Start: Ribčev Laz, Bohinj, Slovenia
End: Ribčev Laz, Bohinj, Slovenia
Season dates: 15 July to 15 Sept 2024
Length: 5 days' walking
Typical walk: 15km, 600m ascent (first day has 1,400m ascent)
Total distance: 58.5km or 36.3 miles
Highest altitude: 2,410m
(2,864m on Triglav option)
Grade: Black 3 (Walking grades)
Group size: 2 or more trekkers
Our Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut hike gives you the opportunity to explore the higher reaches of one of the oldest National Parks in Europe: the Triglav National Park. The unique limestone karst landscape makes for a dynamic and jaw-dropping 5-stage hike, taking in the best views Slovenia has to offer.
Our Julian Alps route starts and ends in the relaxed lakeside setting of Bohinj, along the valley from Lake Bled. From Bohinj, our trail winds its way up through forests into the high mountains, to your first hut stop with spectacular views of Triglav (2,864m), the highest mountain in Slovenia. Three more characterful huts follow, giving a feeling of remote hut-to-hut hiking. We see peaceful forests, glassy lakes and soaring limestone cliffs in 5 neat days. (Due to the short length of some of the stages, it is very possible to walk this circuit over 4 days, allowing additional time to explore Slovenia.)
This is a self-guided walking holiday, so you are free to complete the walk under your own steam. We book your accommodation and provide you with our routecards and the Slovenian maps. Our routecards describe the route and various alternative trails, giving you the flexibility to choose your path as you go. Alternatively we offer privately guided trips on our Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut route. Please get in touch for more details of hiking the trail accompanied by one our International Mountain Leaders.
Map
Alternative trip options
Looking for some other hut based trips? Tour of the Vanoise - a circular route in France Alta Via 1 - a 9-stage trail in the Italian Dolomites
Arrival day: Arrive in Bohinj
Arrive in Bohinj after an easy journey from Ljubljana or Lake Bled. Bohinj is a collection of 4 pretty villages near the Eastern end of Lake Bohinj; Ribcev Laz is right on the shore and is our main base, with characterful Stara Fuzina up the road. Enjoy a wander along the shore of Lake Bohinj before going out for dinner at a local restaurant. Hotel in Bohinj (breakfast)
Stage 1: Bohinj to Vodnikov Dom Red 3 (grade) 13.2km with 1420m ascent, 130m descent
There is time to stock up with supplies in the town before setting off on your hike. The walk up to the first hut is scenic and straightforward, first beside a gorge and then climbing into trees. This is a solidly uphill day. Your hard work is rewarded as you approach the tree-line: the views become more expansive and the terrain gets rockier. Find the cosy old Vodnikov Dom hut perched on a hillside, with broad views to Triglav. Mountain hut (dinner and breakfast)
Stage 2: Vodnikov Dom to Koca na Dolicu Black 2 (grade) 6.5km with 760m ascent, 430m descent
Today is one for amazing mountain views, our highest stage, as you continue the uphill walking to reach Dom Planika (2,401m) on the high slopes of Triglav (2,864m). The effort needed to climb up will hopefully be balanced by the unfolding views. In clear weather you can see the Karavanke and Kamnik-Savinja mountain ranges. Leaving the Planika hut the path starts an intriguing traverse, with aids such as metal steps and chains, to the Dolicu hut and your home for the night. The Koca na Dolicu is a remote and basic hut, with no showers or running water, but this is part of the charm of sleeping in the mountains! Mountain hut (dinner and breakfast)
Stage 3: Koca na Dolicu to Triglav Lakes hut Red 3 (grade) 7.7km with 250m ascent, 715m descent
The Hribarice plateau at 2,358m is the highpoint of the third day, and offers fantastic views across the high Julian Alps. We look down to the valley of Trenta. It's a stiff climb to this high expanse of limestone, but later you are treated with a delightful walk down through the Triglav Lakes Valley. Your hut tonight is a larger building, on the edge of woods, with good food. (On our 4-stage trip, this stage is merged with the next stage for a 22km day from Dolicu to Komni.) Mountain hut (dinner and breakfast)
Stage 4: Triglav Lakes hut to Dom na Komni Red 2 (grade) 14.1km with 500m ascent, 660m descent
Today's destination is not too far away, which gives the perfect chance to explore off the beaten track or to climb high for views. First cross some beautiful wooded karst ground. Local legend has it that Zlatorog, a horned goat, inhabited these parts. An optional detour takes in a high saddle below the summit of Bogatin (1,977m). A final descent leads you to your final hut with its views of lake Bohinj. Mountain hut (dinner and breakfast)
Stage 5: Dom na Komni to Bohinj Red 3 (grade) 17.2km with 730m ascent, 1720m descent
We trek onwards to the Konsjsko Sedlo, a col revealing the landscape above Lake Bohinj and its ski area. A final descent in trees (or a cable car from the Vogel ski area) leads to lake Bohinj and the pleasant walk or boat ride back to Bohinj. Congratulations! (Our routecards describe a difficult alternative (Black grade) up the rocky and spectacularly located peak of Vogel (1,922m)). Hotel in Bohinj (breakfast)
Departure day: Depart from Bohinj
Relax over breakfast and enjoy a final walk by the lake, and maybe a paddle in one of the rowing boats available to hire, before departing. It's easy to reach Ljubljana or to enter Austria or Italy. If embarking on further travels please ask us to advise, whether in Slovenia or elsewhere in the Alps.
Options
Our popular 5-stage trip allows a complete circular hike of the Julian Alps without unduly long days and with plenty of time to explore to the side. Please ask if you would like more details of any adaptation of our trip. Thank you.
Make the trip shorter
Due to the short length of some of the stages, walking the trail over 4 days is a great option and we would suggest combining stages 3 and 4. Thus you walk the full route but merge the days between the Koca na Dolicu and the Dom na Komni. Please ask us for details if you'd like to follow this shorter schedule.
Climb Triglav
Triglav (2,864m) is the highest peak in Slovenia and an element of Slovenian national culture. Slovenes aspire to climb Triglav at least once in their lifetime. The summit is reached by the easiest route from Dom Planika (on our route) by a steep scramble, aided by steps and chains, to the summit ridge and then an airy traverse with drops on both sides. It could not be part of our main trip as it's at a higher level of difficulty than any of our other hikes, and we don't include a detailed route description, but it is within the realm of experienced walkers able to consider the equipment needed. We discuss the difficulties and considerations in our info pack.
It's possible to climb Triglav as a detour on your otherwise short day from Vodnikov Dom to Koca na Dolicu; this is the reason for this short stage. Or, you might prefer us to book an extra night, at Dom Planika, so that you can climb Triglav and return only as far as Planika, then continue to Dolicu the next day. (This would be a short day. Equally you could take the short day first, to Planika, then climb Triglav the next morning and walk on to Dolicu.) Please ask us about Triglav and about adding a hut night. Thank you.
Make the trip longer
Whether for Triglav or for general ease of pace and relaxation, please let us know if you’d like us to book an additional hut night along the trail. Similarly, if you would like an additional night in Bohinj before or after your trek, please let us know. We can also book our hotel in Bled, along the valley by bus and on the way to Ljubljana. (Generally we feel that Bled is overrated and that we would prefer to be either in Bohinj for proper mountains, or Ljubljana for a proper city. We like Ljubljana a lot.)
Hike with a leader
Hike with confidence in the company of our fully qualified International Mountain Leaders (IMLs), with the navigation, accommodation and arrangements taken care of. You're welcome to walk on any date within our season and we can adjust your group's schedule to suit your needs. Please ask for more details.
Prices
Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut
15 July to 15 Sept 2024
Classic
Comfy
Self-guided
4 stages
(5 nights)
GBP 640
Singles 80
Not
available
5 stages
(6 nights)
GBP 690
Singles 80 Main Trip
Not
available
Baggage transfer
Not available on this route
Accommodation
Where we stay
Our Julian Alps holiday stays in 4 mountain huts plus a lovely 4* hotel in Bohinj at the start and end of your trip. Due to the hut-to-hut nature of this trip, we only offer our classic mix of accommodation on this trek; it is not feasible to book smarter or more basic accommodation.
The mountain huts offer basic facilities and are located in remote and beautiful places, giving this trip its unique character. We recommend them as an integral part of Slovenian mountain walking and culture. In the huts we have the opportunity to book small or private rooms; please let us know if you’d like us to try for these.
Single Room Supplement
If you would like to stay in single rooms rather than sharing a double, twin or triple room at the hotel in Bohinj, we add our single room supplement. This covers the additional cost of booking single occupancy rooms on a per person basis. The single supplement is only applied to the 2 hotel nights where single rooms are available and is not applied to nights spent in huts, which do not offer single rooms.
Solo Travel
We do not take bookings for solo walkers on self-guided trips. If you are still interested in this trip, we do have availability on our guided trips.
The Triglav Lakes Hut at the end of Stage 3
Route
Rocky traverse from Vodnikov Dom to Koca na Dolicu, Stage 2Our approach to the Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut route
The Julian Alps was the location of Alpine Exploratory’s first ever trip back in 2005, and is one of our favourite Alpine hiking locations. Since our first explorations, we have continued to enjoy walking new sections of path, linking up new huts and improving the route. Our detailed routecards take you on a fantastic 5-day trip with some of the best walking in the Julian Alps. Our trip departs from Lake Bohinj and climbs gradually in forests to above the treeline before skirting around the base of Triglav and descending through the Triglav Lakes Valley. A last day takes you under the mountain Vogel and back to Lake Bohinj.
Latest research on the Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut route by Alpine Exploratory's Mikaela.
The Terrain
The topography of the Julian Alps is one of high limestone peaks, and is a fine example of a karst landscape. Karst is the name given to an upland limestone area and is characterised by large holes, gorges and caves. Water is consequently often hard to find in these mountains.
A lot of time is spent on steep zig-zagging paths which are rocky, loose and exposed in places. This trail requires surefootedness, but this lends itself to an exhilarating Alpine trekking experience. Some sections have metal handrails, pegs or short ladders to make things easier. This trip has no via ferrata or climbing sections and is a walking trip throughout, albeit at a challenging level.
Is it for me?
The Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut trip is perfect for those who have completed other Alpine hikes and are looking for an exciting hut-to-hut trip with a remote, high mountain feel. The days are relatively short, allowing for a relaxed and enjoyable pace (with plenty of coffee stops). It is achievable for normal, fit mountain walkers who are happy to walk for up to 6 hours a day over rocky and exposed ground.
The huts offer a bed for the night with some great food; however, they are quite basic, and in the case of the Dolicu hut very basic without much running water. Other huts, such as the Komni, are more like hostels in the mountains. If you’d like to know more, please just ask!
Due to the remoteness of the huts we are unable to transport your bags for you. As a result, you’ll need to carry with you everything you need for the hike. The huts offer a reasonable selection of food and drink so you’ll just need to pack your sleeping bag liner and overnight kit. We recommend taking some favourite snacks for the trail, to save you buying everything from the huts throughout.
Difficulty
The Julian Alps is first and foremost a walk. There are no glacier crossings, via ferrata or rock climbing but, due to the steep limestone karst landscape, the trail is trickier underfoot than most of our other Alpine hikes, with a significant amount of time spent on loose, narrow and exposed mountain paths. A head for heights and good balance are needed. These aspects make the Julian Alps harder to recommended as a first Alpine hike, but we'll be glad to advise.
We explain the relative difficulties of the route and the variants in your routecards. Please ask us if you’d like more information on the difficulty of the trail.
Your holiday starts and ends in Bohinj, the collection of villages including Ribcev Laz and Stara Fuzina to the East of Lake Bohinj. Ljubljana is the most convenient airport with several transfer options available; the easiest way is a minibus transfer, but the public bus is quite easy too (changing in Ljubljana or Bled). The airport is sited by Kranj, which is on the Bohinj side of Ljubljana.
In the course of our visits to the Julian Alps, since 2005, we have traveled in from Austria and Italy as well as the usual route from Ljubljana. From Austria, trains from Villach near Klagenfurt (airport) take the tunnel to Jesenice which has a branch line to Bohinjska Bistrica and then bus to Bled. From Italy, it's a train to Gorizia and bus into Nova Gorica, the town on the Slovenian side of the border, to join this railway to Bohinjska Bistrica in the other direction. There can be a feeling of crossing the lines in these journeys, especially from Italy.
For those with a day or two to spare, the train route from Vienna would be fabulous and we'd suggest visiting Graz (Austria) and Maribor (Slovenia) on the way to Ljubljana.
Travel to and from the trip is not included in the holiday price. We take care to give the most useful notes possible about all the travel options. We supply these both on booking and in your info pack, and we offer personalised tips at any point. The aim is that our trekkers arrange their travel by the simplest and most scenic means as suits their plan.
Boat on Lake Bohinj
Included
Bespoke accommodation itinerary - tailored to suit your particular requirments
Breakfast every morning
Dinner at the 4 huts
Detailed Routecards JAH1-5 of the Exploratory system, printed on waterproof paper
Full support during your trip from the Alpine Exploratory team (9am until 9pm in the Alps)
Not included
Travel to and from your trip
Lunches, snacks and drinks
Local transport whilst on the trip unless specified
Travel insurance
Baggage transfers (not available)
Baggage transfer
None of the 4 huts on our Hut-to-Hut route can be reached by road. Thus, we don't offer a baggage service on this route. Your first and last nights are in the same village, Bohinj, and you are welcome to leave luggage at your hotel.
Got questions about the Julian Alps?
Feel free to ask us any questions you have about any aspects of your planning and preparations! Lucy, Steph, Nicky, Rob and Ben will reply with expert advice. We spend a lot of time walking our routes and more broadly exploring ski and hiking trails around the world so do feel free to ask anything at all.
Enquiry Form Julian Alps Hut to Hut Self-guided
If you prefer, please feel welcome to email or call us. Thanks!
Open to the world
Since Alpine Exploratory started in 2005 we have loved getting to know our clients from around the world. Along with the UK, our best-represented countries are the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Please use our national-rate numbers for a cheaper call to contact our office in Edinburgh.
The Alpine Exploratory team in Edinburgh
Keep up with us on Facebook, Instagram, and our Blog for photos and updates from our own travels and clients' trips.
Alpine Exploratory
Alpine Exploratory is a system of knowledge on the best mountain trekking in our areas, giving clients superb holidays based on this exploration.
02 8319 2266 from Australia
416-548-4819 from Canada
04 889 4515 from New Zealand
646-757-1102 from the USA
Julian Alps Hut to Hut
Julian Alps Walking Guide - more about the trail
Lake Dvojno Jezero near the Triglav Lakes Hut
Alpine Exploratory
+44 (0)131 214 1144
