Bratislava Off the Beaten Path Tour - recommended also by Rick Steves
5
Bratislava Off the Beaten Path Tour - recommended also by Rick Steves
By Martin Sloboda Expert Private Tours in Bratislava and Slovakia
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About
Bratislava’s Old Town has many authentic corners where you step back several centuries. It’s preserved medieval core is full of narrow streets along the former town walls, numerous Renaissance courtyards full of little cafés, shops and galleries and romantic quiet corners.
Enjoy a guided walking tour away from the main tourist paths through some of the town’s narrowest streets with original cobbled stones. Listen to stories about houses and personalities and get fascinated by the charm of this quaint city.
Lowest price guarantee
Ages 0-120
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: German, Chinese, Swedish, Russian, Japanese, English, Italian, French, Spanish
More
- All Fees and Taxes
What's not included- Entry/Admission - St. Martin's Cathedral (Dom svateho Martina)
- Entry/Admission - Primates' Palace
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
- Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel, Bratislava, Hviezdoslavovo námestie 3, 811 02 Bratislava, Slovakiain front of the Carlton Hotel main entrance
Pickup details- We agree on a suitable meeting point in advance, depending on how you arrive to Bratislava or in which hotel you stay.
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.Port pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included ports.- Twin City Liner docking in Bratislava
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 211456P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 211456P1
From
$256.34
per group (up to 15)
Select date and travelers
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Martin Sloboda Expert Private Tours in Bratislava and Slovakia170Bratislava, SlovakiaJoined in December 2013
- Luxury1Georgia0 contributionsThe perfect day tour from ViennaThank you to Lucia for assisting us in arragning the perfect private day tour to Bratislava from Vienna. The driver, Tomas, was great - professional, friendly, and a safe driver. The guide was fantastic too. The day could not have been any better. Highly recommended!Written September 27, 2024
- Wendy21170 contributionsFamily tripMartin helped us find the small Slovakian town where my wife’s great grandfather owned a jewelry store before the turn of the 19th century by talking to the locals. We found the store . What an emotional moment.. We walked away with a lifetime of memories. We also were able to go on an extraordinary hike with few other tourists. We highly recommend Hey this service for value and exceptional quality! , Harry & Wendy & FamilyWritten September 8, 2024
- 0 contributionsFamily TripOur family went back to a small Slovakian town, where my wife’s great grandfather owned a small jewelry store . Martin was able to find the shop by asking the locals where it might have been . We found the store . What an emotional moment.. We walked away with a lifetime of memories. We also were able to go on an extraordinary hike with few other tourists. We highly recommend this service for value and exceptional quality! , Harry & Wendy & FamilyWritten September 8, 2024
- Y8837QReileenh0 contributionsGreat tour guideVisited Bratislava in 2016 and Martin was the very best tour guide in any of the countries we visited. We have just visited Bratislava again, March 2024, and by chance we were again led by Martin. Not only is his English excellent, he is able to speak using normal intonation like a native speaker (whereas some tour guides, despite knowing English, speak with such un-English intonation that struggling to understand them is really hard). With Martin we were able to just enjoy all he was telling us – and his great sense of humour really enhanced our enjoyment of the tour.Written March 29, 2024
- Woodyandblackie0 contributionsBest tour guide in the world!!Martin was the absolute best guide you could ever have. His knowledge and love of his country shine through. He is friendly and injects a sense of humor in his tours that will make you fall in love with both him and his country. Absolutely a great guy and a beautiful country. You'll learn so much from him without even realizing it! I was so sad when our tour was over!Written December 10, 2023
- SUSANZ5310 contributionsExceptional Travel Adventures in SlovakiaMy travels to Slovakia were more meaningful than I could ever have imagined. Whether you are simply curious about what Slovakia has to offer or want to dig deeper into your ancestry – you couldn’t be in better hands than with Martin Sloboda and his Company. Because of a family emergency, Martin went out of his way to accommodate changes to our itinerary, for which I am extremely grateful. All total, I spent four full days and two half days with Martin. Half of the time, I was traveling solo with Martin and the rest, a friend from the UK joined in the fun. Martin is a charming and passionate ambassador for Slovakia. He offers thoughtful historical and cultural perspectives, access to off-the-beaten-track/hidden gems and a deep knowledge of wine. Martin was attentive to little details that made each tour and day trip so special. I could not begin to tell you which of the many experiences were my favorites, but I must confess, I’m already thinking about a trip to the Eastern part of Slovakia next year. I can’t wait!Written October 1, 2023
- 0 contributionsBest kept secret in Eastern EuropeWhile on a three city tour through Eastern Europe (Prague, Vienna, Budapest), our travel agent encouraged us to stop at this lovely, fantastic UNESCO city. We were not only blown away by the beauty, peacefulness, and sheer amount of history but we learned there is an adjacent wine region …chateaus …that is highly rated. We could have easily spent at least 3 - 4 days here. The sidewalk cafes, beautifully preserved ancient architecture, artists, etc. Martin Sloboda was our brilliant city guide who was a wealth of historical information as is his entire team. A small aside - he edits Rick Steve’s books on Eastern Europe. Martin tours many world dignitaries. We determined that Bratislava was by far our most favorite city of ALL the cities we toured. We are going to plan a trip to this region and city (specifically) for our upcoming 40th wedding anniversary - it’s just that romantic. BEST KEPT SECRET IN EASTERN EUROPE!Written September 24, 2023
- der0nlinereisef_hre00 contributionsGreat German speaking tour guideA very competent and well organized tour guide, fluent in German and English. Organized our bus tour with 25 ppersons perfectly. Personally it was a pleasure to meet Martin. He gave us great insights into history and society of Slowakia. we would book him again everytime!Written September 21, 2023
- 88Marine0 contributionsPriceless Memories from Beautiful Slovakia!Fantastic, wonderful, awesome - the list goes on. If you are heading to Bratislava and/or other parts of Slovakia and are looking for a guide service - you don't need to look any further. My wife and I started off our two week trip to Europe in Slovakia and we could not have asked for a better experience. Martin was extremely helpful with our planning and recommended excellent accommodations which we thoroughly enjoyed. Upon arrival, we started with a full day tour of Bratislava with Martin himself. What a delightful day it was. The tour was exciting, educational, and pure joy. We toured multiple districts of the city, enjoyed a delicious lunch in the city center, learned some basic Slovak language, learned some history of Bratislava & Slovakia, and picked up tips from Martin that helped us in our exploration of other European cities on our trip. There were also some wonderful surprises but I don't want to ruin those for anyone who might tour in the future. My grandparents are originally from the Trenčín region in Slovakia and we were hoping to tour the villages they came from and perhaps meet a distant relative. This next part of our journey was when things really got exciting. With a few months notice, Martin and his associates were able to find the home where my grandmother was born and lived in, located a distant relative which we were able to meet and establish future communications with, gain us entry into the church where my great grandparents were married and where my grandfather was baptized, and we were able to tour both villages where my grandparents originally came from. The search also resulted in locating my grandfather's plot of land that is being held in trust by the government of Slovakia. I was informed by the mayor of the village that I can start the process to claim the land if I wish!!! How do you explain this experience with words? Martin arranged to have a driver/interpreter with us throughout this portion of the trip and he - Milosh - was a real pleasure to spend time with. He was also the person who conducted the research in the villages before we arrived. We are forever grateful for their efforts and the results. Truly unbelievable. Now for the practical side of the trip. First, the prices for everything in Slovakia were very reasonable. We had an expectation to pay twice what the cost of Martin Sloboda's service was. The results were simply priceless. The accommodations in Bratislava and Trenčín were excellent and were extremely reasonable. I would estimate the cost to be a third of what you would pay in many capital cities around the world. I should mention that in Bratislava, our hotel was beautiful with modern amenities - with the original structure built in the 12th Century! Our meals were excellent and prepared fresh with local ingredients. Again, we would expect to pay at least twice as much as we paid for the same meals in just about every city in the U.S. The service in the hotels and restaurants was excellent and the people were very friendly. My wife and I went for a late evening walk along the Danube in Bratislava and came across many pedestrians and families. We walked from the Old Town to the city center and back finishing around 10pm and felt completely safe. Even in you are not of Slovak descent, Bratislava as well as the castle in Trenčín are a must visit when visiting Eastern Europe. It truly is a beautiful area. Don't hesitate to contact Martin and his associates if you are headed there. We can't wait to head back and visit the High Tatras.Written May 21, 2023
- randallm9760 contributions"Trip of a Lifetime"Martin arranged a fantastic one week tour of Slovakia for our family. He worked with a genealogist to locate relatives and arranged for us to visit with them. The entire process of planning and coordinating the trip was easy due to his attention to detail. All aspects of our trip, the transportation, guides and accommodations were beyond our expectations. We all appreciate how he made this the trip of a lifetime for our family and would definitely recommend Martin and his team for anyone visiting Slovakia!Written May 16, 2023
- 0 contributionsExcellent tourWe were thrilled to have Martin show us his hometown of Bratislava. Although we had booked a tour of the Historic Center, we got so much more; things that we wouldn’t have been able to do on our own. Martin drove us up in the hills for views and took us to the newest part of the city to learn about Bratislava’s growth. We learned more in those three hours than we would have learned on any other tour. And Martin is such a wealth of information and his English is impeccable. An exceptional tour!Written May 9, 2023
- 0 contributionsWonderful Learning ExperienceWe spent a very informative day with Martin as he shared the history of Bratislava with our group of four people. We chose a combination of walking and driving for our Essential City Tour. Martin was very knowledgeable and entertaining as we walked around the Old Town and we drove to the Castle and surrounding areas. It was a very enjoyable day.Written December 20, 2022
- 0 contributionsAn excellent day in Bratislava with MartinWe thought we were going to have to cancel our excursion from Vienna to Bratislava. The trains in Austria went on strike for the day. But Martin managed to get us bus tickets. And off we went. Martin picked us up at the bus depot. We started with a drive around town, including going up to the castle. Then we walked around the old town. Throughout, Martin was amazing. He knows so much about the history of that whole region of Europe. And about Bratislava. For example, he showed us amazing courtyards that we would never have spotted on our own. And he got us to try a Bratislava specialty -- Pressburg (the old name for Bratislava) bajgel, a croissant-shaped pastry with ground walnuts inside. A wonderful day.Written November 29, 2022
- EZ7continents0 contributionsBest Guide Out ThereIf you are looking for a very genuine, kind, and outgoing tour guide who knows his stuff then you are in the right place. Other tour guides were coming to Martin for information about places we visited, if that is any sort of indicator to how knowledgeable he is. Amazing tour and would definitely do it again.Written November 23, 2022
- 0 contributionsA day in BratislavaWe arrived in Bratislava on the 10AM train from Vienna. Martin met us at the station and off we went to explore a city rich in history. Martin is a local, Bratislava is his city. You can her the pride and love he has for Bratislava in every sentence that comes out of his lips. We learned about history, music, and culture both past and present. We asked many questions and Martin had answers and prospective on all of them often weaving in personal experience of himself and his family. Having Martin as our guide made our short visit very successful and left us with wanting to go back for more.Written November 15, 2022
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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JetvN
Amsterdam, The Netherlands90 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Martin Sloboda ensured that our group of 17 ladies from the Netherlands fell in love with Bratislava and Slovakia. Through him we became acquainted with the history of Slovakia and the architectural highlights of Bratislava. Our package included a stay of two nights in the stylish and historic Arcadia Hotel, a guided walking tour, a wine tasting in the National Wine Museum, a concert in Symphony Reduta, a private boat trip up the Danube to Devin Castle and the Freedom Bridge and a Michelin star dinner in the UFO Restaurant.
Martin's enthusiasm about Slovakia is contagious. He speaks perfect English and is very knowledgeable about every aspect of Slovak history, society and life. He is also a sommelier, so ideal for a perfect introduction to the best wines Slovakia has to offer.
Martin's enthusiasm about Slovakia is contagious. He speaks perfect English and is very knowledgeable about every aspect of Slovak history, society and life. He is also a sommelier, so ideal for a perfect introduction to the best wines Slovakia has to offer.
Written November 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachel McLockli... S
1 contribution
May 2022
Based off of a Rick Steves recommendation, I set up a tour of Bratislava with Martin Sloboda, more or less as a good stopping point between Budapest and Prague. I went in with no expectations, and boy did Martin blow me away. Within four short hours, I totally fell in love with Bratislava and Slovakia and learned a tremendous amount about a country that I knew practically nothing before I arrived. I am so grateful to Martin for such an amazing experience. I would recommend him to anyone and would even go as far as saying do not visit Slovakia without experiencing it through the Martin Sloboda Tour Agency. Wow. I will definitely be traveling back to Slovakia for sure in the future. For the record, I travel very extensively and this was one of my favorite tours I've ever done.
Written July 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lin
Decatur, GA2 contributions
Martin gave us an incredible tour. We learned so much about the history and context of the places we visited, and visited places we would never have found on our own. I especially appreciated Martin’s willingness to share his personal experiences in response to my many questions. This tour was a real highlight of our trip.
Written May 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sabrina S
1 contribution
Sep 2024 • Business
It was a wonderful and exciting day.
Our guide told and showed us lots of interesting things.
Everyone from our company really enjoyed it and took lots of photos.
Our guide told and showed us lots of interesting things.
Everyone from our company really enjoyed it and took lots of photos.
Written September 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Franco G
Calgary, Canada6 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
We had a private Tour of Bratislava with Martin.It was absolutely fabulous!!
Martin took us on a very informative and passionate tour of the best of the new as well as the historic Bratislava.Martin poke about the history,economics,culture and geography of the country.An excellent representation of his city and country! Thank you,Martin
Martin took us on a very informative and passionate tour of the best of the new as well as the historic Bratislava.Martin poke about the history,economics,culture and geography of the country.An excellent representation of his city and country! Thank you,Martin
Written June 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
acevi2018
Limont, Belgium18 contributions
May 2023
We appreciate the cultur of the slovaquia people. They speak many language. There is many religion together.
Written May 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your visit!
Written May 17, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dec 2022 • Family
We visited Bratislava on a day trip from Vienna. We took both a morning van tour of the city and an afternoon walking tour of the old town. The owner Martin Sloboda was our tour guide, and was exceptional. We had a wonderful time. We would not ordinarily have ventured off the well worn tourist paths to see the newer parts of an historic European city, our rationale being that we live in a modern city and come to Europe to see older sites. Touring with Martin, however, I saw the error in this mindset. He was passionate about giving us the complete story of Bratislava, old and new, and a sense of its culture across the centuries. We moved quickly and covered a lot of ground. We would not have learned even a tenth of what we did had we visited by ourselves with just a tour book. And if one of Martin’s goals was to spread the good word about Slovakia, he succeeded with us. I would love to return to see more of the country.
Written December 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cvmehta2016
Hvolsvollur, Iceland16 contributions
We had half day in Vienna and wanted to Visit
Bratislava, contact Martin Sloboda who arrange round trip pick from our hotel in Vienna and arranged 5 hr tour which covered everything Bratislava had to offer
Our guide was very knowledgeable
We were returned back in time to join our zYour group for Dinner
Would highly recommend
Bratislava, contact Martin Sloboda who arrange round trip pick from our hotel in Vienna and arranged 5 hr tour which covered everything Bratislava had to offer
Our guide was very knowledgeable
We were returned back in time to join our zYour group for Dinner
Would highly recommend
Written November 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience