Slovenia: best road trip itinerary

Of all the countries we’ve ever visited, Slovenia tops the list as the less touristy, yet most underrated! To all mountain lovers: this is the place for you! Amazing landscapes, thrilling hikes, and countless outdoor activities opportunities like rafting, kayaking, or climbing will have you deeply fall in love. For all the others, there’s still a lot left on the table: the charming capital city of Lubljana, cozy medieval towns and castles, or the sunny Adriatic coast. It’s difficult to think about such a small country having this much to offer anywhere else in the world. Let’s walk through the best road trip itinerary in Slovenia!

Day 1: Ljubljana

Accommodation:  Apartament Emonca – 184 euro/4 people/3 nights

No matter if you arrive by plane or by car, Ljubljana is the perfect place to settle in. Slovenia’s cozy capital welcomed us with perfect weather, a laid-back vibe, and a whole bunch of pretty terraces waiting for us to sip some cold beers.

First things first, we headed to the Central Market to dive into the local food scene. You should know by now we are absolute street food fans – so we were delighted to see a buzzy, international street food festival going on in Pogačar Square at lunchtime. The slow pot-cooked pork ribs we had were simply delicious. What we enjoyed even more though was the lively, bustling atmosphere with youngsters and elderly people spending a nice Saturday afternoon together.

Bellies full, we went to the nearby Ljubljana Castel to check out the city’s main attraction and viewpoint. To learn about the history of the place in a more interactive way, we chose to play Escape the Castle (an escape-room kind of game made of quizzes spread all around the castle). While we ended up having lots of fun, in terms of historical and cultural context it was not the most useful, so we’d rather recommend taking an audio guide. However, if you’re visiting with children, it will make their day. The cost of the experience was 13 euros per person (entry ticket, game and funicular). You can find more information about the schedule, activities, and rates at ljubljanskigrad.si.

During the evening, we explored all corners of downtown Ljubljana. The highlights: watch the street musicians in Preseren Square, then cross the Triple Bridge for a better view of the emblematic pink Franciscan Church. Stroll the cozy alleys next to the Town Hall and discover the four dragons (the symbol of the city) on Dragon’s Bridge. Last but not least, enjoy a glass of wine (or more) at one of the outdoor bars by the Danube.

Day 2: Velika Planina, Logar Valley, Rinka Fall

Start your day early and drive to the Traditional Shepherd Settlement at Velika Planina. The bottom cable car station is located in the Kamniška Bistrica Valley, next to the Kamp Alpe campsite. A return ticket for the cable car and chairlift costs 17 euros. Make sure you check the timetable here and plan your trip accordingly so you don’t have to wait an hour or two for the next cable car.

How to reach the main settlement? Once you get off the cable car and onto the alpine meadow, you have to take a two-seat chair lift for 2 stations. If the chair lift is not operating, you can also go up on foot (it’s a 20-30-minute uphill hike). After you reach the end of the chairlift, keep walking to the top of the hill. There are no signs to guide you around, but following the dirt path will take you to the most picturesque views.

We visited Velika Planina on a rainy day in early June. The views over the cloudy mountains were charming, but the settlement itself was dead empty, not to mention freezing cold. Maybe it was the weather, maybe the pandemics, but there was not much to do there. I would assume (based on other online guides) that the place is more lively in full season. That’s the time when you can observe the shepherdsmen and their herds and try out their traditional products.

Your next stop is Logar Valley to walk the 7km long trail that runs the length of Logarska Dolina. You can enter the national park either by car (7 euros fee) or on foot/bicycle (free). The trail starts about 1 km away from the entrance (look for the “Pot po Logarski dolini” sign) and ends at Rinka Waterfall. Should you have a few days to spend here, there are many other amazing hikes (especially the one to Kamnik Saddle).

Because of the pouring rain, we had to drive our car through the valley to get a glimpse of the landscape. From the parking spot at the end of the valley, we put on our rain covers and hiked for around 15 minutes to reach Rinka Falls. Although unmarked, the dirt path leading to the waterfall is easy to follow – you can’t get lost. Right beside the waterfall, there is a small snack bar to grab a beer or, if you’re shivering cold like us, a cup of hot tea. The view from the terrace is breathtaking and it’s definitely worth spending a while admiring the falls and listening to the powerful splash of water land from the heights.

Day 3: Predjama Castle, Postojna Cave, Piran

Predjama Castle is about an hour drive away from Ljubliana – here’s where your day starts. The largest cave castle in the world looks like it was taken out of a fantasy series. With its medieval vibe and impressive surroundings, Predjama Castle is not to be missed. Just a few km away from this fairytale castle, you can find Postojna cave. Here, you can take the underground train and marvel at the subterranean formations.

Unfortunately, as we visited, access to both the castle and the cave was closed because of Covid. Instead, we walked around the castle, took a lot of photos, and had a delicious traditional lunch at Gostilna Požar restaurant with a mesmerizing view over the castle.

For the second half of the day, head to Piran, a historic harbor town on the Adriatic Sea. Slovenia doesn’t have many beach opportunities, but the coastal city of Piran makes the perfect place for a quick refreshing dip. Although there is no sandy beach, you can find multiple improvised sunbathing spots by the sea. After a good swim, walk to the center and explore the narrow winding streets – you will sense the Venetian influences at every corner.

You can’t come to the seaside and not indulge yourselves with a huge plateau with seafood. A place we can’t recommend enough is Fritolin Pri Cantini from Trg 1. maja square. The fish and seafood-based platters are hearty, delicious, and affordable too (scroll down for photo).

An aspect you should consider before visiting Piran is that only locals can drive their cars inside the town. Tourists have to park their cars just before entering the town and walk or take the free shuttle bus to the center. Also, parking is quite pricy: 15 euros for a few hours at Garage Fornače.

Day 4: Vintgar Gorge, Bled Lake

Accommodation: Kranjska Gora – Apartament 150 euro/4 people/2 nights

Today is the day we get to the infamous Bled Lake. But before spending a lazy afternoon by the lake, we start our day with a refreshing visit to Vintgar Gorge. The 1600m long gorge is crossed by another of Slovenia’s crazy-blue rivers, Radovna. To avoid the crowds we got there at the opening hour and felt like we had the place for ourselves. You can check vintgar.si website for more details.

I believe Lake Bled pictures put Slovenia on every traveler’s bucket list and for a good reason. This place has something for everyone. You can just relax, have a beer by the water, you can rent a boat or a SUP, and explore the lake and its picturesque island or take a short trail to one of the lake’s viewpoints. We did a bit of everything.

At first, we were a bit overwhelmed by the size of the lake. We drove around it and found a parking place near Kava Bar Hlapon (exact location here) and then walked to Lounge Bar Plaža where we had a delicious lunch. You can’t come to Lake Bled and not rent a wooden boat for that Instagram-worthy picture. We found available boats here at 20 euros per hour.

Just before sunset, we started the trail to the Ojstrica viewpoint. To get to the trail start, make your way to the Lake Bled camping site, close to Velika Zaka. You can use Google Maps and search for Mala Osojnica Trailhead. The climb is not your everyday walk in the park, it can be quite steep on some portions, but I think everyone can manage it.

Day 5: Soca River, Vršič Pass, Lake Jasna

Rafting the Soca River is a complete MUST when visiting Slovenia. It was our first time rafting and it was the highlight of the trip. Because of the limescale, the water has this perfect milky blue water that you won’t get enough of. For the most epic rafting experience, we highly recommend you book it with SportMix Bovec. The staff was super friendly, the equipment on point, and the rafting session was unforgettable. Check out their website for rates and contact.

The next stop is Vršič Pass followed by a quick hike to Sleme and Slemenova Spica in the Julian Alps. Vršič Mountain Pass with its 1,611m is the highest road pass in the Eastern Julian Alps. And even if it has way too many serpentines for my taste, the view is totally worth it.

From Vršič Pass you can hike to Sleme and Slemenova Spica. The hike takes 3-4 hours with a 550m elevation gain, so it’s pretty accessible to everyone. Unfortunately, because there was more snow than we anticipated, we only made it to Vratica Saddle, but from the top of the saddle, we got the best views of the hike. If you are able to finish the hike here is a detailed article about the next parts of it.

Also, if you’re into hiking, check out the “Hike Romania” articles on our blog. Amazing views in our beautiful home country.

At the end of the day, take a relaxing walk around Jasna Lake and enjoy a glass of wine while watching as the sun goes down behind the Julian Alps.

Day 6: Lake Bohinj

We concluded our short visit to this amazingly beautiful and hardly underrated country with a visit to Bohinj Lake. The most popular activity here is kayaking or canoeing on the lake and this is exactly what we did. We rented equipment from the Alpinsport booth, just by the bridge for 12 euros/kayak/2h and 11 euros/canoe/2h. If you have more time to spend at the lake, I would recommend taking Vogel Cablecar for a panoramic view over the lake.

How many days do you need in Slovenia?

We, unfortunately, had only 6 days for our itinerary, but I would recommend adding 1 or 2 more days in order not to feel rushed. If you are into hiking, there are countless trails that can keep you busy for at least one more week.

What is the best month to visit Slovenia?

June through August is the best period to explore Slovenia’s nature. We took our trip at the beginning of June to take advantage of the low-season prices but still enjoy the warm weather. Slovenia is still relatively uncrowded compared to other Mediterranean countries, so you can enjoy a summer vacation without packs of people everywhere.