Little Itineraries : Two Weeks in Budapest, Slovenia, and more!

No matter if you travel for a year straight or take a two week vacation once a year, there are destinations that you wish you could revisit and others that you, well, wouldn’t. Slovenia is at the top of our list of destinations from our year of travel to revisit! I can’t wait to one day take a trip to Italy or Germany and tack on at least a week in Slovenia. Traveling to new places is wonderful but so is revisiting spots. Especially with kids! I feel like they hold onto their memories better when it’s a spot that they’ve been to before or, even better, visit year after year. (Like our annual San Diego Thanksgiving trip!)

Two weeks spent in Budapest and Slovenia is definitely a best of the best itinerary for us. And the itinerary leaves time to add on one last destination of your choice! We hope that you love these spots as much as we did!

So let’s get into it… Little Itineraries : Two Weeks in Budapest, Slovenia, and more!

BUDAPEST - 4 DAYS

Budapest makes for a great first destination for a few reasons. The city has a large enough airport that you can snag a great airline deal (or use miles!) I also love to start a trip in a big city. The city energy paired with great food options and so many things to see and do really sets off the trip with a bang. For all of the details on each spot, head to our Destination Guide : Budapest!

DAY 1 / ARRIVE

Settle into your hotel or Airbnb. We loved staying in an Airbnb on the Buda side. But for only five days in the city, staying on the Pest side is definitely more convenient. Know the districts before you go! There are very popular party districts where the noise will probably keep you up all night. Or, where you’ll be right by all the action. It all depends on what you want out of your experience! I loved using this post from OffBeat Budapest to dive into all the details of the city.

Fend off jet lag by heading out into the city before bed. One of the first things that I love to do when visiting a new city is to get really high up somewhere (a clock tower, a bar or restaurant perched on a hill) and look out over the city. It helps me get my bearings and understand the city as a whole.

Head to Fisherman’s Bastion (on the Buda side) to look out over the Danube and the Pest side. This area is beautiful to walk around, especially just before sunset. Grab a cinnamon chimney cake (a little sugar will help keep you awake!). Admire St. Matthias Church, which is as gorgeous on the inside as it is on the outside, and then wander the streets. This area is also full of art galleries, little shops to duck into, and restaurants.

Enjoy a dinner of goulash and the best French fries (and maybe an IPA) at the Baltazar Hotel . Also, before continuing on, take a screenshot of Offbeat Budapset’s Foodapest card! This little bingo card of the most popular Hungarian dishes in Budapest was so fun to work through during our time there. I wish we had one for every city that we visited.

DAY 2

Another way to beat jet lag is to have something booked to wake up in time for. Now don’t go crazy and book something super early. Something pre-noon will do! With so much history in this city, this would be a wonderful destination to try out a free walking tour. It will also give you a scope of the city and insight into what you will want to see more of. After the tour, head over to Szimpla Kert, the most well known of the ruin bars. You could spent hours walking through this building and checking out the artwork. Don’t forget to grab a beer or a juice while you’re there! Right next store is Karavan, a food truck spot, with great options for lunch including Langos. Check off another box on your Foodapest card! If you’re traveling with little ones, visit ABC Team Playground, a tiny but cute public park in this district. From here you can visit Dohany Street Synagogue and more of the Jewish Quarter, if your walking tour didn’t cover it. Head back to your accommodation for a quick nap (if needed) and then back out to dinner to check more boxes off of your bingo card.

DAY 3

Yesterday was a busy one! Slow things down a bit by visiting the famous baths today. We recommend visiting Szechenyi Baths if it’s your first time taking in the baths of Budapest. There are so many thermal pools, saunas, and steam rooms inside. Three outdoor pools and a Finnish sauna that gets up to over 200 degrees! Pack a book and enjoy some quiet time by the outdoor pools. Plan on staying for about 4-5 hours. Tip: arrive early! If you arrive between 6-7 AM, you will have the place mostly to yourself during the first couple of hours. Gellert Baths on the Buda side is another great bath option.

After the baths, head over to Mazel Tov for a late lunch. (Reservations recommended.) This beautiful restaurant is technically a ruin bar but very different than Szimpla Kert. Their dishes, all Israeli, are delicious! Don’t forget to enjoy a First IPA while you’re there.

DAY 4

Grab breakfast at Szimply, a tiny hipster spot with a great, different than the standard, avocado toast. Then head to the Parliament Building to take their 45-minute tour around the lavish building. Walk along the river and then across the bridge to Margaret Island. This island in-between both sides of the city is a delight! It’s car-free with trolleys to rent and lawns to relax in. There’s also a mini zoo, fountains that dance to music, and two playgrounds! We loved this one and we totally missed this amazing playground. But our favorite spot was Palatinus Strand Baths. Very different from our visits to other baths in the city, this bath is family friendly and geared towards children. In addition to a large pool to swim in, there’s a wave pool, playground, and water slides. There are still a handful of indoor pools and saunas to enjoy but if you’re visiting without kids, I would skip this bath. Although, I did have a blast as an adult there!

End your evening and say goodbye to Budapest with a hike to Liberty Statue on Gellert Hill. About a mile hike, quick and easy, though a bit steep at times. Good news, the views are spectacular and there’s a bar at top. On the way down, stop at the playground Csuszdapark on Gellert Hill. Their slides are the best! Then continue your walk to Hadik where you can enjoy dinner in a beautiful historic space. Pack your bags and get ready for tomorrow’s travel day!

LJUBLJANA (SLOVENIA) - 3 DAYS

Best way to travel between Budapest and Ljubljana, in our experience, is by bus. Book early if traveling during peak season, as bus seats fill up quickly!

DAY 5

After about a 5 hour bus ride to Ljubljana, you’re going to be ready for a beer. And good new! Ljubljana is a hub of great craft beers. Head straight to Pop’s Burgers for some very good burgers with seating along the river. The perfect spot to settle into your time in this fantastic capital. Then head over to Cacao for some gelato. After a long bus ride, you deserve it! Depending when you arrive, you might have enough time to stroll through the city. It’s tiny and the perfect size to scope out by foot.

DAY 6

Start your sightseeing out with a visit to Ljubljana Castle. Located on top of a hill, the castle is almost visible from any place in town. If you’re up to it, hike up to the top! The hike was fairly easy and took us about 40 minutes with two little kids. If not, you can take the funicular up. You can easily spend 2-4 hours here. They have a great kid’s scavenger hunt, and an adult one too! We enjoyed eating lunch at the cafe. This is one of the main sightseeing spots of the city, so don’t rush your time here.

Later in the day, enjoy dinner at Vino & Ribe. This is our favorite restaurant in Ljubljana! Delicious seafood in a cute space.

DAY 7

Start off your day right with breakfast at Le Petite Cafe. This cute cafe wraps around a big corner with lots of outdoor seating. Casual, French inspired food. Head over to Central Market for a cup of fresh berries and lots of shopping, both produce and souvenirs. Stroll across the city to Tivoli Park. If Ljubljana wasn’t green enough, this large park adds so much beauty and nature to the city. There is a wonderful playground, cafe, and lots of running trails.

Enjoy your last afternoon here with a boat ride along the river. Make sure to buy tickets for the wooden boat (there are a lot of boat options, but there’s only one wooden boat and it was built on Lake Bled!). After your ride, take a quick walk to Pizza Foculous, a popular pizza restaurant with a huge selection of pizza and a great craft beer.

SLOVENIA - 5 DAYS

I love getting out of the city and slow down with time out in nature during each vacation. It helps balance out that go go go travel mentality with making family memories and recharging.

If you’re up for it, rent a camper and camp your way through the next five days. But if camping’s not your style or if it sounds like a lot to tackle, renting a car is a great way to go. To hear all about our 10 day camping trip through Slovenia, read this post.

DAY 8 - 10 - LAKE BLED

We loved our stay at Camping Bled. It’s a huge campsite with cabins as well. The best part is that it sits on the on a great stretch of beach with is rare for Lake Bled. Here you will slow way down! Spend time on the water. Swimming and stand up paddle boarding. Take a boat out to the island and visit the church and clock tower. If possible, take a day trip to Lake Bohinj. Another beautiful spot.

DAY 11-2 - POSTOJNA

On the way to Postojna, take a detour to Vintgar Gorge, a gorgeous wooden walkway along the river. Arrive early, it gets packed! Drive through the Triglav mountains along your way. The scenery is unreal! If possible, stay in the Soca River Valley for a night or two. We enjoyed three nights along the river and it was wonderful. In Postojna, you can stay at a hotel above the famous caves! Or you can camp (for a lot less money!), at Pivka Jama. The caves are very popular so book tickets in advance. And if possible, visit the caves and the castle on separate days as there is so much to see at both spots. Finally, make your way back to Ljubljana to return your car or camper van (if needed).

LAST DESTINATION - 2 DAYS

What you will do with your last two days is up to you! There are so many great destinations near Slovenia. You could end your time in Venice, Italy. Only a few hours away from Slovenia’s border. You could visit Vienna, Austria or Zagreb in Croatia. Or you could fly into a major airline hub to catch a cheaper flight home. For example, Norwegian Airlines has great deals to Copenhagen. You could take a budget airline from Ljubljana to Copenhagen, enjoy the city, and then two days later fly home. (We spent a long layover in Copenhagen and loved it!) Adding a new country to your list is always a fun ending to your vacation!

What do you think? Are you ready to head to Budapest and Slovenia?