We recently did a Lake Bled day trip from Ljubljana for the first time after seeing some incredible pictures of the lake and realizing we had the ability to visit Slovenia.
We’re in Europe to start traveling in the van we bought last spring in Belgium. However, the van needed to be in the shop for about two weeks, and we thought, what better way to spend those two weeks than to do a mini Eurail trip?
If you’re planning a Eurail trip too, be sure to book your train tickets in advance here. Prices go up as you get closer to your travel day.
Our plan was simple, we wanted to visit both Slovakia and Slovenia.. but we added a few extra stops along the way.
While we originally thought we’d do five nights in Ljubljana, Slovenia, we ended up staying four nights there, and one of our major goals was to do a day trip to Lake Bled.
With the weather not in our favor for renting a car to visit Lake Bled and beyond, we decided to just make a day trip out of it with public transportation, waking up before the sun came up and staying in Bled until after the sun went down.
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Getting Ready For A Lake Bled Day Trip
The day before we visited Lake Bled, we popped into Lidl and loaded up on Slovenia snacks in our Peak Design backpacks — crackers, beet root hummus, wild boar salami, gummy worms, and some British cheddar cheese… okay the last one wasn’t Slovenian, but after living in Scotland for two and a half years, we can’t pass up the opportunity to snag some proper British cheddar.
Our plan was simple: head to the bus stop to double-check bus times, purchase our round-trip tickets from the bus station, and stock up on snacks as we were catching the 5:55 AM bus from Ljubljana to Lake Bled.
Traveler’s Tip | The bus station only accepts cash. You can pay with cash at the bus station prior to departure to secure your seat (recommended if visiting in the high season), or you can pay with cash on the bus. Purchasing an open-ended return trip was €13.50 per person.
If you don’t have cash, you can book tickets in advance online — also a great way to secure your seat if you have an exact day you’re visiting Lake Bled from Ljubljana. Just be aware, online tickets seem to be more expensive than in person.
We made sure all our camera batteries were charged, topped up our battery pack, and went to sleep with giddy excitement of the day ahead.. even if the early morning wake up call meant less than four hours of sleep.
If you prefer not to plan everything yourself, these are the top-rated ways to experience Lake Bled
- Lake Bled day trip from Ljubljana | check availability here
- Small group guided tours | reserve your spot on an intimate Lake Bled experience
- Bled Castle + Lake combo tours | book the best of Lake Bled here
The Perfect Day Trip to Lake Bled
- Coordinates For Bus Station In Ljubljana | 46.057736, 14.509783
- Coordinates For Bus Station In Lake Bled | 46.371244, 14.106869
Our 5:00 AM alarms came super early, but nothing could hinder our excitement for getting to Lake Bled.
We were catching the 5:55 AM bus to arrive in Bled just after 7:00 AM, which was right at sunrise.
Traveler’s Tip | Sit on the right side of the bus, opposite the driver. The mountain views are incredible!
We got off the bus just under the castle (at the Bled bus station), and followed the road right down to the water.
Unbeknownst to us, there was a path all the way around the lake. It’s right around 6km, and is mostly flat!
Getting off at the Bled bus station, and then walking around the lake clockwise, our goal was to get to the opposite side of the lake where the iconic views of the cathedral with the castle behind it and the mountains behind the castle awaits.
But holy smokes, we were so surprised how lovely the views were all along the walk. Our fingers kept snapping photos, and we were repeatedly saying, “wow”, “holy cow”, and “I can’t believe this”.
The Iconic Lake Bled Photo
- Coordinates For Iconic Lake Bled Photo | 46.356910, 14.082471
While we knew of the iconic photo spot of Lake Bled, we were so shocked by how beautiful the entire walk is. The iconic shot is well worth getting, but snapping photos along the way, creating our own images, was amazing too.
A huge bonus of being at Lake Bled right at sunrise is the lack of people there. We literally only saw one other person, besides some locals working out and walking their dogs, we felt the lake was ours up until about noon.
The quiet lake with birds chirping and calm waters with nobody else around, is what made Lake Bled so beautiful.
The Hike We Didn’t Know Existed | Osojnica Viewpoint
- Coordinates For Intense Osojnica Trailhead | 46.358314, 14.087305
I had naively pinned a photo spot of a viewpoint of Lake Bled. And when I tell you I did zero research before getting on the trail, I literally mean zero research.
There was a sign with an arrow pointing up the stairs, with the name of the viewpoint, Osojnica, which I vaguely remember pinning.. and so we just started going up.
Little did we know, this would turn into a full on hike.. where good, grippy trail shoes are required, lots of traversing uneven terrain, walking along a cable for security, and climbing 89 stairs straight up a cliff, with a cable on the mountainside as your only safety.
The hike was beautiful with incredible views and wildflowers blooming all the way up. But when I say only experienced hikers should do this, I mean it. It was intense.
When we got to the top, our breath was taken away.. the view of the lake with the mountains as far as the eye could see was incredible.
Picnic & A Reality Check
- Coordinates For Easier Ojstrica Trailhead | 46.361281, 14.082990
We stayed at the top just soaking in the views for about an hour without a single other soul around. This was the perfect place to have our picnic and take our time taking in all the beauty.
Soon, we started hearing voices, and these two elderly women came hiking up with trekking poles just on a casual stroll.
We looked at each other and thought there was no way in h*ll they just climbed up the cable lines and the 89 stairs with no protection.
Sure enough, there was another way up. A much easier, gravel path leading to the incredible view.
Traveler Tip | Do NOT ATTEMPT the hike that starts up the staircase next to the bike rack. This is for experienced hikers only and not for those afraid of heights. Instead, head around the corner and climb up what looks like a road. This is the easier trail (still with lots of elevation gain) to the top.
Back To The Bottom + A Cute Boardwalk
- Coordinates For Boardwalk | 46.361661, 14.084912
We decided to hike down the easy route back to the bottom. Honestly, there was no way I was hiking down the stairs I was basically crying on on the way up.
At the bottom, we jumped on the trail and went counterclockwise along the water and found a fantastic boardwalk with incredible views right on the water.
The boardwalk was busy, even in the middle of winter, so I can’t imagine how crowded it would be in the summer.. but this was a beautiful spot for photography.
Coffee With A Slice Of Castle
- Cafe and Bathroom Coordinates | 46.367131, 14.085342
By this time, it was after noon, and the lake started getting busy. We were so thankful we had gotten there so early and were able to have the lake to ourselves in the morning.
We stopped in at the Lasko Pivo Cafe Bar and grabbed a cappuccino to go, taking it down to the water to sit and sip on.
Finishing up our cappuccinos, after a quick bathroom break, we were on our way to finishing circumnavigating the lake. But first, a detour up to the top of the castle.
Lake Bled Castle | Blejski Grad
- Coordinates For Bled Castle | 46.369916, 14.100931
- Bled Castle Tours | Book Your Tour Now
We didn’t pay to go into the castle, but instead walked all the way up it (there are a lot of stairs), and then followed the path around the back of it near the parking lot.
This was a great way to escape the crowds and feel like we were immersed in nature.
The trail isn’t paved, and it winds up and through the forest, with views of the lake peeking out as you make your way back to the front of the castle. But this time it was nearly 3:00 and our bellies were growling, time to eat!
Early Dinner At Spica
- Coordinates For Dinner | 46.369820, 14.107249
- Other Restaurants Nearby | Top Restaurants in Bled
We passed on the lakefront restaurants and went up just a bit off the water to Spica, and holy smokes — it did not disappoint!
Spica is owned by a former Olympian, and the menu has a bit of everything. The name comes from the Slovenian word for a specific seat on a row team’s boat — and as you may have guessed, this Olympian rowed in that seat.
In the entrance, you can find multiple Olympic medals — something we’ve never seen before and incredibly cool to see with your own eyes.
And don’t worry, the medals aren’t even the best part.. the food here is incredible! We got a margarita pizza and a traditional Slovenian dish, Idrija zlikrofi… a Slovenian dumpling stuffed with potato and bacon.
It’s one of those dishes I’ll be dreaming about for years to come.
We rounded out our meal by trying the classic Bled cream cake… a cake created right in Bled in 1953.
I couldn’t handle the texture, but Jay really enjoyed it!
Catching The Sunset Lighting
Finishing up our meal, we completed the last bit of the walk all the way around the lake, and then raced to the opposite side of the lake again to try and catch the last bit of light on the surrounding mountains.
There wasn’t much of a sunset, but we enjoyed taking some night shots of the cathedral before catching a 6:30 bus back to Ljubljana for the night.
The Perfect Day Trip to Lake Bled From Ljubljana
I still can’t get over how wonderful our day trip to Lake Bled was. The weather, the lighting, the lack of crowds.. it was all magical. Truly a day I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
While we were originally going to rent a car for a couple of days and do multiple day trips from Ljubljana, with bad weather and avalanche warnings in the surrounding area, we opted for bus transport, and it was honestly so easy and perfect.
Lake Bled Travel Tips
- If you can visit in the shoulder season, do it. In the winter, the snow is beautiful in the surrounding mountains, but all the trees around the lake are bare.. making them not so photogenic.
- Get to the lake early… beating the crowds was one of the best parts of our day!
- The island with the cathedral was in the shade about 2.5 hours prior to sunset. Be sure to plan your photography around that.
- Don’t just go for a photo. Enjoy your time and let the magic of Lake Bled sweep you away.
- Create your own shot. Read our foolproof guide to getting the best photo.
Where To Stay When Visiting Lake Bled
Recommended Stays In Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Budget | Browse budget stays in Ljubljana
- Average | Find top-rated hotels in Ljubljana | Hotel B & B (where we stayed)
- Luxury | See luxury stays in Ljubljana
Planning Your Lake Bled Trip?
Here are the exact resources we used for this trip
🚌 Check bus routes to Lake Bled
🏨 Find hotels in Ljubljana & Bled
