Štruklji
Goulash

DAY 1 – Explore lake bled

Land in Ljubljana airport in Slovenia. This is the easiest airport to fly into and the most centrally located. Pick up your rental car and start your drive to Lake Bled. It only took us a half hour, but can take a little longer depending on the traffic situation. We stopped at a supermarket to pick up some things to make sandwiches for our hike and breakfast ingredients.

Hike Mala Osojnica for sunset
Milage: 1.1
Elevation Gain: 580 ft
Difficulty – Easy to Moderate
Time to Complete: 1 hour

You’re probably eager to see Lake Bled, one of the most well known – and photographed – places in Slovenia. This out and back trail starts near the boat rental area in Lake Bled – you’ll know it when you see it! You start by climbing straight up, through lots of switchbacks, and the incline won’t stop until you reach the peak. This trail may take you longer, because every few minutes you’re going to want to stop and take pictures of the famed church on Lake Bled. Once you hit the steep ladder, you’ll know you’re almost at the top!

Optional: We were running short on time, but if you have time to spare, you can turn this hike into a 3 mile loop. There’s a bit more elevation gain at 961 ft, and an additional viewpoint. From looking at pictures, it doesn’t seem like the viewpoint called “Velika Osojnica” is that different from the Mala Osojnica viewpoint, but there is a cute bench with a heart carved into it if you’re looking for that *aesthetic*. 

There were a bunch of mosquitos when we hiked this trail, so don’t forget your bug spray.

Eat at Restaurant Arbor for Dinner
Dig into some local cuisine at Restaurant Arbor. We had the Venison Goulash (Jelenov golaž z ocvrtki) and the Polenta with Mushrooms (Polenta z jurčki) and would order both again in a heartbeat. On the menu, you can also see which items are allergy friendly.

Optional: Walk around downtown Lake Bled. There is a cute downtown that stretches between a couple blocks. It’s nice to walk around and you can pop into a cafe for dessert if you’d like some sweets.

Try and get an early night’s sleep because tomorrow is a big hike day!

After an intense hiking day, today is a more low-key driving day. You’ll be hitting a ton of great viewpoints and swimming holes in Slovenia.

Drive to Triglav National Park
Your day starts again with a drive to Triglav National Park. Alternatively, you can stay in the area on Day 2, but we didn’t want to switch AirBnBs too often, so we opted for a little extra driving.

See the Soca River
Your first stop is the Soca River viewpoint. Get ready to see the bluest water you’ve ever seen. Like, neon blue frost gatorade colored water. If you’re using Google Maps, you can also pinpoint and stop at Small Soca Gorge and Great Soca Gorge.

Keep driving and stopping to your heart’s content. There are also some short hiking and biking trails mixed in if you feel like being more active.

Stop in Bovec for Brunch
We had eggs and toast from Terramystica Cafe and it hit the spot. It was nice to sit outside and people watch as we ate brunch and had some coffee. If you’re looking to book a kayaking or rafting adventure, you can also do it at the cafe.

See Some Waterfalls
The next three waterfalls are said to be great, but we skipped them because each one had a fee to visit or we were running short on time. We felt that the nature in the area was already so beautiful we’d rather not pay to see a ton of waterfalls. We decided to prioritize the hikes we really wanted to do and we did pay for one waterfall hike, later on in the itinerary.

Slap Virje – costs money to enter
Boka Waterfall  – saw from road and were short on time
Waterfall Kozjak – costs money to enter

Kobarid
This might have been our favorite stop of the day – maybe even in all of Slovenia. Get ready to go swimming! Kobarid is a picturesque town nestled in the Julian Alps, at the confluence of the Soča and Nadiža rivers. It is just stunningly beautiful. 

To get to the water, you will need to hike straight down for about five minutes. At first you’ll walk down maintained steps, then you’ll follow a dirt path full of roots and rocks, right down to the water. It’s not too hard to navigate, but do watch your step! We visited on a hot day and the freezing cold waters were perfect for cooling us down. If you prefer to get the pain over with and dive right in, there are many spots where you can cliff jump right into the water.

There is a suspension bridge over the River (which you’ll be swimming in) and this is also the starting point for some hiking trails. On your way out, don’t forget to stop and take a scenic picture of the Napoleon Bridge with the magnificent mountains in the background. 

Tolminska Korita (Tolmin Gorge)
Wooo this is a doozy! The walking trail here will definitely makes your muscles burn. It is similar to Vintgar Gorge, so take a look at our Pros and Cons to see which Gorge is the right one for you.

Pros: This is the less trafficked gorge (between Tolmin and Vintgar Gorge). 
Cons: Personally, we found it to be slightly less impressive than Vintgar Gorge, but if you’re in the area, it’s worth checking out. Wear your sneakers and get ready to climb, because there is quite an uphill to leave the gorge. 

If you only have time to visit one gorge, we recommend Vintgar Gorge.

Dinner at Oštarija Peglez’n
This place was popping every night we walked by, so we knew we had to check it out. We shared a local trout dish and some paella and we were happy with our choices. The portions are HUGE, so if you’re not that hungry, you may be able to share a dish. Try Cockta, which is an herbal, non-caffeinated soft drink from Slovenia. It’s kind of similar to coca-cola, but also not at all. Try it and see what you think! We also had the peach flavored Sola Iced tea which was pretty tasty – it tastes just like Haribo frog gummies.

DAY 4 – LAKE BLED ACTIVITIES

You’ve been staring at it all week, it’s finally time to explore Lake Bled. But before you do, head over to Vintgar Gorge.

Vintgar Gorge
Vintgar Gorge is one of the most popular attractions in all of Slovenia. It’s inevitable that it will be crowded, but try and go early to avoid the crowds as best as you can. Aim to purchase your tickets ahead of time – especially during high season.

Lake Bled Castle 
While the castle ruins were cool to explore, the real highlight here is the Bled Cream Cake. Bled Cream Cake is a delicious cake made of alternating layers of puff pastry, custard, whipped cream, more puff pastry and a sugary icing. It’s light and fluffy and it’s hard to stop eating after just one piece. You can buy a piece here and enjoy it up high, over a cliffside view of the lake.

Inside the castle, you’ll find exhibits on the history of the region and some interactive art installations. We found the cake and the view to be the highlights of this visit.

Lake Bled Castle has its own parking lot and it costs 3 euro to park there.

Walk around Lake Bled
When you’re done enjoying your cake and exploring the castle, park your car at your lodging location, and head over to Lake Bled. 

Milage: 3.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 255 ft
Difficulty – Easy
Time to Complete: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Walking around the lake lets you enjoy it from every angle. There’s a little boardwalk section and you’ll also be walking close to the town center for part of the loop. It’s a nice and easy walk with lots of places to stop and take pictures, but it’s surprisingly large when you’re actually completing the loop, so make sure to leave enough time so you don’t need to rush.

Grab lunch in town or eat your leftovers.

Boat to The Famous Island with the Church
There are a couple different ways that you can get to the island.

You can rent a rowboat and steer yourself. This is what we did and we loved it! Well, I loved it, but I was the passenger. The boat rental costs €20 per hour, and you can rent a boat from the Castle Boathouse or the Grand Hotel Toplice. On our way back, we were racing against an incoming rainstorm, so we made record time and completed the journey in 10 minutes flat. Our ride out to the island was more leisurely and enjoyable.

You can take a Pletna boat. A pletna boat is a traditional wooden rowboat with a canopy. They depart from the shores of Lake Bled every few minutes. The ride takes about 20 minutes each way, and the cost is €12 per person. You will be riding with many other strangers.

Technically you can swim over, but then you’ll be all wet and half-naked when you explore the island. You probably need to be wearing a shirt to enter the church as well. And you’d need to be a very strong swimmer to get over to the island.

Once you’re on the island, you can visit the Church of Assumption, check out a small museum, see the gift shop, or grab a drink at the café. If you decide to go inside the church, the entrance fee is €12/adult. This entrance fee will also let you climb the bell tower and ring the Bell Of Wishes. Don’t forget to make a wish!

day 5 – Lake bohinj and planina zajamniki

Have a sit-down breakfast at Art Cafe
We both got omelets, which were pretty tasty – one with goat cheese, arugula, and asparagus, and the other with ham and cheese. If you’re not feeling eggs, they also have yogurt and various toasts.

Visit Lake Bohinj
Lake Bohinj is a beautiful mountain lake that has a more natural feel than Lake Bled. It’s also a lot larger. The area has a church that you can visit for a fee, a small downtown with a couple restaurants, and hiking and biking trails. You can swim in the lake. During the summer months, it’s actually quite warm and can be around 75 degrees fahrenheit.  

Complete the Savica Waterfall Hike 
Milage: 1.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 433 ft
Difficulty – Easy – Moderate
Time to Complete: 45 minutes

It costs 5 euro to park, and 4 euro per person to complete the hike. While this hike wasn’t in our initial plan, it was a great rainy day back up, literally. We had big plans to hike Mount Vogel, but when we saw rain storms forecasted for the day, we decided to get up early and get a quick hike in before the storms started.

This is a nice, quick walk up to a cool waterfall. There is a viewing tower at the top of the hike. From the lookout, you’ll get a great view of Bohinj Lake. Part of the trail is paved and the other part is extremely well maintained and very easy to follow.

Lunch at ​​Hisa Pr’ Pristavc – Gostilna in Pizzerija
Our favorite meal during our trip was at Hisa Pr’ Pristavc – Gostilna in Pizzerija. We split a chicken schnitzel and a pizza and recommend both. It was a nice hearty meal, at an affordable price. Perfect for a rainy day.

Planina Zajamniki
Planina Zajamniki is a high-altitude alpine pasture located in the Julian Alps, known for its rolling hills, lush meadows, and towering mountains. It is home to a number of traditional alpine huts, which are used by shepherds. These huts are built of stone and wood, and they have a simple, rustic charm. There are a number of hiking trails that lead to the area; however we opted to drive due to the rain.

Go hiking: There are a number of hiking trails that lead to Planina Zajamniki, ranging from easy to challenging. One popular option is the hike from the village of Stara Fuzina, which takes about 2 hours.
Go biking: There are also a number of biking trails that lead to Planina Zajamniki. The most popular option is the trail from the village of Bohinjska Bistrica, which takes about 3 hours.

It is said that there is a man who sells local cheese from his alpine hut; however we only encountered cows during our visit.
While we had a slightly cloudy view, we can only imagine how beautiful it must feel when you truly see the surrounding mountains.

Confectionary Zima 
We had to try one more piece of Bled Cream Cake before heading out. We stopped by Confectionary Zima. While we would eat cake from either location again, we liked the cake here slightly better.  

day 6 – hike Mount vogel

If you have one more day, we’d recommend either hiking Mount Vogel or going to Ljubljana. The weather gods were not on our side, so unfortunately we were rained out of this hike and don’t have first-hand information on it, but we would love to go back to Slovenia and conquer this hike.