Slovenia is one of the most stunning countries I have ever visited. From gorges with crystal-clear blue waters to lush, green mountains, and the iconic Lake Bled featuring a charming church on its island, there is so much to explore. The country’s traditional Slovenian cuisine is equally impressive. For nature enthusiasts, Slovenia offers a paradise of outdoor adventures and breathtaking landscapes.

This guide will show you how to spend one week in Slovenia. While it recommends renting a car, you can also explore the country using public transportation. Although this itinerary covers one week, Slovenia offers plenty to discover if you choose to stay longer.

How TO Get To Slovenia

Slovenia can be a bit more challenging to reach due to its small size. However, Ljubljana is well-connected with numerous flights from major European hubs like London, Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Zurich. Most travelers will need to transfer through one of these key airports to reach Ljubljana.

Driving in Slovenia

Although driving in a foreign country can feel intimidating, Slovenia was surprisingly easy to navigate. Road signs were clear, the roads were well maintained, and both Google Maps and Apple Maps reliably guided us to our destinations. The speed limits served more as general guidelines, as strictly adhering to them often felt too slow.

One thing to note is the car will need a valid vignette, or a toll sticker as the roads are mostly toll roads. Most car rentals will come with this included or at an additional price. I highly recommend renting the care from Sixt. There is a location directly across the airport entrance and another large location at the Ljubljana train station, just down the street ten minutes.

Book your rental car with Sixt here

What I have provided is a 6 night stay in Slovenia, though you can modify as you wish. Maybe you want to stay a few more nights in the Soča valley or Piran, or perhaps you want to head east to Maribor.

Where to STay

Lake Bled

Book Vila Milan

This house was beautiful! It was recently renovated and very clean. There are three bedrooms with 5 beds available, making it great for families or larger groups. It is about 10 minutes from the lake and walking distance to the Mercator grocery store and the amazing restaurant we had dinner at twice.

Kobaird

Book Apartments Aria

Kobaird is a charming town you will pass through on the way to Ljubljana leaving Triglav National Park. This apartment was in a great location, very clean, and a friendly host. If you come with a car there is a dedicated spot for it which is helpful.

Ljubljana

Staying near the town center offers easy access to the city. This apartment is ideally located close to historic landmarks such as the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, as well as numerous grocery stores, cafes, and restaurants.

Book SIPPO Apartments

I was really impressed with SIPPO Apartments. The location was great and walkable with various grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, and landmarks only 5 minutes away, Our host was friendly, responsive, and provided free slippers and drinks upon arrival which was a fun touch. Since we had a car we needed a place that had parking and this apartments came with a dedicated spot.

Book SIPPO Apartments Here

Day 1: Arrive in Ljubljana and Drive to Lake Bled

If you arrive in Ljubljana by plane, pick up your rental car at the Ljubljana Airport Sixt location. If you arrive by train, which we did, walk about 5 minutes down the street to pick up the car.

Drive the 40 minutes to Lake Bled, where you will base out of for three nights. Arrive at your accommodation, get situated, then head to dinner at Blejska Hiša, where you can enjoy the most incredible beef goulash and perfectly prepared gnocchi. Our waiter was delightfully funny, and the atmosphere was charming, exuding a warm, traditional vibe.

Stroll down to the water for sunset and visit the Mercator for a piece of delicious Bled cake. We had spent the week prior in Croatia where we learned Bled cake is also known as Krempita, as it is referred to in Croatia. This delicious dessert is a pastry crust layered cake with whipped cream and custard. It is a delicious treat and something you must try at least once while in Slovenia. It might sound counterintuitive to get a slice of cake at the grocery store bakery but it was better tasting and significantly cheaper.

There are several restaurants and bakeries in Bled that sell this cake. The Bled cake sold at the grocery store was actually better and cheaper than at some of the bakeries and restaurants.

Day 2: Vintar Gorge, Lake Bled Isalnd, and Bled Castle

I suggest purchasing tickets to Vintar Gorge online as time slots fill up. You can only at the time on your ticket, not before. For example, if you buy a ticket with entry time of 9:04, you can only enter at 9:04, not before. When we arrived, someone tried at 9:00 to go in but their ticket was for 9:15 and the terminal denied them, so the time on your ticket matters.

Park the car or catch the bus to the gorge at Rečiška cesta 63 (also known as P1). The bus will drive you down to the entrance of Vintar Gorge, which is about 25 minutes to walk. The road is tight and narrow so I highly suggest taking the bus instead of walking or driving yourself.

The gorge is about 1km and took about 45 minutes to walk through, stopping to take pictures along the way. You will be required to wear a safety helmet and hair nets are provided.

At the end of the gorge, you either take the short or long way back. Opt for the longer walk if you can as it takes you through a beautiful forest. The path is well marked and even has some funactivties toparticpate in on the way back.

Along the walk back you make stopsat St. Katherine’s Church and through the cow and sheep pasture, along the beautiful Slovenian hillside.

The path ends back at the entrance of the gorge where you can catch the bus back to P1. The way took about an hour to walk, and absolutely worth it.

Spend the rest of the afternoon on Bled island. Catch a row boat to Bled island and enjoy the charming church, steps, and view. You can row yourself to the island or pay of the people by the covered boats to row the boat over, though they don’t leave until the boat is full. You can walk around the whole island in about ten minutes. It is very small but does offer a bell tower you can go up for a fee.

Head to the Bled Castle and enjoy the views from above. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket booth next to the entrance or online. You can walk up to the castle or take a car. If you decided to walk, it is very steep incline and walk, about 10-15 minutes uphill.

Day 3: Walk around Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj

Enjoy a slower start to the day and head out for a walk around Lake Bled.

There are some incredible hikes to do, if able, for a fantastic view of the lake.

Check out this blog on how to hike Mala Osojnica and Ojstrica.

After the walk, head to lunch, or make lunch at your rental. The house is very close to the Mercator (grocery store) making it easy to cook meals from home.

Then it is time to head out to Lake Bohinj. The drive is about 27 minutes and is a beautiful drive. Park at Ribčev Laz, 4265 Bohinjsko jezero, Slovenia, where you will find paid parking spots, though there are quite a few small lots around the main street you can park too.

Lake Bohinj has a lot to offer from lovely spa-like hotels to water activities. On a nice day, take a boat ride or kayak on the lake or take the cable car up the mountain for a birds-eye view of the lake. There are also many walking trails around which lead to beautiful views of the lake with the Julian alps in the background.

You can a couple hours to half a day in Bohinj depending on weather and the activities you decide to do. It is close enough to Bled to visit even only for two hours.

Make the drive back to Bled and have dinner at Pizzeria Rustika. The pizza and pasta are truly fresh and you can taste the quality of the ingredients.

Day 4: Kransja Gora, Lake Jansa, and Triglav National Park

A fun day ahead awaits! Today is the day to drive down south, which can be done a few different ways, and visit Triglav National Park. The most common way is through the Vrisic pass. This pass, depending on when you go, can be closed due to road conditions. Be sure to check the road conditions before you leave.

If you do not want to drive down the the Vrisic pass you can go through Italy. If you are renting the car through Sixt just let them know ahead of time you will be driving through Italy. Kransjska Gora is only 30 minutes, by car, from Villach Austria, so you might as well add in Austria to your road trip!

The order of stops is: Lake Bled > Zelenci Nature Reserve > Kransjska Gora > Villach, Austria > Tarvisio, Italy > Koabird, Slovenia!

Start with Kransjska Gora, a beautiful lake that offers incredible views of the Julian Alps. There is a restaurant next to the lake and there are free public restrooms. Walk around the lake and enjoy the scenery, but no more than an hour is needed here.

Drive to Zelenci Nature Reserve. Zelenci Nature Reserve can be skipped if you are limited on time. Park at either 4280 Podkoren, Slovenia, or have navigation take you to Gostilna Zelenci at Podkoren 75b, 4280 Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. The car park here is free and next to the restaurant.

Next is the drive to Villach, Austria is you so choose. This can be skipped if limited on time or lack of interest. If you decide to go, you will drive from Austria to Tarvisio, Italy.

Stop for lunch at Al Mangart Pizzeria Bar and visit the grocery store down the street for some fun road trip snacks.

Stop by Lago del Predil on the way down to Bovec or skip if short on time. While driving through Bovec, stop by Slap Boka, the highest waterfall in Slovenia.

After a long day on the road, finally arrive at your accommodation in Kobaird. Napoleon’s Bridge was the inspiration for driving down south and visiting the Soča valley.

The water was the most blue and clear I have seen. Napoleon’s Bridge is about a 5 minute walk from the downtown Kobaird and the apartment I linked above.

Head out to hike Slap Kozjak, around 4:45 pm. This was the perfect time as it was very empty on the trail which made it a more enjoyable experience. You can walk from the accommodation in downtown Kobaird, and it was only about 15 minutes to the start of the trail head. If you are coming by car, park at Ladra 1, 5222 Kobarid, Slovenia.

The hike is about 40 minutes from downtown one way, or half an hour from the car park to the waterfall. The hike is really beautiful, with the Soča river following the trail. Truly one of my favorite hikes I have done. You start the hike by passing some bees- they won’t hurt you!

You will follow the signs for Slap Kozjak and eventually will make it to a small booth where someone will collect the payment. To see the actual waterfall, you need a ticket. This ticket will get you a discount at the War museum in Kobaird!

From the hut it is just a few minutes until you reach the waterfall which was stunning!

There are a few different trails in the park you can walk through or even walk the Kobaird Historical Trail. Find more information on the hike here. The Kobiard Historical Trail was a path walked by soldiers in WW1.

If I could do my trip over again, I would say skip Zelenci Nature Reserve and Kransjska Gora and drive straight to Bovec or Kobaird for white water rafting or any other outdoor activity. While Zelenci Nature Reserve and Kransjska Gora are beautiful places, they do not compare to the Soča valley and the multitude of water activities you can do.

There is a delicious frozen yogurt shop on the way back called Kravca. Enjoy some local frozen yogurt after the hike.

Day 5: Tivoli Park and Exploring Ljubljana

If you’re interested in exploring Kobaird’s role in WW1, the Kobaird Museum is one of the most thoughtfully curated museums I’ve visited. If you have the time, I highly recommend stopping by. Don’t forget to use your ticket from Slap Kozjak to receive a discount!

Start the 2 hour drive to Ljubljana. If you arrive early drive to Tivoli Park and enjoy walking through the beautiful park. There is a large parking lot if you have a car or you can walk or take the metro from the city center. Check in and get situated at your SIPPO apartment. Make the 5 minute walk to the city center where we enjoyed a late lunch at Klobasarna, a charming grab and go eatery featuring traditional sausages and Ricet, a traditional Slovenia barley soup. There are so many amazing restaurants in Ljubljana that you will not have trouble finding a place to eat.

Enjoy the rest of the afternoon shopping, wandering the charming streets, or take a canal tour for a different perspective of the city. There is a great farmers market, called Central Market, that offers a wide variety of goods and local produce.

For dinner, try visiting Open Kitchen, which happens every sunny Friday where chefs from various restaurants come and cook in the square. If there is rain forecasted it likely will be cancelled.

In the event it is cancelled, like it was on my trip, enjoy a delicious beef gnocchi at Lana’s Corner.

Day 6: Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle

Have breakfast at Papillon Bistrot. This place is only 5 minutes from the apartment but in a more residential part of town and I loved that!

While the itinerary is for Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle, you can alter this itinerary and substitute or add in a trip to Piran, Koper, or even to Trieste in Italy. All three of these cities are relatively close, roughly an hour and a half from Ljubljana.

You can purchase tickets in advance if you know what time you will arrive at the cave or you can buy the ticket same day at the ticket counter. Tours go by time and language and they seem to prioritize groups like schools. There was an English, German line, and an audio line for those who do not speak German nor English. You will funnel into a line based on the time of your ticket and the language you want the tour in. From there, you will board your train with your tour guide, taking you 2.5k down to the belly of the cave.

The cave is quite chilly so be sure to bring a jacket as you will be down in the cave for about an hour. The cave dates back to the 1800s when it was first opened to the public as part of a tourism incentive. It is a fascinating cave full of history and stories. I felt the tour groups were way too large and the tour should be audio only and self paced. It was incredible busy as each tour had about 60 people or so.

After the cave drive about 15 minutes to the Predjama Castle. There are parking attendance who will direct you to the parking lot where you will walk up the stairs or the road to make it to the entrance of the cave. If you purchased the combined ticket of Cave and Castle then you can head straight to the castle entrance.

Enjoy walking around the city for the last night in Slovenia!

Savor the traditional Slovenian pastry Potica, a delightful dough dessert filled with flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, or raspberry. I highly recommend trying it at the charming spot, La Potica.

Enjoy your final dinner at Meat Point and take a leisurely stroll through the city at night. The peaceful nighttime atmosphere creates a truly enjoyable experience as you explore the quiet streets after your meal.

Day 7: Travel Home

That’s a wrap on a week in Slovenia filled with delicious food and breathtaking sights. Slovenia is truly an underrated gem that deserves more recognition. I hope this itinerary was helpful and inspires you to experience the magic of Slovenia for yourself. As always, happy travels!