Overview
Spend eight days hiking the Julian Alps, on a self-guided tour along trails through Triglav National Park, to Lakes Bled and Bohinj as well as the Valley of Seven Lakes. Starting at Lake Bled, you have a warm-up trek to Pokljuka Plateau, and then spend three days in pure hiking heaven, with a bit more hardcore hut-to-hut adventures. That way you can experience the Julian Alps in all their grandeur, sunrise to sunset. The trip draws to a close at Lake Bohinj, with an opportunity to hike in and around the village of Ribcev Laz, taking in more mountain views. Accommodation is in a mix of hotels and mountain huts. There is also an option to book a guided ascent of Mount Triglav on this tour.
- Triglav National Park
- Optional guided ascent of Mount Triglav (2,864m)
- Pokljuka Plateau
- Lake Bled
- Valley of Seven Lakes
- Lake Bohinj
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Lake Bled
Arrive at Ljubljana Airport and take either a public or a private transfer to your hotel at Lake Bled. If you have time, we highly recommend a walk around Lake Bled,
probably one of the most photographed lakes in Slovenia, with the Julian Alps serving as its backdrop.
- Accommodation: 4-star Hotel Trigvlav Bled or similar in Bled
Day 2: Bled – Pokljuka | 14km
The day starts with a short transfer by car to the trailhead that takes you up through woodlands to Pokljuka Plateau (1,280m), the most extensively forested area in Triglav National Park. This is a beautiful introduction to the Julian Alps, walking through mountain pastures and conifer forests up to Lipanska Mountain Hut for lunch. The afternoon walk takes you along a more open route, with panoramic views of the Karawanks range, Pokljuka Plateau, Krma Valley and Bohinj Mountains, as far as Pokljuka where you spend the night.
- Accommodation: 3-star Sports Centre Triglav Pokljuka or similar
- Walking for the day: 14km, 6h, ↑710m ↓640m
Day 3: Pokljuka – Planika Hut | 12km
Today’s route takes you into the heart of Triglav National Park and the Julian Alps. The trail slowly ascends to Vodnikov Dom hut, which is a perfect rest and lunch stop. Continue on to Planika Hut, located in the shadow of Mount Triglav – the highest mountain in Slovenia (2,864m). Planika Hut is an ideal starting point for the ascent of Mt. Triglav. You can take this on as an optional extra with an expert mountain guide, which we can arrange for you, and we recommend booking an extra night or two if you’re taking this on. The route includes some via ferrata trails, so experience is recommended.)
Please note: your main luggage is collected and safely stored in our local office in Bled until you reach Bohinj at the end of the walk on day six. You won’t have access to it until then, so make sure you have everything you need in your backpack for overnight stays in mountain huts for the next three nights.
- Accommodation: Planika Hut
- Walking for the day: 12km, 7h, ↑1,140m ↓110m
Day 4: Planika Hut – Seven Lakes Mountain Hut | 11km
Today’s walk takes you across Hribarice Pass (2,358m) towards Koča pri Triglavskih Jezerih Hut, with stunning views of one of Triglav National Park’s seven lakes along the way, Zeleno Jezero (Green Lake). Continue on into the Valley of the Seven Triglav Lakes.
- Accommodation: Seven Lakes Mountain Hut
- Walking for the day: 11km, 6h, ↑230m ↓910m
Day 5: Seven Lakes Mountain Hut – Komna Hut | 8km
Start the day by heading west towards Slo. Črno jezero (Black Lake) which is the the lowest-lying lake in the Valley of the Seven Triglav Lakes. Continue along the trail to Komna Hut (1,520m), which has top views of Lake Bohinj.
- Accommodation: Komna Hut
- Walking for the day: 8km, 3h, ↑130m ↓300m
Day 6: Komna Hut – Lake Bohinj – Ribcev Laz | 16km
Start with a relaxing descent along an old military road to Savica Waterfall, one of the most famous waterfalls in Slovenia which plunges 78m into Lake Bohinj. The route continues along the northern shore of Lake Bohinj to the village of Ribcev Laz. We recommend taking time to swim in the crystal clear waters of Lake Bohinj and then warm up with delicious homemade honey brandy in one of the local taverns. There is also an option to head up Mt. Vogel with a gondola.
- Accommodation: Art Hotel Kristal or similar in Ribcev Laz
- Walking for the day: 16km, 5 to 6h, ↑60m ↓1,050m
Day 7: Ribcev Laz circular walk | 13km
Take a rest day at the lake, or walk to the Upper Bohinj Valley, which takes you through some traditional villages to Rudnica viewpoint (946m), for one last glance across the Julian peaks.
- Accommodation: Art Hotel Kristal or a similar in Ribcev Laz
- Walking for the day: 13km, 5h, ↑480m ↓480m
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast, or extend your stay.
What to expect
Accommodation
Four nights in three or four-star hotels, with ensuite rooms, and three nights in mountain huts in mixed-gender dormitories, with shared facilities. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Trigvlav Bled
- Art Hotel Kristal
- Sports Centre Triglav Pokljuka
- Planika Hut
- Seven Lakes Mountain Hut
- Komna Hut
Hotels and mountain huts are subject to availability. In the event of a particular accommodation being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included. While staying in hotels, they have restaurants for dinner, but there are plenty of local restaurants too. While trekking in the mountains, you can get lunches at mountain huts along the way, and the same for dinner while staying there.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is rated moderate and is appropriate for experienced hikers. The average walking distance is 12km per day while the average daily elevation gain is 800m. The total elevation gain is 3,000m (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you only follow marked trails and never shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This tour is available between July and September. The itinerary contains routes that are closed to the public during winter and spring. The best month for hiking is August. The climate is cold and moist, influenced by high altitudes and a snow cover in valleys and peaks persists from 180 to 250 days of a year. Windy weather is typical, and during summer afternoon storms are usual. The average temperature in July is 15C.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your holiday on any date in the season – so please indicate desired starting date when booking. For more information, see our blog on the Best time to go to Slovenia.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Recommended arrival and departure airport: Ljubljana Airport
By train or bus
- Arrival: There are regular buses from Ljubljana Airport to Bled. The bus journey only takes approximately 33mins. For more information on the bus schedule visits Arriva Slovenia
- Departure: To return to Ljubljana Airport take a bus back to Bled (51mins) from where you can take the bus back to the airport (33mins)
Inclusions
Included
- Accommodation for four nights in three or four-star hotels (private en-suite) and three nights in mountain cabins (dormitories, shared facilities)
- 7 breakfasts
- Detailed holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions and road notes; maps with daily routes and optional hikes marked (sent digitally; printed documents available at extra cost)
- Main luggage transport on days two and seven* (one piece, max 23kg per person)
- All internal ground transfers as listed in the itinerary
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
*Please note: on day three your main luggage is collected and safely stored in our local office in Bled until you reach Bohinj at the end of the walk on day six. You won’t have access to it until then, so make sure you have everything you need in your backpack for overnight stays in mountain huts for the next three nights.
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Linen in mountain huts ( available for approximately 6EUR)
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own while staying in hotels. This is not possible while staying in mountain huts, as accommodation is in mixed-gender dorms.
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own rooms. This is not possible while staying in mountain huts, as accommodation is in mixed-gender dorms. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Private airport transfers
- An extra piece of luggage for transfers
- Guided climb of Mount Triglav with IFGMA licensed guide and extra night at Planika Hut (after day three)
- Extra nights in Bled and Bohinj
