If you’re spending a few days in Zagreb, it’s worth considering a day trip to neighboring Slovenia. We booked a small group tour that covered two popular stops, Ljubljana and Lake Bled, and found it to be a great way to get a quick overview of the country.
The Drive
The drive from Zagreb to Ljubljana takes about two hours. The scenery changes quickly once you cross the border. Slovenia’s countryside is dotted with homes nestled in the foothills of the Alps. We noticed quite a few houses with solar panels, even in rural areas.
Ljubljana
Ljubljana’s city center is small and pedestrian-only, making it easy to explore on foot. Our tour included a guided walking tour that covered the main landmarks: historic buildings, riverfront areas, bridges, and some of the city’s quirky statues. It wasn’t crowded, likely because it was early in spring, which made for a more relaxed visit.
One thing that stood out was a fresh milk vending machine, something we hadn’t seen before. After the tour, we stopped for lunch at a café by the river. The bread on the pizza and panini was incredible – perfectly fluffy, yet crisp, making it the best bread of the trip. We also had gelato before heading out and, of course, had another one later in the day.
It was a bit chilly in the morning in Ljubljana, but by afternoon, the weather had warmed up nicely.
Lake Bled
In the afternoon, we visited Lake Bled, known for its picturesque setting with a small island at the center and mountains surrounding the lake. We took a pletna boat, a traditional rowboat, to the island. There’s nothing much on the island, except a church and some great views. Afterward, we enjoyed our second gelato of the day while taking in the views of the Alps.
Bled Castle
Next, we visited Bled Castle, perched high above the lake with stunning views of the surrounding area. The castle is impressive, and inside, we tried some local Slovenian wine and enjoyed a slice of Bled cream cake, a local dessert that’s worth trying.
It was a long but enjoyable day. We were picked up at around 8:30 am from our hotel and dropped back off around 7 pm. Both Ljubljana and Bled are compact, so even though we saw a lot, it didn’t feel rushed. If you’re looking to get a sense of Slovenia in a single day, this is an easy and enjoyable way to do it. Plus, being early spring meant the sites weren’t overcrowded, which made the experience even more pleasant.
Travel Tip: Save on Tours with a Capital One Credit Card
Before booking any tours on Tripadvisor or Viator, check the Capital One Shopping portal. You can often get 10% or more cash back just by clicking through from your account. Usually we pick Viator or Tripadvisor just based on which one gives us the most cash back.
We did this for our Slovenia tour and saved a decent bit without any extra effort.
We also used Expedia through Capital One to book our Hotel. However, beware of defaulting to using referral links for Expedia, Booking.com, and other travel aggregator sites. More on that in a future blog post.
If you don’t have a Capital One Venture card yet, you can apply here and get 75,000 bonus miles (worth $750 toward travel) after meeting the spending requirement.