help with 17 day itinerary

If you like hiking check out Gillian Price's hiking guides for the Dolomites and Lake Garda.

Do you already have your flights? I ask, because it's easier to fly into Venice than fly out. Or perhaps you could reorganize the end and fly out of Milan?
We love the Cannaregio area of Venice. It's very charming and has a great energy, but absolutely no crowds, located on the quiet back canals. It's a 15 minute walk from the train station, and a much shorter walk to a vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal. Our fav hotels is the Ai Mori D'Oriente, which also has its own dock.
Have a great trip!

Did a similar itinerary in September and here are my thoughts: Overnight in Piran for at least one night. It’s a magical place.

Ljubljana’s attractions are concentrated in the old town and can easily be seen in two days. So, two nights there is ample time.

Add a night or two to Lake Bohinj. You can “see” Lake Bled en route to Lake Bohinj. If you like Disneyland-like mobs of tourists, then you’ll enjoy Lake Bled. If not, Lake Bohinj is just 30 minutes away, and much
more enjoyable, IMO.

The Soca Valley is easily worth overnighting 2-3 nights in Kobarid or Tolmin. Be sure to hike the easy Tolmin Gorges.

I also thought four nights would be ample time in the Dolomites— It’s not. After visiting touristy Ortisei, we were glad we stayed in Selva di Val Gardena. However, the most spectacular scenery is in the eastern Dolomites towards Cortina d’Ampezzo around “Cinque Torre,” or the Five Towers. Be sure to drive in the eastern Dolomites and take a gondola ride here. The alpine town of Colle Santa Lucia is in a spectacular setting and would make an unforgettable place to base. Colle Santa Lucia is just 20 miles from Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Have a great trip!

Hi everyone, thanks so much for the helpful responses so far. We are flying in and out of Venice—likely a rookie mistake, but we’re leaning into the "live and learn" mantra for this trip!

Right now, I’m trying to finalize our transition from Ljubljana to the Julian Alps. My goal is to find a base that doesn't feel like a "box-checking" exercise while avoiding the "Disneyland" crowds of peak July. Here is my current thinking for a 3-day stretch:

Day 1: Vintgar Gorge (early), Lake Bled, then evening in Radovljica (Gingerbread workshop, local dinner).

Day 2: Day trip to Lake Bohinj (Swimming, Vogel Cable Car, lakeside lunch). Head back to Radovljica for a second night in the "cute town" environment.

Day 3: Drive 30 mins to Bohinjska Bistrica to catch the Motorail (Avtovlak) into the Soča Valley before heading toward the Dolomites.

A few questions for the group:

Radovljica as a base: I’ve read mixed reviews—some say it’s a bit too "sleepy," while others say it's a perfect, authentic medieval alternative to the Bled crowds. For those who have stayed there, does it feel like a "real" town to explore in the evenings, or will we run out of things to do after one night?

The Motorail: Has anyone taken the car-train from Bohinjska Bistrica to Most na Soči? Is it reliable in July, and does it realistically save the stress of the mountain passes?

The Pace: Does this 3-day plan feel rushed, or does it leave enough "breathing room" to actually enjoy the scenery? We’d love to wing it, but knowing July is peak season, we’re trying to lock in our hotels now.

Appreciate any and all feedback!

We spent 4 nights in Radovlijica at the Kunstelj Pension, which is a restaurant with a few hotel rooms. It was a great base with easy parking for us to visit Mostnica Gorge/Voje Waterfall, Vintgar Gorge with the longer walk past the church, Lake Bled (meh--so over-rated), We took the train to Ljubliana for a day. There were enough restaurants we could walk to but I don't remember any night-life, which was fine with us.

thanks cindy, yeah my partner and I dont need much of a night life. i think after these long days a nice comfy bed and up early in the morning to start again is more our style. thanks for your response. has anyone taken the motortrain( sorry i dont know the exact name) from Bohinj to Most na Soči? is this worth a night or two in the soca valley? Thinking that my time in Lake Garda is going to have to wait to another trip and i am going to spend most of the time in Slovenia exploring... thoughts?

With your itinerary, I would not use Radovljica as a base because you will need to drive on Highway 209 through the traffic jam going through the vicinity of Lake Bled both getting to and from Lake Bohinj and then again on Highway 209 going to and from the Soca Valley.
The traffic jams around Lake Bled in July should not be underestimated— it’s unlike anything I have seen other than in major metropolitan areas as so, so many visitors to Slovenia go to Lake Bled.

Instead, I would base in Ribcev Laz or Stara Fuzina by Lake Bohinj and—if you must see Lake Bled— see it on the way to Lake Bohinj and avoid it after. Lake Bohinj and the nearby towns are actually INSIDE TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK— while Lake Bled is outside of the national park.

There is a fantastic hike near Lake Bohinj called the “Mostnica Gorge” which is another reason to base yourselves near Lake Bohinj for a few nights.

The Motorail train from Bohinjska Bistrica departs just 3 miles from Ribcev Laz near Lake Bohinj and it will get you to Most na Soci which is just 3 miles from Tolmin and 10 miles further to Kobarid. If you hike the Tolmin Gorges and want to see Kobarid or get on the Soca River for some water sports— you’ll want to stay a night or two in either Tolmin or Kobarid as well.

Have a great trip!

The Motorail is cool and very reliable.

Two other thoughts...

1. I love Lake Garda, but I wonder if it would be a bit of a let down as a natural phenomenon after being in the Dolomites.

2. You can never spend too much time in Slovenia. I spent 25 days in 2019. The trip report.