There are millions of caves in the world, and after traveling to a lot of them, it's hard to really see a ton of differences from one to another. Well, that's where Postojna Cave in Slovenia comes in, which is one of the most unique cave experiences in the world!
Postojna Cave is a whopping 24 km long, and 5 km of it are accessible to the public. But in order to experience the cave, there is an open-air train ride that runs through 3.5 km of it!
What used to be known as a hidden gem, has now becomes one of the biggest tourist attractions in Slovenia. While we tend to try to avoid the crowds, it certainly is a unique experience. In this post we're going to share all of the details for visiting, what to expect, and tips for having an optimal experience.
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How to Get to Postojna Cave in Slovenia
Postojna Cave can easily be reached from both Ljubljana and Trieste, which are both just a 40-45 minute drive away. You can also reach there from a number of cities around the country. You can get to Postojna Cave in Slovenia by driving, taking a bus, taking a train, or by taking a tour.
How to Visit Postojna Caves from Ljubljana
Ljubljana is definitely the easiest to visit Postojna Cave from, as it is the capital, and one of the nearest big cities to the attraction.
Your options for getting there are as follows:
- Take a bus from Ljubljana to Postojna Cave (there is one hourly from the main station)
- Take a train from Ljubljana to Postojna (then walk 25 minutes or get a taxi)
- Rent a car from Ljubljana Airport
- Take a tour to Postojna Cave from the center of the city.
How to Visit Postojna Cave from Other Cities
You can easily visit Postojna cave in Slovenia from a few other cities (both domestic and international), as it is located along a train line connecting Vienna and Venice.
Trains to Postojna, Slovenia
Rijeka, Koper, and Ljubljana are all under and hour away by train, while you can reach Postojna Cave from Venice or Zagreb in two hours. Some other cities that can easily connect to Postojna include Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Dubrovnik and Belgrade, all of which are just a few hours away.
Here are some trains to Postojna Cave that you can book online:
Tours to Postojna Cave in Slovenia
Ljubljana is the most common city to get tours to Postojna Cave from. However, you can also find tours that go to Postojna Cave from Koper, Portoroz, Rijeka, Rovinj, and Zagreb.
Many tours also include Predjama Castle, which is another popular nearby attraction. If you are planning on going on your own though, you can purchase combo tickets that offer both attractions for a discount.
Bonus: Those that purchase combo tickets for Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle get a free shuttle from one to the other.
Predjama Castle is often included in Postojna Cave tours.
Renting a Car in Slovenia
When we visited Postojna Cave, we had visited with our rental car. With all of the cool things to do around Slovenia, we found a rental car to be super ideal, and allowed us to maximize our time.
If you have a car, the drive is just 45 minutes from Ljubljana, and there is a massive parking lot right on site.
Parking at Postojna Cave
The good news is that there is plenty of room to park, and the parking lot is monitored and safe. The bad news is that parking is unfortunately not included in the ticket to visit Postojna Cave, and has a rate of 6 euros.
Postojna Cave in Slovenia: The Experience
Now that you know how to get to Posotjna Cave in Slovenia, let's get to the fun stuff!
Postojna Cave offers a variety of tours, including the following experiences: Vivarium, Expo Cave Karst, Butterflies of the World Exhibition, Secret Rooms of Hotel Jama, Predjama Castle, and a trek through three caves.
We only had the time to do the Postojna Cave Tour, so we will be sharing the info to that tour itself, as well as give you some basic information about the add ons. Here is everything you need to know about the experience of visiting Postojna Cave itself.
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Getting Tickets for Postojna Cave in Slovenia
Tickets can be purchased online, or right on site. We definitely suggest getting your tickets in advance, to insure that you get onto a tour right away. Keep in mind also that there are a ton of people visiting, so lines also may be quite long.
Once you get your ticket you'll have a few different ways to kill time which waiting for your tour, as there are plenty of amenities at Postojna Cave.
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Postojna Cave Tour
Once the tour starts you'll be separated into groups of 20-25. Your guide will give you a quick briefing before starting, and you should put on a layer or two before going in, as it is significantly colder inside (10 degrees Celsius!).
The Train Ride Through Postojna Cave
You'll board the train and it will go at a moderate speed through the first 3.5 km of the cave. There will be different rooms of the cave, and some with lights or even chandeliers! This part is super impressive, and definitely one you'll want to capture.
Taking pictures and videos is certainly challenging due to the low light and speed of the train, so set your aperture as low as possible.
Don't stress about pictures or videos in the beginning though. You'll actually be going back the same way you came, so simply sit back and enjoy the incredible views as you ride through this impressive cave.
The Walking Tour Through Postojna Cave
Part two of the tour is the guided tour, where you'll slowly go from room to room and learn all of the interesting details about the cave. This part is about 1 km, and is suitable for all ages and physical abilities, as well as strollers, as the walkways are relatively flat and have handrails.
Postojna Cave is well structured for tourism.
We personally didn't enjoy this as much, as it felt super rushed, and there were far too many people! It felt like we were getting shuffled around like cattle, and even waiting until the end of the room to get a picture was difficult because the next group is following so closely behind.
There are a ton of tour groups that go one after the other.
For this reason we would suggest going at the end of the day. All big tour companies come in the morning, which means even if you go right when they open, you'll face the same problem that we did. The afternoon has less groups, so naturally it'll be a bit less overwhelming.
Finishing the Walking Tour Through Postojna Cave
The last room is certainly one of the most impressive, and one we suggest heading to the front of the line for. This is also where you'll have a small gift shop, which we skipped to make sure we were first in line for the front of the train.
Alternatively, if you are able to make it to the last tour, we'd sit back and wait to be at the end of the train.
The ride back is just as beautiful as the first time going through it, and is about 15 minutes.
Try to get to the front so you have the best views on the way back.
Finishing the Postojna Cave Tour
After the 90-minute tour you'll exit the cave into the bright light of the outdoors. Make sure to have sunglasses, so that you can properly adjust to the light distance.
You'll then be able to go back to the big gift shop, have a bite to eat, or make your way to your next attraction.
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Other Activities at Postojna Cave in Slovenia
While the star of the show is certainly the traditional 90-minutes tour through Postojna Cave, there are also enough activities offered to stay the entire day! With various ticket options, you can choose from a variety of packages to choose from. Here are the different activities that you can add onto your ticket at Postojna Cave.
- Predjama Castle: a beautiful renaissance castle built into a cave
- The Secret Rooms of Hotel Jama: more than just a hotel, this establishment had a double life, and its secret rooms are revealed on this unique tour.
- Vivarium: an exhibition of the 150 animal species that live inside the cave
- EXPO Cave Karst Exhibition Tours: an interactive exhibition that is great for children, and includes 2 free exhibits: Life within a Billion Years and Butterflies of the World
- The Cave Under Predjama Castle tour: an intricate 4-floor cave under the castle for adventure lovers
- Privka & Black Cave Tour: two karst caves that were discovered as being connected to Postojna
- Otok Cave: a stunning cave between Postojna & Predjama
- 3-Cave Tour: a 2-3 trek through 3 of the caves in Postojna - for the adventure lovers!
Postojna Cave has more than just its main cave.
Postojna Cave Amenities
Postojna Cave is very well developed for tourism, and included a variety of amenities on the premises.
Bathrooms
Once you head inside, go down the stairs and there are big bathrooms with plenty of stalls. They are well-maintained, so there is no need to have your own soap or toilet paper.
Food & Drink
There is a large buffet-style restaurant inside the building, which has both indoor and outdoor seating. There are a variety of options with, with many local Slovenian dishes.
You can also find quick snacks like coffee, sandwiches, or chips in the small shop.
There is a restaurant with buffet-style food on site.
Souvenirs
There are two gift shops on site. One is at the main entrance building, which you can access before or after your cave visit. The other is at the end of the walking tour in the cave, before the train ride back to the cave entrance.
There is a big souvenir shop at the entrance of the caves.
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Postojna Cave Price & Timetable
Postojna Cave in Slovenia is open year-round, 7 days a week. The tours are on the hour, and vary depending on the month. Here are the times for the tours each month:
- January: 10 am, 12 pm, & 3 pm
- February: 10 am, 12 pm, & 3 pm
- March: 10 am, 12 pm, & 3 pm
- April: 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, & 4 pm
- May: 9 am - 5 pm (every hour on the hour, with the last tour at 5:00)
- June: 9 am - 5 pm (every hour on the hour, with the last tour at 5:00)
- July: 9 am - 6 pm (every hour on the hour, with the last tour at 6:00)
- August: 9 am - 6 pm (every hour on the hour, with the last tour at 6:00)
- September: 9 am - 5 pm (every hour on the hour, with the last tour at 5:00)
- October: 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, & 4 pm
- November: 10 am, 12 pm, & 3 pm
- December: 10 am, 12 pm, & 3 pm
Predjama Castle
Predjama Castle is the most popular combo ticket that you can purchase. The castle is 9 km away, and there is a free shuttle that takes you from one experience to the other. You can visit the castle at any time you wish, as long as it is within 30 days of your ticket date.
Here are the times Predjama Castle is open year round:
- January: 10 am - 4 pm
- February: 10 am - 4 pm
- March: 10 am - 4 pm
- April: 10 am - 5 pm
- May: 9 am - 6 pm
- June: 9 am - 6 pm
- July: 9 am - 7 pm
- August: 9 am - 7 pm
- September: 9 am - 6 pm
- October: 10 am - 5 pm
- November: 10 am - 4 pm
- December: 10 am - 4 pm
The Secret Rooms of Hotel Jama
April, May, June, September, & October it is open from 9 am to 4 pm, while in July and August, it is open one extra hour until 5 pm. From September to March you can only get tickets by prior arrangement.
Vivarium
This is an easy add on, allowing you to experience some of the animals that Postojna Cave is home to.
Here are the times Vivarium is available year round:
- January: 10 am - 3 pm
- February: 10 am - 3 pm
- March: 10 am - 3 pm
- April: 10 am - 4 pm
- May: 9 am - 5 pm
- June: 9 am - 5 pm
- July: 9 am - 6 pm
- August: 9 am - 6 pm
- September: 9 am - 5 pm
- October: 10 am - 4 pm
- November: 10 am - 3 pm
- December: 10 am - 3 pm
EXPO Cave Karst Exhibition Tours
This exhibition. has the same opening times as Vivarium, so you can simply refer to the Vivarium timetable above.
The Cave Under Predjama Castle Tour
The cave under Predjama Castle tour is available only in the months of May until September. In May, June, & September there is one tour at 11 am, and in July & August there are tours at 11 am, 1 pm, and 4 pm.
Privka & Black Caves Tour
These tours are also only available from May until September, but rather than fixed times, you need to make prior arrangements to do this tour.
Otok Cave
Just like Privka & Black Caves, Otok Cave is also only available to be visited by prior arrangement, and can be done from May until October.
Prices of the Different Tours at Postojna Cave in Slovenia
- Postojna Cave: 29.90 €
- Postojna Cave, Vivarium, Butterflies Exhibition 35.50 €
- Postojna Cave, Vivarium, & EXPO Cave Karst 39.90 €
- Postojna Cave and the Secret Rooms of Hotel Jama 39.90 €
- Postojna Cave & Predjama Castle: 41.90 €
- Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, Vivarium, Butterflies Exhibition 47.50 €
- Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle and EXPO 47.50 €
- Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, Vivarium, and EXPO Cave Karst 51.90 €
- 3 Caves Trek 90 €
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Other Things to Keep in Mind While Visiting Postojna Cave in Slovenia
Now you know almost all of the details for visiting Postojna Cave in Slovenia. But first, here are a few last things to keep in mind!
What to Wear to Postojna Cave
Postojna Cave is 10 degrees Celsius, so you'll definitely want to bring a jacket or sweater with you for inside. The floor can also be wet and slipper, so you shouldn't wear any long or pants that could potentially drag on the floor and get wet.
We suggest leggings and shoes that have traction and can get wet, as well as sleeves on top.
The Best Time to Visit Postojna Cave in Slovenia
The cave can be visited year-round, and is always in fine conditions to visit whatever time of the year! The summers are definitely the most crowded, so we recommend you to visit in the early spring or late fall. This way, you can do all of the activities that Postojna Cave has to offer, and eliminate some of the crowds.
We also suggest going in the afternoon for the main tour of Postojna Cave, as this is after the majority of the big tour groups go.
How to Prepare for Visiting Postojna Cave
Here are some of the things we suggest bringing to Postojna Cave
- Comfortable clothes
- Jacket or sweater
- Sneakers (especially if you're doing one of the treks)
- Zippered Bag or Backpack take a look at these backpacks for travelers!
- Power Bank (we use Anker power banks, as they are super long lasting and sturdy)
- Action Camera (we use the Insta 360 X3 because it's small & waterproof)
- Sunglasses (for when you leave the cave)
- Lens with low aperture for good photos
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Is Postojna Cave Worth It?
Postojna Cave is definitely worth the unique experience. However, we did not feel that way for part of the tour since it was so packed. We definitely think it's worth doing a combo ticket, and visiting during a time that isn't packed with tour groups, which takes away from the experience.
Postojna Cave in Slovenia is a unique experience, and is worth it if you can avoid the crowds.
Tips for Visiting Postojna Cave in Slovenia
Here are a few reminders to have an optimal visit to Postojna Cave:
- Book your tickets in advance.
- Get a combo package, so that you can enjoy the other unique experiences.
- Reserve a spot on one of the last tours for the main Postojna cave tour.
- Dress warm!
- Bring a lens with a low aperture.
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So are you ready to explore the incredible Postojna Cave in Slovenia? Despite it being a bit touristy, it is definitely one of the things to add to your bucket list. If you'd like to learn more about the logistics of visiting and getting around the country, make sure to check out our Complete Slovenia Travel Guide for all of the info.
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