Day 1: Ljubljana

Ljubljana is a perfect city to explore in 1 day, there are plenty of activities and sites to fill the day, but not so many must-sees that your day feels rushed. This schedule allows you to sleep in just a little bit and have a relaxing and enjoyable day to embrace the charming vibe of the city.

9:30am – Breakfast/Brunch

Ljubljana has a reputation for being a foodie city so there are great places to grab food all over. It’s probably easiest to get something close to where you’re staying, or on the way to where you’re going. There are three places in the city that I personally visited and recommend to you: EK Bistro, Cafe Capri, and Brot Pekarna.

EK Bistro is a slightly upscale cafe with a menu that reminds me of an American-style brunch with some European flair. There’s a mix of sweet and savory options and even though the decor feels a touch fancy the prices are still very reasonable. If the weather is, nice there is plenty of comfortable patio seating which is a nice touch. I ordered the “Special with pulled beef” which was akin to an eggs benedict with pulled beef instead of ham and it was outstanding.

Cafe Capri, as the name suggests, is a breakfast restaurant with more of an Italian/Mediterranean vibe. The menu has a variety of options, from omelettes to sandwiches, to American-style pancakes, to full-English breakfasts. I had the Mediterranean Breakfast which had scrambled eggs with tomatoes and mozzarella, bruschetta, and salami. Prices here were reasonable and came to about €30 for 2 people between drinks and food.

Brot Pekarna is a small local bakery and cafe with only a few seats inside. This is less a place for a large breakfast and more one for a small bite with some coffee. They have an assortment of baked goods for just a couple euros each, but if you want something more substantial they do sell small sandwiches and slices of quiche. I had the almond croissant and was impressed with the quality. I also enjoyed that our seats had a window view into the kitchen to see them preparing the pastries.

10:30am – Dragon Bridge

The Dragon Bridge (Zmajski most in Slovenian) is one of the most iconic sites in the city thanks to the bronze dragon statues that adorn the bridge. There are 4 large dragons, 2 on each end of the bridge, and 16 smaller ones all along the length of the bridge. This isn’t a stop that will take you much time, but it’s a great place to snap a photo and appreciate one of the city’s defining symbols.

10:45am – Franciscan Church of the Annunciation

This church has an eye-popping pink exterior that makes it one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city. It’s located on Prešeren Square which is one of the two most central city squares in Ljubljana. The interior of the church is also ornately decorated and worth exploring. The church is free to visit, you can enter through the double doors facing the square.

11:15am – Central Market

As with any city, the Central Market is a great place to explore and immerse yourself in the local culture. There’s a wide variety of vendors selling all sorts of things from fresh produce to clothing to souvenirs. Adjacent to the market I also found a fresh milk vending machine, which is the only such vending machine I’ve ever encountered.

If you happen to make it here on a Friday then you’ll have the opportunity to experience one of the coolest features of the city called Odprta Kuhna, or Open Kitchen. This event, which happens every Friday between March and November (weather permitting) between 10am and 9pm, establishes a culinary market inside the central market where restaurants from around the city and surrounding areas set up stalls and sell small portions of items from their menus. It is a great way to sample all sorts of different Slovenian cuisine and I was incredibly disappointed to miss out on in on my visit.

12pm – Ljubljana Castle

This is definitely the highlight of the day and is my favorite thing to do in the city. The castle offers the best views of the city and surrounding mountains as well as a variety of historical exhibits. There are several ticketing options to choose between, from a basic entry ticket to a variety of special tours.

I recommend taking the “Time Machine” tour. Tickets are €20 and include a round-trip ride on the funicular to get to the castle. This tour takes you around the castle with a guide to tell you stories about the history of the castle. Along the way there are actors dressed in period clothing to reenact the stories being told. I had an absolute blast on this tour and felt it was well worth the money. It was apparent that the actors and guide enjoyed their work which made the tour both entertaining and informative.

Be sure to buy your tickets online ahead of time as the tour only runs a few times per day. The funicular stop at the base of the castle is not particularly well marked so make sure to set your navigation to “Lower funicular station” and watch out for signs when you get close.

3pm – Ljubljana Cathedral

Located not far from the castle’s lower funicular station, the Cathedral is the most significant catholic church in the city. Perhaps the most unique feature of the church is its large bronze doors decorated with sculptures meant to depict stories from the city’s past. The interior of the cathedral is home to a large gilded organ and beautiful ceiling paintings among other lavish decorations.

It costs €2 to enter the Cathedral unless you decide to visit for mass, which is free. It wasn’t particularly clear to me from the outside where you’re supposed to enter, but I entered through the doors facing the pedestrian street Ciril Metodov trg, across from the Dragon Shop souvenir store.

4pm – Mestni Trg

Town Square is the other main square of Ljubljana alongside Prešeren Square. It’s a charming area of the city that highlights the best of Ljubljana. It’s line with baroque style buildings that are home to a variety of shops and restaurants. Also at this square is the Town Hall, which is free to enter and often home to seasonal art exhibitions.

4:30pm – Church of St. James

The Church of St. James is a cute yellow church at the end of the pedestrian road that runs through the Town Square. It dates back to the early 17th century and next to it is the St. Mary’s Column which was built to commemorate the Habsburg’s victory of the Turks in the Battle of Saint Gotthard. Unfortunately the inside of the church was closed for renovations when I visited so I didn’t have the chance to see it.

5pm – Dinner

Yes, I know this is early, but by this point it’s been a long day with plenty of walking, it’s time for a break. If you don’t want to eat this early that’s totally fine, just grab yourself a snack sometime during the day so you don’t go hungry and get dinner at whatever times suits your fancy. If you’ve been following this itinerary to a T then Druga Violina is a convenient stop for dinner, but I’ll also highlight Okrepčevalnica Čompa as another option.

Druga Violina is a restaurant serving traditional Slovenian food where the prices are great and the food is somehow even better. It’s located on a pedestrian street, making for a very pleasant outdoor dining experience when the weather is nice. The menu is full of traditional Slovenian dishes and I image you can’t go wrong. When I visited I tried the goulash and some traditional dumplings and it genuinely was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. To make it even better, my wife and I ate here for a total of €22.

Okrepċevalnica Ċompa (don’t ask me how to say that!) is a steakhouse and is the perfect spot for a special occasion, I went here to celebrate my birthday! It’s not a cheap place to go, although you’ll probably spend less than you would at a comparable place in the States. The service here was exceptional and we let the server pretty much order for us because she was confident she knew what we would like and she did not lead us astray. The highlights of the meal were the raw beef cubes and the steak. If the idea of raw beef intimidates you I really encourage you to put that aside and try this appetizer because it was fantastic. A dinner for two here cost about €100 but it was absolutely worth it so give this place a look if you’re looking for something a little fancier in Ljubljana.

7pm – Dessert

If you know me then you know that traveling in Europe means I need to get a daily dose of gelato, and fortunately there’s a great spot just down the street from Druga Violina. Gelataria Romantika is an outstanding gelato shop with lots of unique flavors. They hit on all my favorite things with their Chocolate chip caffe’ latte flavor and my wife really enjoyed the matcha and elderflower flavors.

This is where I ended my day in Ljubljana, I had a wonderful time here and I’m sure you will too. It’s truly a beautiful and underrated city that I would happily visit again. If you’re dying for more things to do some places you could check out are Metelkova, Tivoli Park, and St. Peter’s Parish Church.

Day 2: Lake Bled

Lake Bled is the most famous destination in Slovenia and also the best, you con’t come to Slovenia without spending at least a day here. Whether you’ve realized it or not you’ve likely seen photos of the famous island church in the center of the lake, which are commonly used as default screensavers for TVs and computers. If you’ve seen the photos and wondered: does it actually look that cool in person? The answer is a resounding yes. As much as I adore Ljubljana, Lake Bled is the highlight of any trip to Slovenia.

Getting There

Thanks to its popularity and proximity to Ljubljana, Lake Bled is both cheap and easy to access and does not require renting a car. There are 2-3 departures from Ljubljana every hour on the bus operator Arriva. Tickets are just €6 per person and the ride takes between 1-1.5 hours.

The easiest way to buy your tickets is at the bus station, which is a somewhat nondescript building near the train station. Inside there are both electronic ticket machines and staffed ticket booths where you can purchase your tickets. Your ticket is just the receipt you get when you purchase it so be sure to have somewhere safe to stash it during the day as you will need it for the return journey.

Itinerary

8:30am – Bus Departure

~9:45am – Arrive in Bled

10am – Bled Castle

The castle sitting high atop the hill overlooking the lake is actually the oldest castle in Slovenia, dating back to the year 1011. It is worth visiting for the spectacular views alone, but there’s more to the castle than just the views. Inside the castle is a variety of museum exhibits exploring the history of the castle itself and the region as a whole. There is also an upscale restaurant and a small cafe.

It’s a steep but manageable walk from the bus station to the castle. You can purchase tickets at the entrance of the castle. Prices for adults are €17, student tickets are €11, and children’s tickets are €7.

While you’re visiting the castle, be sure to take advantage of the free online audio guide to really make the most of your time. The castle restaurant is regarded as a good place to get a slice of Bled’s iconic cream cake, making it a good place to stop while you’re here. The restaurant was closed when I visited but I got a slice from the cafe and while I wasn’t blown away, it was tasty and fun to try.

12:30pm – Bled Island

The best way to reach Bled Island in the center of the lake is by a traditional boat called a pletna. These are wooden boats that seat roughly a dozen people, and are covered with a typically colorful awning. They are powered by a single person standing on the back of the boat rowing two large oars using a technique specific to this kind of boat.

You can find these boats near the tourist information center right on the lake. If there’s an operator with space on their boat you can just get on and then they’ll leave once the boat is full enough. They’ll row you out to the island and give you about 45 minutes to an hour to explore the island. When you get on the boat to come back is when you’ll be asked to pay the operator. You should expect to pay about €15 – €20 per person; make sure you have cash as the one I took only accepted cash payments.

On the island itself the best thing to do is just wander without an agenda. It’s small enough to get all the way around in the amount of time you have. You can visit the church although there’s not particularly much to see inside, it’s much prettier on the outside.

2:30pm – Lunch

By this point in the day you’ve probably worked up quite the appetite even if you indulged in some cake while you were at the castle. Fortunately there’s no shortage of highly rated restaurants in Bled. My personal choice is Pizzeria Rustika.

Pizzeria Rustika is an authentic wood-fired pizza spot that can legitimately compete with restaurants in neighboring Italy. The pizza here was some of the best I’ve ever had and really hit the spot after walking for hours. The prices are really good for the amount of food that you get. For 2 people I paid around €40 for 2 pizzas and drinks and the pizzas were so big that we weren’t able to finish them despite how hungry we were when we arrived. They’re definitely big enough for two people to share and be satisfied.

If pizza isn’t your thing some other restaurants that were on my list to try are Gostlina Murka, Gostlina pri Planincu, and Ostarija Babji zob.

3:30pm – Hike around the Lake

There is a paved and well marked trail that goes all the way around the lake and makes for a very pleasant walk with great views of the island from every possible angle. If you just walk around the lake it’s around 4.5 miles and generally very flat. However, if you’re able, I highly recommend hiking up to a view point to get an even better view of the lake.

The view point I visited and recommend is called Mala Osojnica; it’s not particularly well marked but if you enter the name into a navigation app you shouldn’t have any problem finding it. Be warned this is a short but steep hike to the view point. At one point there is a set of stairs so steep that it is basically a ladder. The path to the view is about .4 miles on its own with an average grade of 26%. Fortunately the views are well worth the effort and one of my favorite parts of visiting Bled.

7pm – Return bus to Ljubljana

The last bus for the day leaves at 10:30pm, you don’t need a ticket for a specific time, but be aware that the bus only has limited seats and if too many people are left then you may be stuck trying to find an expensive taxi back to the city.

Day 3: Kranj

Kranj (pronounced “krahn”) is Slovenia’s third largest city with a population of a whopping 37,944 as of 2023. It’s just a short train ride from Ljubljana and is notable for its well-preserved medieval old town. Kranj doesn’t always make it onto lists of best places to visit in Slovenia, but its charming city center and unique attractions make it a fun and underrated day trip from Ljubljana.

Getting There

Kranj is easily accessible from Ljubljana by bus or train. When I visited I took the train, which cost about €5 per person round trip and took about 30 minutes. The trains in Slovenia are very clean and comfortable and made for a pleasant experience. You can book tickets ahead of time online.

Although I had a good experience with the train I would actually recommend taking the bus to get to Kranj. This is because the bus station in Kranj is in a more central location than the train station. On a typical day it’s a 15 minute walk from the train station to the town center, but when I visited the main bridge was closed for construction so we had to go out of the way to find another bridge. We ended up, quite literally, running through the rain to get back to the station to catch the train back to Ljubljana! The bus station, in comparison, is just a 5 minute walk from the town center.

Buses from Ljubljana to Kranj are cheap and plentiful via Arriva. There are more than 5 departures every hour. The ride is about 35-50 minutes long depending on which line you end up on and tickets are just €3.30 per person.

Itinerary

9am – Bus to Kranj

9:45am – Arrive in Kranj

10am – Town Hall

The Town Hall in Kranj is located right in the center of old-town in a historical building dating back to the 1600s. Inside the town hall is a small museum dedicated to the history of the town and surrounding region. More importantly, the Town Hall is where you need to go to access the Kranj Ossuary, which is one of the top two things to do in this town.

An ossuary is a container or room that houses the bones of a dead people. To visit this ossuary you’ll need to talk to someone working at the town hall. You’ll pay a small fee of around €2 and they will take you down the street to the ossuary. There, they will unlock the doors for you and let you explore inside by yourself for as long as you like. This is one of the coolest experiences you can have in Slovenia. There are several signs around the structure that go over the history of the bones as well as the archeological work that discovered them. This is an absolute can’t-miss experience in Kranj and one of the main reasons I recommend visiting.

12pm – Church of St Cantianus and Companions

This is the parish church of Kranj and is conveniently located next door to the ossuary and is free to enter. It dates back to the 1300s and is believed to be a model for other churches around the country. The church isn’t as lavish as some, but is still beautiful on the inside and there are also several panels around the sanctuary detailing its history.

12:30pm – Lunch

If you’re having a meal in Kranj I recommend stopping at Bistro-Sonet. This cozy restaurant has a daily changing menu with high quality food for a low price. There are typically three entree options which cost €9.50 as well as a daily soup and dessert each costing between €2-€3. Among the entrees there is typically one meat, one seafood, and one vegetarian option. When I visited I had roasted chicken wings with potatoes and a strawberry and vanilla cake for dessert. The food was excellent, the service was friendly, and the price was outstanding value for what we got.

One note for when you’re visiting is that I found this spot a bit difficult to find despite the fact that is it located on the main street in old town. Bistro-Sonet is inside the same building as the Actum Hotel. When you enter the building there is a seating area just inside to the left but when I visited there was nobody there. Instead, follow the hallway straight and you will find another seating area on the left with both and indoor and covered outdoor section. This is where I was able to get seated and enjoy my meal.

2pm – Khislstein Castle

This castle dates back to the 13th century when it was built to guard the pier and bridge on the Sava River which runs through Kranj. Now more of a palace than a castle, Khislstein houses offices and hosts events in the courtyard. For tourists, the castle is home to an extensive museum with art exhibits and historical artifacts.

You can purchase your ticket to visit the castle at the main entrance. Unfortunately I don’t remember how much I paid and I couldn’t find any information online, my best guess is around €10 per person. The museum is big enough that you could spend all afternoon here if you wanted, which is what I did because it was pouring down rain during my visit. For most visitors I would guess that 90 minutes is a sufficient amount of time to enjoy the museum.

3:30pm – Viewpoint & Canyon

If the weather is nice, unlike when I visited, when you leave the castle set your navigation to “Razgledna ploščad Pungert”, it should be about a 5 minute walk. Here you will find a 16th century defensive tower with an observation deck that gives you a view of the Kokra River and the surrounding countryside.

From there, set your GPS to “Kanjon reke Kokre”, which should be another fairly short walk. This is a beautiful forest canyon formed by the Kokra river that was designated as a protected area in 1983. I’ve read that there should be stairs near the mouth of the bridge to take you down into the canyon, but since it was too rainy to do this on my visit, I’m not entirely sure if this is accurate. Regardless, you should at least have a nice view from the bridge.

5pm – Tunnels Tour

Underneath the old town of Kranj are 1300 meters of man-made tunnels that were built by the Germans during World War II. Since the war, they have been abandoned for a time, used for mushroom farming, and even used to conduct scientific research. Nowadays, visitors can visit them by scheduling guided tours through the Kranj tourism department.

To schedule a tour you can either reserve a spot through the website or email them directly at info@visitkranj.si. The tour is approximately an hour long and costs €7 per person. Tours only happen at 5pm on Tuesdays and Fridays and 10am on Saturdays and Sundays, so make sure you schedule your trip to align with these times.

This tour, along with the ossuary, is a real highlight of any visit to Kranj. The tour guide was funny and well-educated on the subject matter and spoke very good English. This was a unique, fun, and educational experience that was well worth the money. You should not skip out on this when visiting Kranj.

6:30pm – Bus back to Ljubljana

The last bus back to Ljubljana departs at 11:10pm so you could certainly stick around in Kranj for dinner if you’d like. If you’re doing that, two highly rated restaurants to consider are Bazen Bar & BBQ and Das is Walter.

Overall, I had a great time in Kranj; it definitely deserves more love than it gets when it comes to the best day trips from Ljubljana. It’s a beautifully preserved town with friendly locals and some really unique things to do.