The Ultimate Slovenia Road Trip: 3 Day Itinerary

Slovenia is a beautiful country with unique cities and breathtaking nature. The country is small which means you can see most of the highlights in just three days. Of course you could spend more than 3 days here, but with limited vacation days a 3 day Slovenia road trip is a nice introduction to this incredible country.

How to Get to Slovenia

The main airport in Slovenia is in Ljubljana and is only about 20 minutes outside of the city center. You can find a flight to Ljubljana (airport code: LJU) or take a train or bus from other cities in Europe. Slovenia is a great country to add to your Croatia or Italy trip.

How to Get Around Slovenia

The best way to explore Slovenia is to rent a car. You can rent a car ahead of time online and pick it up at the Ljubljana airport when you land. The roads are easy to drive on and you can easily find parking at all the sights. Driving around Slovenia will allow you to enjoy the beautiful countryside and have a more relaxing itinerary so you don’t have to depend on public transportation.

Where to Stay in Slovenia

Because Slovenia is a small country, it is possible to stay in Ljubljana for this road trip and return every night. The other option is to split up the nights between Ljubljana, Lake Bled, and Piran, but then you would be moving around a lot. There are many Airbnbs and guesthouses in Ljubljana. I recommend using booking.com to book your stay in Slovenia where you can find both guesthouses and hotels.

Travel Medical Insurance for Slovenia

Things can go wrong while traveling, so getting appropriate coverage can save you a lot of money. SafetyWing offers affordable travel medical insurance that is flexible and includes coverage for medical such as if you get in an accident or get sick while traveling.

Slovenia Road Trip: 3 Day Itinerary

Day 1: Explore Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana
Day 2: Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, and Piran
Day 3: Triglav National Park: Lake Bled, Vintgar Gorge, and Lake Bohinj

Day 1: Ljubljana

Explore the City Center

Ljubljana is a small but exciting city. The Ljubljanica river cuts through the city and there are bicyclists everywhere. Some of the city center is closed to cars which is nice. There are many colorful buildings and a lot of great restaurants and shops. Since the city is so small you can easily explore it in just one day. Walk across the Triple Bridge and Dragon Bridge, visit Ljubljana Castle, and stroll through Tivoli Park.

Ljubljana Castle

Ljubljana Castle sits on Castle Hill above the city. To get to the castle you can take a funicular railway which starts past the puppet theatre in Krek Square. Another option is the tourist train which links the city’s major attractions. There are also multiple walking paths that you can take up to the castle, or you can ride a bicycle. The viewing tower has great views of the city.

Central Market

Don’t miss a visit to the central market which is open every day except Sunday and is located between the Dragon Bridge and the Triple Bridge. Here you can find fruit, vegetables, baked goods, crafts, and more.

Day 2: Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle and Piran

Postojna Cave

Start the day early and drive about 40 minutes southwest of Ljubljana to get to Postojna Cave. This unique cave was shaped by water over millions of years. Make sure to book a tour online ahead of time. The hour and a half long tour takes you on a 3.5 km cave train ride and 1.5 km walking path through the cave. The temperature inside the cave remains the same at 10 degrees celsius all year, so make sure to bring warm clothing. On the tour you will see many stalagmites, rock formations that grow from the floor of the cave due to accumulating material caused by water droppings. There are also large halls formed by water and more narrow passages.

Predjama Castle

An additional 15 minutes from Postojna Cave you will find Predjama Castle, a medieval castle that was built into a cave. This is the largest cave castle in the world, built in the middle of a 123 meter high cliff. I recommend purchasing the audio tour to learn more about the history of the castle.

Piran

About an hour southwest from Predjama Castle you will reach the coastal city of Piran, located on the Adriatic Sea. This is a small colorful city that can be explored in a couple hours. Spend time walking around the old town and enjoying the Adriatic Sea. To get an incredible view of the city, climb up to the walls of Piran.

Day 3: Lake Bled, Vintgar Gorge, and Lake Bohinj

Lake Bled

Lake Bled is a breathtaking bright blue lake that is one of the most popular sights in Slovenia. Only 40 minutes from Ljubljana, it is a great day trip from the city. Start your 3rd day in Slovenia by driving up to Bled Castle, the oldest castle in Slovenia. From this medieval castle you can enjoy an incredible view of Lake Bled. Next take a nice walk around Lake Bled and stop for Lake Bled Cream Cake at a restaurant near the lake. If you are interested in spending more time enjoying this lake, you can rent a rowboat and row out to Bled island.

Vintgar Gorge

Vintgar Gorge was one of our favorite places on our 3 day Slovenia road trip. Vintgar Gorge is a 1.6 km long gorge carved by the Radovna River. You can walk on boardwalks through the gorge and enjoy the bright blue water, waterfalls, and green foliage.

Lake Bohinj

40 minutes from Vintgar Gorge you will find Lake Bohinj, a less known but really nice glacial lake. This lake is very different from Lake Bled and darker in color. You can take a cable car up to Vogel Mountain for an incredible view of the lake. It is a lot cooler when you get to the top so make sure to bring layers. Lake Bohinj barely has any people compared to Lake Bled, which makes it very nice and relaxing.

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