While Bratislava is a tiny European capital I think it’s the perfect city break destination. It has a charming old town, a medieval castle, historic buildings, cobblestone streets, hearty food, and even a modern side. In this blog post I’ll share the ultimate Bratislava 2 day itinerary to help you plan an amazing trip to the capital of Slovakia. This blog post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
Are you looking for help with planning your trip? Check out these helpful resources:
- Flights
- Accommodation for all budgets
- Rental cars
- Train tickets
- Bus tickets
- Activities, tours, and day trips
- eSIM for international data
Day 1: Explore the Old Town
Take a walk through the Old Town of Bratislava
The Bratislava Old Town is one of the main attractions of the city. It’s not very big, but it’s really cute. It has cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, quirky statues, and plenty of restaurants, cafes and bars.
Strolling through the old town is the perfect way to start your Bratislava day trip. If you come to Bratislava by train you can walk from the train station since it takes only about 15-20 minutes to reach the old town.
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Go up Michael’s Tower for great panoramic views of the city
Michael’s Gate is one of the entrances to the Old Town. The view of the Old Town through the gate is fantastic, so it’s a great photo spot.
You can also go up Michael’s Tower to get to an observation deck. The 360 degree panoramic views of Bratislava from up there are spectacular. I think this activity should definitely be on your Bratislava itinerary.
Plus, you only have to climb 7 flights of stairs to get there. And the activity is included in the Bratislava card. I used the card while I visited and it was great since you get free entry to most attractions and you also get free public transportation if you want to explore outside of the old town.
The entrance to the tower might be a little difficult to find, but I’ll explain everything. First, you have to go through Michael’s Gate and enter the old town.
Then turn around to face the gate. On the right-hand side of the archway you will see a wooden door. It’s next to a cafe. Just enter through that door and start climbing the stairs.
The person checking the tickets is on the first or second floor, so keep climbing until you see him. Then continue climbing all 7 flights of stairs and you’ll get to the observation deck.
They have little exhibits on every floor, so you can stop for a few moments and catch your breath.
Visit the Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall is this yellow building in the main square, called Hlavné Námestie in Slovak. There is another observation deck at the top of the Old Town Hall.
I chose not to go up since I’ve done it at Michael’s Tower. But if you want another panoramic view, you can do that here as well.
The square in the old town area is where this building is it’s also where they host the Christmas markets and other events. When I visited there was a stage for some events for their medieval festival.
Take a picture with the Man at Work statue
This little bronze figure is the cutest thing ever! It was my favorite tourist attraction.
It’s basically the bust of a worker that pops up from the ground and people watches. There is also a sign next to it that says “Man at Work”.
People got really creative with the pictures they were taking here. It’s a fun activity!
Explore the Slovak National Theatre
If you continue walking past the statue you will get to the Slovak National Theatre. Right in front of the theatre there is a nice park with a lot of trees, flowers, and benches.
So after you explore the theatre you can take a stroll or sit on a bench and people watch.
Go up to the Bratislava Castle
Since Bratislava is a small city (it has a population of only about 500,000 people) you can easily get to the Bratislava Castle from the Old Town. It’s only about a 10-15 minute walk.
The city views from up there are incredible since the castle is built on a hill, so you can see both the city and the River Danube.
The hike to get there is not bad at all. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t like to hike haha.
It is free to visit the castle grounds, including the really gorgeous baroque garden. Inside the castle there is a small museum, but it’s very underwhelming.
You have to pay an entrance fee to see the museum, but I recommend you skip this activity. I promise you won’t miss out.
Have lunch at Bratislava Flagship
Bratislava Flagship is the most popular traditional Slovak restaurant in the Slovakian capital. It was even recommended to me by locals, so you know it’s a great spot.
The restaurant is located in an old theatre and it is one of the largest restaurants in Europe. You don’t need a reservation since the restaurant is large.
You should try the most popular traditional dishes, including bryndzové halušky. They are soft small dumplings or noodles served with sheep cheese and the most delicious crispy bacon.
The restaurant has an extensive menu of local delicacies, so feel free to also try other things such as garlic soup in a bread bowl or pork knuckle.
I tried their potato dumplings filled with meat and served with cabbage. Very good!
Traditional Slovak cuisine tends to be very heavy and the portions are big. But it’s worth trying the local dishes even though you won’t be able to finish everything on the plate.
Visit the Blue Church
The Blue Church is one of the top attractions in Bratislava because of its gorgeous light blue color. It’s located about 10-15 minutes walk from the city center in a residential neighborhood. Google maps will be able to guide you to the right spot.
The church was built in a Hungarian Art Nouveau style at the beginning of the 1900’s. It is free to enter the church.
Go up the UFO Tower
The UFO Tower is a 95-meter tall tower that looks like a UFO and was built at the end of a major bridge in the city, called the UFO Bridge. It’s a very unique building.
The part that looks like a UFO is stationary, not revolving. It has an open-air 360 degree observation deck at the top level. The views are fantastic!
When I visited there was a lady dressed like an alien (since the name of the observation deck is the UFO Tower) who would either hype up visitors taking selfies, make fun of you, take pictures with you, or just sing and vibe. I thought that’s the coolest job ever haha!
After you visit the observation deck you can stroll by the Danube river. There is a promenade with benches and some trees right by the bridge.
Have gelato at Arthur’s
Ok, I never thought I would find good gelato in Bratislava, but boy was I wrong. There are some really good gelato shops in the old town.
My favorite was Arthur’s. It’s a short walk from the man at work statue. You can take your gelato to go or you can eat it there since they have a few tables outside.
It’s a very popular place, so there is always a line. But it moves fast. I think I only waited about 5 minutes.
They have both traditional flavors like strawberry or chocolate and premium flavors like Dubai chocolate and white nougat. I tried these two premium flavors and they were delicious.
It’s probably the most expensive ice cream shop in town. I paid 7 euros for 2 scoops, which is more than I paid in Southern Italy for 2 gelato scoops for example. But I think it’s worth it.
Another great gelato shop I tried was Luculus. My local friend introduced me to this place and it was really good. They have multiple locations in Bratislava.
Day 2: Take a day trip to see the castles and villages of Slovakia
I think you can explore Bratislava in a day since it’s such a small city. So I highly recommend you take a day trip on your second day to see some other incredible parts of Slovakia.
I went on this day trip to see multiple castles and villages in Slovakia. I loved it! It was my favorite activity on this trip.
My experience on this day trip
My guide was Michal. He was super friendly, gave us context and information about all the places we visited, and always kept us entertained.
The maximum number of people that can go on this tour is 8 since that’s the capacity of the car. I loved the fact that we had a smaller group since I could get to know the other travelers.
There were 2 other solo travelers, an older couple, and a family (mom, dad and adult daughter) on my tour. We spent the entire day together, had lunch together, and had really great conversations throughout the day. It was lovely.
Michal also brought us each 2 different Slovak sweets so we can try them. And we also had a rakija and wine tasting throughout the day. We knew about the alcohol tasting from the trip description, but the candy was a surprise and it was a really nice touch.
You could feel the warmth and the hospitality of the company that runs the tour and of our guide. The entire day I felt that Michal truly loves his job as a tour guide. And it makes such a different when you have such a dedicated guide.
We visited Cicmany, a small village that has only 200 people. This village is famous and unique in the world for the white patterns painted on the exterior walls of houses.
Then we visited the Bojnice and Orava Castles. And we finished the day in Trencin, right on time for sunset. Then we all got gelato in the city center before going back to Bratislava.
FAQs about Bratislava
What is the best time to visit Bratislava?
I visited in July, which is peak season. The weather was hot and there were a lot of tourists. Especially since there are a lot of people visiting Vienna and Budapest during the summer months and they take day trips to Bratislava.
While I’m not a huge fan of peak summer season travel, I had a good experience in Bratislava, so I didn’t mind it.
I also visited my friend who lives in Bratislava during December a few years ago and the city had no tourists in sight.
So if you want to explore like a local and avoid crowds go during the shoulder season or during the winter. If you visit during the winter you can also check out the Christmas market.
How can I get around Bratislava?
Bratislava is a very walkable city and most attractions are clustered together. Plus, it’s a small city. However, if you need to go between places that are further apart you can use public transportation.
Either the bus or the tram are great options. Otherwise, you can order a car through the Bolt app.
How can I get to the city center from the train station?
If you come to Bratislava by train you can walk from the main train station since it takes only about 15-20 minutes to reach the old town.
You can also use public transport. There are both buses and trams that stop near the train station.
Or you can order a car through the Bolt app.
How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?
The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.
I use Airalo. You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.
You can activate it on your phone in under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.
Is Bratislava safe for a solo female traveler?
Yes, I felt very safe in Bratislava. Contrary to popular belief, the countries in Eastern and Central Europe are much safer than the ones in Western Europe.
There is less petty theft and less scammers. I personally haven’t seen any pickpocket or scammers in any Central and Eastern European capital I visited. But I saw plenty in all Western European cities I’ve been to. Even locals in Barcelona warned me about pickpockets that steal cell phones over there.
What currency do they use in Bratislava?
They use the Euro. Slovakia is part of the European Union and it is also in the Eurozone.
Do I need cash for my trip to Bratislava?
I never used cash in Bratislava. But it’s always a good idea to carry some with you in case you want to tip tour guides or servers, for example.
Pro tip: always get cash from an ATM in the airport instead of going to an exchange place. Your bank will always have better exchange rates when taking out cash in a foreign currency from an ATM.
Do I have to tip in Bratislava?
Tipping is not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged. I usually leave 1-2 euros as tip when I eat out. They highly appreciate it when you do this.
Do I need to book tickets for attractions in advance?
I highly recommend you book tickets for popular attractions online in advance of your trip. This will give you peace of mind.
Do people speak English in Bratislava?
Yes, they do. They get a lot of tourists, so they speak English. Even the menus at restaurant are translated to English.
Do you recommend Bratislava as a solo destination?
I highly recommend Bratislava as a destination for solo travelers. It’s a small city, it’s safe, and there are plenty of things to do.
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Ioana was born and raised in Romania, lived in NYC for 14 years, and is now back in Romania. She fell in love with traveling when she was little and used to visit her aunt in Vienna. Then in high school she was able to visit Siberia, Turkmenistan, Istanbul, and Tokyo through chemistry competitions. As an adult she started to travel solo once she turned 30 and visited 20+ countries so far. Ioana is a full time travel blogger and content creator with an audience of 80K+ people on Instagram. She loves to share travel recommendations and tips.