Ljubljana, Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle Day Tour from Zagreb
Description
Discover Slovenia’s most iconic sights on a semi-private day trip from Zagreb. Travel in comfort as you explore the charming capital, Ljubljana, with its unique architecture and vibrant local lifestyle. Continue your journey into the underground wonder of Postojna Cave, the world’s most visited karst cave, where incredible rock formations create a magical atmosphere. Just a short drive away, step into a fairytale at Predjama Castle—the world’s largest cave castle and a Guinness World Record holder. Perched dramatically in a cliffside, it’s one of the most fascinating and unique castles you’ll ever see.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Beginning with your hotel pickup in Zagreb at 8am, you will depart the city and ride on a 1.5 hour long drive to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.
Once we cross river Sava, we are officially exiting Zagreb and starting our adventure.
While enjoying your relaxing drive and just before crossing the Croatian border, you will see a medieval castle on top of a hill, Castle Mokrice. The castle has a rich history, mentioned already in the 15th century, it was the home of many noble families throughout the centuries, one of them being the famous Auerspergs. It was also used in a music video by the Pet Shop Boys.
On the drive we will also pass a city of Krško which is a very important source of energy for both Croatia and Slovenia. Beacouse there is a nuclear power plant Krško. It was a joint venture by both governments during the time of Yugoslavia and it provides more than a quarter of Slovenian's and 15% of Croatian's power supply.
While on the drive we will pass many quaint villages and towns. One that stands out the most is a lovely town called Novo Mesto. A river town with a rich archaeological heritage.
We will begin a walking tour through the city and explore its many wonderful locations while learning about the rich and complex history. Where once stood a Roman city called Emona today it is Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia and also its largest city. You will learn about Napoleon's connection to the city, the evolution of Ljubljana through time and many other interesting facts. . It is a beautiful and multicultural place. While on your guided walk tour you will stand in front of the imposing road bridge called the Dragon bridge. The legend says that Jason the founder of Ljubljana joined with his Argonauts and slayed a dragon and that is how the bridge got its name. You will also learn how the bridge evolved through history and how it changed.
Our next stop is the wonderful Ljubljana Cathedral, officially named Saint Nicholas Church. This magnificent structure was built at the start of the 18th century and it was rebuilt several times. What originally started as a Gothic church later evolved into a Baroque building. While walking around the cathedral you will see and learn about the mythic Slovenian doors that tell the entire history of the people of Slovenia. Entrance to the Cathedral is permitted but the entrance fee is 2 euro.
Jože Plečnik is the most famous Slovenian architect and he is responsible for how Ljubljana looks today and the city's entire identity. Most of his work on the city happened between the two World wars and his urban designs changed how Ljubljana developed through time. You will learn about his inspirations when creating countless squares, parks and streets in the city and also bridges. We will visit the famous Triple bridge, a formation of three public bridges that Jože Plečnik designed.
To finish our walking tour through Ljubljana we will visit the central square called Prešeren Square. It is located in the old town area and it's the true heart of the city. All major events in Ljubljana happen around Prešeren square, from festivals, political events and concerts. You will learn about how the square got its name in connection to a famous Slovenian poet France Prešeren and his tragic love affair with a mysterious woman called Julia.
Free time to enjoy Ljubljana and explore various restaurants and cafe's.
On our drive we will pass by this quaint town which was once eight seperate villages.
A town that offers varoius museums, galleries and festivals including medival tournaments.
You will get the chance to visit an amazing Renaissance castle that lies in the mouth of a cave. Predjama castle has a rich history but it became truly known when a famous knight, Erasmus of Lueg, used it as his home. The castle is also prominent in pop culture, it was used in a Jackie Chan movie "Armour of God" and also as a location for the hit Netflix show The Witcher. You will be provided with audio guide that will take you through the castle.
To finish the tour we will go on a guided tour through the Postojna Cave Park, the second longest cave system in Slovenia. The cave and its countless stalagmites, stalactites, formations, was first discovered in the 17th century. Archduke Ferdinand visited the caves in 1819 and became its first official tourist. From then the cave was transformed into a tourist destination. Still during war times it was also used as an ammunition storage. You will learn this and much more while exploring the cave system.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We can arrange to pick up from selected Hotels in Zagreb or you can come to our meeting point. You will receive an email one day prior to the trip if you have a Hotel Pick up with your pick up time. It is possible for the guide to be up to 20 minutes late because of multiple pick up locations and traffic. *Make sure that you have your passport with you
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please wear comfortable walking shoes
- Passport required. You are required to have your documents with you.
- This tour will still operate in all weather conditions.
Reviews(39)
This was a great trip, we loved it all. Our guide, Stephen, has a brain like wiki – he kept us occupied with such interesting information on history, current conditions and entertaining facts. Ljubljana is beautiful – his stops at the liqueur (blueberry – fab) and chocolate shops were brilliant. Great stories about the sites as he walked us round. The castle was worth the visit but it needs more time – an hour wasn’t enough. The caves were fantastic but it’s quite a walk, so be prepared with shoes etc. (If you're touring Croatia, then Ljubljana is actually much nearer to Rijeka)
I enjoyed myself very much, even though the whole trip was a bit rushed. It seems more time was spent getting to the sights than actual sight seeing.
It was so much fun and what a value for money We had the best tour guide he was fun and enthusiastic about what he was showing us and know about everything. My husband and I have never been on a guided tour before we always go by ourselves but after this we will be doing more. Thank you again. Everything was fantastic and what a beautiful country Slovenia is .we will differently recommend this to our friends and family. VIATOR app was very easy to use.
Weather was not perfect due to rain in Ljubljana but our guide did a good job to follow itinerary. Low point of the day was when we arrived to buy tickets for Predjama Castle and Postojna Cave, and we were told the castle was full. We understand that tickets were not included but you would have expected the tour company to have them reserved; or recommended travelers to buy in advance. Sloppy preparation… Also, if there is rain expected in the morning, would have been better to change order of the schedule considering outdoors experience in Ljubljana. At the the end we couldn’t visit the castle, 1 out of 3 main attractions.
I’d highly recommend this day trip to Postojna and Predjama Castle – it’s an easy way to see the spectacular caves, and a fascinating castle, with a short stop in beautiful Ljubljana thrown in for good measure. Roundabout organised a hotel pick-up for us and our fellow travellers (6 people in total, plus our tour guide Patrick), and by 9am we were on the highway to Slovenia. Patrick kept us entertained throughout the drive, telling us all about Croatia, Slovenia, and Yugoslavia. The 9-seater mini van was comfortable and air conditioned. When we arrived in Ljubljana, Patrick gave us a tour of some of the main sights – the triple bridge, dragon bridge, market square, etc – before giving us an hour to explore on our own. Such a beautiful city. We must return one day! From Ljubljana it was a short trip to the Postojna caves. Patrick had aimed to get us there in time for a 2pm tour. (We all had to buy our own cave tour tickets – they’re not included in the Roundabout tour price.) I must admit, while the caves themselves are spectacular, the tour put on by the cave operator (nothing to do with Patrick or Roundabout) was utter rubbish. Huge herds of tourists, shepherded through at lightning speed, with brusque, disinterested young female tour guides, who marched ahead and didn’t wait for the full group to catch up before describing the points of interest. At least half our group was left to basically trudge through the cave at our own speed, with no guide, until we finally caught up with the group at the end. Pathetic. When we booked our tickets at the Postojna ticket office, the lady warned us the caves would be cold (“less than 10 degrees”) and looked worried when we said we hadn’t brought any jackets or coats (for context, Croatia was in a heatwave that week, 35–40C every day). Two of our group rented wool coats at the entrance (€5 each) but to be honest, I’ve experienced colder walks on my way to work in Liverpool, so your mileage may vary. If you tend to feel the cold, come prepared. It’s only a 5 minute drive from the Postojna caves to Predjama Castle. On the way, Patrick explained some of the history of the castle, and its “Robin Hood” owner, Erasmus of Lueg. When we got there, again, we bought our own tickets to the castle, which included a fancy little mobile dictaphone which you’d scan on entry to each room, to hear a description of what’s there. The castle was utterly fascinating. Patrick gave us about 90 minutes to finish the tour, which was _just_ about enough, and took photos for us all. With the castle visit complete, all that remained was the drive back to Zagreb. Again, Patrick kept us chatting and entertained throughout the long drive. I was particularly impressed to see him including the two ladies in the back seats of the minivan, whose English wasn’t great, so they didn’t feel left out. Very thoughtful, and much better than other tourgides we’ve had in Croatia. Accessibility note: the minivan is not wheelchair accessible, and from what we could tell, neither are the caves or the castle.
Patrick was our tour guide he was awesome, we felt safe and taken care of. He explained all the features of the area really good. He was very funny too. Patrick really made this experience so much better. I totally recommend this tour group and if you get Patrick that's just a huge bonus. Can wait to tour with them again.
Amazing your and an even better tour guide. Stjepan was wonderful! He was organized, arranged tastings for us and was extremely accommodating.
The tour itself was wonderful. Weather was perfect, sunny day, the car was confortable, but our tour guide (Stjepan) made the difference .. VERY punctual, knowledgeable, caring, funny. He made our experience one of their kind.
The guide Stjepan was amazing! Knowledgeable and kind. The tour was wonderful and I’ll travel with him again. The times changed on one of our venues, and he handled it professionally.
Stefan was a wonderful guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and we found going with a small group of 6 the van could get close to everything we visited. Great mix of professional guidance and exploring by ourselves. Thanks for such a great trip we really appreciate it
