If you ever visit the stunning Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, you’ll surely be itching to explore its gorgeous region. To make the most of your stay in this incredible city, why not step outside and discover the stunning day trips from Ljubljana? From charming medieval towns and pristine nature reserves to alpine peaks and emerald-green rivers, these day tours offer a chance to experience Slovenia’s beauty in all its glory.
To give you an example of what you can expect on a day trip from Ljubljana, let’s look at Bled. This picture-perfect destination is just an hour south of the city and is home to some truly sublime sights. On one side stands the imposing 16th-century castle that overlooks Lake Bled – one of Slovenia’s most famous natural attractions.
Here, you can take a traditional pletna boat ride out onto the lake before enjoying a leisurely stroll around its banks. As well as offering postcard-worthy views (sure to fill your Instagram feed), Bled also boasts some great restaurants serving delicious local dishes such as kremšnita – a heavenly cream cake native to this region!
For nature lovers, there are plenty of other options close by too. From hiking trails winding through dense forests to cascading waterfalls that hint at Slovenia’s wilder side, there’s something for everyone looking for day trips from Ljubljana. If heights are more your thing, head for Mt Triglav National Park, which contains Slovenia’s tallest peak – Mt Triglav. With spectacular panoramas taking in vast swathes of unspoiled landscape, it’s no wonder it was made into a national park in 1981! And if culture is what you’re after, don’t forget about Postojna Cave – one of Europe’s largest subterranean cave systems with an incredible 20 kilometers (12 miles) of passages and galleries to explore.
From outdoor activities that will get your blood pumping to historical sites bursting with stories from days gone by, there’s plenty to enjoy when taking day trips from Ljubljana!
So if you find yourself in this wonderful city soon, check out what this region has to offer – we guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
Do you need help planning your trips? Start here!
❗️Be insured before your trip and get a SafetyWing FREE insurance quote
📚 Read our post about why you should always have insurance
✈️ Find out how to find cheap flights using Skyscanner or find deals now
🛌🏻 Book your accommodation through Booking.com
🎭 Find awesome and hassle-free tours through GetYourGuide
🚘 Explore Europe on an epic road trip with Discover Cars
Top Day Trips from Ljubljana, Slovenia
Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj
If you can visit only one destination in Ljubljana, board to train from Ljubljana to Bled. There is no lack of reasons to get to Lake Bled. But there is no match for walking around the lake, feasting your eyes on the crystal clear waters among the snowy Julian Alps.
It is easy to trek along this 2km long circuit to experience Lake Bled and its magically changing hues at each angle. And getting back from Bled to Ljubljana is also very easy.
Located only 26km southwest of Lake Bled in the Julian Alps, Lake Bohinj doubles the region’s beauty. It is bigger than Bled and a lot less crowded. Rather than pushing off the always-rising horde of tourists, the serenity of Lake Bohinj is within its quick reach. You never know how long it will last.
When it comes to getting there, the most accessible public transport is the bus to Lake Bled from Ljubljana. Buses depart every hour from Ljubljana Avtobusna Postaja from 6 am to 8 pm. It takes no more than two hours of bus ride to get there.
Where to stay in Ljubljana? Book your hotel and find great deals through this link!
Book this unique experience: Slovenia Day Tour to Bled, Postojna, and Predjama
Read also: Top 17 Most Beautiful and Best Lakes in Europe to Visit
Piran
Piran is an all-time favorite of all towns on the Istrian coast of Slovenia. No one could blame for the beautiful day trip from Ljubljana to Piran. The port town of peninsular Venetia, one of Europe’s best-hidden gems, has always attracted visitors for centuries with sweeping views of the sea and the winding alleyways.
Start your day trip from Piran at Tartinijev Trg, the town’s main square, which is named after Giuseppe Tartini, a famous violinist. If you think his name doesn’t sound Slovenian, you are right. Piran stunned off in the Venetian Republic from the 13th to the 18th century.
Even in the intra-war era, Pirano or Piran was a part of Italy. This influence of Italy is quickly noticeable as you can amble through the medieval streets decked with the architecture of Venetia. You may even forget that you are in Slovenia.
Where to stay in Ljubljana? Book your hotel and find great deals through this link!
Read also: Top 18 Pretty Castles in Slovenia to Visit
Postojna Cave & Predjama Castle
If science lovers must visit Škojcan Caves, we can all visit Postojna Cave. Postojna Cave is spectacular, which is not surprising, and no other European cave can match its charm. This karst cave is spread over 20 km underground and transports you to a mysterious world in a way you have never witnessed. Start your day trip from Ljubljana to Postojna along the electric railway of the cave, which was initially built in the late 19th century, to the Great Mountain.
You can cover the rest of the way with guided tours through Postojna Cave in 15 languages, where the geological formations will dazzle you with images of the parallel universe. It takes around 1.5 hours to complete the guided tour. The temperature inside the cave goes below 8-10˚C all the year-round, so be sure to wear warm clothes and wear shoes with proper grips to skip slips.
Even though you are castled out, Predjama Castle will be different as it is carved well into the side of a cliff. You will get to know this castle was about business at once from the outside. It also has a unique “Robin Hood” story behind it.
It rose back in the 13th century, and the castle’s most famous inhabitant popped in after a few centuries. A 15th-century rebellious robber and knight assassinated a top-ranking official in Vienna and fled to this castle. Erazem kept on making mischief, attacked Habsburg estates, and killed the kinsmen of the Austrian emperor.
Where to stay in Ljubljana? Book your hotel and find great deals through this link!
Book this unique experience: Postojna Cave & Predjama Castle Tour from Ljubljana
Read also: Top 15 Medieval Castles in Europe
Are you planning your travels? Here’re my top travel resources!
I’m a serial planner both in life and in travel – I have bucket lists, things to do, see, and everything. So, I always love when my life is sorted easily using tools and resources that would make my general planning a little smoother and easier. Therefore, in my many years of traveling the world, I’ve seen myself returning to these travel resources repeatedly. And here I am, sharing my tips to make your life easy and breezy so you can stress less, travel heaps, and focus on the fun part of travel!
- Booking.com – I book all my hotels through this website and don’t honestly use anything else. They always have the best prices, in my opinion.
- Airbnb – If I’m traveling long-term to one destination, I book my flats through Airbnb.
- Skyscanner – The best place to find cheap flights on flexible dates. I use this a lot to score cheap flights within Europe!
- SafetyWing – Always travel insured! Never leave your home country without one. It is worth the extra money, I promise you!
- GetYourGuide – Hands-down, the best place to find cool and unique tours if you don’t feel like winging it, and go straight to a local expert. I use this a lot in new destinations to get acquainted with the area!
- My Pretty Wild World Travel Diary (coming soon) – A book you can write down your travel plans, create itineraries, track down your budget, and dot down memories along the way! A handy book you can keep and read later to revisit memory lane.
- Pretty Wild World Travel Planning Printables (coming soon) – Are you a nut like me when it comes to planning? Yes? Good. My travel planning resource in one zip file is an easy-to-use printable planner that comes with tips that helps you plan your travels during the planning stage, a pre-flight checklist, an itinerary planner, and so on.
Soca River
The Soca River valley has towering trees, peaks, lakes, and rivers with 1000 shades of lush greens. You may travel ahead of the West, which is worth a long drive. You will witness the emerald color of the Soca River when you drive down Soca Valley.
When you drive to the other side and go towards Bovec from the Soca River, you may want to stop at several bridges to see this emerald river from different angles. It sometimes looks clear and wide, sometimes intense green and narrow.
Where to stay in Ljubljana? Book your hotel and find great deals through this link!
Read also: Top 15 Places to Visit in Slovenia
Idrija
It is yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Slovenia. It is a lot fascinating and famous. You can quickly discover the world heritage of the region here, with shafts opening to the tourists and a beautiful museum in the castle.
Gewerkenegg Castle, which dates back to the 16th century, is located uphill off the town center. Visit this beautiful building that has been transformed into a museum. The team will answer all the queries you have in mind. They will accompany your visit and offer all the documents you need. You will also visit the mining, mercury, lace culture, war history, and industry sections. The droplets of Mercury were found in Anthony’s Shaft, dug in the 16th century.
Where to stay in Ljubljana? Book your hotel and find great deals through this link!
Read also: Europe Bucket List: Top 12 Unusual Unique in Europe to Visit
Maribor and Ptuj
It is difficult to get super psyched when you come from Ljubljana for the second biggest city in Slovenia, Maribor. You can enjoy a decent day trip from Ljubljana to Maribor to see another side of this small capital. Like most day trips in old cities in Europe, you will also enjoy your day across the delightful and exciting Old Town.
If you think Ptuj had a rough history, you are wrong. Initially, settlers converged on Ptuj in the Stone Age. This small city has become the oldest and most historically prominent in Slovenia. There is nothing much left from the ancient history of Ptuj. The town has the charm of red-roofed natural surroundings and a Medieval hub.
Where to stay in Ljubljana? Book your hotel and find great deals through this link!
Read also: Top 9 Best Wine Countries in Europe
Hold up! Have you thought about the importance of travel insurance?
Remember this: anything can happen. Travel is fun, but your health is more important; thus, I always, always, always recommend getting insured during the duration of your trip. I have benefitted from having one multiple times, and it has been covered for thousands of euros!
The latest one is not necessarily “health” related – it was during the peak of the unspeakable terrible C that consumed the world. I was living in Vietnam when I received an email from SafetyWing (my travel insurance) that if I want they’ll fly be back home to Finland as the world goes through a global emergency alert. I flew back fully covered, and dealing with SafetyWing was a breeze despite the roar of people in contact with them trying to get back home.
I can’t highly recommend them enough. Otherwise, I rarely get sick; hence I don’t always need to head to a hospital, but knowing that I have travel insurance makes me feel safe at the very least.
Read my post about why you should get travel insurance for more information. Otherwise, you can get a free quote from SafetyWing – they’re the best, in my opinion.
Logar Valley
Want to get the most out of the hills? Logar Valley is a much more pleasant and less tourist city. It is located near the Austria border in the North. You will be blown away by the shades of green and the mountain once again. You can also drive around the town and explore the lovely farms.
It is the most popular valley in the area. It is flat and wide at the bottom and ends at the wall of mountains. So, it becomes very photogenic. You can stop by the charming Kamnik town and explore the ruins of the old castle en route to Logar Valley.
Where to stay in Ljubljana? Book your hotel and find great deals through this link!
Read also: Spring in Europe: Top 15 Spring Destinations in Europe
Vintgar Gorge
Vintgar Gorge has allured visitors for more than a century. It just takes a look to keep you thrilled. Located only 3.5km outside of Bled, the beautiful Vintgar Gorge gives you yet another reason to hike in Slovenia and makes it one of Europe’s most exotic natural landmarks.
Here, you can stroll along the rocky terrains to spend your day trip along with the galleries and across the wooden bridges along the Radovna River. The path extends through a stretch of 1.6km and leads to the Vintgar Gorge.
Where to stay in Ljubljana? Book your hotel and find great deals through this link!
Read also: Winter in Europe: Top 21 Winter Destinations in Europe
Recommended reads 📖:
- 30 BEST Places to Visit in Europe
- Top 20 Cheapest Countries in Europe to Visit for Budget Travelers
- Top 25 Best Cities in Europe to Visit and Explore!
- 20 BEST Places to Visit in Finland
- 26 Most Romantic Destinations in Europe
- Top 15 of the Most Visited Tourist Attractions in Europe
- 21 Finnish Food and Dishes You Should Try
Koper
Koper may not impress you as obviously as Piran, but it will surely beckon you to explore. You will spot the beautiful Praetorian Palace at the central square of Tito Square (Titov Trg) of Koper’s Old City. It is an architectural landmark in Venetia that dated back to the 15th century. Get the views of the city’s skyline at the Campanile Bell Tower after completing your trip to the Cathedral of the Assumption.
Where to stay in Ljubljana? Book your hotel and find great deals through this link!
Read also: Winter in Europe: Top 21 Winter Destinations in Europe
What are my favorite travel must-haves?
As a frequent traveler, I’ve learned a lot throughout my years of travel, and there are five items that I always carry with me regardless of where I go and how long the trip is. Here are my five travel must-haves!
- Warm packable jacket – I always carry a light jacket, even when heading to warm countries. There hasn’t been a time I never used it, especially in airports and planes.
- Transparent toiletry bag – I often bring a carry-on if I’m only traveling within Europe for a few days. Life is so much easier to go through security checks with a transparent toiletry bag.
- Kindle Paperwhite – I love a good read and always take my Kindle everywhere. It keeps me entertained during long flights and waiting times.
- Powerbank – I don’t know how I could travel without one! Having a power bank saved me a ton since I carry a lot of electronic devices with me.
- Travel Adapter – I never leave my luggage without a travel adapter! I carry one with me all the time. It is just one of that travel-must haves that doesn’t hurt to have in your bag at all times.
Trieste
You can enjoy the ride of trains from Venice to Ljubljana, but you should stop at a small city Trieste. It is a small coastal city influenced by Germanic, Latin, and Slavic cultures. When you take your train from Venice to Ljubljana, start your trip from here and visit the Old Town Citta Vecchia.
Where to stay in Ljubljana? Book your hotel and find great deals through this link!
Read also: Autumn in Europe: Top 15 Fall Destinations in Europe
Zagreb
Start your journey by train from Ljubljana to Zagreb, a small Croatian coast and an unexpected capital worth a break in its own will: with the classical grace of Central Europe and a bustling center of the city to prove its point. The museum scene is one of the best in Central Europe, especially if you are an art lover.
Where to stay in Ljubljana? Book your hotel and find great deals through this link!
Read also: The 10 Inspiring Destinations Worth Visiting in Europe
Planning to visit Slovenia? Check out these posts!
Where to stay in Ljubljana
Booking.comTours to do in Ljubljana
Are you on Pinterest? Pin these for later read!
