Getting to Lake Bled:
Cheap bus tickets from Ljubljana. Even in the middle of summer (2025), I didn’t need to pre-book tickets to Lake Bled: just make sure you have 5 euro in cash and go to the ticket office at least 15 minutes before you want to get the bus. They’re very frequent but incredibly busy so if you want to make sure you can get on the next bus going, you’re best to leave Ljubljana early morning.
Activities in Lake Bled:
- Hire a row boat over to the island
You don’t need to be an expert at rowing at all to do this (just don’t do what some of the guys from my hostel did and try to keep swapping places and standing up halfway through if you REALLY want to remain upright!) and it’s a lovely relaxed activity to do, as well as pretty cheap. If you split the cost of a boat between 4 of you for the time it takes you to get over and back it’ll only be about 6 euro each (24 euro hire for an hour). - Bled Castle
Not one of the most budget friendly activities in Bled, but in my opinion well worth it to see all of the inside and learn a bit about Slovenian history. You can get student discounts on entry here too. Even if you decide not to go in, you should still walk up to see the gate and lake views. - Swimming over the other side of the lake
Swimming IS allowed in the lake, but only in certain areas. The area closest to Bled town is a paid beach, but a little walk further round the island can get you to free beaches with places you can jump in.
- Vingtar Gorge
Great morning activity before it gets too crowded: you have to buy tickets online: Pricelist – Vintgar. All tickets come with a timeslot (which is strictly adhered to at the gorge). It costs 15 euro for the standard adult ticket but I would say this is an activity you shouldn’t miss while in Bled. You can then take a free shuttle from Bled town to the gorge. There’s a café with cheap, local Slovenian food and beer at the end of the gorge before you walk back to the carpark. I would highly recommend it, at least for the ginger beer if nothing else. - 6km walk around the lake (or a stunning early morning running route)
I love any place that has a pretty running route and Lake Bled did not disappoint. For any runners – a flat course straight around the lake that’s pretty much exactly 6km. - Viewpoints
A walk up to any of the viewpoints with hostel friends is a great, budget-friendly socialising activity for Bled which (for me at least) was a place that dented the budget considerably.
Hostels to stay at:
Ace of Spades Hostel
Great social spaces inside and outside, really well equipped kitchen very friendly staff and the cheapest hostel I could find in Lake Bled.
Bled Hostel
A little more expensive (but had aircon!) met some amazing people here. Bar downstairs and super friendly staff. Hostel had a very cosy vibe. If you’re in a big group, Bled Hostel would probably be the best choice as there are larger dorms and several groups here.
Where to go next?
You’re probably best to go back to Ljubljana first – even just for a bus connection as (based on my experience) it was cheaper and had so many more options. From there, it’s easy to get to a whole host of other cities such as Vienna, Bratislava or Zagreb. Posts on all of those cities coming soon!
