Ljubljana is nice, but there is so much beauty outside of Slovenia’s capital city. On a Ljubljana day trip, you can see some incredible scenery at Lake Bled and nearby Triglav National Park. Independent travelers can hop on a bus and explore on their own, but for those wanting to see a little more, or enjoy the company of a group, tours also exist.
That said, not every tour is created equally. Many tours focus just on Bled. In my opinion, if you’re only visiting Bled, it’s easy enough to visit on your own, so I’d consider saving your money and traveling independently. But other tour options exist, so on my trip to Slovenia, I booked a Ljubljana day trip that included not only Bled, but also Triglav National Park and Lake Bohinj.
Here’s what to expect on your Ljubljana day trip.
Ljubljana Day Trip to Triglav and Bled
As mentioned, I booked a tour for my Ljubljana day trip. When I started planning my trip to Europe, I had planned on visiting Bled independently, but on a whim I looked at GetYourGuide and I couldn’t get tour out of my head. After way too much deliberation, I finally decided to book the tour and I’m so glad I did.
While each tour company is slightly different, this article will be based on my own Ljubljana day trip to Bled, Bohinj, and Triglav National Park.
Departure from Ljubljana
At 8:00 am, I met my guide at the Dragon Bridge in Ljubljana’s Old Town. After confirming everyone was present, we split into two groups. My particular tour company tries to cap their groups at five or six people, preferring to have small groups and a more intimate setting. So, when there’s more than that (in my case, 12 people signed up for the tour), they had two vans and two drivers. Our groups saw each other throughout the day, but we functioned as two completely separate groups (even though we both followed the same itinerary).
We loaded up into the vans and started our drive toward Triglav National Park. This was the longest drive of the day and for me, this worked out just fine. I visited in October and mornings were typically foggy, so the views weren’t the best. Sure, it would have been nice to enjoy the scenery all the way to Triglav National Park, but I was much happier to have fog while driving and clearer skies later in the day while we were exploring at our various stops.
It took about an hour and a half to reach our first stop at Triglav National Park. Along the way our guide told us a bit about Slovenia and what we’d be seeing, but also tried to keep the conversation going by getting to know us (and allowing us to get to know our other tour members).
Visit to Savica Waterfall at Triglav National Park
Because this Ljubljana day trip includes a stop at both Bled and Bohinj, time in Triglav National Park is limited to a visit to the Savica Waterfall. If you’re traveling independently (with your own rental car), you could make a day of Triglav National Park and visit more than just this waterfall. But on a day trip with other stops, that’s just not possible.
We had about an hour to visit Savica Waterfall, which you’ll need because you’ll need to hike to the actual waterfall. It’s not a strenuous hike, but I think my guide underestimated it slightly. They said it would take 20 minutes and maybe that’s true if that’s 20 minutes one way, but I was not the only one who thought it was more intensive than expected (not that I’d call it hard).
I tracked it on my phone and one way it’s 0.6 miles and 364 feet of elevation, mostly through stairs. Later our guide told us it was 500 stairs, but since I didn’t count, I don’t know if that’s accurate. All I know is that I did not expect to climb 500 stairs that morning.
The walk to the waterfall is just average. There are some nice views (assuming you don’t have a very foggy day), but the real beauty is the Savica Waterfall itself. Even with the morning fog, it was still quite a sight.
Note that there is an entrance fee of four euros for the Savica Waterfall. This is not included in your tour price, so technically you could skip it to save the money. However, it’s not a large fee and if you’re going to skip it, I’d recommend finding a tour that just focuses on Bled so you can use your time more efficiently.
A Stop in Bohinj
From the Savica Waterfall, we started making our way back toward Ljubljana. Of course we wanted to get to Bled, but we first stopped off at Lake Bohinj which was about 20 minutes down the road from the Savica Waterfall. It’s larger than Lake Bled and I’d argue just as scenic (though it can be hard to compare the two). The biggest benefit in my opinion is that there were significantly less people in Bohinj than in Bled.
Lake Bohinj is large, so we limited ourselves to just a few stops.
Check out the church, but note that you’ll need to pay to go inside (and with the incredible scenery, I think it’s worth saving your money and staying outside). There’s the Bohinj sign with the nearby statue of the four men who first submitted Mount Triglav (the highest point in Slovenia). The bridge has some of the best views (particularly if you reach the center of the bridge). And lastly, there’s a statue of a goat, which I don’t think is that great, but I found that the backside of the rock holding the statue had a great place to set my phone so I could take some better photos of myself.
Bohinj was nice, the views were great, and I’m glad I got to stop. I wouldn’t have made it out here on my day trip had I traveled by myself.
Time for Lunch
Before our stop in Bled, we stopped for lunch (which was much needed at this point). This is where it was beneficial to have two smaller groups. Rather than just dropping us off at some restaurant catering to tourists, we went to a smaller spot. We were able to get six people (five tourists and one guide) around one table, but anything bigger wouldn’t have been possible.
Unlike literally every other tour that I’ve been on, our guide ate lunch with us. He explained all of the options (as the menu was in Slovenian) and talked with us through the meal.
Note that you had the option to go to a different restaurant for lunch, but everyone in my group just decided to trust our guide. Your lunch is not included in the price of the tour, but the lunch was very reasonably priced (I paid about $15 USD) and so filling.
Exploring Bled
After lunch, we finally made it to Bled and we had three hours to explore and do whatever we wanted. Our guide gave us some options and then we split up so everyone could enjoy whatever they wanted. One girl was determined to reach the island, so she took a boat. One couple walked part way around the lake, before returning to the main part of town. I joined up with two other travelers and we hiked to a viewpoint over Lake Bled and walked the loop around the entire lake.
If you plan to visit the island, you’ll want to set aside another 20 euros for the boat journey. There are other, cheaper alternatives, but they were closed when we visited.
For those hiking or circling the lake, it takes about an hour to circle the lake (longer if you stop for photos, which you’ll definitely want to do). The path is clearly marked and it’s impossible to get lost. This was my favorite part of the day. The area is just so beautiful.
For those wanting a bit more adventure, there are some viewpoints that you can hike up to. We hiked to Mala Osojnica which was more difficult than we anticipated. The first part was easy, but we eventually reached a path that was steep and slippery. The view was fantastic, but I highly recommend having good shoes if you’re going to hike to the viewpoints. I did it in a pair of Converse, but I don’t recommend it.
And lastly, Bled is famous for its cream cake. Our guide recommended getting some from Restaurant Čarman. You can eat your cake there, but we took it to go, intending to find a spot along the lake to eat it. We ended up running out of time, so the cake just came back with us to Ljubljana. The cake is delicious, but it’s not cheap, coming it at about 9 euros per slice.
I really appreciate free time on a tour because everyone has different ideas of how they want to spend their time, so tours like this are right up my alley.
Return to Ljubljana
Before we knew it, our time in Bled was up. We got back in the fan and chatted the entire drive back to Ljubljana. We were dropped off by the Dragon Bridge and everyone went their separate ways after a fun day trip.
As an added bonus, it was right around sunset so walking back to my hostel along the river in Ljubljana’s Old Town was particularly beautiful.
Is This Ljubljana Day Trip Worth It?
In my opinion, yes. This Ljubljana day trip is absolutely worth it. I’ll admit that it was the most expensive activity that I did on my trip to Europe and it definitely was more expensive than just exploring Bled independently. However, I saw much more than I would have on my own and that alone made things great. Plus, I liked enjoyed my guide and made some friends during my tour group.
It’s my belief that whether you travel with a tour group or independently, no trip to Slovenia would be complete without a stop in Bled.
Could You Do This On Your Own?
Kind of. It’s easy to reach Bled independently via the Arriva buses. It’s also easy to reach Bohinj, since the buses to Bled continue on to Bohinj. That said, it may be more difficult traveling independently because of bus schedules, so I’d personally recommend sticking just to Bled.
But what about Triglav National Park? This is even more difficult, unless you have your own rental car. If you have a rental car, absolutely drive out to Triglav and enjoy the area, but if you’re traveling by public transportation, I’d again recommend to focus your time on Bled. The scenery there is incredible and not to be missed.
When to Visit Bled and Triglav National Park
Summer is high season. Expect high temperatures and the most crowds. While Slovenia isn’t as busy as some of its European neighbors, it can still get busy. Bled especially can feel very busy during peak tourist season.
Winter is low season with the lowest prices, coldest temperatures, and fewest visitors. You can absolutely still visit Ljubljana during the winter months but it wouldn’t be my first choice.
Spring and fall are shoulder season which offer a balance between price, weather, and tourist crowds.
I visited in the second week of October and had a fantastic time. There were plenty of other travelers but it never felt overwhelming. Mornings were cool and often had a layer of fog that cleared up as the morning wore on. In addition, leaves were changing making some of the drives outside the city (particularly near Triglav National Park and Bled) extra beautiful.
Final Thoughts
Bled is beautiful and a day trip to Bled is a must for any Slovenia itinerary. Whether you circle the lake in Bled or venture beyond to Bohinj and Triglav National Park, your day is sure to be filled with gorgeous scenery and great memories.
Continue Your Adventure
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