Slovenia in a Weekend: The Perfect Slovenia Itinerary

Slovenia Itinerary 4 Days

 

Slovenia in A Weekend

 

Slovenia might not be the first country on your list when you think about a vacation to Europe. It wasn’t for me at the time I visited, in 2012, since I hadn’t heard of anyone going there! But, if you’re traveling to Croatia or Italy, Slovenia makes an excellent addition.

Today I wanted to share a quick Slovenia itinerary that is doable in 3 or 4 days. It’s the perfect short trip for anyway wanting a condensed but fun long weekend in Slovenia!

 


 

 

Cities in Slovenia You Must Visit


Postojna

Ljubljana

Bled

 

The country is beautiful, relaxing and cooling due to its position in the alps. I visited in the summer after a visiting Croatia and whew, was the weather a relief from the hot sun at Dubrovnik! Slovenians are also quite a friendly and warm people. What really surprised me is how incredibly fluent they are in English.

Typically, Europeans are quite used to American tourists and can obviously speak English but Slovenians are fluent. A friendly waitress in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, told me it’s because they love American tv shows and in Slovenia programming isn’t dubbed. I always knew watching tv was one of the best ways to learn a new language and left the trip reminding myself to study up on my French and Chinese…

Anyway, back to visiting Slovenia.

While most people won’t have the time for an extended stay in Slovenia, I highly recommend a 3 to 4 day trip or long weekend getaway. After visiting Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes, we drove northward to Slovenia and then continued on to Venice.

 


 

 

Slovenia Itinerary

 

Day 1: The Postojna Caves

I came from Croatia’s Adriatic coastline and journeyed north into Slovenia. My first pit stop was the karst caves at Postojna, Slovenia’s biggest underground attraction and the largest underground caves in Europe.

Postojna has a seemingly endless network of passages, galleries and chambers all featuring various crystals – from chandeliers to spaghetti formations, paper thin sheets to massive, thick columned stalagmites.

I chose to take the underground, specially designed cave train with electric lighting to fully see the geological caves. You can also walk it, but the underground system is far, far bigger than what the entrance would leave you to believe.

For more photos of the cave stalagmites, check out my complete post on the Postojna Caves here. After the day trip, I headed onward to Ljubljana and Lake Bled.

Overnight, drive to Ljubljana, the capital, and check in.

 


 

 

Day 2-3: Ljubljana

Slovenia’s capital is known for its university population and green spaces. The winding Ljubljanica River flows throughout the city’s heart and as car traffic is restricted to the city center, pedestrians and cyclists roam freely throughout the city. I love being able to walk around without the fear of being run over and Ljubljana has such a great vibe, especially in the summer months, when cafes set up terrace seating all along the river.

I was also pleasantly surprised by how beautiful Ljubljana was. A lot of the city’s architecture has pastel hues and there are lots of open air fruit markets with flowers, cured meats and treats for sale, beautiful scroll worked bridges and large public parks for reading.

 

Things to do in Ljubljana:

  • Spend a leisurely afternoon at a café, try some delectable pastries and people watch over the open squares
  • Take the funicular up to Ljubljana Castle for an impressive view over the city
  • Explore the Old Town, check out some of the city’s excellent museums and galleries and stroll or cycle through Park Tivoli
  • A large, active student population lends the city an active night life. Don’t forget to check out the bars and clubs!

 

You can also skip the caves and fly into Ljubljana directly – check the latest flight prices here. However, there are no regularly scheduled passenger flights within Slovenia so your best bet is to rent a caruse the bus system or take a train.

Postojna is about 1 hour south and served by daily buses while Bled is another hour north with hourly bus service. You can pay as your board, just be aware that long distance trips on Fridays or before public holidays and school breaks can be risky.

All of the big international car rental companies have offices in Ljubljana. While you can rent locally on the spot, you’ll get a much better deal renting in advance on the company website.

 

Where to Stay in Ljubljana: 

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Ljubljana – This new, affordable hotel has clean, well stocked rooms and is conveniently located in the city’s shopping area, a short bus ride from downtown Ljubljana.

 Check rates:  Booking.com | Hotels.com  Read reviews:  TripAdvisor

 


 

 

Days 4-5: Lake Bled

Lake Bled was my favorite part of Slovenia and it’s no wonder that it’s the country’s most iconic tourist draw. Alpine peaks in the backdrop, a crystal clear blue lake, a tiny island and an impossibly cute church with a fairytale past – it doesn’t get any more dramatic than this!

 

Things to do in Bled, Slovenia:

  • The walk around the lake is approx. 6km and takes about 1.5 – 2 hours walking leisurely. It’s a great exercise to do, offers multiple vantage points of the island and tons of photo opportunities.
  • If you prefer, a family friendly tourist train wraps around the lake making daily 45 trips and takes about 45 minutes. Or you can splurge on a romantic horse drawn carriage ride around the lake and up to the castle.
  • From June – August, the lake is warmed by mild thermal springs and you can go swimming, rent boats or just cool off on the banks and relax!
  • Bled Castle: this medieval fortress is a real delight, as its perched high on top of a steep cliff 100m above the lake. There are towers, ramparts, moats and a large terrace granting magnificent views. Don’t miss!
  • Bled Island: a tiny tear shaped island in the middle of the lake, reachable only by row boat or gondola. Make sure you check out the church and walk up on the south side of the staircase – you’ll know it by the crazy number of steps!
  • Church of the Assumption: a beautiful baroque church with a mysterious folk lore past. Check out more photos and learn about the story in my post here
  • Provost’s House Museum: there’s also a small museum on the island displaying traditional costumes and some history of the area

 

Where to Stay in Bled: There are plenty of restaurants surrounding Lake Bled so it makes for a great home base.

Overnight: Hotel Jelovica Bled – this historic hotel has the best view of the island with views direct from your hotel bed. I stayed for two nights on Lake Bled, hiking and walking the trails around the lake, rowing on the lake and seeing the church and castle.

 Check rates:  Booking.com | Hotels.com  Read reviews:  TripAdvisor

 


 

 

Fun Day Tours in Slovenia

 

 

 


Did I miss your favorite city in Slovenia? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Visiting Slovenia – Travel Checklist

The most expensive part of the trip to Slovenia are flights. Check for flight deals in advance in order to save. For hotel bookings, we relied on Booking.com.

For more help with planning your vacation to Slovenia, we relied heavily on Rick Steve's Croatia & Slovenia Travel guide. The local advice for admissions, times, maps and pricing was pretty invaluable. If you plan to kayak or swim – I recommend bringing along a GoPro to take some fun photos!

Finally, make sure to visit Slovenia with travel insurance. Whether you get injured and need to be hospitalized, or your phone gets stolen, travel insurance will help when you need it most. Get a quote for your trip here.

 

 You Might Also Enjoy: 

 

Slovenia Vacation Planning Articles

6 Fun, Fairy-tale Things to Do in Slovenia

Essentials of Slovenia Itinerary: Highlights from 4 Days

 

Slovenia Points of Attraction

Stalagmites & Stalactites in Slovenia’s Postojna Caves

Rowing Up to Fairy Tale Bled Island

24 Hours in Slovenia’s Capital of Ljubljana

The History Behind Bled Castle

An Unforgettable Lunch in Ljubljana

 

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16 Comments

  1. Wynne
    March 11, 2016 / 1:41 am

    Slovenia is in my bucket list. (although i think pretty much every country is in my bucket list) great photos!

    • Sher
      Author
      March 11, 2016 / 12:47 pm

      Thanks Wynne! Haha i know the feeling, pretty much the whole world is on my bucket list!

  2. Kerstin
    March 16, 2016 / 11:37 am

    Last summer I also did a trip to Slovenia and fell in love with Ljubljana. It’s such an amazing and cute city. And Bled is great too – they have awesome sweet dishes!

    • Sher
      Author
      March 16, 2016 / 12:58 pm

      Hey Kerstin! So glad to find other travelers who enjoyed Slovenia as well :)

  3. Angela
    March 16, 2016 / 4:10 pm

    I have been reading such great things about Slovenia lately. Your trip sounds like another amazing adventure. Thanks for the inspiration. Putting it on my ever growing list.

  4. Liesbeth
    March 20, 2016 / 8:19 am

    Great post, very practical and makes me want to go there! :)

    • Sher
      Author
      March 20, 2016 / 12:02 pm

      Hi Liesbeth! so glad you found the post helpful. I like to plan trips myself and always enjoy it when i come across useful tips from another blogs so it’s always a goal of mine to do the same!

  5. Mel Carr
    April 19, 2016 / 11:00 pm

    Your blog is so pretty & this is an awesome guide! I just visited Slovenia last number & completely fell in love with Ljubljana & Lake Bled.

  6. Keith Sullivan
    March 19, 2017 / 3:51 am

    I’ve planned precisely this trip, same three locations (but in reverse order) in June and therefore found your blog very interesting and useful. Thanks

  7. Kylee
    April 15, 2019 / 10:24 am

    Definitely one of the most underrated countries I’ve visited!

  8. Patricija
    May 16, 2019 / 12:29 am

    Perfect itinerary for my home country :)

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