a great time!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/june-2023-trip-report-14-day-rs-best-of-the-adriatic-tour

We booked with Slovenia Explorer a month before the tour but I don’t think it was necessary to book that early. I think some booked a day or two before. They had a 24 cancellation policy so we didn’t feel totally locked in.

I did a day tour with Slovenia Explorer. I can highly recommend.

Earlier this month we did a walking tour that focused on communist times that we found really enjoyable, if that subject interests you. Note despite the website name this isn’t a free tour :) , it is 15 euros per person.
https://ljubljanafreetour.com/

We're also on the Sep 3 tour! Through Get Your Guide, we've booked a full day Postojna Cave & Predjama Castle & Piran Tour. Piran sounds like a pretty place