Visit Lovely Ljubljana
Ljubljana is Slovenia’s capital city. It’s colorful, it’s lively, it’s compact, and there are more dragons here than museums. This is the kind of city where it is just fun to explore without a long list of things to do.
While you are here, play an escape game at the castle on the hill, stroll the colorful streets, and take your pick from an amazing number of highly rated restaurants.
How to Visit Ljubljana: One day is just enough time to experience the best of Ljubljana. Two or more days allow you to slow down, try more restaurants (one of our favorite things to do here was to eat), and really get to know this charming city. You can stay longer, using Ljubljana as a home base for day trips to Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj, Predjama Castle, and more.
Visit Picture Perfect Lake Bled
A visit to Slovenia would not be complete without a visit to Lake Bled. This is one of Slovenia’s most popular destinations. With its castle on the hill, a pretty island to visit, secluded swimming spots, and short hiking trails, Lake Bled is not to be missed.
Get the Postcard View at Mala Osojnica
For the iconic view over Lake Bled it’s a short but strenuous hike to the Mala Osojnica viewpoint.
How to Get Here: Mala Osojnica is located on the western side of Lake Bled. It takes roughly one hour to hike round trip to the viewpoint. Read our article 8 Amazing Things to do in Lake Bled for more details.
Explore Vintgar Gorge
Vintgar Gorge is one of the most magical places to visit in Slovenia. For 1.6 km, boardwalks criss cross their way along the Radovna River, creating an enchanting landscape that is very photogenic and fun to explore.
It’s gorgeous, it’s easy to walk, it’s easy to get to, and it’s fun for the entire family.
Hike Triglav National Park
One of the best things to do in Slovenia is go hiking. And one of the best places in Slovenia to go hiking is Triglav National Park. Located in the Julian Alps, this rugged, rocky mountain range is an epic destination for hikers and rock climbers.
Visit Piran, Slovenia’s Gem on the Adriatic Sea
Piran is a small, colorful coastal town that sits right on the Adriatic Sea. Stroll the city streets, take your pick from numerous seafood restaurants, and walk along the medieval walls for one of the best views of the city.
Visit Koper
Koper is a small coastal city that’s just a short drive from Piran. Climb the bell tower for the best view of the city, visit the Praetorian Palace, and go shopping.
Spend the Day at Lake Bohinj
Lake Bled may be Slovenia’s most popular lake, but Lake Bohinj comes in a very close second place. Go hiking, go paddle boarding, ride a cable car for one of the best views over Triglav National Park, and go swimming in the lake.
How to Visit Lake Bohinj: Most people visit Lake Bohinj on a day trip from Lake Bled, Ljubljana, or Kranjska Gora. Lake Bohinj is a little less touristy than Lake Bled, so if you are looking for a quiet but scenic spot to spend a few days, consider Lake Bohinj over Lake Bled.
Explore the Soča River Valley
The Soča River starts in the Julian Alps and meanders through western Slovenia, traveling through Bovec, Kobarid, Tolmin, and ending in the Adriatic Sea. This river is brilliant aquamarine for most of its length. You can go white water rafting from Bovec or simply drive along the Soča River, enjoying the view as you go.
Tolmin Gorge
Tolmin Gorge is similar to Vintgar Gorge. Walk along the crystal clear Tolminka River, photograph the moss-covered canyons, and walk on a suspension bridge high above the gorge.
Tolmin Gorge is located off of the main tourist trail so there are less visitors here than Vintgar Gorge. However, if you only have time for one, the Vintgar Gorge is the better experience in our opinion.
Go Wine Tasting in Maribor
Maribor is a small city located in eastern Slovenia. This is the second largest city in Slovenia. Take in the view from Pyramid Hill, see the oldest vine in the world, and stroll along the colorful streets and squares. It feels a lot quieter here than Ljubljana and Lake Bled, so if you are looking to escape the summer crowds in Slovenia (and you like wine) this is a nice place to visit.
Getting Here: By car it takes 1.5 hours to drive from Maribor to Ljubljana. If you are short on time, it’s not worth driving this distance just to visit Maribor. However, if you want to explore one of Slovenia’s best wine regions or want to see another part of the country, consider a day trip (or more time) in Maribor.
Visit Predjama Castle
Predjama Castle is the largest cave castle in the world. It’s an easy, quick day trip from Ljubljana and can be combined with either the Postojna Caves or the Škocjan Caves.
Škocjan Caves
Journey to the enormous, subterranean world of the Škocjan Caves. These caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest underground canyons in the world. I’ve never been “wowed” by a cave until I visited this place.
You can visit Škocjan Caves on a day trip from Ljubljana. It is very easy to combine this visit with Predjama Castle. A visit here lasts about three hours.
Škocjan or Postojna Caves? Postojna Caves are more popular and more touristy than the Škocjan Caves. There are a lot of gimmicks to attract people to the Postojna Caves, like a ride on an underground railroad and Murano glass chandeliers hanging in the cave. If you want a more authentic cave experience, and if you want to share the visit with less people, we recommend Škocjan Caves.
A White Knuckle Drive on Slovenia’s Highest Road
For a white-knuckle experience, drive on the highest road in Slovenia. Topping out at 2,072 meters, you can drive to the Mangartsko Sedlo, where you have panoramic views over Slovenia and Italy.
This truly is a white-knuckle drive. We have driven on a lot of crazy, winding roads around the world but this just may be one of the craziest. It is a narrow, winding road with numerous hairpin turns that do not have guardrails. In order to do this drive, you need excellent driving skills, nerves of steel, and a good head for heights.
How to do this: This road starts near Log pod Mangartom and ends at the Mangartsko Sedlo. It is a dead-end road, so you will drive it in both directions. This is also a toll road. Before the real climbing started, we had to pay a small fee (€5) at a ticket booth in order to continue on our way. It takes roughly one hour round trip to do this drive, longer if you spend time on the saddle enjoying the view.
Kranjska Gora
Kranjska Gora is a very small town that is located just north of Triglav National Park. This town makes a very nice home base if you plan to do any hiking in the Julian Alps. We also used this as our home base for day tripping out to the Soča River Valley, Lake Bled, and Lake Bohinj.
About Kranjska Gora: There are a handful of very nice hotels and restaurants in town. Accommodations were cheaper here than staying at Lake Bohinj or Lake Bled, plus, it was just a short drive to some of the best hikes in Triglav National Park.
Cool Off at Lake Jasna
This is yet another one of Slovenia’s very pretty lakes. Located near Kranjska Gora, this is a popular swimming spot in the summer months.