Day trips from Ljubljana: what I would do and how to get there

Day trip to Bled from Ljubljana

Bled is about 50 km away, and the bus station reckons more than 90% of people visiting the lake arrive by bus from there. On Monday 19 October 2026 there were 43 departures and on Saturday 24 October 35, taking 58 minutes to 1 hour 20. The stop is in the middle of town, five minutes from the water. A day is enough for the walk round the lake, the island and the castle, and the full how-to is in Ljubljana to Bled.

Postojna, Predjama and Škocjan in a day

Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle make the second big trip. There were 31 buses to Postojna on Monday 19 October and just 8 on Saturday 24 October, taking 47 minutes to 1 hour 12, and some stop right outside the cave park. Tickets are sold only on the operator’s website, which warns about unofficial resale; an adult paid €34.90 to €84.50 depending on the package, or €24 for the castle on its own. The details are in Ljubljana to Postojna Cave.

The Škocjan Caves are something else again. UNESCO listed them in 1986 for an underground canyon cut by the River Reka, with chambers up to 150 m high. The catch is getting there without a car. The bus goes to Divača, with only 7 departures on Monday 19 October and journeys of 1 hour 16 to 1 hour 40, so this is where a hire car or an organised tour pays for itself.

Kamnik and Velika Planina, mountains nearby

Kamnik is 23 km away and the quickest trip of all, with 84 buses on Monday 19 October and most journeys under an hour. The medieval town is worth half a day, but the real reason to go is Velika Planina, the herdsmen’s settlement known for its huts, sour milk and trnič cheese, reached by cable car and chairlift. If you like walking, it is the most special trip on this page for me.

In winter the Tourist Board also suggests skiing at Krvavec, 42 km away, and year-round the Ljubljana Marshes and Vrhnika or the Volčji Potok Arboretum are closer still.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Liubliana for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Can you do the coast as a day trip?

You can, but in autumn 2026 it takes more effort. Since 28 September the coast service has terminated at Izola, with 12 departures on Monday 19 October and a little over an hour and a half on the road, and there were 33 to Koper. For Piran you change at one of the two. In summer the Tourist Board mentions frequent buses to the coast. My advice is to spend a night there rather than going there and back; there is more in Ljubljana to Piran.

Car, bus or a guided tour?

For Bled, Postojna and Kamnik the bus is all you need. A car pays off for Škocjan or for linking several Karst stops in a day, and remember that Slovenian motorways need the DARS e-vignette, which you buy online before you set off. An organised tour makes sense if you do not want to drive on the right and the bus times do not suit you. With three or four nights in the capital, I would do Bled, Postojna and a third depending on the season. If you would rather have everything arranged, first compare what the Slovenia holidays on offer include. And for a short afternoon out, Medvode, with Lake Zbilje and the old castle at Smlednik, is a quarter of an hour away by bus.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Liubliana for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.