4 Days in Slovenia: Lake Bled + Ljubljana Itinerary

A Detailed Slovenia Itinerary for 4 Days

Caught between its more celebrated neighbors like Austria and Italy, Slovenia doesn’t really get its due as a potential choice for tourists.

Sure, Croatia found its claim to fame after Game of Thrones and now revels in the legacy of the show as a bustling travel destination, but Slovenia hasn’t been lucky.

You, though, are a smart traveler, my friend. Because you’ve chosen to visit Slovenia (I assume so, considering you’re reading this Slovenia itinerary), you’ll be amazed at what this dark horse of a country has in store for you.

WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT SLOVENIA

The one thing that blew my mind when I visited Slovenia, is how much Switzerland-like it is. You can get (at least a part of) the Swiss experience at nearly one-third the cost.

And this comes as no surprise that Slovenia is often touted as “Switzerland of Eastern Europe”, thanks to its tall mountains, glacial gorges and alpine lakes.

That’s not to say Switzerland is overrated, but Slovenia is massively underrated for sure.

I also feel Slovenia has a lot of borrowed influences from Italy, Austria and Czech Republic. I had RIDICULOUSLY good coffee in Slovenia – and I drank a LOT of coffee for the while I was there – who’d have thought?!

HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU NEED IN SLOVENIA

Being a fairly small country, 4 days in Slovenia are enough, with the highlights being Lake Bled and Ljubljana. 1 day in Ljubljana is sufficient to cover the highlights of the city. This Slovenia itinerary also covers Postojna Caves and Lake Bohinj.

BEST TIME TO VISIT SLOVENIA

The best time to visit Slovenia is in April/May and September/October as these are less busier months and the weather is decent, too. Summers, of course, are pretty busy and the winter brings opportunities for snowboarding and skiing which tends to jack up the prices.

We visited in September and it was surreal. I can only imagine how incredibly pretty Slovenia gets in the winter.

DRIVING IN SLOVENIA

If you’re driving to Slovenia, or renting a car to get around, make sure to buy a vignette as soon as you cross the Slovenian border. This is a pass authorizing you to access highways.

You can purchase a vignette at any fuel station. You rental car might also provide this, so make sure to double check with them.

Once you get the vignette, take off the sticker and paste it on the windshield of your car. It’s absolutely IMPERATIVE to buy a vignette – you can be hauled up by cops and be slapped a fine if you don’t have it!

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HOW TO SPEND 4 DAYS IN SLOVENIA: DETAILED ITINERARY FOR YOUR VISIT

4 Days in Slovenia Itinerary | Day 1

Start your visit to this beautiful country with Lake Bled.

Situated in the city of Bled, the lake draws heaps of tourists every year. And rightly so; it looks like a photoshopped cutout from a magazine. It really is a treat to the eyes!

Upon arrival, you’ll realize that Bled has more of a beach town vibe; there are shops selling bathing suits and beach slippers, there are tons of cocktail bars, even a few karaoke places.

WHERE TO STAY IN BLED

Accommodation is fairly reasonably priced, depending on what time of the year you visit. There are a lot of B&B’s bang on the lake, but they tend to get pricier. I suggest booking a place a little farther from the lake, towards the interior of the city.

We stayed at a beautiful Airbnb studio managed by Natalija and Jure. They’re very sweet people and will go out of the way to make you comfortable. Natalia also has a full-blown PDF with recommendations on things to do, restaurants, bars, etc. that she’ll share with you once you book.

THINGS TO DO IN BLED

• Walk around the lake

Once you get to the lake, take some time to soak in the views. Notice the pace of the area; people-watch.

Head to a restaurant on the lake, or pick up some beers from a supermarket (Union and Lasko are the two main local beers), and follow a complete circuit around the water. Lake Bled looks just as stunning from every corner.

You can see people boating, kayaking and stand-up-paddling. The water is clear as crystal.

Take tons of pictures, but just know that this is only the start. You’ll get a whole lot more of photo ops going forward – that’s the thing about Lake Bled, your camera space might run out but you won’t get tired of clicking away.

• Hike up to Ojstrica Viewpoint

Ojstrica is one of the mountains in the Eastern part of the Slovenian Alps.

Like I said earlier, Lake Bled looks like a photoshopped figment of reality. But if you’ve looked up pictures of Lake Bled online, chances are you’ve seen something like this:

This is not a drone image. And it’s not a super high quality Lightroom-edited 10 MB picture either. It’s just an unreasonably captivating view captured by a humble phone and annealed in my memory forever.

A short hike up Ojstrica from Lake Bled brings you to this point that affords a panoramic view of the whole lake, with the small island in the middle.

The clouds at the back are a whole mood, the mountains rising and falling like the notes of a symphony, the water mirroring every detail of the sky, and tall trees reveling in all their alpine lush.

The hike is short but steep; I’d say easy to moderate. The elevation is around 611m and the total distance is 5 km one way. This article gives an overview of where to start and the route to take.

Useful protip: Try getting to the Ojstrica viewpoint later in the evening (around 5-7 pm, depending on what time of the year you visit). There will be fewer crowds and you’ll have the whole place to yourself. We were the ONLY people when we got there and it was phenomenal!

• Explore Bled

Spend the evening exploring the interiors of Bled city.

It has a quaint, relaxed vibe. The air feels placid. There are pastel colored buildings with flowers peeping out of balcony boxes.

Get pizza for dinner at Pizzeria Rustica. Then, head to Pub Bled for delicious cocktails (they also have karaoke on Thursdays).

4 Days in Slovenia Itinerary | Day 2

• Visit Lake Bohinj

Lake Bled is beyond stunning, without a doubt. But another lake in its neighborhood (and where all the locals go) is Lake Bohinj.

It has fewer people, the water is a gorgeous shade of blue and so clear, you can count the stones on the bed of the lake. You’ll also spot many trouts in the lake.

Enjoy a nice swim in the water, if the weather permits. Then head over to Restavracija Kramar, and treat yourself to brunch with a breathtaking view. The restaurant has outdoor seating which opens to the lake, and there is a pier where you can carry your coffee and get pictures. Because pictures, you must get! 😉

After this, take a walk around the lake. If you have more time, you can also hike through Triglav National Park. There are a number of really good hikes starting from Lake Bohinj, into the national park.

• Bled Castle

Upon returning to Bled, you can either hike or drive up to the castle. The hike is fairly easy, although at one point you have to climb about 50-60 steps to get up there. The views are undoubtedly worthwhile.

From this point (which is also where you’ll find the car parking), you can go a bit further up to the castle and buy an entry ticket for EUR 13 to enter. I honestly didn’t find the castle anything out of the ordinary, and I’d recommend skipping it. But make sure to go up to the castle point and marvel at the view!

• Mala Osojnica

Another hike, and you can tailor your itinerary to squeeze this in, should your schedule allow.

Mala Osojnica offers a panned out view of the lake, pretty similar to the one from Ojstrica. We couldn’t find the time to do this. If you do the hike, I’d love to know if you liked it.

4 Days in Slovenia Itinerary | Day 3

• Head to Vintgar Gorge

On Day 3, head over to Vintgar Gorge, a short distance outside of Bled. This is a 1600 meters-long gorge full of rapids and pools, that ends with a 13-meters-high waterfall. You can buy an entry ticket for EUR 5, and enjoy a scenic hike along the gorge, complete with deep turquoise water, steep rock walls and meandering trails.

The walk lasts around 40 to 45 minutes one way. After this, you can take a 30 minute route to return, or a longer (90 minutes) but more elegant path to come back to the starting point. All the information is available at the counter where you buy tickets from (with a map guide).

• Visit Ljubljana

We’re finally making our way to the capital of Slovenia!

Ljubljana has a fairly complicated name but more of a laidback feel. There is a small center, cobbled streets lined with outdoor cafes, the Ljubljanica river modestly flowing through the middle and an ancient castle watching the city from up a hill.

I took a free walking tour with FreeTour and learned that the city’s name is derived from the Slovenian word “ljubljena” meaning “the beloved”. And there is, indeed, an air of romance in the city.

For a country with enormously hilly terrain, Ljubjana is surprisingly flat. It has the perfect topography to rent a bike and explore the city.

I made an itinerary of the top things to do in Ljubljana in a day. You’ll find all the details you need to spend a beautiful 24 hours in Ljublajana.

[Related: How to Spend One Day in Ljubljana]

4 Days in Slovenia Itinerary | Day 4

• Postojna Caves

About 46 km (45-minute drive) from Ljubljana, the Slovenian town of Postojna has the largest show cave system in all of Europe!

There is an elaborate tour through 24 km of natural underground caves – it’s basically like walking inside a mountain! It is a crazy experience and should definitely be on your Slovenia itinerary.

You’ll see scores of mineral deposits formed by rainwater over a million years, you’ll spot all kinds of shapes and sizes amidst these formations, and you’ll get to meet (albeit from a distance) a cave animal called Proteus, also called the ‘human fish’ or ‘baby dragon’.

The tour lasts 90 minutes and the caves are accessed partly by train and on foot. There are 3-4 slots every day; make sure to check the available time slots before you visit. You can find the details and book tickets online.

There are a bunch of tours available but we just did the caves, the tour for which is priced at EUR 27.90.

The Postojna Caves offer a distinct, stimulating adventure as you walk through jagged limestone structures and learn so much about nature’s dexterity at work. Regardless of whether you have 4 days in Slovenia or 3 (or longer) make sure to visit Postojna Caves – you will love it.

Useful Protip: The temperature inside the caves is maintained at ~10°C, so don’t forget to carry a warm jacket with you!

• More Coffee in Ljubljana!

If you’ve still got time, grab a cuppa – Ljubljana (the whole of Slovenia, actually) has splendid coffee and, not to mention, a surprisingly large number of vegan restaurants.

So have one last meal, get your caffeine fix, sit at a street cafe, recharge your batteries and enjoy a slice of the Slovenian mood before you leave the country, only to visit again soon!