Are you looking for what to visit in Slovenia in 5 days? Then you’ve come to the right place! Find out the perfect itinerary for one of Europe’s best-kept secrets.

I decided I wanted to visit Slovenia the moment I saw a picture of Lake Bled. After searching for the best things to do in the country, it became clear that I had to organise a road trip in Slovenia as soon as possible! And so, when I had the chance, I finally booked that flight to Slovenia.

Surrounded by Italy, Switzerland, Croatia and Hungary, Slovenia is one of Europe’s hidden treasures. It is much more than Lake Bled and is perfect for nature lovers. It’s no coincidence that Slovenia has already been considered the greenest country in the world.

I visited Slovenia at the beginning of spring, so the vegetation was still very burnt from the snow. But even so, the beauty of all the places I visited was simply indescribable.

Perhaps next time I will visit during the summertime to enjoy Ljubljana‘s city life, to take a boat ride on Lake Bled or to walk some of the fantastic trails surrounded by the green mountains.

Throughout this post, you’ll find tips on the best things to do in Slovenia in 5 days, but also other tips, such as:

• Best time to visit Slovenia
• How many days to spend in Slovenia
• Restaurants in Slovenia
• How to get to Slovenia
• Best accommodation in Slovenia

Slovenia is simply an amazing country… friendly people, superb landscapes and photo opportunities at every turn.

I’m sure Slovenia has been one of my favourite countries to date and I’d love to go back someday! It’s a destination often overlooked by tourists and you don’t hear much about it. But I really think it’s worth a visit!

Slovenia is a country with relatively harsh winters and it snows frequently. On the other hand, summer temperatures are more pleasant. So, one of the best times to visit Slovenia is from mid-May to early October, when the temperatures are milder and the days are longer. This advice is particularly valid if you want to do some popular hiking trails in the country.

However, I’d say not to rule out visiting this incredible country in the other months of the year, as it can be just as interesting. For example, I visited in March and, although it was no longer snowing, there was still a lot of snow and the vegetation was slightly burnt from the snow that had recently disappeared. But despite this fact, I still loved the experience!

Looking at the map, Slovenia is a relatively small country. However, the truth is that it’s a very interesting country where you can spend several days. It all depends on what you’re looking for on your trip to Slovenia!

For example, I only spent five days in the country. This length of trip was enough to check out Slovenia’s top attractions, but I clearly had to make some choices. So, ideally, I suggest spending, at least, 7 days to get to know what is one of Europe’s best-kept secrets.

However, this 5-day itinerary in Slovenia is designed for those who have fewer days available and still want to experience the best of the country.

Unless you’re in a country close to Slovenia and decide to travel there by bus/car, the best way to get to Slovenia is via its main airport, located in the capital – Ljubljana.

Ljubljana Airport (Ljubljana Jože Pučnik) is quite small, but it still has some direct connections to some European countries, such as:

• United Kingdom (London)
• France (Paris)
• Netherlands (Amsterdam)
• Greece (Athens)
• Belgium (Brussels)
• Germany (Frankfurt, Munich)
• Switzerland (Zurich)
• Poland (Warsaw)

To ensure that you have more flexibility when travelling (especially if you’re only in the country for a few days), I recommend renting a car. The roads are in good condition and it’s quite easy to drive in the country. I rented a car with Surprice and enjoyed the experience.

To help you plan a trip to Slovenia, I’ve created this interactive map with the best places to visit in Slovenia in 5 days.

I leave you here my suggestion for a Slovenia in 5 days itinerary by car. This itinerary does not include the trips to the initial destination (from Ljubljana to Piran, which happened on day 0) and back (from Lake Bohinj to Ljubljana, which happened on day 5).

• Day 1: Piran – Škofja Loka – Ljubljana
• Day 2: Ljubljana
• Day 3: Ljubljana – Logarska Dolina – Velika Planina – Lake Bled
• Day 4: Lake Bled – Vintgar Gorges – Pericnik Waterfall – Zelenci Nature Reserve – Lake Jasna –Vršič Pass – Virje Waterfall – Kobarid
• Day 5: Kobarid – Kozjak Waterfall + River Soča – Tolmin Gorges – Lake Bohinj

Piran is a small (but lovely) town by the Adriatic Sea and is often left out of itineraries in Slovenia because it’s a little out of the way from Slovenia’s main tourist attractions.

Piran is different from all the other places I visited in Slovenia. Maybe it’s because it’s one of the few cities in Slovenia where there is sea close by.

Start by visiting one of the most emblematic points of the city – Tartini Square. Enjoy the beautiful pastel tones of the buildings and the magnificence of some of them. From here you can continue towards St George’s Church and its Clock Tower (you can go to its top at certain times of the year).

Also, take the opportunity to take a little tour of the city walls which are open from 9 am until 6.30 pm. The visit costs 3€ but I promise it is worth it. Here you will find beautiful views over Piran. Find all the details here.

The truth is that Piran does not have many more sights to visit. But don’t be fooled if you think the visit ends here. Keep visiting the city more freely, exploring all the streets and alleys that exist there – Piran is actually a great place to visit because of this. Don’t miss the marina and, weather permitting, stop to enjoy one of the several cafés near the sea.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Traffic in the historic centre of Piran is very limited. Except for residents, you can only drive around the centre for a limited amount of time and also for loading/unloading. Therefore, you must park your car in one of the parks at the historic centre entrance. I parked the car at Fornače park (2,6€ per hour or 26€ per day) which provides a shuttle to Tartini Square frequently. More info regarding the parking options is available here.

I only had the chance to try one restaurant in Piran – Fritolin pri Cantini. In this restaurant, I had delicious fried fish. The restaurant has only an outdoor space, but it’s quite pleasant!

I stayed in a guesthouse located in the heart of Piran historic centre – Pachamama Pleasant Stay. This accommodation offers all the comfort for a night well spent. The rooms are small but well decorated and the staff is quite friendly.

I arrived very late the night before, but the staff guaranteed my check-in even though they were not present at that time. If you are by car, this guesthouse has an additional advantage: they offer an 8€ discount in the car park (at least they did in 2019).

Nevertheless, here are some other suggestions for accommodation in Piran:

After an outdoor lunch in Piran, head to another small town already in the countryside – Škofja Loka. The journey from Piran is about 2 hours and is relatively easy.

💡 EXTRA TIP: If you make the trip between Piran and Sikofja Loka, you can also take a diversion to visit the famous Predjama castle or the Postojna caves. Although I didn’t visit these two places, they are well known and can be easily included in this itinerary for Slovenia😊.

I arrived in Škofja Loka and got lost in its views and charming streets. Here runs the Sora River and all the streets seem straight out of a fairy tale.

Don’t miss the city’s castle (more info about the opening hours here) or the Capuchin Bridge – another one of the city’s landmarks.

Savour the city calmly, because this is one of those places where there is no need to hurry!

To end the day, drive to Ljubljana, the city we’ll explore the next day. The journey is quite short, no more than 30 minutes.

On the second day of this itinerary, I suggest you explore the city of Ljubljana – the capital of Slovenia. The city is relatively small and fairly flat so it can easily be walked on foot.

But just because it’s small doesn’t mean it’s less interesting. The city is full of life and has several points of interest worth visiting.

Start by visiting Tivoli Park, which is the biggest park in the city. It’s quite an amusing walk!

Continue your visit to Congress Square, where there are several government buildings. Here you can also observe the Ljubljana Castle.

Continue walking to another square – Prešeren Square, where the Annunciation Franciscan Church is also located.

The time has come to cross to the other side of the city through the Triple Bridge – one of the most emblematic points of the city. Then, wander through the various cute streets of the city until you reach City Hall Square where you will find the Robba Fountain.

Take also the opportunity to visit Ljubljana Cathedral. Moreover, if you are visiting the city on a Friday, try some of the many available flavours offered at the Open Kitchen Food Market.

Remember Ljubljana’s Castle? Now it’s time to go up to the castle. The castle itself is quite simple, but the views are not to be missed.

Return to the historic centre again and head towards the Butcher’s Bridge where you can see some “love” locks and some sculptures by Jakov Brdar. Take the opportunity to wander around the Central Market – both outside and inside.

Don’t miss the famous Dragon Bridge which, as the name indicates, has 4 dragons – the city’s symbol.

Finally, why not finish the visit with something different? I suggest visiting Metelkova Mesto – currently a cultural and social centre, but with a rather sui generis history.

💡 EXTRA TIP: For a more detailed itinerary of Ljubljana, I suggest you read this other blog post with a 1 day itinerary in Ljubljana.

I had the chance to try two different accommodations in Ljubljana. They were both one of the cheapest options and fairly central:

• B&B Vila Teslova: a basic but perfect accommodation for those who will be in Ljubljana for just a few days and have rented a car. Most of the parking in the city is paid for and in this accommodation, you will have the possibility to park in the surroundings for free. In addition, the accommodation offers breakfast which, although quite simple, works perfectly to start the day.
• Galeria Rooms: large rooms and in good condition near the city centre. However, beware that they charge you if you check in later than the normal hours 

However, there are many other options available for all price ranges. Here are a few of those available options:

On the 3rd day in Slovenia, I suggest you head North to visit one of the places that amazed me the most in Slovenia – Logarska Dolina. 1h30 by car from Ljubljana and already near the Austrian border, Logarska Dolina is one of the most beautiful places in Slovenia – I think the following photo easily convinces you 😊.

The Logar valley (Logarska Dolina in Slovenian) is considered one of the most beautiful glacial valleys in Europe and is one of the three valleys in the Solčava region. Here you can waste a few hours (as was my case) or also days! One of the highlights of the region is to drive through the Solčava panoramic road and that is exactly what I did.

You can start the route right at the entrance of Logar Valley and end at Solčava. But there are other possible entrances. You are supposed to pay a fee at the entrance, however, when I visited I wasn’t charged (2019). There are different versions of this route: the official one (21 km) and two possible extensions – the blue route (8 km) and the orange route (6 km).

The road is narrow and not paved in some parts, but you can easily drive there. In all possible routes, there are several stops in between. It will be difficult not wanting to stop in every single one because the landscape really seems straight out of a movie.

I especially recommend you to visit points 5 (Church of the Holy Spirit), 7 (viewpoint) and 8 (Pastirkovo viewpoint). At one of the stops, there are even two sun loungers where you can stop a bit, breathe in and simply enjoy the landscape.

You can find much more detailed information on the various routes and stops on this site.

💡 EXTRA TIP: In this region, there is much more to explore: from various walking trails, waterfalls to some gastronomic experiences. Visit the region’s website to find out more.

After the Solčava panoramic road, I thought it would be hard to be even more surprised. But Slovenia is really a box full of surprises.

I drove down again towards Ljubljana and after 1h by car, I was in Velika Planina. Velika Planina is located in the municipality of Kamnik and is a pasture area located at 1600 metres.

During winter this place stands out for the beautiful snow, while in summer the vegetation covers the ground and we can find hundreds of cows grazing. Both scenarios are incredibly beautiful and so, you should definitely include Velika Planina on your list of what to see in Slovenia.

When I visited, winter had ended a few days before. I did not see the famous cows, the vegetation was still very burnt from the snow and some spots still had snow. Even so, I loved this visit and would visit again!

There are some possible trails, but in my case, I decided to explore this space freely. Do not miss the various shepherd’s huts or the Snow Mary chapel. In the Second World War, the chapel and many of the huts were burned down and they were rebuilt only years later.

To help you better plan your trip to Velika Planina, here is some useful information about it:

• To climb Velika Planina, the easiest option is to combine a cable car with a chairlift.
• You can buy both tickets at Kamniška Bistrica where there is a car park big enough to leave your car.
• The return ticket costs 26€. There is also an option to buy only the cable car (without the chairlift) but you will need to walk 30 minutes to reach Velika Planina.
• There are several cable car and chairlift trips every day, but I recommend checking out the timetables here. Be careful to make sure you get back on time for the last cable car available.
• The best time to visit is during summer. Apart from the nicer weather, it is when the fields are green and the shepherds live in the huts bringing their cows to graze. However, I think it is worth visiting at any time of the year.
• There is a restaurant and some accommodation options that can be consulted on this site.

To finish the day, head to Bled (about 1h30 by car from Velika Planina)! The city of Bled looks straight out of a postcard and you can easily understand why as soon as you look at its famous lake.

The tranquillity of walking on Lake Bled shores is priceless. There is a 6 km walkway but I ended up only walking part of it. The sun was already setting and therefore, this place felt even more magical.

I also strongly suggest you go up to one of the city’s famous viewpoints – the Ojstrica viewpoint. The path that leads to the viewpoint starts near Bled’s campsite. Although relatively short (3,2 km round trip), the route is not the simplest due to its slope. But I guarantee you it will be worth it!!

When you get up there, most likely, you won’t be alone. Even so, you will be overwhelmed by what you will see. When I visited, the vegetation had not yet grown after the winter, the light was not the best to photograph, but the magic was still there.

Although I didn’t visit, you can also visit Bled Castle, which is also an excellent viewpoint of Lake Bled. See more information here.

💡 EXTRA TIPS: In the summer months it is possible to rent small boats (pletnas) and visit the island that exists in the middle of the lake. Almost all the parking places by the lake are paid for, so it is important to guarantee accommodation with parking.

I enjoyed my accommodation in Bled – Apartments-Rooms Kocijancic. It is a guest house slightly distant (walking) from Lake Bled but it has parking. The rooms were comfortable and the service was very friendly. Good value for money!

Anyway, here are some other options for accommodation in Bled:

When it comes to restaurants, I have two suggestions in Bled:

• Restaurant Pension Mlino (€€): Right in front of the lake, this restaurant has good value for money for traditional Slovenian food.
• Slascicarna Zima (€): perfect for breakfast or a snack (as it is one of the city’s best-known confectioneries)

💡 EXTRA TIP: If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to taste Bled’s famous cake: Kremsnita. It is simply divine! Experts say that Slascicarna Zima confectionery is one of the best places to taste it. There you will also find other varieties of Bled cream cake. However, in my opinion, the original version is the best.

Right next to Lake Bled, there is Vintgar Gorge. About 1,6 km long, this gorge is carved by the Radovna River. It is one of the main tourist attractions in Slovenia and it is easy to see why. The emerald green water is such that it is hard to resist!

To visit Vintgar Gorge there are pre-defined trails and you have to pay an entrance fee. Unfortunately, when I visited Bled, Vintgar Gorge had not yet reopened to the public after the usual winter closure.

Anyway, I decided to take a peak at the beginning of the trail, before reaching the entrance which was closed.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: Entry to the Vintgar Gorge costs 10€ and opening hours vary according to the time of year. You can check the most up-to-date prices and opening hours on the official website.

It’s now time to leave Bled behind to set off on new adventures in Triglav National Park over the next 2 days.

The first stop in Triglav National Park is the Pericnik Waterfall. This waterfall is easily accessible – 10 minutes (steep but relatively simple path) from the car park. For the more adventurous, it is also possible to walk behind the waterfall. 

There are actually two waterfalls: the upper one and the lower one. However, the most famous is the lower one, which is 52 metres high.

Technically it is not part of the Triglav National Park but it is so beautiful that it is worth the detour. Located just a short drive from Italy and Austria and near the town of Kranjska Gora, here you can find the source of the Sava River.

I promise it’s not Photoshop – the water really looks like this! Plus, the landscape around the reserve is simply breathtaking!

It’s very easy to get to this reserve from the parking lot. Be sure to include this place in your itinerary, it really is one of the top things to see in Slovenia.

This day is full of surprises, so prepare to be amazed once again. Lake Jasna, which is very close to Zelenci National Reserve, is another superb landscape. 

Here you will also find the statue of the famous mountain goat Zlatorog, which is the symbol of Triglav National Park.

The lake is surrounded by the Julian Alps, which makes the landscape absolutely superb. What’s more, access to the lake is quite simple and one of the best places to admire it is from the observation tower nearby.

This 5 days Slovenia itinerary continues on the country’s most famous road – Vršič Pass. Built during the First World War by Russian war prisoners, this road crosses the Julian Alps and is known for its 50 sharp bends. The road links Kranjska Gora to Bovec and is about 25 km long.

The journey will be full of bends, but the views are fantastic. Due to its altitude, it is usually covered in snow during winter. So it is best to confirm that the road is open before embarking on your adventure.

The next stop on this itinerary is Virje waterfall – one of the most photogenic waterfalls in Slovenia, which is a real find! The access is relatively easy and, after parking the car, you only have to walk 10 minutes. 

💡 EXTRA TIP: Close to the Virje waterfall is the highest waterfall in Slovenia (106 metres high) – the Boka waterfall. Access is not so easy, but there are some easily accessible viewpoints of the waterfall.

I suggest you end the day in Kobarid – an excellent option to stay overnight while visiting the Triglav National Park. Although located outside the park, the place itself is lovely and offers some local lodgings and a few restaurants.

When I visited Kobarid, I stayed in Apartments Masera. It’s a very central guest house with everything you need. It’s quite a modest option, but pleasant nevertheless.

There aren’t many options for accommodation in Kobarid, but here are some suggestions that I think might be interesting:

I recommend starting the last day of this itinerary at Kozjak Waterfall. Even though it’s located outside Triglav National Park, this waterfall is worth a visit. It was probably my favourite waterfall of all the ones I visited in Slovenia. However, it takes a little longer (1h round trip) than the other waterfalls to get there.

On the way to the waterfall, stop also to appreciate the beautiful blue colours of the river Soča and also Napoleon’s bridge over the river.

Similar to Vintgar Gorge, there is also Tolmin Gorges. Here too, it is necessary to pay to visit and there is a pre-defined route of about 2 km.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: The opening hours of Tolmin Gorges depends on the time of year and prices range from 6€ to 10€, also depending on the time of year. Find all the most up-to-date information here.

The visit is very interesting and you can see crystal clear water yet again and still cross one of the most vertiginous bridges in Slovenia.

And, to end this itinerary in Slovenia, I recommend visiting one of the most magical places in Slovenia – Lake Bohinj. This lake, together with Lake Bled, was one of my favourite places in Slovenia. It is hard not to be amazed by such natural beauty in one place.

The silence hovered in the air, half a dozen ducklings were swimming in the lake and the water reflected the magnificence of the mountains. It was hard to ask for more after this… truly mesmerising!

💡 EXTRA TIP: If you are interested in visiting Triglav National Park and want to organize a trip there, I recommend reading my other post with a more detailed version of a 2 days itinerary in Triglav National Park.

It’s hard not to feel like visiting Slovenia after seeing some of the photos in this post. Although 5 days may not be the ideal time to get to know the country, it’s an excellent opportunity to get to know its main points of interest. So, don’t hesitate and book that trip to Slovenia!

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