Slovenia and Croatia: Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Plitvice and Dubrovnik

1. Day 1: Arrive in Ljubljana

   Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU) to your hotel in Ljubljana

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Welcome dinner
   • Stay in Ljubljana
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU), about 25 km north of the city. A driver meets you in arrivals whatever time you land and takes you about half an hour into the centre. If you are coming overland from Zagreb, Venice or Vienna instead, tell us and we arrange a meeting point. Our hotel is central, so the rest of the day is on foot: the old town runs along the green Ljubljanica river under the castle hill, and most of it is closed to cars. Rest, or wander out for coffee by the water. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the eleven days ahead: how long each drive is, which mornings start early and why, and where the free afternoons fall. Then we walk to a welcome dinner of Slovenian dishes at a local restaurant, with a glass of wine from the country's own vineyards.

   Included

   • Pick-up at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU)
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Welcome dinner in Ljubljana

   Free time: Free until the evening briefing

   Activity: Plan to land by about 4 pm to reach the briefing; later arrivals are met and given a catch-up by the guide.

2. Day 2: Ljubljana: Plečnik's city and the castle

   On foot in Ljubljana, with the funicular to the castle

   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Ljubljana
   Day 2 details

   Our walk starts mid-morning at the Central Market, where the stalls of fruit, cheese and flowers sit beside the long riverside colonnade designed by the architect Jože Plečnik. His bridges, embankments and squares shaped this city between the wars, and in 2021 UNESCO listed his works in Ljubljana. From the market we cross his Triple Bridge to Prešeren Square, walk the old-town lanes to the Cobblers' Bridge and back along the river to the Dragon Bridge of 1901, with its four green dragons. Before lunch the funicular lifts us up the hill to Ljubljana Castle. Climb the viewing tower: on a clear day the Kamnik-Savinja Alps line the northern horizon. Lunch is your choice, back down in the old town. The afternoon is free: Tivoli Park, the Metelkova art quarter, a river boat, or a slow coffee on the embankment.

   Included

   • Guided walk: the Central Market, the Triple Bridge, Prešeren Square, the Cobblers' Bridge and the Dragon Bridge
   • Funicular and entry to Ljubljana Castle with the viewing tower

   Optional experiences

   • A boat ride on the Ljubljanica (extra, about an hour)

   Free time: Lunch on your own; afternoon and evening free

   Activity: About 3 hours on foot on flat streets and cobbles. The Central Market runs Monday to Saturday, so this day never falls on a Sunday.

   

3. Day 3: Vintgar Gorge and Lake Bled

   Ljubljana to Vintgar Gorge, then Bled

   • Drive about 1 h
   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Bled
   Day 3 details

   We leave Ljubljana after breakfast and drive under an hour north to Vintgar Gorge, just outside Bled. A boardwalk and wooden bridges of about 1.6 km follow the Radovna river between sheer limestone walls to a waterfall at the far end. The path runs one way, entry is by timed ticket, and we book the earliest slot we can get, before the gorge fills. By late morning we are in Bled: drop bags at the hotel, a short walk from the lake, and have lunch where you like on the shore. In the afternoon an oarsman rows us across in a pletna, the traditional wooden boat with its canopy, to Bled Island. Climb the 99 steps to the Church of the Assumption and ring the bell for a wish. Later we go up to Bled Castle, first recorded in 1011, on its cliff high above the water, for the view down over the island and towards the Julian Alps. The evening is free; try the local cream cake, kremšnita.

   Included

   • Vintgar Gorge entry and walk
   • Pletna boat to Bled Island and entry to the Church of the Assumption
   • Bled Castle entry

   Easier option: Skip Vintgar and take a slow walk on the flat 6 km path around Lake Bled instead.

   More active option: Walk up to the Ojstrica or Mala Osojnica viewpoints above the lake's west end for the classic view of the island and castle (steep, about an hour return).

   Free time: Lunch on your own; evening free

   Activity: About 1.6 km in the gorge on boardwalks with some steps, and the 99 steps on the island. Vintgar opens from spring to autumn; we confirm it for your dates.

   

4. Day 4: Lake Bohinj and Triglav National Park

   Bled to Lake Bohinj and back

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Bled
   Day 4 details

   Half an hour up the Sava Bohinjka valley brings us to Lake Bohinj, the largest permanent lake in Slovenia, inside Triglav National Park, the country's only national park. It is quieter and wilder than Bled, with mountains rising straight from the water. We stop first at the small Church of St John the Baptist by the old stone bridge at Ribčev Laz, its walls painted with medieval frescoes. Then the Vogel cable car lifts us from the lakeshore to about 1,500 m: on a clear day you look down on the whole lake and across to Triglav, at 2,864 m the highest mountain in Slovenia. Lunch is a sit-down meal by the lake. In the afternoon, choose: an easy walk along the shore, or the climb to the Savica waterfall at the head of the valley. We are back in Bled by late afternoon, with the evening free.

   Included

   • Church of St John the Baptist at Ribčev Laz
   • Vogel cable car return
   • Sit-down lunch at Lake Bohinj
   • Savica waterfall entry (active option)

   Easier option: A level walk along the eastern shore of Lake Bohinj and coffee by the water while the others climb to Savica.

   More active option: The path to the Savica waterfall, about 500 steps up through the forest to a viewpoint over the falls (about an hour and a half return).

   Free time: Evening free in Bled

   Activity: The Vogel cable car closes for short maintenance spells; if it is shut or the summit is in cloud, we take a boat across Lake Bohinj instead.

5. Day 5: Into Croatia: Zagreb's Upper Town

   Bled to Zagreb

   • Drive about 2.5 h
   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Zagreb
   Day 5 details

   We leave Bled after breakfast and drive about two and a half hours east, past Ljubljana and down the Sava valley into Croatia. Both countries are in the Schengen area, so there is no border queue, just a coffee stop on the way. We reach Zagreb around midday, with lunch your choice near Ban Jelačić Square. In the afternoon a licensed local guide walks us up into the Upper Town: through the Stone Gate, where a candlelit shrine to the Virgin survived a fire in 1731, to St Mark's Church and its roof of coloured tiles showing the coats of arms of Croatia and Zagreb. We ride down the funicular, which has run on its short track since 1890, and finish at the Museum of Broken Relationships, a collection of objects left behind by ended love affairs, each with its owner's story. The evening is free on lively Tkalčićeva Street.

   Included

   • Drive from Bled to Zagreb with your guide
   • Upper Town walk with a licensed local guide: the Stone Gate, St Mark's Church and Lotrščak Tower
   • Zagreb funicular
   • Museum of Broken Relationships entry

   Free time: Lunch on your own; evening free

   Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot with some steep lanes; the funicular saves the climb on the way down. Zagreb Cathedral is still under repair after the 2020 earthquake, so we see it from outside unless it has reopened.

   

6. Day 6: Dolac market, Rastoke and the edge of Plitvice

   Zagreb to Rastoke, then Plitvice Lakes

   • Drive about 2 h
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Plitvice Lakes
   Day 6 details

   Dolac, Zagreb's main market, is at its best early, so we walk up there after breakfast while the farmers from the hills are still setting out cheese, cream, honey and the season's fruit under red umbrellas. Mid-morning we drive south about an hour and a half, past Karlovac, to Rastoke in the town of Slunj. Here the Slunjčica river splits into dozens of small falls and pools between old wooden watermills before dropping into the Korana. We walk the paths through the village and stop for a sit-down lunch, perhaps trout from the river. It is then about half an hour to our hotel near Plitvice Lakes National Park, arriving mid-afternoon. The rest of the afternoon is for resting, because tomorrow starts early. There are few places to eat near the park, so dinner tonight is included, together, with a short briefing on the Plitvice walk.

   Included

   • Dolac market with your guide
   • Rastoke village of watermills in Slunj
   • Sit-down lunch in Rastoke
   • Dinner near Plitvice Lakes

   Free time: Afternoon free at the hotel

   Activity: Short, easy walks at Dolac and Rastoke, with a few uneven steps between the mills.

   

7. Day 7: Plitvice Lakes at opening, then Split

   Plitvice Lakes National Park, then south to Split

   • Drive about 3 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Split
   Day 7 details

   We are at the park gate when it opens, about 7 am in summer and 8 am in spring and autumn, on tickets booked for the first slot. Plitvice, listed by UNESCO in 1979, is a chain of 16 lakes stepping down through the forest, separated by barriers of travertine that the water itself lays down, so it spills from each lake to the next in hundreds of falls. With a local park guide we walk the boardwalks of the lower lakes to Veliki slap, at 78 m the highest waterfall in Croatia, then take the electric boat across Lake Kozjak and climb gently through the upper lakes while they are still quiet. By about 1 pm we are out of the park for a sit-down lunch nearby. Then it is about three hours south by motorway to Split, arriving late afternoon. The evening is free on the Riva, the palm-lined waterfront below the palace walls.

   Included

   • Plitvice Lakes National Park entry at opening, with a local park guide
   • Electric boat across Lake Kozjak and the park shuttle
   • Sit-down lunch near the park
   • Drive to Split with your guide

   Easier option: Walk the lower lakes and Veliki slap only, then ride the park shuttle and boat back and wait at the lakeside cafe (about 4 km).

   More active option: Carry on to the top of the upper lakes at Prošćansko jezero and ride the shuttle down (about 10 km).

   Free time: Evening free in Split

   Activity: About 8 to 9 km in 4 to 5 hours on boardwalks and forest paths, some uneven and wet underfoot. Swimming is not allowed in the park.

   

8. Day 8: Diocletian's Palace before the crowds

   On foot in Split

   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Split
   Day 8 details

   At 8 am, before the cruise passengers and day-trip coaches arrive, a licensed local guide takes us into Diocletian's Palace, built around AD 300 as the Roman emperor's retirement home and listed by UNESCO in 1979. Unlike most Roman palaces it never emptied: the town grew inside its walls, and people still live and run cafes in it. We start below ground in the cellars, whose vaulted halls copy the plan of the rooms that stood above them, then come up into the Peristyle, the colonnaded court. Diocletian's own mausoleum became the Cathedral of St Domnius, and the small Temple of Jupiter became its baptistery. Climb the cathedral's Romanesque bell tower for the view over the red roofs to the islands. By late morning you are free. Lunch is your choice, and the afternoon is yours: walk up Marjan hill, visit the Meštrović Gallery, or swim at Bačvice beach.

   Included

   • Diocletian's Palace with a licensed local guide at 8 am: the cellars, the Peristyle and the Temple of Jupiter
   • Cathedral of St Domnius and bell tower entry

   Optional experiences

   • A half-day trip to Trogir, a UNESCO-listed island town about 30 minutes away (extra, price shown at booking)

   Easier option: The Meštrović Gallery, a short taxi ride along the coast, with the sculptor's work in his former villa and garden.

   More active option: Climb the steps from the Varoš quarter up Marjan hill to the Telegrin viewpoint (about 2 hours return).

   Free time: Late morning, afternoon and evening free

   Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot with stone steps; the bell tower is a narrow climb that you can skip.

   

9. Day 9: Ston's walls and oysters, then Dubrovnik

   Split to Ston and Mali Ston, then Dubrovnik

   • Drive about 3.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Dubrovnik
   Day 9 details

   We leave Split after breakfast on the motorway inland, then drop to the coast at Ploče and cross the Pelješac Bridge, opened in 2022, which keeps the road inside Croatia and skips the border crossings at Neum. About two and a half hours from Split we reach Ston, whose walls, built from the 14th century to guard the salt pans of the Republic of Dubrovnik, climb over the hill to Mali Ston, more than 5 km in all. Walk a stretch with your guide and look down on the salt pans still worked below. Lunch is a sit-down meal in Mali Ston, where oysters and mussels are farmed in the bay; there are fish and meat dishes for anyone who does not eat shellfish. It is then about an hour down the coast to Dubrovnik, arriving around 4 pm. In the early evening we walk in through the Pile Gate as the day visitors leave.

   Included

   • Drive from Split to Dubrovnik with your guide, over the Pelješac Bridge
   • The Ston walls entry and a walk on the lower section
   • Sit-down lunch in Mali Ston
   • Evening walk into Dubrovnik's Old Town

   Easier option: Stay on the level in Ston and see the salt pans from the town while the others walk the wall.

   More active option: Climb the steep section of the Ston walls to the top fort and over the hill towards Mali Ston.

   Free time: Dinner on your own in Dubrovnik

   Activity: The Ston walls are steep in places, with steps and no shade; go early in the visit on hot days.

   

10. Day 10: Dubrovnik's walls at opening, Lokrum in the afternoon

    On foot in Dubrovnik, with a boat to Lokrum

    • By boat
    • Breakfast and dinner
    • Stay in Dubrovnik
    Day 10 details

    We climb onto the city walls when they open, before the heat and the cruise groups. The full circuit is about 2 km of ramparts around the Old Town, listed by UNESCO in 1979, with the sea on one side and the roofs and lanes on the other. The highest point is the round Minčeta Tower on the landward side. Then a licensed local guide walks us down the Stradun, the polished main street, to the Franciscan monastery, whose pharmacy has been working since 1317, and on to the Rector's Palace, where the republic's elected rector lived during his month in office, and the Sponza Palace. Lunch is your choice. In the afternoon a boat takes us about fifteen minutes across to Lokrum, a wooded island nature reserve with rock swimming spots, a botanical garden and peacocks. Stay as long as you like. In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner in the Old Town.

    Included

    • Dubrovnik city walls entry at opening
    • Old Town walk with a licensed local guide: the Stradun, the Franciscan monastery and pharmacy museum, the Rector's Palace and the Sponza Palace
    • Return boat to Lokrum and the reserve entry
    • Farewell dinner in the Old Town

    Optional experiences

    • The Mount Srđ cable car for the view over the Old Town at sunset (extra, price shown at booking)

    Easier option: Walk only the sea-side half of the walls, then rest at the hotel before Lokrum or skip the island.

    Free time: Lunch on your own; afternoon free on Lokrum or in town

    Activity: The walls have many steps and little shade; bring water and a hat. Lokrum boats run from spring to autumn.

    

11. Day 11: Depart from Dubrovnik

    Dubrovnik to Dubrovnik Airport (DBV)

    • Drive about 30 min
    • Breakfast
    Day 11 details

    The trip ends after breakfast. Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) is at Čilipi, about 22 km south-east of the city and half an hour by road along the coast, and we drive you there in time for your flight, whenever it leaves. With a midday or afternoon flight there is time for a last morning swim, a coffee on the Stradun, or the early-morning light on the Old Town from the Pile Gate, before the first cruise passengers come ashore. Your guide says goodbye at the hotel, or comes with the group to the airport when flights are close together. If you want more of the coast, add nights in Dubrovnik before you fly: Mljet National Park, the Elafiti islands and Cavtat are all easy day trips by boat, and we can book them for you. Ask us when you request to book and we will quote hotels and transfers.

    Included

    • Drop-off at Dubrovnik Airport (DBV)

    Optional experiences

    • Extra nights in Dubrovnik with a boat day to Mljet National Park (quoted on request)

    Free time: Morning free until your transfer

    Activity: Any flight time works; book after about 11 am if you want a last morning in the Old Town.

Wildlife and weather: Late spring and early autumn are mild on the coast and fresh in the Julian Alps, with the Plitvice waterfalls fullest in May and June. July and August are hot and busy on the coast; in the mountains rain or low cloud can hide the view from Vogel, and we adjust that day if it does.

• Ljubljana2 nights
• Bled2 nights
• Zagreb1 night
• Plitvice Lakes1 night
• Split2 nights
• Dubrovnik2 nights