Best Walks in Slovenia

Best walks in Slovenia is a one-week walking trip through the beautiful Slovenian landscape, ideal for anyone who loves a series of shorter, easy, and pleasant daily walks along well-crafted trails through the green nature of western Slovenia.

You’ll walk pathways with gentle uphill sections across high mountain pastures and meadows, through dense forests in the Triglav National Park, to stunning viewpoints of the Julian Alps. Further on, you’ll pass beautiful glacial lakes, valleys, and crystal clear rivers, before visiting the mysterious caves of the Slovenian Karst and finally, along the magical Adriatic coast.

Along the way, you’ll explore Ljubljana, a green city with picturesque bridges, the towns of Bled and Bohinj with their blush-green lakes, along with the enchanting alpine town Bovec and its dramatic mountain backdrop. The medieval seaside town of Piran, which grew with the aid of salt, will provide a glorious, relaxing end to your trip.

With our native Slovenian guides, you will discover Slovenia’s natural treasures and historic places, immerse yourself in local culture & people, and taste delicious Slovenian food in authentic surroundings. Additionally, you will enjoy enough private time too! You will love it!

Day 1: Welcome to Ljubljana

In the evening, upon arrival in Ljubljana, you’ll meet your trip guide over a welcome drink to discuss all trip details and answer any questions. You will also get to know all other travelers joining this walking tour.

Enjoy your free time in vibrant Ljubljana to taste delicious food and wine in some of the best bars and restaurants on the banks of the green Ljubljanica River. Rather than arriving late, we suggest coming a day earlier so you can explore the picturesque old city center, its historic landmarks, and impressive architecture.

Overnight: 3* hotel in the center of Ljubljana
Meals included: /

Day 2: Walking on Velika Planina

Today you will head towards Kamnik-Savinja Alps, just a short drive north from Ljubljana, where your walking adventure begins. First on the agenda is a visit to Velika Planina (The Big Meadow), Slovenia’s biggest and most charming alpine pasture, which is also known as Europe’s largest and oldest active shepherds’ settlement.

While walking through vast alpine pastures, you’ll be amazed by the unique alpine architecture of the shepherd’s villages and learn about their culture by visiting the oldest hut in the pastures. After the walk, we’ll encourage you to participate in making some traditional Slovenian food, then treat you to a delicious home-cooked lunch in a very special place: our best-kept secret.

You’ll return to Ljubljana in the afternoon and are free to enjoy an evening to yourself.

Walking: 10 km / elevation gain +300m, -300m / approx. 3 hours
Overnight: 3* hotel in the center of Ljubljana
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Total driving time: 2 hours

Day 3: Walking at Lake Bled & Lake Bohinj

The day will start with a transfer to the foothills of the Julian Alps, to explore Slovenia’s most popular and most authentic lakes, Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj, which are about a one-hour drive from Ljubljana.

The walking trip at Lake Bohinj will take you through typical villages, beside crystal-clear streams that feed the lake, as well as along its gorgeous shores and deep gorges with spectacular mountain scenery. A swim in Lake Bohinj is an absolute must, so don’t forget your swimsuit!

After a nice lunch, you’ll go to Lake Bled and walk to its most adorable viewpoint, where you’ll enjoy views over this lovely lake with its iconic island and a medieval castle perched on the edge of a rocky cliff. The Karavanke Alps in the backdrop provide the final ingredient for the perfect photo.

If you prefer, you can skip the viewpoint walking trip and instead relax by the lake and swim in its fresh waters.

Walking: 14 km / elevation gain +400m, -400m / approx. 4 hours (split in two hikes)
Overnight: 3* hotel in Bled or Bohinj
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Total driving time: 1.5 hours

Day 4: Hiking lonely peaks in Triglav National Park

Today you’ll experience the most challenging day of this walking holiday in Slovenia. After a short drive, we will set off for a walk in the high mountains to Slovenia’s only national park, the Triglav National Park. Here, mountain trails of easy to medium level of difficulty lead to magnificent vistas over the Triglav National Park and its glacial alpine valleys.

To begin with, you’ll enjoy walking through the dense and magical spruce forest on Pokljuka Plateau. The forest path will take you to one of almost 2000-meter peaks, with spectacular views of the jagged glacial valley and Mt. Triglav himself! A short walk along the single track later, you’ll experience lunch in a typical Slovenian mountain hut.

You’ll return to your hotel late afternoon, so you can enjoy some free time too.

Alternatively, you can skip the summit ascent by cutting the hike short at the lovely mountain hut, where you can enjoy some downtime or take the rest of the day off instead.

Walking: 12 km / elevation gain +700m, -700m / approx. 5 hours
Overnight: 3* hotel in Bled or Bohinj
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Total driving time: 1 hour

Day 5: Walking Vrsic pass and the Julian Alps

It’s a day to enjoy a series of shorter walks and admire a rich diversity of landscape, passing rivers, lakes, forests, trees, colorful flowers, and unusual rocks.

First, we’ll go hiking to the spectacular Pericnik Waterfall in the Vrata Valley. In summer the cold water spray will compel you to walk behind the water curtain and freshen up, before heading towards the heart of the Julian Alps along the high mountain road. This road was built during World War 1 by Russian POWs. It winds upwards to the highest mountain pass in Slovenia and the eastern Julian Alps, Vrsic pass (1611 m), where you’ll enjoy a great hike, which highlights the beautiful Julian Alps.

You’ll be treated to a well-deserved and tasty lunch at the mountain hut on top. Later on, you’ll end the day with a transfer to the lush Soca valley. Time permitting we will stop for a refreshing swim in the inviting pools of the Soca river.

Walking: 10 km / elevation gain +400m, -400m / approx. 4 hours
Overnight: 3* hotel in Bovec
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Total driving time: 2 hours

Day 6: Walking Soca trail and emerald Soca River

On this day you’ll discover the true natural beauty of Slovenia on the western side of the Triglav National Park. While we’re out on shorter walking tours in the beautiful Soca Valley, exploring its hidden spots, you’ll learn about World War 1 history and its influence on north-western Slovenia.

Lunch will bring delicious local specialties of the Soca Valley to your plate. Afterward, the allure of the emerald Soca River will tempt you to go for a swim in its turquoise color waters, for which the river is well known all around Europe as Slovenia’s most beautiful river.

The afternoon is reserved for water & other adventure activities: Go rafting or canyoning on the beautiful Soca river and its tributaries, go paragliding, or slide down a zip-line!

If such adventures are not your cup of tea, you’ll be able to do some more walking and find a perfect spot by the river to rest your feet, and enjoy Soca Valley’s pure nature!

Walking: 12 km / elevation gain +250m, -250m / approx. 4 hours
Overnight: 3* hotel in Bovec
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Total driving time: 1 hour

Day 7: Visit Skocjan Caves and Piran

Today you’ll explore south-western Slovenia, its karst landscapes and phenomena, as well as the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, the Slovenian Adriatic Coast.

In the morning, we’ll go touring the spectacular subterranean chambers of the Skocjan Caves, a UNESCO Natural and Cultural World Heritage Site, which are known for having the longest underground canyon in Europe. Later on, you’ll discover the wine region of south-western Slovenia by tasting its strong wines and local food, as we’ll visit a local winemaker in the karst vineyards.

In the afternoon, we’ll explore the loveliest town on the Slovenian coast, Piran. You’ll love crawling this tiny peninsula, with its narrow streets and tiny squares. Sea-lovers however, will be enchanted by the luminous waves along the coast at night.

Your guide leaves the group tonight and returns to Ljubljana.

Walking: 7 km / elevation gain +150m, -150m / approx. 3 hours
Overnight: 4* hotel in Piran
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Total driving time: 2.5 hours

Day 8: Bye-bye Slovenia

After a hearty breakfast, this unforgettable walking adventure in lovely western Slovenia ends. Treat yourself to a final swim in the Adriatic Sea and wave Slovenia goodbye, until next time.

Let us know if you need any help with airport transfers.

Meals included: breakfast

Inclusions

• 7 nights bed & breakfast in conveniently located 3 and 4* hotels. Double or twin rooms.
• 6 guided days with English speaking hiking guide, who is also the driver.
• All transfers listed in the itinerary. Starting in Ljubljana and ending in Piran.
• Van with 8+1 seats is always available to the group. In the case of more than 8 guests, we will have 2 vans and 2 guides.
• Welcome meeting over a drink in Ljubljana.
• 7 breakfasts and 6 great local lunches.
• Wine tasting.
• Skocjan Caves entrance fee.
• Organization, 24-hour holiday service & support.

Exclusions

• International flights.
• Airport transfers.
• Drinks.
• Meals not specified in the itinerary.
• Travel insurance.
• Personal expenses.
• Guide gratuities.
• Other services not specified in the Inclusions.

Optional

• Single room supplement: 375 €.

Activity Level 2 – EASY TO MODERATE walking

On most of the days, the walking is fairly easy (3-4 hours) with an elevation gain of 300-400 m (1,000-1,300 ft). However, on the most difficult day the hike is steeper, longer (5-6 hours), and you will overcome approx. 700 m (2,300 ft) of elevation. Luckily, there are options to cut the hike short.

This walking tour is definitely not a “walk in a park” and we recommend a reasonable fitness level to fully enjoy your walking holidays in Slovenia.

What are the trails like?

The trails vary from comfortable, even & wide paths to rocky and (occasionally) steep trails. You can expect to walk over some short, steep, sometimes slippery sections on the uphills as well as the downhills. Most of the trails are in the shade of a forest. However, be prepared for sun exposure too.

Our Best Walks in Slovenia walking tour can be done anytime between April and October. The best time for walking with pleasant temperatures and fewer tourist at the popular locations is May, June & September. October is still very nice, the colors are spectacular, but the days become shorter and the temperatures lower.

What is the weather usually like?

In summer (from mid-June to early September) the weather is usually hot, with temperatures around 25-30 deg C (75-90 deg F). In peak season (August) you can expect a heatwave with temperatures likely exceeding 35 deg C (95 deg F) as well as a significant temperature drop in the mountains on a cloudy, windy, or rainy day.

Essential read: our Best time to hike in Slovenia blog post.

You’ll stay in selected nice and clean centrally located 3* or 4* hotels, in double or single rooms with en-suite bathroom.

The typical hotel selection is:

Hotel in Ljubljana – uHotel**** or City Hotel***
Hotel at Lake Bled – Hotel Astoria***
Hotel in the Soca Valley (Bovec) – Hotel Mangart**** or Hotel Alp***
Hotel in Piran – Hotel Piran****

Please note that different group departure dates may include a different selection of hotels. Feel free to ask for accommodation details for your preferred departure date.

For your private hiking tours in Slovenia, we will propose and book hotels according to your wishes. Depending on your group size, you can choose really nice boutique and family-run properties. Don’t expect a 5* luxury, but rather small & cute charming hotels and B&B’s.

Primoz Kadunc
Slotrips guide

I hold a master’s degree in organizational science which I put into practice as a hiking guide and on my active journeys exploring the world. Thanks to my legendary road trip with the Renault 4 car through India and Iran, extensive travels throughout Latin America and sail across the Atlantic back to Europe, as well as completing my education in Lisbon and Canary Islands, I’m fluent in Spanish, English, and multiple Slavic languages. In love with the Slovenian mountains and Croatia’s coastline, I mostly run active tours in the region of the former Yugoslavia. I can’t imagine a better way to explore the world.

Meet the team

“My wife found this wonderful hiking trip,

8 day Best Walks in Slovenia guided tour. It was fantastic. The lunches were fantastic local food often at a hiking hut or winery or other unique venue. We had a diverse group of 7 with a wide range of hiking capabilities from true mountaineers to casual hikers. Miha (our guide) quickly assessed each person’s capabilities and figured out a way to challenge each one of us. I highly recommend Slotrips and would go again in a heartbeat. It was a fantastic value for the money. We would recommend this tour to anyone who loves the great outdoors and hiking adventures!”

Jeanne and Will Ivancic
from USA

More reviews

How big are the groups?

Depending on the departure date, the maximum group size is 8 or 16 travelers. In the case of more than 8 travelers on the tour, there will be 2 guides guiding the trip with two 8-seater minivans for the transfers along the way. This will allow you to join either the faster or more leisurely walking group. Therefore, everyone can enjoy the pace they feel most comfortable with. Therefore, the more physically fit hikers can add some extra miles while others take more time to rest and relax. By doing so we keep the feeling and flexibility of a small group tour, so you get the best out of the trip.

The tour finishes in Piran. How do I get to the airport from there?

The easiest way to get to the airport from Piran is by using a shuttle service with Goopti. They to door-to-door shared or private transfers. For your outbound flight, you can choose Ljubljana or Venice airport and Goopti runs shuttles to both airports.

What to bring for this walking tour?

• Comfortable hiking shoes with good grip.
• Long hiking pants (preferably fast dry fabric).
• Shorts.
• Fleece jacket.
• Another long-sleeve layer.
• Rain & wind protection (lightweight rain & windproof jacket).
• Gloves and a hat to keep you warm (in spring or fall).
• Sun protection (sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, maybe a thin long sleeve layer).
• Swimsuit and a small (fast dry) towel (in summer).
• Hiking poles (if you usually use them for hiking)
• A water bottle: tap water is safe to drink all over Slovenia and we are doing our best to avoid single-use plastic.
• A small day pack
• Personal items (personal hygiene, medicine, etc.)
• Travel insurance
• Passport or ID
• A small amount of cash (many small shops, restaurants, or bars in Slovenia still accept cash only. There are ATMs around every day)
• A big smile and a bagful of positive energy!