This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase or booking through them, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I visited Slovenia in July 2024 as part of my Croatia trip. Since my friend and I only had one full day in Slovenia, we decided to book the Slovenia in One Day: Lake Bled, Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle tour — a full-day guided tour covering Slovenia’s three most famous stops. Here’s what the experience was like, and whether I think the tour was worth it.
Postojna Cave
We started the day at Slovenia’s most famous attraction, Postojna Cave. It’s one of the largest cave systems in the world, unique for its underground railway and rare cave-dwelling salamanders called olms (also known as “baby dragons”).
The moment we entered, there was a huge temperature drop. Even though it was a warm July day outside, we were glad to be wearing our winter jackets inside. Apparently the cave is 10 °C throughout the year!
To reach the main chambers, we boarded the underground train at the entrance. Taking the train felt weirdly exciting, kind of like a Disneyland ride. It moved faster than we expected, and breezed through some narrow tunnels.
After about 15 minutes, we arrived at the chambers and joined a one-hour English tour. The stalactites and stalagmites were beautiful and reminded me of Carlsbad Cavern. My favorites were the Spaghetti Hall with its spiky stalactites on the ceiling, and the striking white limestone formation called the Brilliant.
At the end, there was an aquarium that supposedly contained olms. Unfortunately, the tank was so dark we couldn’t see anything. We ended up seeing lots of baby dragon merch at the gift shop inside the cave instead before taking the train back to the entrance.
Predjama Castle
Located about 15 minutes from the cave, Predjama Castle is the world’s largest cave castle. It’s built directly into a vertical cliff face more than 800 years ago as a stronghold. It looks really impressive from the outside, almost like something out of a fantasy novel.
Inside there wasn’t a lot to explore, but our guide shared some interesting stories behind the robber baron Erazem who used the cave to smuggle in supplies during a year-long siege. We also saw the toilet where he was supposedly killed by a cannonball after a servant betrayed him.
Lake Bled
After the castle, we visited the iconic Lake Bled about 1.5 hours away. There’s a small island in the middle of the lake, and we took a pletna boat to get there. A pletna is a traditional wooden boat used exclusively on Lake Bled, with an oarsman standing at the back rowing with two oars. The 30-minute ride was peaceful and scenic.
The island itself felt a bit underwhelming. We walked around briefly but there wasn’t much to do beyond visiting the small church. The real payoff came after we returned to shore and headed up to Bled Castle. The castle is perched on a cliff high above Lake Bled, so we got amazing views of Lake Bled and Bled Island. There’s also a museum inside, but by that point I was pretty tired, so my friend explored while I simply enjoyed the view.
Verdict
Overall, this tour was tiring but efficient, and it didn’t feel overly rushed despite covering three major stops in one day. Postojna Cave was my favorite for how unique the experience was, but I also loved the views at Lake Bled and the drama of Predjama Castle. If you only have one day in Slovenia and you’re not keen on renting a car or piecing together public transport, this tour is a great way to hit all the highlights in one go.
Leave a Reply