Five days in Slovenia

I was in Slovenia, Croatia and Italy last year.

Probably one of the most charming towns I have been in over 30 years of travel is Rovinj, Croatia. It also has stunning views of the Adriatic Sea and great eateries.

You mention that your teens/tween are active. Though you are already going to Triglav, maybe you can economize your trip by going to Plitvice National Park in Croatia. Hundreds of beautiful water falls and walking paths.

Lake Bled is worth the visit. Your kids will love the castle.

Ljubljana, Slovenia, the capital, is maybe my favorite city in Europe. It's a charming little city with a tiny river flowing through town, some charming little bridges crossing it, big pedestrian-only areas, and a castle up on the hill. It's especially beautiful at night when all lit up. I would certainly put this on any Slovenian itinerary - certainly over Trieste unless there is some specific reason to visit Trieste instead.

Rovinj, Croatia is indeed a lovely town. It is not the same as Piran for sure...but it has a similar feel.

Pula was not a favorite visit. It has some Roman ruins (seen them...in Rome) and some charm here and there, but otherwise it is a big industrial port town.

Presumably Lake Bohinj is part of the Triglav itinerary. It's a much bigger, less developed area than Lake Bled, which is lovely but a touristy spot for sure.

I have visited these areas multiple times with the kids (also teens and tweens). I would choose other things than what is on your list. Your Croatia day is bonkers.

Piran - yes, you need to do that one.

Here's how I'd spend my days:

1. Predjama castle (we just looked at it from the outside and didn't feel the need to pay to go inside) and Postojna Cave (amazing, stunning, spectacular).

2. Lake Bohinj - go on the hike to the Mostnice waterfall. We still talk about this hike and the blueberry strudel at the hut at the end of the trail.

3. Croatia - Our kid's favorite places in Istria are the Brijuni Islands and the Kamenjak Peninsula with a stop at the Safari Bar (words cannot describe). You can't do both. I would then suggest a dinner in Rovinj.

4. Triglav - What exactly do you have in mind here?

5. Ljubljana - I recommend a visit to Ljubljana over Trieste any day.

Plitvice is way, way too far. Do not attempt.

Hi! I really appreciate everyone’s suggestions! We will certainly be adjusting our plans!

I made a separate post about our day in Triglav, This is what we’re considering (but it seems way too much for one day):

Hi! We’re planning a day in Triglav National Park. We will have a vehicle and be coming from and returning to Portoroz.
Do we have time to see the following in a day?
Tolmin Gorge
Vintgar Gorge
Slap Savica
Soca Trail/Soca Valley
Slap Pericnik
Lake Bohinj
Vrsic Pass
What order should we do the stops in (I have yet to locate a good map of the park)?
We’re an active family with teens/tween, moderate, short hikes are great.
We have another day planned with Lake Bled and Prajama Castle, so we likely could do some more park stops on that day.
Thank you!

Yes, that is like 5 days worth of activities. These places are a lot father apart than I think you realize. You can pick one or two of them for your Triglav day. Use Google maps to see driving distances.

We are finishing up our trip between Croatia and Slovenia and we also have teens. With the areas you mentioned that we stayed, they loved Rovinj and enjoyed Lake Bled- Vintar Gorg. They can be more active in these areas if they like outdoors and nature.

Hello,
I accidentally came across the forum and your question, I'm from Slovenia.
You have chosen beautiful places to visit. I suggest visiting the places in the following order:
Tolminska korita, Soča valley, Vršič, Bled, Vintgar, Bohinj, Slap Savica. There is a auto train from Bohinj to Most na Soči, which greatly shortens your journey back to POrtorose. https://potniski.sz.si/avtovlak/
If you have the option, then I recommend staying overnight on this route as it is quite a lot of driving for a day trip. Mayne in Kranjska gora, with nice lake Jasna, or in Bohinj.
Lake Bled is also is on this route, while the Predjam Castle, / the Postojna Cave is also interesting/, is a one-day short trip from Portorož, or you can combine it with a visit to the capital, Ljubljana. I wish you and your family nice holidays in our country.