Two Week Slovenia and Croatia Road Trip Itinerary

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With two weeks in Slovenia and Croatia as a first-time traveler to the Balkans, you can see a lot of the best sights the countries have to offer. The Balkans make for a fantastic road trip destination in Europe. While Croatia and Slovenia are the main focus of this itinerary, Mostar and Montenegro are also included.

If you don’t have two weeks, you can mix and match this itinerary to visit one or two of these countries. This road trip is made up of a 1-week itinerary for Croatia, a 5-day itinerary for Slovenia, and a 2-day itinerary for Montenegro. In hindsight, I would recommend spending more time in Slovenia as the mountains there are beautiful.

This itinerary can be done at any time of year, but I recommend spring or autumn to avoid the peak tourism season. During winter, driving in Slovenia’s mountains may be restricted because of snowfall. The southern part of this itinerary, Dubrovnik and Montenegro, are fantastic winter destinations in Europe.

Top 5 Experiences in Croatia and Slovenia

1. Wander the alleys and walls of Dubrovnik’s Old Town soaking up the atmosphere of the red-roofed buildings and polished limestone streets.
2. Drive the beautiful coastal roads of southern Dalmatia from Montenegro up to Dubrovnik and Split
3. Stroll the boardwalks of Plitvice National Park to see as many waterfalls as possible.
4. Drive the Vršič Pass in Slovenia’s Alps and do some Triglav National Park hiking
5. Explore the Postojna Cave and nearby Predjama Castle in Slovenia

Renting a Car in Croatia

If you’re doing this itinerary, you’re going to need a rental car, I use Discover Cars for car rental in Croatia. It compares local and international companies so you can get the best deal. If you don’t have full coverage, you can also add this to your booking so you’re covered. I rented a car with Sixt at the Dubrovnik Airport and returned it in Zadar with no problems. You may only be able to get a manual car or have to pay significantly more for an automatic one.

Make sure when you pick the car up you tell the company you will be crossing the border to Montenegro. For Montenegro, there are extra documents you need to show the border agent. In Slovenia, you will need to purchase a vignette sticker that allows you to use the highways there, you can find out more about the vignette system here. For Croatian highways, some are toll highways. The toll was always very reasonable and we could pay in cash or with a credit card. It definitely saves you significant amounts of time and the highways are very new and relatively empty.

If you don’t want to rent a car, this itinerary will take quite a bit longer to navigate using public transit and day tours.

Itinerary for Driving Slovenia and Croatia in Two Weeks

Length: 14 full days, 2 flight days, 15 nights
Approximate km/miles: 1,735 km, 1078 miles
Start and End Point: Start in Dubrovnik, end in Zadar. Could alter to end in Zagreb.
Cities: Kotor, Dubrovnik, Mostar, Split, Ljubljana, Zadar
Hikes: Walls above Kotor, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Tolmin Gorge, Vintgar Gorge, Kozjak Waterfall
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Kotor, Dubrovnik, Diocletian’s Palace, Plitvice Lakes, Mostar

This itinerary doesn’t include Croatia’s capital of Zagreb but you can easily include it. You can end your trip in Zagreb instead of Zadar or visit Zagreb after Plitvice Lakes on the way to Slovenia. With most visitors heading to Croatia’s coast, Zagreb is an underrated city. There is plenty to do in Zagreb for a couple of days.

In this Croatia and Slovenia itinerary, I have everything you need for a fantastic 14-day road trip to the Balkans.

Two Days in Montenegro

Start your two weeks in the Balkans by arriving to Dubrovnik Airport and picking up your rental car. It’s cheapest to pickup and return a car to the same country. In this itinerary, pickup is Dubrovnik and car drop-off is in Zadar.

Drive to Kotor in Montenegro. The border crossing was fast but at peak times the wait can be up to an hour. The peak time to travel into Montenegro is morning and out of Montenegro is afternoons because of daytrippers from Dubrovnik.

Wondering where to stay in Kotor? Boutique Hotel Astoria is the place to stay for your one night in Kotor. The rooms are beautifully decorated and it is located in the heart of the old town.

Day 1 in Kotor- Explore the Old Town

On your first day, you likely will arrive fairly late so use your time to settle into the town. Luckily, Kotor is quite small so it’s easy to explore. You will have time to do a couple of things:

• Old City: The old city of Kotor is very charming and is more than two thousand years old. It’s beautifully lit up at night
• Walls of Kotor: The walls of the city extend up into the mountain above and it’s worth taking the views of them at night.
• Have dinner on a patio: There are plenty of charming patios in Kotor, with excellent food, especially pasta.

Day 2 in Montenegro- Exploring Kotor and Budva

On your first full day of this itinerary, start the day early in Kotor and then drive over to Budva before ending your day in Dubrovnik.

Hiking the walls above Kotor is not to be missed. There is an entrance fee of 8 € each. It takes about 2 hours to do the hike up the 1350 steps and back but it gives amazing views over the Bay of Kotor.

After Kotor, drive towards Budva. This is a nice drive and Budva is a cute town to have a late lunch in. After seeing Budva, you can either head straight to Dubrovnik or drive the serpentine roads above Kotor for views of the Bay of Kotor. If you choose to drive the serpentine above Kotor it will likely mean arriving in Dubrovnik after dark and you do have to factor in border crossing time.

For a more detailed Montenegro guide, check out my full guide to Kotor.

One Week Itinerary for Croatia

With 7 days in Croatia by car, you can drive across the country and see top sights like Dubrovnik and Plitvice Lakes. New highways can be quicker, but they are more inland and not as scenic as the coastal roads. This trip to Croatia was done in October and we had great weather. It was enjoyable to see the trees change colour as we moved from the south up towards the north of the country. If you’re looking for even more inspiration, check out my post on bucket list destinations in Croatia.

Two Days in Dubrovnik

At the end of Day 2 drive to Dubrovnik in Croatia. This will allow for two full days in the city as you will need it! You likely won’t have much time the first night beyond grabbing some food and checking into the hotel.

Wondering where to stay in Dubrovnik for three nights? I recommend staying outside of the old town to save a bit of money. I recommend Villa Dard as it is only a 10-15 minute walk to the old town.

Use the first day to explore the walls and enjoy wandering around the old town and the second day to explore the beach and Fort Lovrijenac. The second day is also a great time to explore by kayak around Dubrovnik or make a visit to the nearby Elafiti Islands.

With only two full days in Dubrovnik, I would recommend the following highlights:

• Walk the Walls of Dubrovnik: This is a great way to view Dubrovnik and is not to be missed. It takes about 2 hours to walk the entire thing starting and ending at Piles Gate but you can leave halfway if the sun is too much.
• Wander the streets of Dubrovnik: there are so many cute streets in this town to stumble upon like St. Dominic Street.
• Enjoy the outdoor patios: There are reasonably priced restaurants near the aquarium down a side street. My favourite was Pizzeria and Spaghetteria Storia for reasonable prices and delicious pizza and pasta.
• Find a good place to watch the sunset: a classic location is Cafe Buza. You can navigate to the cafe and sit on the rocks nearby if the cafe is too busy, and it likely will be at sunset. Just outside of Piles Gate is also nice.
• Banje Beach: On your second day head just outside of the old town to this beautiful beach with great views of the city and clear aqua water to swim in.
• Fort Lovrijenac: You can use your wall ticket from yesterday for entry to the Fort. From Fort Lovrijenac there are some of the best views of the Dubrovnik Walls.

Bosnia and Herzegovina for One Day

On your fifth day, take a day trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s a bit of a detour between Dubrovnik and Split but it is well worth it. You will end your day in Split.

The first stop of the day is Kravica Waterfalls. If you have time you can swim or boat across the river.

After Kravica, head to Mostar. In Mostar, check out the Stari Most from the beach below and from nearby mosques. It’s nice to wander the streets here but it does get crowded.

Kravica Waterfalls and Mostar will take up your entire day so head towards Split and check in for the night.

Two Days in Split, Croatia

After spending the day in Bosnia and Herzegovina you will drive to Split and spend three nights there. Split is a great destination in Croatia and having two full days there will just barely give you enough time to see it all. If you can add an extra day or two to your itinerary this is a great place for it as there are good day trip options here.

Wondering where to stay in Split for three nights? I stayed at Antea Apartments and loved it as it is in the old city and a convenient walking distance to everywhere you want to go to in Split. The apartment is probably the cutest one I stayed at in Croatia and I loved how historic it felt.

Use your two days in Split to explore the following highlights:

• Diocletian’s Palace: This palace was built for the Emporer Diocletian in the 4th century and it forms about half of the old city. Explore the substructure and bell tower. The bell tower has great views of Split. Keep an eye out for the pair of Egyptian Sphynixes that reside in the palace area. The peristyle of the palace is one of the best-preserved Roman architecture.
• Gregorius of Nin: This statue is just outside the walls and rubbing the toe of Gregorius is supposed to mean you will return to Split
• Klis Fortress: This is a short bus ride from Split and is the perfect activity for your second day in Split. There are great views over Split from here and it is an interesting fortress to explore. It’s also a Game of Thrones filming location as it was used as the City of Meereen.
• Marjan Hill: Just outside of the old town is this very walkable park. It’s a great place to spend a couple of hours and good to watch the sunset from
• Enjoy local food: For traditional fare at a reasonable price, Sperun is the place to go for mussels and tortellini. If you want a break from traditional, Fabrique Pub is a good place to have a burger

If you aren’t interested in Klis Fortress or Marjan Hill your second day could be used to explore a nearby town like Trogrir, Hvar Town, Omis, or Makarska.

If you can add more time to Split in your Croatia itinerary then the following day trips from Split would be well worth it:

• Trogrir: This nearby town is charming in it’s own right
• Krka National Park: Beautiful park with gorgeous waterfalls
• Omis: This little town looks adorable and is a legendary pirates lair
• Blue Caves and 5 Islands: A chance to check out some of the nearby islands including Hvar and Vis
• Cetina River: For rafting and cliff jumping

One Day in Plitvice Lakes National Park

After breakfast in Split, start day 8 by heading towards Plitvice Lakes. It’s a 2.5 hour drive but it is really beautiful as the landscape changes from the rocky coast to a more forested and meadow landscape.

You will spend one night near Plitvice Lakes. I recommend Villa Lucija as it is located a short drive to the park in nearby Poljanak. It’s worth spending the night to visit Plitvice Lakes because you can avoid some of the tour groups. It’s really magical to have Plitvice to yourself.

Arriving in the late afternoon, there should be time to take one of the shorter walks either in the upper or lower lakes. The late afternoon is a great time to visit Plitvice because most of the tour groups have left already. Check out my full guide to Plitvice for more details on the walking trail options.

On your second day at Plitvice Lakes, wake up early to beat the crowds. Before hiking the main area of the park, you can drive to one of the old entrances of the park. Entrance 3 is not far from the town of Poljanak. You can do a very short hike here and get the view over the lower lakes that is often seen on postcards.

After a quick stop at Entrance 3, go to the regular entrances and do a hike of the lower and upper lakes. This takes about 6 hours, including a stop for lunch. I highly recommend packing a lunch for today. As you are finishing up the lower lakes there is a bathroom and picnic area right before the ferry. There are no bathrooms along the hiking trail. 

When you are done in Plitvice Lakes National Park on day nine, drive to Rijeka to spend the night before heading to Slovenia. I stayed at Apartments Pomerio Rijeka. The apartment was very nice and quite importantly at this part of the trip, laundry facilities were available and it was in walking distance of the port area. You likely won’t have time to see much in Rijeka, it is just to make the drive to Slovenia shorter and to not waste prime sightseeing hours.

Five Day Itinerary for Slovenia

In five days, you can put together a good itinerary for Slovenia. You won’t be able to see the entire country in this time but you can see some of Slovenia’s Alps and capital city, Ljubljana. Slovenia in October was pleasant weather and it was nice to see the autumn colours in the mountains.

On Day 10 of this Croatia and Slovenia itinerary, you will be heading from Rijeka in Croatia to Kobarid in Slovenia and there are some beautiful stops on the way. You can read all about my road trip in the Slovenian Alps.

Kobarid, Slovenia for a Day

The area around Kobarid is beautiful and there is a lot to do before checking into your hotel for the night. At the end of the day check into your hotel in either Kobarid or nearby Dreznica. Dreznica is in the mountains above Kobarid and it is absolutely breathtaking scenery. If you don’t stay in Dreznica, make the drive up anyways. I recommend staying in Apartment Natasa.

There are plenty of places in this area that you can stop at as you see them but here are some of the highlights on route to Tolmin Gorge:

• Soca River: Drive the scenic route to Tolmin Gorge by driving next to the river. It’s unbelievably clear
• Solkan Bridge: This bridge is the World’s longest stone arch railroad bridge.
• Most na Soci: This small town has a very scenic lake and the Soca Most bridge is adorable.
• Tolmin Gorge: This is the main stop of the day. You do have to pay entry but it is well worth it. It takes 1-2 hours to hike along the gorge and to visit the caves
• Napolean Bridge: Heading towards Kobarid, check out this bridge on the way.
• Drive in the Alps: Head up to your accommodation in Dreznica and take in the beautiful scenery

Driving the Vrsic Pass in Slovenia’s Alps

On day 11, you can either start your day with hiking to Kozjak waterfall on a trail next to the Soca River or explore the history of the area by visiting the WWI museum in Kobarid. Afterward, stock up on snacks in the Kobarid grocery store for a day trip through Triglav National Park. You will end your day staying in Lake Bled for the night. I recommend staying just outside of Bled to save money and to enjoy the mountain scenery, Penzion Pibernek is a great option.

In Triglav National Park there are a many stops that you can make while driving the Vrsic Pass, here are the ones I recommend:

• Boka Waterfall: This is a huge waterfall right next to the main road. Unfortunately, it was dried up when I visited but looks like it would be amazing in other seasons.
• Source of the Soca River: This short hike takes you to the source of the river on a small via ferrata with guideline wires anchored to a rock face.
• Russian Chapel: This small chapel was built to remember the Russian WWI POW’s that lost their lives building this alpine road.
• Lake Jasna: beautiful green mountain lake with a statue of a goat

Day 12: A Day in Lake Bled and Vintgar Gorge

Lake Bled is one of the must visit destinations in Slovenia and can easily be seen in just one day.

Start your day in Bled by walking up to Bled Castle that overlooks Lake Bled and explore the museum. There is a cute café here where you can try the famous Bled cream cake with a great view over the lake.

After visiting the castle, walk along the lake and with enough time, rent a rowboat to go to the island.

Drive to nearby Vintgar Gorge after lunch. The gorge is beautiful and takes about 2 hours to walk. It can be crowded so prepare for there to be tour buses. Check out my full guide to Lake Bled.

At the end of your time in Vintgar Gorge, drive towards Ljubljana. You can stop in the town of Radovljica on the way for dinner. The traditional style restaurant Lectar has good food (and cake!) as well as a gingerbread museum.

Two Days in Ljubljana, SLovenia

Arrive to Ljubljana at the end of day 12 after exploring around Lake Bled. You will spend the next three nights here. The capital city of Slovenia is quite small and compact so you can see the highlights of Ljubljana in one day and use your second full day there to daytrip to a nearby cave.

Wondering where to stay in Ljubljana? I recommend Apartment and Rooms Meščanka is in the Old Town and overlooks the river. The rooms are beautiful and it’s within walking distance of all the main sights.

Day 13: Explore Ljubljana

One day is enough time to see all of the highlights of Ljubljana as it is quite compact and easy to walk. Here’s what I recommend for your day in the city:

• Free walking tour: start your day with this tour that will take you to the highlights including the Triple Bridge, Dragon Bridge, and Old Town and will give you some context and history behind the important landmarks of the city.
• Ljubljana Castle: after the tour take the funicular up to the castle and explore the area.
• Metelkova Mesto: This artist village has plenty of art installations and graffiti murals. In the 1990s squatters took over an old army barracks and it became a location for artists to congregate. Metelkova Mesto is an eccentric artists village located near the main train station.

Day trip to Postojna Caves

Use your 14th day of this itinerary to take a day trip from Ljubljana to Postojna Caves. It’s quite a short drive, only 40 minutes each way.

Drive to the Postojna Caves and do the tour that takes you on an underground train and 40-minute walking tour of the cave of wonders. After touring the caves, there is a museum and vivarium on site. The vivarium has cave animals, including crickets and other insects as well as the baby dragons that live in the cave. The museum has information about cave formation and the development of the cave as a tourist site.

After visiting the caves, drive to nearby Predjama castle. Following this, drive back to Ljubljana and have dinner in the old town there. You can read all about the caves and some background on the castle in my post on a day trip to Postojna Cave.

Final Day Ending in Zadar

If you rented the car in Croatia, you will need to return it back to Croatia. I chose to return the car in Zadar because it was best for onward flights.

The drive to Zadar from Ljubljana took about 5 hours. I stayed one night in Zadar as my flight was the next morning. I recommend La-La Rooms as it is conveniently located within the city walls and has really cute rooms.

You won’t have much time in the city, probably just the evening but the town is quite compact so you will be able to see the main sights. The Sea Organ and the solar lights that make up the Sun Salutation are unique and must-sees while visiting Zadar. For dinner, Pasta & Svasta has a lovely patio and serves up delicious dishes at a reasonable price.

Road Tripping Slovenia and Croatia

Overall, driving around Croatia and Slovenia for two weeks was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had. The scenery is gorgeous, there’s great hiking, friendly people, and good food. It’s the perfect European road trip and quite affordable. I would happily return to any of these destinations as there are lots of places and activities I am sure I missed out on.

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