Slovenia Hidden Gems: Ultimate Guide to Ljubljana and Lake Bled

Traveled in May 2018

Visiting Slovenia was never on my radar. But it is definitely one of Europe’s hidden gems. Ljubljana is the most charming cobblestone town with boutiques filled with cute accessories and decorations that make me scream “just take my money!”. And Lake Bled – with its cliffside castle, beautiful lake, and idyllic island – is a beautiful pocket of nature that deserves a couple days to fully explore. If this has you intrigued, use this Slovenia guide as your introduction to this hidden gem European travel destination!

The only reason we discovered Slovenia was because we were ending our trip to Croatia in Zagreb, and when I was researching Zagreb I read that it was very close to Slovenia. This seemed like a good opportunity to explore another country that I would probably never visit otherwise. So we took the chance and added a couple days to the end of our itinerary for Slovenia and I wish we had more time there! Make sure to explore this amazing country before the other tourists discover it!

Slovenia Itinerary

When to Go

We traveled in late May and the weather was perfect for strolling around Ljubljana, but wet and rainy in Lake Bled. If it is a long winter, then some outdoor activities and hikes may not yet be open in May. This was the case for us, as the Vintgar Gorge boardwalks were still closed when we visited (though we were still able to see some of the gorge with some hiking). The weather is usually warmer June to August, but that is the peak tourist season. However, Slovenia is still a bit off the main tourist path so tourist season in Slovenia may not be quite as crowded as in Italy or Croatia. Lake Bled can be crowded on the weekends from May to September.

How to Get There

The only airport in Slovenia is in Ljubljana (airport code LJU). However, it can be cheaper to fly from Zagreb (airport code ZAG) instead. Ljubljana is 2.5 hours away from Zagreb in Croatia by direct train or bus, so it is a great addition to a Croatia trip. Train tickets can be purchased at the station and bus tickets can be purchased online on the Flixbus website. You can also travel to Slovenia on a day tour from Zagreb to get just a taste of the country with less time.

For a longer transfer, Ljubljana is 4 hours away from Venice by bus or 4.5 hours away from Salzburg by train.

Where to Stay in Ljubljana

For the most atmospheric stay, look for accommodations by the river in the Old Town of Ljubljana. Check out our post on the best places to stay in Ljubljana for our hand-picked list of the most convenient and charming places to stay.

If those hotels are all booked up, check out these other highly rated stays in near the river in the Old Town of Ljubljana.

How to Get Around

For a short trip to Slovenia, you can get around with public transportation or hired shuttles. I would not recommend driving since parking can be challenging in Ljubljana and Lake Bled. If you do choose to drive, make sure that you have a toll sticker for the expressways to avoid a fine. If your rental car doesn’t already have a toll sticker, you can buy one at a gas station, post office, or online (once you have your car’s license plate number).

Show Me the Money

Slovenia is part of the European Union, and they use the Euro as their currency. Credit cards were widely accepted, so we mostly relied on our no-foreign-transaction-fee credit card. We use the Chase Sapphire Reserve card (use my referral for bonus points!). Always choose to pay in the local currency rather than USD for a better exchange rate. We did withdraw a small amount of Euros just in case. If withdrawing any cash, look for ATMS run by the local banks and always choose to withdraw the amount in Euros rather than USD for a better exchange rate.

Saving tip: to avoid ATM fees (from the foreign bank and your bank), look for a checking account that offers ATM fee reimbursements. I can personally recommend the Schwab investors checking account and the Betterment checking account for this purpose.

How to Stay Connected

Because we took this trip before e-sims were commonly used, we bought tourist prepaid sim cards for our cell phones during this trip. Orange and Vodaphone are two popular cell phone companies in Europe that sell prepaid tourist sim cards that can be used throughout Europe.

However, if traveling again we would definitely use an e-sim from Airalo.

If you have an unlocked phone, then you can either purchase a prepaid sim card or you can use an e-sim. The e-sim is the cheapest way to get international cell phone data. We had a great experience using Airalo to purchase an e-sim on our trip to Canada and Switzerland. The downside is that you only have data and no phone service when using Airalo e-sims, so it’s a good option if you don’t anticipate needing to make phone calls. You can also top up as you go, and it is really affordable. The Airalo website has great tutorials and I also watched this Youtube video for more installation tips. We usually start the installation process at home to load the e-sim into our phones, and then once we land at our destination we turn off our US e-sim and turn on the international e-sim.

Airalo offers local e-sims for specific countries or regional e-sims for all of Europe. For this Slovenia itinerary, you could either buy just the Slovenia e-sim, or get the regional Europe e-sim if traveling to multiple countries.

Slovenia Itinerary at a Glance

Day	Activity	Sleep In
1	Arrive in Ljubljana Explore Old Town	Ljubljana
2	Day trip to Lake Bled, Bled Castle, and Vintgar Gorge	Ljubljana

Day 1: Old Town Ljubljana

Both the train station and the bus station are a 15-20 minute walk from the river and the center of the Old Town. Much of Old Town Ljubljana is pedestrianized, so it makes more sense to walk than to taxi.

Preseren Square

Preseren Square is the heart of the Old Town of Ljubljana. From this square you can admire the river, the Triple Bridge, and some beautiful architecture.

Riverside Market

The Riverside Market is just across the river after crossing on the Triple Bridge. This Old Town market spans a stretch of the river and sells local handicrafts as well as local produce. Certain days of the week, the market also hosts a street food festival. The market is book-ended by the photogenic Dragon Bridge.

Ljubljana Castle

To get to the Ljubljana Castle, take the funicular across the street from the main market square. There are great views of Ljubljana from the castle given its perch on the hill. The castle grounds are free to visit but you do have to purchase a ticket to visit the exhibits inside the castle.

Shopping in the Old Town

The main street of the Old Town is filled with cute inviting boutiques that are made for browsing. The street starts at Cyril and Methodius Square, continues to Town Square, and continues down Mestni Trg and turns into Stari Trg. If it’s time for lunch, there are a row of restaurants to choose from on this street before you continue shopping. Valvas’or and Julija are both good options with atmospheric outdoor seating and lunch specials.

Ljubljana River Promenade

Walking along the Ljubljana River promenade is a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. The riverbank is filled with cafe tables from the many coffee shops and ice cream shops so you can enjoy the view. There is no better way to feel like you’re on vacation than savoring an ice cream over good conversation while watching the world and river go by. We got our ice cream fix at Romantika. Another good option is Cacao.

For dinner, Ljubljanski Dvor has great pizza also with an outdoor riverside terrace.

Day 2: Day Trip to Lake Bled and Vintgar Gorge

From Ljubljana, it is easiest to reach Lake Bled by bus (1.25 hours) or a shared shuttle service like GoOpti. The bus station in Ljubljana is next to the train station, about a 15-20 minute walk from the Old Town. You can buy bus tickets online here or buy them on the bus.

In the summer, the TI operates a shuttle bus that goes from the bus station in Bled to the castle and on to Vintgar Gorge. If the shuttle bus isn’t running for the season yet, you can book a similar shuttle service through Mamut, which is a private company. Mamut’s office is near the Bled bus station. Mamut also offers a group shuttle service back to Ljubljana in the afternoon. We used these services from Mamut to help us make the most of our limited time in Lake Bled.

Vintgar Gorge

The Vintgar Gorge is about a 10 minute drive from Bled and is a beautiful and easy walk along a river gorge. Buy tickets online here or at the Mamut office if using their shuttle. The hike along the boardwalks takes about 2 hours.

Bled Castle

Bled Castle is perched on a cliff above the lake, and has fabulous views of Lake Bled below. The best views are from the terrace at the top. The rest of the museum has some quaint exhibits, like a working replica of a printing press. If you need a snack, stop for Bled’s famous cream cake (kremna rezina) at the cafe terrace.

Walk Around Lake Bled

Walking around the lake is a peaceful way to spend the afternoon. Plan for many photo stops while walking around this photogenic lake, with its island in the middle and fancy villas surrounding it.

Lake Bled is a great jumping off point for other amazing outdoor activities in the area. With more time, you can tour Lake Bohinj and Waterfall Savica or go canyoning for more of an adrenaline rush.

I hope this Slovenia guide to Ljubljana and Lake Bled has given you a taste of what Slovenia has to offer so you can start exploring this hidden gem before it gets discovered. To round out your trip, pair a trip to Slovenia with a couple days in Greece or Croatia!