Dinkwads Abroad

As the capital of Slovenia and centrally located, Ljubljana is a great starting point for your visit to this amazing country. You can spend days exploring the city, and also use it as a jumping off point to go explore the mountains, the sea, or the other neighboring cities.

If you’re planning to see two countries in one trip, see my perfect two(ish) week itinerary here to combine Slovenia along with Croatia. This is my ideal route based on how we structured it, laid out plainly for you to go ahead and book! And you can read details on everywhere we stayed/ate/drank here, or details on what we did here if you’d like all the detailed logistics on how to work it into your trip and to read my thoughts on the city!

Where To Stay

We had three nights in Hotel Emonec which was a fantastic location. And while I’d recommend it if you make sure you get a room away from the front door (see why in my full review here), here are some other options we would consider if we were going back! My main qualifiers for choosing these were budget, location, and reviews. All of these get decent reviews and are based right near old town, which is where you’ll likely spend most of your time.

Budget

This is where we stayed, and it was a great price for the room, and an even better location being right in old town!

This will put you right by all the restaurants right on the water. Super convenient and the reviews all seem pretty positive!

Mid-Range

City Hotel

Dalmatinova ulica 15, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Check Availability Here

This place gets excellent reviews. It also happens to be just down the street from my favorite pub, Sir William’s Pub! The rooms look gorgeous, and breakfast is included if you book direct with them.

Eurostars Hotel

Miklošičeva cesta 3, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Check Availability Here

Clean, modern rooms with a pool and spa! If you like to spend a little more time enjoying your hotel amenities, this could be a good option.

High End

For those who want to splurge a little bit!

Grand Hotel Union Eurostars

Miklošičeva cesta 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Check Availability Here

Another Eurostars property, just down the street from the one mentioned above. Enjoy the rooftop pool and spa in a historic building!

Zlata Ladjica Boutique Hotel

Jurčičev trg 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Check Availability Here

Stunning rooms with a spa and restaurant on site!

What To Do

While I’d be perfectly content just walking around Ljubljana’s old town or sitting by the river, there’s so much more you can do while there! Read my full breakdown, costs, reviews, links, and helpful logistics for what we did in my full post here! And to see how we structured these into our day, see the full day by day itinerary.

Take a Walking Tour

See all the main sights and learn the history of the city in one fell swoop! You can also book a tour that I highly recommend that provides some tastings of some local treats here. Or search for all the great walking tours available here!

Predjama Castle

Get out of town and explore a castle built directly into the cliff and cave system! See my full blog post on the logistics of how to make the most of your visit!

Postojna Caves

While visiting Predjama Castle, get a combined ticket to see the Postojna Caves, a huge cave system famous for its little dragons and train that carries you through the caves!

Explore Ljubljana Castle

Hike up or take the short funicular to explore the historic castle. You can see parts of it for free, or pay the entrance fee to see the special exhibits.

Shop the Central Market

Find local produce and goods at the Central Market Monday – Saturday.

Take a River Cruise

Hop on a boat and see the city from the river that runs right through it!

Take a Day Trip

Rent a car or hop on a bus to Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj, Vintgar Gorge, or one of the many other great areas you can visit from Ljubljana! Within just over an hour, you can be in the mountains, on the coast, or in a national forest, which makes Ljubljana a great base for exploring the whole country!

Where To Eat

Read my full reviews of the places we ate and specifics on what we ordered, how much it cost, and whether or not you need cash or a reservation! But these are the places you should add to your must try list!

Odprta Kuhna (Open Kitchen)

Adamič-Lundrovo nabrežje 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Located in Central Square and open Fridays from mid-March to October, this is a great opportunity to try food from many local restaurants at once! There are dozens of tents set up in the square, so you’re bound to find something you like!

Burek Olimpija

Slovenska cesta 58, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Grab their cheap (and massive) burek for a cheap and filling lunch or snack! We particularly enjoyed the pizza burek.

Restaurant Most

Petkovškovo nabrežje 21, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

For something a little more upscale for dinner, try Restaurant Most! You can sit outside near the water, and it’s a great spot to enjoy the nice weather and people watch while enjoying some great food! Try the sea bass ceviche – it was delicious!

Restavracija Breg

Breg 20, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

I saw this place recommended online multiple times as a place for quality, local dishes. I wish we had gotten the chance to try it, but it’s on my list for next time!

Slovenska Hiša – Figovec

Gosposvetska cesta 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Hearty traditional dishes with what look like a modern spin, at a decent price!

Where To Drink

Whether you’re here for the caffeine or cocktails, we’ve got you covered! If you want to see everywhere we drank in Ljubljana and read my reviews, read my full post here.

Coffee

Stow 2 Go

Prešernov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Great grab and go coffee shop with robust coffee and delicious pastries, just off the main square!

Libations

Sir William’s Pub

Tavčarjeva ulica 8a, 1101 Ljubljana, Slovenia

If you’re a fan of craft beer, cozy pub vibes, and friendly staff, this is the perfect place to go!

Projekt Craft Beer Shop

Trubarjeva cesta 45, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Another place with a great craft beer selection, both in cans and on draft. Where Sir William’s Pub is a classic pub setting, this is definitely more of a modern hole in the wall vibe. Super helpful staff in a place made for beer lovers!

Tektonik Kraft Pivovarna

Likozarjeva ulica 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

A brewery located near city center, Tektonik is a brewer that’s proud of its craft and it shows! With a ton of different beer styles,

Pub Loo-Blah-Nah

Adamič-Lundrovo nabrežje 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Craft beer brewed right by the Central Market, perfect for a quick drink while out exploring old town!

Voyager Craft Bar

Trg Osvobodilne fronte 13a, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

They seem to have a great beer list, as well as small food options that look delicious! I wish we had gotten the chance to go here, but we just ran out of time!

Daktari

Krekov trg 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Sit outside and enjoy your cocktail, wine, or beer while watching the funicular take people up to Ljubljana Castle!

Zlata Ladjica Pub

Jurcicev trg 1, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Riverside seating with a good selection of local craft beers and local wines!

FAQs And General Tips

How long do I need in Ljubljana?

This really is a tough one to answer. Because Ljubljana can be an excellent base for day trips, you could really stay there the whole time you’re in Slovenia. I would allow at least two days for exploring the city itself, and then add on a day for however many day trips you want to do from the city.

Do I need to make dinner reservations?

Some of the more popular restaurants like Restaurant Breg may require reservations. While we had no issues without reservations, plan ahead if you’re going during peak season. If you’d like to see where we ate and where I recommend, check out my blog about where we ate!

Will I be able to get around easily speaking English?

Everyone we interacted with spoke English fluently, so you shouldn’t have any issue at all.

Will I need a lot of cash?

We used credit card everywhere, even at the Open Kitchen. But while it is very credit card friendly, definitely make sure to have some cash on you just in case!

How to get to Ljubljana?

See my full itinerary here with details on how to work Ljubljana into a full Croatia/Slovenia trip! With Ljubljana being the capital city and so centrally located, there are plenty of ways you can get there. You can fly directly into their international airport, drive from elsewhere, take a bus (like we did from Rovinj), or take a train from another city!

Where else should I go in Slovenia?

The only other place we stayed the night was Lake Bled, which I would 100% recommend. To see my perfect itinerary based on where we went and what we learned, check out my ideal itinerary here with all the details of where to go and how to get there! However, there are so many other places in Slovenia I would love to visit, such as Piran for seaside views, Strunjan Nature Reserve for lagoons and cliffs, Bohinj Lake for the lake, Kranjska Gora for the mountains, Logar Valley for the glacial valley, or Maribor for more picturesque old towns!