Slovenia – Walking the rivers of the Julian Alps 2027

SUMMARY

Date: Monday 5th to Saturday 10th July 5 nights and 6 days with 4 days walking.

Guide: Mikaela – English speaking local guide 

Walking Grade: Goat 2 – this is an intermediate hike with lovely long walks,swimming in alpine lakes and rivers and varied terrain from mountains, to valleys, to gorges and walks through pretty Slovenian villages.

Max elevation: 350metres is the highest daily ascent. We will drive above 1600m as we go over the Vrsic Pass.

Terrain: varied good paths 

Max distance: 16km/9.3 miles 

Highlights:

• Emerald waters – we will be swimming in some of the top swim spots along the way
• Local Culture – hiking and water will be at the heart of the journey but we will have time to experience and share local culture, through food,drink and carefully chosen accommodation.
• Welcoming community- time in nature to strengthen connections with ourselves,each other and the world around us.

Base: we stay in two hotels carefully selected to combine culture and delicious locally sourced breakfast. 

Boutique Hotel Vitranc, Podkoren – 3 nights

Residence Soca, Soca Valley – 2 nights

Arrivals: Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital city – either airport or train station. We will pick up from Ljubljana around 16.00 on Monday July 6th. It is approx 1 hour drive to our hotel and we will arrive to settle in before a briefing and an evening meal together.

We highly recommend having a stopover in Ljubljana especially if you are flying in long distance. We can recommend a family run hotel and give guidance for seeing this historic city. Or you may like to stay longer to discover Lake Bled, close by to where we end the trip. We can advise.

Departures: Ljubljana on Saturday July 11th . We leave from our hotel after breakfast and our journey time is 2 hours approx. Book flights after 15.00 to allow time. You may want to extend your trip – perhaps visit Lake Bled on your return journey. We can advise.

Price: £COMING SOON per person in an en-suite room to include:

• High quality accommodation for 5 nights with 2 nights luxury including a hot tub and sauna
• Locally sourced and homemade breakfasts,lunches and evening meals – all food is included.
• Fully guided experience with a local International Mountain Guide and Water Safety Leader Mikaela
• WalkingWomen support throughout including preparation Zoom with Mikaela
• Transport throughout the trip
• Airport/Train meet and greet and drop off
• Professional Photos as a memory of our trip together

If you bring a friend/partner and share a room there is a discount.

Not included:

• Transport to Ljubljana – flights/train
• Individual Travel Insurance – we require evidence
• Any additional snacks or drinks

DETAILS

This is a wonderful Slovenian Hiking adventure travelling through the beautiful area of the Julian Alps. There is some truly amazing hiking and dipping locations that we will experience together.

Every detail is chosen with nature,connection and well-being in mind as we share Slovenian mountain culture.

We call this slow travel as we immerse ourselves in the outdoors with plenty of time to get ourselves from start to finish. We will swim more than usual and our swims coincide with picnic lunches with space to relax and rest in amazing places.

ITINERARY

The itinerary is subject to change depending on weather or events that change. We always say Trust Your Guide as they know their local areas and always craft a beautiful programme to showcase the best of their area.

Day 1 Arrival : 16.00 Meet up at the airport/train station.

We will finalise timings once we know everyone’s arrival plans. Together we drive along the northern edge of the Julian Alps – 72km (approx 1 hour) to our hotel close to the beautiful town of Kranjska Gora.

Settle in, have a briefing and a traditional evening meals together.

Day 2 Krankska Gora : Hiking 10km/6.2 miles. Ascent/Descent 170m. Duration 6-7 hours 

Leave after breakfast for a gentle walk into the nearby alpine town of Kranjska Gora. You’ll have time to pick up and provisions you may need for the trip or just enjoy the town. We meet up to stroll to a turquoise alpine lake for a swim (option) before walking back to our accommodation together. You will have time to explore your village of Podkoren.

Evening Meal together

Day 3 Valley Hike: Hiking up to 16km/10 miles. Ascent/Descent 350-500m. Duration: 5-6 hours

We start off after breakfast for a warm up walk under the peaks of the Julian Alps. We head up higher ,traversing along the edge of the Karavanke range and then descending down to the valley. We visit one of the sources of the Sava river,close to the Italian border. We also pass close to the world-renowned ski jumping arena at Planica, where even in summer months teams come to practice at the home of one of the world`s largest ski jumps.

Day 4 Alpine Waters: Hiking up to 15km/9.3 miles. Ascent/Descent 50 to 467m. Duration:5-6 hours 

We begin with a drive up and over the mighty Vrsic pass,stopping at the top to enjoy the dramatic views, before continuing to the starting point of our hike at the source of the Soca River. We descend down into the valley,following the river the entire time.stopping for dips and enjoying the beautiful Soca way path.

We stay at the luxury accommodation in the Soca Valley and enjoy a home cooked meal together.

Day 5 Iconic Gorges: Hiking up to 15km. Ascent/Descent 250m/250m. Duration:7-8 hours 

We enjoy a short walk to the Great Soca Gorge where we will swim,relay and make the most of this incredible natural wonder. There is an option to extend the walk to explore a beautiful series of waterfalls said to have healing properties.

We return to our accommodation in the afternoon to enjoy the sauna and hot tub before our final celebratory meal together.

Day 6: Departure after breakfast approx 10am. Driving  100km and approximately 2 hours.

We set off after breakfast to Ljubljana Airport with an option to drop off in the city centre. If we have time we will visit Lake Bled on our journey.