Slovenia is a gem in the centre of Europe. From beautiful mountain scenery to a vibrant capital city, Slovenia is a great destination. With one week in Slovenia, you can explore the best that this small country offers.
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Slovenia is a beautiful country. It’s a real undiscovered gem, in the heart of Europe. There’s so much to do in this small country for a week, or you could even stay longer. With one week in Slovenia, you can see some of the beautiful mountain scenery, enjoy fun and action-packed activities, and also explore the capital city. And of course, with one week in Slovenia you can try lots of local Slovenian food and drink Slovenian wine.
To explore Slovenia in one week, you don’t need to hire a car. My itinerary for one week in Slovenia will show you how to make the most of your time in Slovenia and visit lots of different places in the country, all without a car. You can just focus on enjoying the amazing sights and scenery and the fun activities without needing to drive yourself anywhere.
Where should I stay for one week in Slovenia?
My itinerary for one week in Slovenia is based on staying in two different places: Lake Bled, and Ljubljana. Both of these places have lots to offer. From these two bases, you can do day trips to explore even more of the region. I’ll show you all of the best day trips you can take from Lake Bled, and also from Ljubljana, as well as the best things to do in each place. I recommend staying in Lake Bled for 5 nights, and then moving to Ljubljana to stay for 2 nights. Check out hotels in Lake Bled here on booking.com (affiliate), and hotels in Ljubljana here (affiliate)
Slovenia’s main international airport is approximately halfway between Ljubljana and Bled, so you’ll be able to get to and from the airport easier using both Bled and Ljubljana as your base for your week in Slovenia.
Do I need a car for one week in Slovenia
No, you don’t need a car for one week in Slovenia. The Old Town of Ljubljana is small and compact, and pedestrianised, so you definitely won’t want a car when you’re exploring Ljubljana. Both Bled and Ljubljana have excellent public transport for day trips, and there are lots of options for joining small group day tours as well. My itinerary for one week in Slovenia will be based on a trip without a car, using public transport and a few great day tours as well. Without a car, you can sit back and relax on the journeys and focus on enjoying the scenery instead of the stress of driving.
What is the weather like for one week in Slovenia?
Slovenia has hot summers and cold winters. My favourite time to visit Slovenia is in the spring, in May or June. Autumn is also nice, with September and October being good months as well. Spring and autumn bring sunny days but the temperatures aren’t too hot. Summer in Slovenia is also nice, but the weather can get very hot – it can easily get to 40 degrees. You should be prepared for rain whenever you visit, but in the summer you can get short but heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon.
To enjoy all your different activities in one week in Slovenia, make sure you check the weather forecast so you can make sure you’ve got the appropriate clothes packed. If the weather is going to be hot, you’ll want shorts and t-shirts and plenty of sun cream. Make sure you always have a thin waterproof coat as well, just in case it rains. It’s also a good idea to bring a warmer layer, as it can be cooler in the mountains or in the evenings. And bring good hiking shoes if you’re planning to do any serious hiking in the mountains.
Your Ultimate Itinerary for one week in Slovenia
Here’s my ultimate itinerary for one week in Slovenia. First, I’ll show you how to spend 5 nights in Lake Bled. Then, you’ll transfer to Ljubljana for 2 nights to explore even more of this beautiful country.
Day 1: Lake Bled – Bled Castle and a Boat Trip to the Island
Start your one week in Slovenia by exploring Lake Bled. Lake Bled is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Slovenia. It can get busy, but it’s so beautiful it’s worth visiting. There are lots of different hotel options in Lake Bled to suit all budgets. Check out some great Lake Bled hotels here (affiliate). Once you’re settled into a great Lake Bled hotel, you can start exploring Lake Bled.
Bled Castle
Start your first day in Lake Bled by visiting Bled Castle. The castle sits on a cliff high above the lake. You can walk up to the castle from the town. It’s a fairly steep hill, but the walk is short so it only takes about 10 minutes to walk up to Bled Castle.
The highlight of a visit to Bled Castle is the view over the lake. You need to pay to go inside the castle to see the view, but I think it’s worth it. As soon as you get into the castle, you can walk across the terrace and see the amazing view over the lake. There are lots of places to stand to take photos.
There’s more to the castle as well. You can go inside some of the rooms of the castle. Some of the rooms have a museum about the history of Bled Castle. And there’s also a souvenir shop, and a wine cellar. And the wall walk is nice as well, giving even more nice views across the castle and across to the lake.
I really enjoyed visiting Bled Castle. I spent over an hour at the castle, enjoying the views and also the museum and interior rooms.
Pletna Boat trip to Bled Island
In the afternoon, I recommend taking a boat trip on Lake Bled to the island. After seeing the views of Lake Bled from high up on the castle, it’s lovely to then take a boat trip to see the lake up close.
You can get a pletna boat to the island. It’s a really peaceful and relaxing way of seeing the lake and the island. The boats leave from the lakeside in the centre of Bled town. And these traditional boats are rowed by professional oarsmen – so you can just sit back and relax as someone else rows you gently across to the island. The boats leave regularly, and cost 20 euros (which you have to pay in cash).
It takes about 20 minutes to get from Bled town over to the island. The views are just stunning all the way.
When you get to Bled island, you have 45 minutes of free time on the island. You can walk around, or enjoy some ice cream at the cafe on the island. You can also pay to go inside the church if you want. I really liked the church. And, when you’re inside the church, you can ring the wishing bell and make a wish.
After exploring Bled island, you get back on the Pletna boat and get taken back to where you started in Bled town. The whole trip takes about 1.5 hours and it’s a lovely way to spend a relaxing afternoon getting to know Lake Bled.
Dinner in Lake Bled
Bled town has lots of restaurants. Many of these restaurants serve traditional Slovenian food, so you can try some local specialities. I recommend trying the Slovenian sausage at restaurant Gostilna Pri Planincu. It’s a delicious smoked sausage. And at this restaurant, it’s served with Pražen Krompir – which is sauteed potatoes with onions. It’s a delicious meal. And of course, a glass of local Slovenian wine goes perfectly with the meal. It’s a great way to end day one of your ultimate itinerary for exploring Slovenia in one week.
Keep reading for the next days of your itinerary, which include more adventurous activities like white water rafting and canyoning, as well as more beautiful lake and mountain scenery.
Day 2: Hiking in Triglav National Park and White Water Rafting on the Soča river
On day 2 of your ultimate itinerary for one week in Slovenia, take a full-day day trip from Lake Bled to explore more of the area. There are so many beautiful places you can visit on a day trip from Lake Bled. And there are loads of different small group tours that will take you to the highlights, without needing to drive yourself.
I took this day tour from Lake Bled (affiliate). It was a long day, but it was amazing and a highlight of my trip. You can also look at taking this similar tour from Lake Bled (affiliate). I’ll describe the places I saw on my day trip, but if you choose a slightly different tour, you might visit these places in a different order or somewhere a bit different.
Walk behind a waterfall at the Peričnik Waterfall
The first stop was at the Peričnik Waterfall. It was about a 30 minute drive from Lake Bled to get here. Peričnik Waterfall is a really impressive waterfall, cascading down from a great height. And the views of the waterfall and the surrounding mountains are just beautiful.
The best thing about Peričnik Waterfall is that you can walk behind the waterfall. It’s about a 20 minute uphill walk from the car park to get to the waterfall. Walking behind the waterfall is amazing. It’s so impressive to see the power of the water up close. But make sure you take a rain jacket if you won’t want to get too wet – there’s a lot of water spray behind the waterfall!
Relax by the lake at Kranjska Gora
The next stop was the lake next to the small village of Kranjska Gora. It’s a really peaceful and beautiful mountain lake. We had a fairly short stop here, but it was enough time to take some photos and enjoy the beauty of the lake.
Drive up the Vršič Pass (the Russian Road) and hike up to the top
The next part of the tour was one of my highlights of the day. We started driving up the Vršič Pass. It’s a winding mountain road in Triglav National Park, climbing up to 1,611m. There are 50 hairpin bends in total – 24 on the way up, and 26 on the way down. This road is also called the Russian Road, because it was built by Russian prisoners of war in World War One.
The views from the road are amazing. And one we got to the top, we hiked up to the top of the mountain.
It wasn’t too far to walk – about 30 minutes more uphill. And the views really made the walk worthwhile. It was amazing to be high up in the mountains, surrounded by stunning views on all sides.
Stop for a Cheese Burek for lunch in Bovec village
After the hike, we drove back down the Vršič Pass to Bovec village. It’s a small village, with an excellent bakery. We had a short lunch break here, so we could get something from the bakery for lunch. I recommend the cheese burek. It’s a pastry, filled with cheese. It’s so good.
Go White Water Rafting on the Soča river
After lunch was another of my highlights of the day – and a highlight of my one week in Slovenia. White Water Rafting was amazing.
We first stopped for some views of the Soča river. It’s a really beautiful river, with a stunning deep blue/emerald colour. I loved looking down into the river gorge, with the gorgeous blue water of the river at the bottom of the gorge.
Then, it was time to get on the river. The White Water Rafting was run by a local company, and they were excellent. They provided all safety gear and equipment, and gave a good safety briefing as they explained what we had to do. And then it was time to get into the boats.
Initially, the paddling was very gentle. But then we hit the first rapids. And it was so much fun! The guide at the back of the boat would tell us when to paddle, as he navigating us through the fast-flowing water and between rocks.
There were breaks between the sets of rapids as well, when we could jump into the water. It was a really hot day, so it was lovely to jump into the cool water and float down the river for a bit. There was even a time when the guides turned one of the boats upside down against a huge rock, so we could climb the rock and then slide down the boat into the water – including sliding down head-first!
It was all so much fun. The rafting time took about 2.5 hours, and the time went so quickly. It was tiring, but easily manageable for anyone with basic fitness. I’d definitely do white water rafting again.
If you want to just try the white water rafting, without the full day tour, you can book a white water rafting trip from Lake Bled on Get Your Guide (affiliate), or a similar white water rafting trip on Viator (affiliate).
Cross over into Italy to Lago del Predil and swim in the lake
After the rafting we got back onto the minibus to drive to the next location. This involved crossing over the Slovenian border into Italy.
Lago del Predil is a beautiful mountain lake, just over the border in Italy. It’s a really peaceful location. And you can swim in the lake as well. The water isn’t the warmest, but it’s refreshing and the views are just amazing. There’s a small cafe here as well, so you can sit with a drink and enjoy the views.
Enjoy the serenity of Zelenci Nature Reserve
The final stop on the tour was Zelenci Nature Reserve. We got here about 7pm, so there was a beautiful, soft evening light. It was so peaceful. We just took a short walk along the board walks, and up to the viewing platform and took in the views. It was a lovely place to spend the day exploring more of Slovenia.
If you’d like to take this day tour, or something similar, make sure you check out tours from Bled to Triglav National Park on Get Your Guide (affiliate) or Viator (affiliate).
Dinner in Bled
After the long day, it was nice to get back to Bled town for dinner. I decided to go to Pizzeria Rustika – they have some of the best pizzas outside of Italy! It was great to relax with a pizza and beer after an amazing day exploring.
Day 3: Canyoning and relax by the lake
On day 3 of your ultimate itinerary for one week in Slovenia, it’s time for another active adventure: canyoning! A morning spent canyoning is so much fun. And in the afternoon, you’ll have definitely earned some time by the lake to relax.
Canyoning in Jereka Canyon
You can book a canyoning adventure through Get Your Guide here (affiliate), or a similar canyoning adventure on Viator here (affiliate). The tours last about 4 hours in total, with about 1.5 hours actually in the canyon. You need a decent fitness level to do canyoning, but it’s not too difficult, and it’s so much fun! The canyon I went to was called Jereka Canyon.
Canyoning involves all sorts of things to get through the river and gorge. There are places where you jump from the rock into the water below. At other places, you slide down the rocks into the water. And then there are parts where you’ll be on a rope, and you’ll abseil down the rock. And there was a small zip wire as well. It’s 1.5 hours of physical effort, with some adrenaline rushes and lots of fun and laughter.
All the safety equipment is provided, including padded wetsuits, harnesses, helmet, and canyoning shoes. And there were two guides at all times. I was so impressed with the guides – they were so confident, and helped any nervous members of the group.
Canyoning was so much fun! I would definitely do it again.
Relax at Lake Bled with an afternoon drink
In the afternoon, I really enjoyed having a more relaxed time around Lake Bled. I felt like I’d filled up the last few days with activities, which were fun but also tiring! So it was nice to have the afternoon to relax.
You can swim in Lake Bled, which is lovely on a hot day. You can swim anywhere in the lake, but popular swimming places tend to be a bit further away from Bled town.
It’s also lovely to relax with a cool drink, enjoying the views of Lake Bled. You can get a drink at the cafe/bar just outside Grand Hotel Toplice. This bar has a lovely seating area with stunning views of the lake, and across to Bled Castle. Enjoy an afternoon Aperol Spritz or Hugo as you relax and enjoy the views. Or, in the evening, you could try a local Slovenian wine.
Dinner in Bled
For dinner in Bled, I recommend going to Old Cellar Bled restaurant. You’ll need to book a table here in advance. It’s one of the best and most popular restaurants in Bled, so it gets busy very quickly. So make sure you book a table.
I enjoyed trying ‘orange wine’ here. Orange wine is white wine, but it’s made like red wine. It was a bit different, and really nice. I also really enjoyed eating Pljukanci Pasta with beef, and a delicious Apple Strudel.
Day 4: Day trip to Lake Bohinj and the Vogel Cable Car
On day 4 of my one week in Slovenia, I took another day trip from Lake Bled. I decided to visit nearby Lake Bohinj, and take the Vogel Cable Car up to the mountains.
It’s easy to do this day trip by public transport from Bled. You can get a direct bus from Bled to Lake Bohinj, and it costs less than 4 euros each. You can get off the bus at the stop towards the end of Lake Bohinj for Vogel Cable Car and walk up the road a short distance to the cable car.
If you’d rather do this trip as a day tour from Bled so you don’t need to worry about public transport, you can take this tour from Bled to Lake Bohinj (affiliate), or this similar tour to Lake Bohinj here (affiliate).
Vogel Cable Car
The Vogel Cable Car leaves every 30 minutes. It’s a short ride to the top, at 1535m. And the views are just amazing. You can see down to Lake Bohinj, and across to the high mountains.
Continue on the chairlift
At the top of the cable car station, you can take the short walk to the chairlift. it’s free to ride on the chairlift. Riding the chairlift gives even more amazing views. It’s so peaceful and serene sitting on the chair lift and enjoying the views.
At the top of the chairlift there are some options for walks and hiking trails. If you want, you can do some of the long distance hiking trails. Or, if you just want a short walk with maximum views, you can take the short but steep walk up to the wooden cross, with the wishing bell.
Continue to the gondola for a round trip
There’s more to do here as well. There’s also a gondola, that is also free to ride. The gondola provides even more stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
There’s not much at the end of the gondola, so I didn’t get off at the end. Instead, I stayed on the gondola and enjoyed the views on the way back as well.
Head back down on the chairlift
Heading back downhill on the chairlift was just as beautiful and serene as the way back up. I think the views from the chairlift were my favourite part of the day.
Stop for coffee and cake at the restaurant
There are several restaurants at the top cable car station. I really enjoyed stopping at a restaurant for a coffee and Apple Strudel, while enjoying the fresh mountain air and stunning views.
Go back down on the Cable Car
Going back down on the cable car, the views were just as good. It was nice to see Lake Bohinj getting closer as we got down to the lake level.
Spend some time walking around and relaxing by Lake Bohinj
After exploring the higher mountains, I recommend spending a bit of time at Lake Bohinj as well. It’s a really pretty lake. Lake Bohinj is much less busy and less developed than Lake Bled, so it’s a lot more peaceful and tranquil. From the Vogel Cable Car station, you can walk through the camp site to the edge of the lake.
At the edge of Lake Bohinj there’s a stone-y beach, which gives such beautiful mountain views across the lake. I really enjoyed paddling in the lake, and relaxing on the lakeside beach until it was time to take the bus back to Bled.
Dinner in Bled
Back in Bled, you can enjoy more traditional Slovenian food for dinner. Goulash is a speciality in Slovenia. This hearty, warming beef stew is perfect after a day of exploring. It goes perfectly with a glass of local Slovenian wine. You can also try Slovenian dumplings called Štruklji.
Day 5: Hike for views over Bled and go paddleboarding
On day 5 of your one week in Slovenia, it’s time to enjoy a final day in Lake Bled. You can walk around the lake, and hike up to a viewpoint that gives stunning views across the lake and castle. In the afternoon, enjoy more time relaxing by the lake, and you can even try stand-up paddleboarding on the lake or hire a rowing boat.
Walk around Lake Bled and hike up to the Ojstrica viewpoint for views over Lake Bled
Walking around Lake Bled is a great way to see everything that Lake Bled has to offer. It takes about 1.5-2 hours to walk all the way around the lake. It’s an easy, flat path. And the views are just amazing. I particularly liked the views towards the West of the lake, where you were close to Bled Island and you could look across the lake to the island.
There are parts of the lake that are shaded in trees. And then the trees open up, revealing a stunning view across the lake from in between the branches.
You can extend the walk around Lake Bled. The Ojstrica viewpoint is a tough uphill walk, but the views are worth it. The path is signposted from the western end of the lake.
The footpath climbs steeply through the trees. After about 30 minutes of steep uphill walking, you’re rewarded with the viewpoint.
It’s an amazing view. You can see the whole lake, with the island and the castle. And you can see across to the mountains in the distance. The views are a great reward for the difficult uphill climb.
Go paddleboarding or hire a rowing boat on Lake Bled
After a morning of hiking, you can have a more relaxed final afternoon in Lake Bled. You can enjoy sitting by the lake with a drink, or swimming in the lake. Or, if you want another activity, there are lots of places around the lake where you can hire a stand up paddle board or a rowing boat. All of these options will give stunning views of Lake Bled, and are a perfect way to enjoy your final afternoon in this beautiful part of Slovenia.
If you’d like to try paddle boarding, you can book paddle boarding on Lake Bled here (affiliate), or a similar paddle boarding trip here (affiliate).
Get the bus from Bled to Ljubljana
After enjoying your final day on Lake Bled, it’s time to transfer to your second location of your one week in Slovenia. After 5 nights in Lake Bled, you’ll need to move to the capital city Ljubljana for your final two nights.
The bus from Bled to Ljubljana is really easy, and costs about 6 euros. The bus is direct and takes just over an hour. It leaves from Bled bus station of Bled Union bus stop. And it arrives at Ljubljana bus station.
From Ljubljana bus station, you can walk to your hotel in the pedestrianised Old Town of Ljubljana. There are lots of hotel options in Ljubljana, and a lot are reasonably priced. Check out hotels in Ljubljana here (affiliate).
Day 6: Take a day trip to Predjama Castle and Postojna Cave, then explore Ljubljana
On your next day in Slovenia, I recommend spending the first half of the day on a half-day day trip from Ljubljana. I took this half day tour from Ljubljana to visit Predjama Castle and Postojna Cave (affiliate). You can find a similar half day tour here (affiliate). The tour pick up was at 8am, and we got back to the city just before 2pm. The views on the drives were nice, and the friendly guide/driver tells you about history of Slovenia and the places you’ll visit.
Predjama Castle
The first stop on the half day tour is Predjama Castle. It’s an impressive castle, built into the cliffside, into a cave. I really enjoyed the views of the castle from the outside.
You have about an hour of free time to explore the castle, which is a good amount of time. You can go inside the castle and explore the rooms. There’s an option to have a free audio guide, which tells you more about each room of the castle that you visit. Or you can read the information signs in the castle as well.
Predjama Castle was first mentioned in 1274 and served as a strategic Gothic fortress. Its most legendary resident was Erasmus of Lueg, a rebellious knight who used a secret tunnel to withstand a siege before being killed—allegedly while using the lavatory. The current castle is in the Renaissance style, and was completed in 1570 by Baron Philipp von Cobenzl.
Postojna Cave
The next stop of the tour is Postojna Cave. It’s a truly impressive, huge cave system.
Expect queues to get in to the caves, as it’s a very popular tourist attraction in Slovenia. But the queue is well organised, and you will be shown where to go. First, you get onto a train and go for a train ride deep into the cave. The train ride is great, and you get amazing views of the cave as soon as you start getting deeper. Just make sure you take an extra warm layer for the cave, even if it’s warm outside. The temperature inside the cave is constantly around 10 degrees all year round, and the air can feel cool when you’re sat on the train.
After the train ride, you’ll join a guided tour to walk around the cave. The guided tours leave in huge groups, so it’s easy to step to the side whenever you want to take a photo. And it’s definitely worth stopping to take photos. The stalagmites and stalactites in the caves are just amazing. It’s amazing to think of this amazing rock structure being formed over many thousands of years.
The guided tour tells you more about the cave, and gives you the chance to stand and take in the views. At the end of the walking tour, you’ll head back to the train for the short ride back to the top. And then it’s time to get back into the minibus and be driven back to Ljubljana.
Afternoon in Ljubliana
After you get back from the tour, you’ll have the afternoon free to explore Ljubljana. Ljubljana is a really pretty city. The Old Town is all pedestrianised, and it’s a lovely place to walk around. In my first afternoon in Ljubljana, I focussed on exploring the Old Town around the river.
Start your afternoon at Prešernov trg. This is one of the main squares in Ljubljana. It’s a vibrant, energetic place, full of people and city life. There’s often a busker playing traditional Slovenian music here as well.
The main sight in this area is the large, pink, Franciscan Church. It’s a beautiful building. And you can go inside the church as well.
After visiting the church, you can cross the square to the river. The bridge here is called Triple Bridge – and it gets its name because there are three connected bridges. The bridge and the river give lovely views of the city.
You can walk along the river to see the beautiful views of the city and river. It’s such a pretty city.
Ljubljana is also full of cafes, bars and restaurants. In the hotter months, there are endless cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating. On a hot afternoon, it’s lovely to sit and relax in a shady seat and enjoy watching the city life. I recommend Cacao. It’s an ice cream cafe, that sells some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. Try the white chocolate and pistachio ice cream – it’s my new favourite ice cream.
For dinner, there are so many options in Ljubljana. It really is a food lovers paradise. I went to Pop’s Apperetivo for a Slovenian twist on a classic Italian menu. It was a lovely restaurant.
Ljubljana at night is also stunning. After dinner, go for a walk along the river and through the Old Town. It’s lovely seeing the city all lit up at night.
Day 7: Explore more of Ljubljana
On your final day of your ultimate itinerary for one week in Slovenia, spend your day exploring more of Ljubljana. If you want a short tour to get to know this city better, you can try this walking tour of Ljubljana (affiliate), or this tour of Ljubljana with a boat trip (affiliate). Or you could try this amazing tour that includes food tastings (affiliate). Alternatively, you can have the day to yourself and explore the city at your own pace.
Start your day at Dragon Bridge – another beautiful bridge over the river. From here, you can cross the road to get to Central Market. This huge market sells all sorts of local produce, from fresh fruits and vegetables to clothes, bags, hats and more.
Ljubljana Castle is also definitely worth a visit. You can walk up the steep hill to the castle, or you can take the funicular if you’d rather not walk. The Castle itself isn’t the most impressive – there are only a few interior rooms, that are more of a museum than a traditional castle. But the highlight of Ljubljana Castle is the views. The views from the castle are just amazing. You can look out across the whole city.
Back down in the main city, you can also visit Ljubljana Cathedral. It’s an impressive Cathedral, and it’s worth paying the small entrance fee to go inside.
For lunch, you’re spoilt for choice in Ljubljana. There are just so many restaurants with outdoor seating. I had a delicious Pinsa at a restaurant called Lana’s Corner.
After lunch, I enjoyed spending more time walking around Ljubljana’s pedestrianised Old Town. The Town Hall is a pretty building, with a square outside with impressive fountain.
And of course, there are endless river walks in Ljubljana. You can walk along the river for miles, enjoying the views. Or you can take a boat trip on the river as well to enjoy the views.
I stopped for a final afternoon beer in Ljubljana, at a bar right next to the river. It was lovely to just sit and relax with the lovely city and river views. And then sadly, my one week in Slovenia was at an end, and it was time to head to the airport for my flight home.
Enjoy your ultimate itinerary for one week in Slovenia! Make sure you also check out my guide to the top things to do in Lake Bled, and my guide to one day in Ljubljana. You can also check out my guide to the best things to eat and drink in Slovenia. Or, for more adventures in beautiful mountains, why not visit nearby Austria and explore Kitzbuhel, Zell am See and Alpbach.
