3 Day Slovenia Itinerary with Kids: 2 Days in Ljubljana, 1 in Lake Bled

3 Day Slovenia Itinerary with Kids: 2 Days in Ljubljana, 1 in Lake Bled

Looking at including Slovenia in your next trip to Europe? Here is a great, basic itinerary for spending 3 days in this stunning country that are filled with family friendly activities. Love this itinerary? Look in my shop for more Slovenia itineraries, or work with me to create your perfect Slovenia itinerary, customized for your needs.
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Unless you are LITERALLY just passing through one city on the way to somewhere else, 3 days in Slovenia is the minimum amount of time to “see” something of Slovenia.  

Ljubljana and Lake Bled are two of the most visited parts of Slovenia for a reason. Seeing these highlights will give you a small but sweet taste of what the rest of Slovenia has to offer.

If you won’t have a car, getting between Ljubljana and Lake Bled is an easy connection with trains regularly throughout the day.  There are also a number of wonderful tours that you can take to see Lake Bled from Ljubljana.

🛏 Where to Stay for Three Nights in Ljubliana

Because you will be exploring Ljubliana for two days and Lake Bled for one day in this itinerary, it makes most sense to stay in Ljubliana.  Here are some great choices for you!

🛏 Option 1: Vila Veselova: We stayed in Vila Veselova on our stay.  It offers large rooms for families in a big house, just a few blocks from the old town.  We enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of this family friendly hostel (we had a private room with a shared bathroom).  They also offer a lovely but basic breakfast.

Vila Veselova
@travelwithshanna
We stayed here because it offered lovely accommodations for large families. We stayed in a great room with multiple beds and a shared bathroom. The hostel was warm and friendly and served a great breakfast. There is a great little garden outside. It is in a safe neighborhood. It is a unique in that it is in an old mansion. This is not a cookie cutter accommodating, and it was a really fun part of our travel experience.
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🛏 Option 2-City Hotel Ljubliana: This hotel has a beautiful rooftop restaurant and rooms to accommodate a wide range of family sizes (including triples, quads and adjoining rooms). They serve a lovely breakfast on the rooftop that is included (note on breakfast - it looks like they have some range of options for gluten free and special diets.)

City Hotel Ljubljana
@travelwithshanna
If you want something a little less "adventurous" than the Villa Veselova, this is a great choice! They have family friendly accommodations (including triples, quads and adjoined rooms). There is a great terrace for meals and views of the city, and it is in a great central location.
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🛏 Option 3-Meščanka Apartments: These apartment in Ljubljana's old town have an ideal location and have space for families. This would be a great choice, especially if you needed a kitchen or more room to spread out.

Meščanka Apartments and Rooms
@travelwithshanna
If you need a kitchen, or a little more space as a family, these cute apartments have an excellent location and we would absolutely stay here in a heartbeat! They offer breakfast and have a super cute little restaurant downstairs.
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📆 Day One (Ljubljana)

🕘 9:00am

Get a good overview of Ljubliana and get the tour out of the way first while your kids are fresh. I will be honest...this was a little dry for the kids, but we did learn a lot and we covered a lot of ground. Look for ways to make it interesting for them (maybe some bubbles or making a game out of it...or candy...bribes always work!)

Ljubljana Free Tour
@travelwithshanna
We did this tour in Ljubliana. It was a little slow for the kids, but it was still a great overview of the city and we were glad that we did it.
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...Then reward them with a stop at Puffy L'il pancakes on your way to the castle!  This little pancake stand was a favorite on our trip (we stopped here more than once...)

🍽 Puffy Li’l Pancakes
@travelwithshanna
Our kids LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED this place so much, we went back at least twice during our visit. This would be a great way to entice them to go on the free walking tour (which I admit, can be a little boring for kids), as it is nearby where teh tour starts and ends.
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Or, if you need an option that is not pancakes, check out this fun local candy shop!

KRAŠ bonbonnière
@travelwithshanna
If someone in your party can't eat pancakes, or you need different/additional "bribe" material to get your kids through the walking tour or up to the castle tomorrow, this is another option for you. Our kids love trying different candy when we travel...they don't always like it, but it is always a unique experience.
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🍽 Lunch

We love visiting local markets when we travel.  Learning about a place through the food that they eat is such a great hands-on education for kids.  Pick up picnic supplies here and head over to Tivoli Park for a picnic!

Ljubljana Central Market
@travelwithshanna
We love visitng local markets. Looking at the local culture through the lens of its food is a great way to learn about the place that you are visiting. Slovenia is a very "farm to table" sort of country, and so their market is filled with local vendors who make their products from the land.
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If you happen to be visiting on a Friday from May to October, check out the Open Kitchen. A number of local restaurants set up stands with some delicious local foods to try and experience (this is in the same area as the market.)

Open kitchen
@travelwithshanna
If you are going to be in Ljubljana on a Friday between May and October, you HAVE to check out the Open Kitchen (Odprta Kuhna). Local restaurants and food vendors set up booths in the old town. It is a great opportunity to try a wide variety of Slovenian and international cuisine in a short time.
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🕐Afternoon

Spending some down time hanging out in local parks is something that we really enjoy and try to include on all of our trips.  It is important for kids to have some unstructured time amidst the hustle of sightseeing.

Interacting with local kids and seeing how local families spend their leisure time can be an important cultural experience for kids, and our kids always enjoy the new friends that they make (even if they don't speak the same language).

Tivoli Park
@travelwithshanna
We always make sure we spend some downtime hanging out in local parks when we travel. It is important for the kids to have some unstructured time amidst busy sightseeing days. Grab picnic supplies at the market, or get a bite at one of the lovely cafes in the park. Our kids had a lot of fun at the playground here!
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I know that this is not a dining option that is for everybody (it isn't my thing), but it is definitely a unique local dining option close to Tivoli park.

Hot Horse TIVOLI
@travelwithshanna
If you are feeling adventurous, try out a horse burger here! I couldn't do it myself, but I have heard that they are good, and certainly a very unique local food choice.
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📆 Day Two (Ljubljana)

🕘 Morning

Ljubliana Castle is a fun stop that you won't want to miss, so tackle it first thing in the morning. You can take the funicular up or walk (our kids thought that the funicular was fun).  You can get some great views of the city exploring the ramparts of the castle, and there are lots of fun nooks and crannies for the kids to explore.

Ljubljana Castle
@travelwithshanna
The castle is really lovely and not something you should miss. There are stunning views of the city from the ramparts, and the castle has lots of nooks and crannies for the kids to explore. make sure to take the nearby funicular up for more family fun!
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🍽 Lunch

This centrally located, reasonably priced spot for quick bites gets great reviews for nice sized portions. A nice outdoor space for the kids to run around and platters of kid friendly finger foods makes this a top family restaurant choice in my book! 

Kodila Meet Meat Eat Market
@travelwithshanna
This centrally located, reasonably priced spot for quick bites gets great reviews for nice sized portions. A nice outdoor space for the kids to run around and platters of kid friendly finger foods makes this a top family restaurant choice in my book!
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🕐Afternoon

The House of Illusions in Ljubliana was a really fun stop for our kids. They never seem to get tired of these places, and there were some great photo opportunities to be had there.

House of illusions
@travelwithshanna
The house of illusions is a fun, imaginative stop for kinds amongst the sometimes-boring buildings and squares of old town. We have been to a few of these now, but our kids never seem to get tired of them and they do create some fun photo opportunities.
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🍽 Dinner

Dinner at Gostlina Sokol is a little "touristy" but it is still a worthwhile and fun stop for families. The inside of the restaurant as a very "old and medieval" we all enjoyed. Authentic...probably not. Fun and worthwhile...definitely!

After dinner, I left you some free time to wander the old town with ice cream, and take some of those gorgeous night photos!

Gostilna Sokol
@travelwithshanna
Touristy? Yes. An experience that you should have with kids while you are in Ljubliana? ABSOLUTELY! We loved our meal here...the atmosphere inside the restaurant was really fun!
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Follow dinner up with ice cream at Vigo while wandering around the old town getting some fantastic pictures of the old town lit up at night.  

Vigò
@travelwithshanna
Vigo Ice Cream is a mmust if you are visitng Ljubliana. Their creative flavors were a hit with us and our kids alike.
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📆 Day Three (Lake Bled): 

Lake Bled is about a 45 minute drive or train ride from Ljubliana.  Get an early start and head up to lake Bled. Walk around the lake and take the boat ride across (you can save some money and rent your own boat and row across for an adventure or take one of the traditional Pletna boats across). have lunch at Pizzeria Rustika for some really great pizza, and then eat some of that amazing Bled cream cake.  Wrap up the afternoon with a trip to Straza Bled Adventure Park for some fun and spectacular views.

🕘 Morning

Lake Bled is a magical place.  It is one of those rare places that really do look as pretty in a photo as they do in real life.  The walk around Lake Bled is easy (though I don't recommend it with strollers). 

There are impressive and varying views of the magical island from different spots around the lake, so if your kids are up to it, I suggest taking a couple of hours and walking around the whole lake.

Lake Bled
@travelwithshanna
Lake Bled is truly one of those places that looks like a fairy tale! Our kids had fun walking around the lake, and the photos were just as pretty as you see in the pictures. The walking is easy...the path is paved and easily doable for stroller. There are different photo viewpoints around the lake, so if you can spend a couple hours walking the whole path, I think this is the best experience.
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Make sure you stop here for your iconic slice of Bled Cream Cake!  This impressive photo spot is a little up the hill from the lake, but the views are some of the best!  A little cake will help give your kids some energy for walking around the lake (or, save it as a reward for at the end!)

Café Belvedere
@travelwithshanna
Bled Cream cake with a view. A must if you are visiting Lake Bled.
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If you are looking for more impressive views of the lake, this is a great trail to consider.  It will take about 30 minutes each way, and it is moderately challenging, as you will be climbing.

Ojstrica Trailhead
@travelwithshanna
If you want a beautiful viewpoint of the lake and island, and you are feeling adventurous (or your kids are a little older) this is the easiest hike to attempt to get wider views. It is supposed to take 10 minutes each way (triple that with kids), and it is marked on the tourist maps around town.
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There are two ways to get out to the iconic island.  You can take a traditional Pletna Boat out there, or you can have an adventure and rent your own boat and row!  They are both fun (our kids loved rowing and it made it seem like a little adventure).  Rowing is definitely the more budget friendly option for 3 or more people.

PLETNA BOAT CRUISE TO THE ISLAND BLED
@travelwithshanna
This is the traditional way to get out to the island...being an Oarsman who propels the Pletna boats if a protected profession. There were 22 original families who were chosen to ferry pilgrims across the lake, and many of the oarsmen today still descend from those original families. The ride takes about 20 minutes each way.
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Or, if you are feeling adventurous, you can rent your own and DIY your trip to the island!

Rent A Boat - Velika Zaka
@travelwithshanna
This is definitely the more adventurous way to get across the lake (and quite a bit cheaper than seats for a family on the Pletna boats). Our kids had a lot of fun helping row there and back (and it gave them something to do to burn off some energy!)
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🍽 Lunch

Pizzeria Rustika
@travelwithshanna
This was one of our favorite restaurants of the trip. The pizza was as great as the reviews say, and it was really family friendly!
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🕐 Afternoon

Bled Castle
@travelwithshanna
Spectacular views from here...definitely worth a visit.
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We had so much fun riding the chairlift and doing the mountain coaster from the top.  The views from the top of the lake were really worthwhile.  You should definitely make time for this while you are visiting Lake bled.

Straža Bled
@travelwithshanna
The views from the top are fantastic, and we all had a great time here riding the chairlift up and taking the alpine coaster back down. This is a nice way to wrap up the afternoon with kids...something fun that they can look forward to.
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If you are looking for more adrenaline from your afternoon, you should absolutely check out the longest ziplines in Europe!

Zipline Dolinka Bled
@travelwithshanna
This wasn't her during our visit, but this is definitely on our list for next time we are near Lake Bled! It looks like a blast!
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Head back to Ljubliana when you are done, with your camera filled with magical pictures and your heart filled with memories.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey! I am Shanna. I am a family travel expert who has been to over 45 countries, and I can't wait to help you plan an enriching, life changing trip with your kids! It is easy to plan a pretty trip with lots of fun stops and neat things to see (heck, AI can even do this for us now). Why should you work with me? The difference is that I have been an ACTUAL travel agent in real life. It is really easy put together all sorts of fun things on an itinerary on paper, but being responsible for creating dozens upon dozens of trips for families that actually happened and worked gives me a whole different level of expertise that most of the folks on this site don't have. It means that I am only going to put reputable suppliers into your itinerary that I KNOW will give you the experience that you are looking for. It means that I am going to look at your itinerary from a bird's eye perspective, looking for friction points or possible problems. It means that I feel a higher level of RESPONSIBILITY for making sure your trip goes as planned. Travel experience is irreplaceable, but it is also SUBJECTIVE. Having been a travel agent means that I combine my extensive travel knowledge WITH hundreds of hours of actual education about destinations. I have spent over 25 years of my life in the travel industry, including time in the hospitality/hotel world, the airline world and also as a travel agent. Having visited over 45 countries, I truly believe that travel changes lives. It has given our kids a deeper perspective on the world. Travel has made them flexible and adaptable. It has opened their hearts to other cultures and shown them that our actions truly have global consequences. THIS is my why. As a family, we seek out immersive, authentic travel experiences that enrich our lives, deepen our understanding and help us create lifelong family memories. Life is so busy. I love helping families make uninterrupted time to be together creating those memories.
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