What To See In Slovakia In 3 Days: Full Itinerary
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Slovakia is a beautiful landlocked country in the middle of Europe. I’m always disappointed that people don’t even know where Slovakia is on the map. It’s time to change it.
It’s an amazing place full of stunning places to visit, from the mountains to the lakes, incredible nature with waterfalls, traditional villages, and delicious food. If you only have 3 days to explore, I’ll give you a detailed itinerary of what you can see in Slovakia in 3 days. So stay tuned!
What To See In Slovakia In 3 Days
Here is an overview of what to see in Slovakia in 3 days:
- Day: Visit Čičmany & Traditional Slovakian Village
- Day: Explore The High Tatras National Park
- Day: See Strečno Castle & Ride On A Wooden Raft
The Best Way To Explore Slovakia From Bratislava
The best way to explore Slovakia is by car. Trains are sometimes delayed, and reaching your destinations takes longer. So first, I recommend you rent a car and start exploring.
In this itinerary, I won’t send you to the capital city, Bratislava. Simply because Slovakia has so much more to offer. Bratislava is nice, but it’s nothing special. It’ll only be our departure point for this trip. There are way more beautiful places to see.
You can spend one night in Bratislava, rent a car on the Rentalcars website, pick it up the next morning, and set off on your 3-day itinerary through Slovakia.
Accommodation Tips In Bratislava
Here are my top picks for hotels in Bratislava for one night:
Day 1. In Slovakia: Visit Čičmany & Traditional Slovakian Village
I recommend driving from Bratislava to the High Tatras National Park on the first day. It’s around 4 hours away from the capital. Yet there are many beautiful places you’ll visit during the journey. So on your first day, it’ll be a little driving.
The first day will give you an introduction to Slovakia, its traditions, and its food. While driving from Bratislava, enjoy the landscape and see how it changes. From the flat lands around Bratislava, you’ll start driving through the trees, alongside rivers, until you reach the beautiful Slovakian mountains, High Tatras.
It’ll be a beautiful drive, so have your phones and cameras ready.
Čičmany
Čičmany is a tiny village in one of my favorite parts of Slovakia: the Rajec region. You’ll love the drive to the village. It’s surrounded by beautiful forests and green valleys.
Don’t expect too much to see in it. It’s really tiny, and there is barely anything to do. Yet it’s worth seeing.
You’ll see traditional Slovakian houses with painted white signs. Stop the car and walk through for a while. There are a few restaurants and cafes, so you can have a coffee, too.
Try to speak with some locals and see how they live here. I don’t think they speak English, but you can try to learn some Slovakian before your trip. If you want to do so, check out my article on how to learn a language for travel.
Once you’ve explored Čičmany village, it’s time to move on.
Salaš Krajinka – Traditional Slovakian Village & Food
Salaš Krajina (the Slovakian name for the place) is a traditional Slovakian shepherds’ village.
NOTE: ‘Salaš’ is a Slovakian word for traditional village
It’s a perfect spot to experience how the shepherds lived in the past. You’ll experience cute little wooden houses, see sheep and various animals, and see how people produce traditional Slovakian goods (such as cheese and bread).
This is the perfect place to have lunch on the way. You can try Slovakian food such as ‘bryndzové halušky’ (small gnocchi with sheep cheese and fried bacon), traditional soups such as Gulaš or Kapustnica with sausages, pork dishes, and fried cheese. But they also have international dishes if you don’t want to try local food.
Before you leave, go to the local bakery and buy delicious Slovakian sweet bread. Tell them you want to try ‘Buchta.’ It’s a sweet baked dough stuffed with cottage cheese, jam, or sometimes poppy.
Then hop in the car again, and drive to the High Tatras National Park. This part of the journey will be beautiful, so keep your eyes open. There are several places to go in the High Tatras. I recommend Štrbské Pleso. It has beautiful scenery and nice hotels.
Arrive In The High Tatras National Park (Štrbské Pleso)
In the evening, you’ll arrive in the High Tatras. It’s a National Park and the highest mountain range in Slovakia. The highest mountain is 2656 meters above sea level, called Gerlach Peak. It’l be already greeting you from the highway.
Check in to your accommodation and soak up the atmosphere.
Go for a short walk, and have a nice dinner.
Where To Stay In Štrbské Pleso: Accommodation Tips
DAY 2. In Slovakia: Explore High Tatras National Park
Welcome to the High Tatras paradise. This is my favorite place in Slovakia. I’m sure you’ll love it, too. Today, you have a full day to enjoy the Slovakian mountains and nature. There are several things you can do:
- Hike to a mountain hut
- Take a train alongside the High Tatras Mountain Range
- Stay in Štrbské Pleso & Walk Around Its Lake
1. Hike To A Mountain Hut
High Tatras offers a fantastic hiking experience. It has various paths, from very easy to more difficult ones. So you can choose which one you like the most.
You can hike 1hours and 30 minutes to the Skok Waterfall. It’s a smaller hike, yet not so difficult.
Check out my article about the best hiking trails in the High Tatras. I’ve written about each of them, so you can choose which one you’d like. It has timings, difficulty levels, and things you’ll see on each trail.
2. Take A Train Alongside The High Tatras Mountain Range
If you want a more laid-back experience, hop on a train from the west side of the mountain range (Štrbské Pleso) to the east side (Tatranská Lomnica).
You’ll start your journey at the train station in Štrbské Pleso (where your accommodation is). Buy your ticket at the counter, and enjoy the ride. You’ll see beautiful views, the entire High Tatras, and sometimes also fallen trees. This is because of a severe storm that hit the place back in 2004.
You’ll have to change trains in Starý Smokovec. Just get off and hop on the next one that says ‘Tatranská Lomnica,’ which is your destination. Then drive all the way to Tatranský Lomnica, the train’s last stop.
Once you arrive in Tatranská Lomnica, you can go for the Tatrabob. It’s a lot of fun. Otherwise, walk through the village and have some lunch. Then take a train back to your accommodation in Štrbské Pleso.
You can also stop in Starý Smokovec on the way. If you walk up the main road from the train station, there is a good cafe/patisserie on your right-hand side. Get some local cakes and coffee. You can also visit Tricklandia. It’s so much fun and a great attraction, even for adults.
3. Stay in Štrbské Pleso & Walk Around Its Lake
One thing you can do is to stay where your accommodation is and walk around. The Slovakian word ‘Pleso‘ means ‘mountain lake‘ in English. The Štrbské Pleso (lake) is big, so you can walk around it and enjoy the atmosphere. It takes about 1 hour to walk around.
After, walk further through the village to the other side. Check out some souvenir shops, restaurants, and the famous Slovakian sky jump bridge.
You can stay one more night in the High Tatras. It can be in the same accommodation, or you can drive to a wellness hotel and relax.
DAY 3. In Slovakia: See Strečno Castle & Ride On A Wooden Raft
On the last day, you’ll get to see one of the Slovakian castles, learn about its history and legends, and take a traditional wooden raft on the longest river in Slovakia, the River Váh.
In the morning, drive from High Tatras to Strečno.
You can visit its castle ruin, read about its legend, and see how people lived here in the past. Check out my article about fairy-tale castles in Slovakia to learn about the history of Strečno Castle Ruins.
Afterward, hop on the traditional Slovakian wooden raft and ride the famous Slovakian River Váh. It’s one of the most unique experiences in Slovakia and nowhere else in Europe.
In the afternoon, drive back to Bratislava.
If you need a stop, you can visit Trenčín city. It has a beautiful castle, nice cafes and restaurants in the main square. Moreover, it’s only 1 hour and 30 minutes drive to Bratislava.
More Tips For Slovakia & Traveling In Europe
This is a full itinerary of what to see in Slovakia in 3 days. If you decide to visit this country, I’m sure you’ll have a great time. Enjoy the atmosphere and its beautiful nature, and try to interact with locals.
In case you want to do something else, check out these best day trips from Bratislava.
If you want to stay more days in Slovakia, check out my Slovakia road trip itinerary for 8 days. It’ll introduce you to the country and more things to do and see.
If you love the High Tatras and want even more hiking, get my hut-to-hut hiking Slovakia, a perfect 5-day itinerary with which you can hike the entire mountain range and sleep in mountain huts.
One thing you can’t miss is the fairy-tale castles in Slovakia. You can enhance your itinerary and what to see in Slovakia in 3 days by adding one more castle and learning about its history.
I hope you enjoy Slovakia. Get the most out of your trip and relax in its mountains.
If you have more time, get my Czech Republic itinerary for 10 days to explore its neighboring country. Or visit some beautiful towns in the Czech Republic on the way to Germany.
In case you need more inspiration, get one of my travel itineraries and continue exploring the surrounding countries near Slovakia.
Happy travels!
