Slovenia Hiking Hut to Hut, Julian Alps, Lake Bled, and Wine Country
Overview
Read HERE for info on 2023 Dates.
Get all the cowbell your heart desires in the undulating Alpine valleys and mountain passes of Slovenia. Slo-what-now? Slovenia is the sweet spot between Austria, Italy, and Croatia. This week-long women’s hut to hut hiking, rafting, paddle-boarding, and e-biking adventure includes all the good stuff. Ancient capital city exploration. Hiking hidden paths in the Triglav National Park. Trekking in the heart of the Julian Alps. Wild foraging and picnicking. And a winery bike tour! All in the company of your new BFFs forever. You’ll sleep in mountain huts and hotels. You’ll eat rich, comforting foods. And you’ll go home wishing your partner could talk dirty to you in Slavic.
Hit the ancient streets of Ljubljana
This capital city is so beautiful – and so filled with history – that it doesn’t feel real. Wander the older-than-Rome winding paths. Fantasize over which poets strolled along the river banks. Wink at a street busker. Sigh as lovers canoodle by the overlooking castle. Slovenia feels like the place where things happen, and you’re here for 8 magical days to see it all.
Hike Hut to Hut in Triglav National Park and the Julian Alps
Clamber through remote mountain passes to the cadence of delightfully foreign moos. You’re seeing the hidden splendor of the Alps on a 3-day hut-to-hut hike! Traverse forest paths, wildflower meadows, and rocky trails. Gawk up at Mt. Triglav, Slovenia’s highest mountain. Sample fresh dairy from farming pastures near Lake Bohinj. You’re living the postcard life, doll, with optional excursions to climb additional summits – time, weather (and thigh chafe) permitting.
Trek the Seven Triglav Lakes. Explore Lakes Bohinj and Bled
In other words, beauty beauty beauty! Enjoy some mostly downhill walking as you explore the Valley of the Seven Triglav Lakes. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for marmots before journeying to Lake Bohinj, where you’ll stand-up paddle in the morning sun. Next up, is Lake Bled, the ultimate panty-dropper for nature lovers. Take all the photos from the best camera angles, brave a swim, and soak in some history as we explore a scenic drive on a road built by Russian prisoners during WWI.
Explore Soča Valley and Goriska Brda, “Slovenian Tuscany”
Wander along verdant gorges, hanging bridges, and turquoise river pools in stunning Soča Valley. (And you thought the Hidden Valley Ranch picture looked pretty.) We’ll meet with a local wildflower expert to forage and prepare a meal of wild edibles. We’ll then hop a rafting boat down the Soča River to enjoy a leisurely float before preparing for WINE COUNTRY. We’ll E-bike, wine and dine in Goriska Brda, weaving through orchards and olive groves, sampling ripe fruit from the tree, and trying the local wine. We’ll even stop at a local lavender & herb farm, so get your sniffer ready for all the smells!
Adventure Highlights
- Hike Mountain Hut to Hut in the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park
- Push yourself in a challenging alpine environment with optional summits
- Wake early for a sunrise SUP sesh on Lake Bohinj
- Set your sites on the iconic Lake Bled with a hike above it all
- Go for a swim in Lake Bled while viewing the breathtaking scenery all around you
- Hike along the turquoise waters of Soča River
- Forage wild plants and prepare a picnic with a local wildflower specialist
- Leisurely raft down the Soča River with its beautiful crystal clear alpine waters
- E-Bike the rolling wine hills of “Slovenia Tuscany” with fruit orchards, olive groves, and hilltop villages
- Visit a local lavender and herb farm before winetasting at a local winery
- Sip coffee from the porch of Mountain Huts
- Kick back in 3-4 Star boutique hotels throughout your adventure with fabulous views that pair well with a cocktail
- Relax with a comprehensive itinerary that makes the logistics, transportation, navigation, meal planning, lodging, and everything in-between easy.
- Geek out with encouraging and supportive Explorer Chicks on a private, women-only, small group adventure tour.
Day 1: Welcome to Slovenia
You ready to put the LOVE in SLOVEnia, boo?! Welcome to the sunny side of the Alps, where you’ll first encounter Ljubljana – even more fun to pronounce when tipsy.
Ljubljana is the Capital of Slovenia with a population of around 300,000. It’s the largest city in the country, predating the freaking Romans, with an original city center that took shape in the Middle Ages. Grab your lute and your walking shoes as we explore charming narrow streets and the breathtaking banks of Ljubljanica River. On the top of the hill above the city, Ljubljana Castle guards the town while posing for all the Insta pics.
Take a stroll and have a drink on the riverbanks. Walk to the castle or take the funicular to take in the best view of Ljubljana from the top of the tower.
Depending on arrival times, your Explorer Chick crew will get together for a saunter around town and a nice welcome dinner in one of the hip restaurants run by young talented chefs. Your guide will give you all the trip details to prepare you for max adventure!
Prediction: You’ll fall in love with the Ljubljana in under an hour.
Accommodation: 3* Hotel within 5 minute walking distance of City Centre, Shared Doubles
Meals: Welcome Dinner
Day 2: Hiking in the Triglav National Park (Blato – Vodnik)
Throw in a Katniss Everdeen braid, Explorer Chick, because you’re embarking on a three-day hut-to-hut hike, the best summer hike in the Julian Alps! The trail will take you off the beaten track, along forest paths and rocky mountain trails just beneath Slovenia’s highest mountain – Mt. Triglav.
First, you’ll cross mooing alpine pastures in the hills near Lake Bohinj, where you can taste and buy fresh cheese and sour milk at the small working farms you’ll pass. (Feel free to shout the word krava, Slovenian for cow!) Later on, you’ll ascend mountain passes and wonder why you don’t own a B&B in the Alps.
Your feet will feel lighter as you gain your highest elevation. The trail snakes alongside the mountains before it turns downhill. A short descent later, you’ll find yourself crossing wildflower-strewn mountain meadows dotted with lazing krava. Few people trek in this part of the Triglav National Park.
As your Explorer Chick mountain hut appears on the hillside, you’ll spy the highest mountain in Slovenia, Mt. Triglav (2864m). For a closer look at the mountain that was bought for a coin over a hundred years ago, climb the neighboring summit (extra 1 hour) and enjoy the evening light over the jagged peaks of the Julian Alps.
*Option to summit Mt. Triglav – The last 985 vertical feet (1.5 hours) to the summit is a Via-Ferrata. A route secured with steel handlines and stemples. Some sections have big drops on both sides and is not for hikers who are afraid of heights. All necessary equipment will be provided.
Hiking Distance: 6.5miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 3,300’+/820′-
Hiking Time: 6-7 hours
Drive Time: 1 hour
Accommodation: Mountain Hut. Rooms are 4-12 beds with flush toilets.
Meals: B-L-D
Day 3: Trekking in the heart of the Julian Alps (Vodnik – Prehodavci)
Emerge from your mountain hut, shimmy your bosom and pinch your bottom: You’re here! With the most amazing women on earth! Sip on coffee and enjoy the gorgeous morning vistas amongst goddesses. After a relaxing start to your day, continue with your trek.
You’ll warm up by walking along a hillside path through a dwarf pine forest. A gravel path will take you over rocky terrain through stunning alpine scenery to a high mountain pass. Catch your breath and enjoy the best view of Mount Triglav. Here you’ll have the chance to climb a fantastic peak (extra 1 hour and 250 meters altitude gain), which rewards you with breathtaking views over the highest summits of the Slovenian, Italian and Austrian Alps.
As the gravel path turns downhill, you’ll reach the valley of the Seven Triglav Lakes and find your mountain hut perched on a ledge high above the Soča Valley.
If your hips are willing, take an amazing 2 hour hike to Mt. Malo Spicje to enjoy one of the most beautiful and solitary views in the Julian Alps.
Hiking Distance: 6.5miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 2,800’+/2,100′-
Hiking Time: 7 hours
Accommodation: Mountain Hut. Rooms are 30 beds with pit toilets and no running water.
Meals: B-D
Day 4: Hiking along the Seven Triglav Lakes to Lake Bohinj (Prehodavci – Blato)
Memo to your thighs: It’s a gosh darn glorious downhill walking day. We start along the Valley of Seven Triglav Lakes – a valley of geological and biological importance, where you’ll spot karst mountain formations, fossils and endemic flowers. You won’t be able to miss the fur babies dotting the landscape around the trail. These are marmots (!) chillaxing on the sunny side of the rocks. If you don’t see them, you’ll hear their whistles.
You’ll leave the higher peaks behind and walk through lush forests and past beautiful mountain meadows. Our last mountain lunch will be enjoyed in a tiny hut before reaching the road and boarding a short transfer to Lake Bohinj.
Settle in our hotel close to the lake shore and gulp down an amazing terrace dinner.
Hiking Distance: 9miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 500’+/3,450′-
Hiking Time: 7 hours
Accommodation: 4* Hotel in Bohinj. Shared Doubles. Flush Toilets and Hot Showers!
Meals: B-L-D
Day 5: Lake Bohinj, Lake Bled & more
Pop your stand-up-paddle cherry on Lake Bohinj! We’ll snag our boards near the hotel and enjoy the early morning peace as the first rays of sun zap the mist above the water.
Later we head back to the hotel for breakfast, check out and drive to Lake Bled. It’s just as beautiful IRL so make space in those camera rolls! We’ll hike to a popular viewpoint and photo spot of the lake, island church and clifftop castle, with the Karavanke Alps in the backdrop.
We’ll stop for lunch at the villa of the former Yugoslav president and communist leader, Tito. Get a sense of the communist flare and enjoy one of the best views of Bled’s island. Or jump into the water and swim to the island. You do you, Boo!
Our next quest is a scenic drive on a winding road among the limestone walls leading to the Vrsic mountain pass. The road was built by Russian prisoners during World War I! We’ll go for a short walk and learn more about the formative WWI events in the region.
We’ll reach a lovely alpine homestead embraced by the rugged peaks of the Julian Alps later in the afternoon for an early dinner. Do you live in a mountain fairytale now? Is this your hike-ily ever after? Yes and yes. In the evening, opt for a night out or rest your head at our hotel in Bovec – Slovenia’s water sports mecca.
Hiking Distance: Several Shorter Hikes
Total Driving Time: 2 hours
Accommodation: 4* Hotel in Bovec. Shared Doubles.
Meals: B-L-D
Day 6: Living your best Slavic life in the Soča Valley
After a hearty breakfast, we’ll enjoy a wonderful walk along the river, passing gorges, hanging bridges and turquoise river pools.
We will meet our flower-power friend Natasa, a local pharmacist, nature lover and wild flower specialist. She’ll show us all the edible wild plants that we’ll pick and prepare into a special picnic on the banks of the Soča river. Bonus: There’ll be ice cold beer from a local craft brewery!
In the afternoon we’ll swap the hiking shoes for neoprene and hop a rafting boat! Float along the Soča river and enjoy a completely different perspective! The water level is usually quite low in the summer, so the rafting experience will be pleasant vs adrenaline-pumping.
After rafting we’ll transfer one hour further south to reach the wine hills of Goriska Brda aka the “Slovenian Tuscany.” So you know what comes next!
Hiking Distance: 7.5 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 500’+/250′-
Hiking Time: 4 hours
Total Drive Time: 1.5 hours
Accommodation: 3* Hotel in Goriska Brda. Shared Doubles.
Meals: B-L-D
Day 7: E-bike Wine Hills and Lavender Fields
Today we explore Goriska Brda with two wheels in the dirt and our glasses in the air! Hop aboard your e-bike and zoom across the wine hills, through fruit orchards, olive groves and hilltop villages.
We’ll stop at a local lavender & herb farm, taste their products and pluck the freshest fruit of your life from cherry, apricot, and peach trees.
Next, the part you’ve been waiting for: wine tasting! Slovenian wine makers take their work super seriously yet without a hint of snobbery. We will visit an amazing local winery, sample orange wine (whaaaaat?!) and enjoy a fabulous farewell dinner overlooking the vineyards.
E-Biking Distance: 25 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 2,300’+/2,300′-
Accommodation: 3* Hotel in Goriska Brda. Shared Doubles.
Meals: B-L-D
Day 8: Farewell Slovenia :*(
After an easy morning and final breakfast, we’ll back to Ljubljana with one drop off at the airport and then to our rendezvous hotel. Plan flights after 2pm.
*Sniff
We hope…
*Tear
…to see you soon…
*Snot Bubble
…for more boundless adventures!
Total Drive Time: 1.5 hours
Meals: B
*Explorer Chick reserves the option to modify trip itineraries at the discretion of your tour director as necessary due to weather, conditions, illness, injury, group dynamics, or other unforeseen incidents.
- 5 Nights in Hotels – 3 Nights at a 3* and 2 Nights at a 4*. Shared 2 Explorer Chicks per room. Amenities vary and will be detailed in your Travel Guide.
- 2 Nights in Mountain Huts. The mountain huts are basic but provide everything a hiker needs. They are accessible only by helicopter so food is limited. In addition to your provided meals, you can purchase chocolates, soda, water, beer, etc. A sleeping liner is required, but blankets are provided. Night 2 Hut – Rooms are 4-12 Beds. Flush Toilets. Showers that often run out of hot water. Night 3 Hut – Only Dorm rooms with 30 beds. No running water and pit toilets. But the views? Heart Eye Emoji.
- Stand Up Paddle on Lake Bohinj
- Rafting on the Soča River
- eBike and helmet in the Wine Region
- Visit to a local Lavender Farm
- Walk and Picnic with a local Wildflower specialist
- All meals as indicated in itinerary: B-7, L-5, D-7
- All tips for included meals and tours.
- 1 Group transfer to the airport and rendezvous hotel on Day 8
- A commemorative Explorer Chick shirt.
- Private Explorer Chick land-transportation throughout itinerary
- A detailed Travel Guide with everything you need to know for your trip
- Local English speaking guide throughout the full itinerary.
- One experienced Explorer Chick Leader ensuring your trip is seamless and unforgettable!
- The freedom to enjoy your vacation and mindlessly wander!
- Small Group experience! Your Explorer Chick Adventure is exclusive and limited to 12 women
*Packages do NOT include your airfare, airport transportation, alcoholic beverages, travel insurance, meals exclusive of itinerary, or costs for additional activities.
*Does NOT include your Explorer Chick Guide’s Tips – Tipping your Explorer Chick Guide is optional, but customary. If you wish to recognize your Explorer Chick Guide for exceptional service we recommend you tip them 10-25% of your trip costs.
*Packing List Items of Note: You’ll need a 30L Backpack and a cotton or silk sleeping liner for the Hut to Hut Trekking portion in addition to typical hiking attire/gear. Full list provided inside your Travel Guide.
You will receive a Travel Guide with all the rendezvous hotel and additional information you’ll need to prepare for your epic trip!
Your adventure begins and ends in Ljubljana, Slovenia (LJU) at our Rendezvous hotel.
Day 1: Arrival. We will rendezvous as a group in the evening on Day 1 for a city walk and a Welcome Dinner. You are responsible for booking your airport transportation. Details provided in your Travel Guide.
Day 8: Departure. We will depart Goriška Brda in the morning after a leisurely breakfast for an approximate 1.5 hour transfer to Ljubljana. Plan to fly out of Ljubljana on Day 8 after 2pm. We will do one group drop-off at the airport followed by a drop-off to our Rendezvous hotel. You are then responsible for your airport transfer.
Optional Add-Ons: Pre and Post tour rooms at our Rendezvous Hotel in Ljubljana are available at booking for an additional $175/night/single room and $199/night/double room.
We require a minimum of 6 Explorer Chicks for this trip. Please confirm your trip is guaranteed before booking airfare.
DAILY SLOVENIA HIKING:
During your Slovenia Adventure you will hike some of the best routes in Triglav National Park and the Julian Alps. Your 3 day Mountain Hut to Mountain Hut portion is a serious alpine hike on rough, very steep terrain with lots of uphills and downhills, crossing steep, grave slopes etc. The trails are rocky & sometimes narrow. There is loose gravel, roots, scree, etc. You will also cross a rocky plateau without a proper path. This is true alpine, mountain hiking with all of it’s challenges.
Additionally, you’ll be carrying your necessities for 3 days on your back including clothing, warm layers, rain gear, 2L water, day hiking food, toiletries, etc.
- Day 2: 6-7 hours, 6.5 miles, 3,300′ elevation gain, 350′ loss. Strenuous
- Day 3: 7 hours, 6.5 miles, 2,800′ elevation gain, 2,100′ loss. Strenuous
- Day 4: 7 hours, 9 miles, 500′ elevation gain, 3,450′ loss. Strenuous
- Day 5: Several shorter day hikes. Easy to Moderate
- Day 6: 4 hours, 7.5 miles, 500′ elevation gain, 820′ loss. Moderate
- Day 7: eBiking – 25 miles. 2,300′ elevation gain and loss. Moderate
We highly recommend training prior to your adventure. The itinerary is packed full of hiking. You should be comfortable with hiking up to 9 miles in a day carrying a backpack on mountain terrain with elevations gains up to 3,300 feet.
You should be training on rough and rugged terrain – not perfectly paved sidewalks. Also, find steps, a hill, or the StairMaster and get to climbing! Your quads, booty, and calves will thank you.
Train your tootsies! Do not show up with brand new hiking boots or trail shoes. You should be spending hours upon hours in your boots leading up to your adventure to break them in. Better to suffer blisters at home than to miss out on a hike due painful hot spots on your feet. This is our number one injury. Don’t let it happen to you!
Please consider your ability to meet the physical demands very seriously. It is for the safety of both you and our group. All Explorer Chicks will be required to sign an Acknowledgement of Physical Demands as part of their waiver upon booking.
Still not convinced that THIS is the adventure for you?
We’ve rounded up some of our most popular blog posts, so you can get to know us a bit better and learn what really goes down on your Explorer Chick Adventure.
- Remember How it Feels to Play
- You are NOT Alone
- The Power of Explorer Chick
- What Does an Explorer Chick Look Like?
- We are ALL IN
- We Do Dumb Stuff
- The Explorer Chick Purpose
- The Traveler vs. the Tourist
- 6 Benefits to Booking with a Tour Company
You can always reach us by email with more questions! Info@ExplorerChick.com
To protect your travel investment and your hide, we highly recommend purchasing travel insurance. World Nomads is our trusted travel insurance provider. Receive an no-hassle, online quote in less than 2 minutes.
$3,999
Save $300 with Early Bird Pricing!
See our Discount page for Codes and Expirations!
Non-Refundable Deposit: $300 due at booking to secure your spot
Pre and Post Tour Hotel Stays – $175/night/Single Room; $199/night/Double Room
Single Room Upgrade: $600 – Excludes Mountain Huts. Nights 2-3
Payment Plans Available: Email payments@ec-old.design-works.com after booking to set up your monthly payment plan.
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1 Review
Deidre Lockhart
July 22nd, 2022I honestly don’t believe that I can leave a review that will do justice to the amazing trip that I just finished. I am spoiled for any other travel agencies. Our guide, Anna, was amazing. I wrote in my notes on the trip that she embodied the vibrant energy of youth – tempered with the wise patience of an old soul. She was amazing. Slovenia is a country that had not hit my radar until recently, but the image from Lake Bled had occasionally rotated through my various screen savers over the years. Do yourself a favor – google Slovenia and understand that the pictures do not begin to capture the unreal aquas of the water, the beautiful coral of an alpine sunset, or the plum purples of a cabernet in wine country. You literally get it all with this trip – multi-sport is an understatement. The excitement of rotating through multiple adventures was well balanced with educational programs and other events that included the use of wild flowers, a touch history, and truly joyful meals. I went solo and was a tad nervous, but this trip was truly life changing. The ladies I met were incredible, and I haven’t laughed so hard in at least a decade. The entire experience breathed new life into what was seeming like a claustrophobic existence, and has given me renewed energy and vitality. I am looking forward to my next trip.