Trip Ref #10220
DURATION
3 nights
LOCATION
Slovenia
ANNUAL LEAVE
2 days off work
SEASON
Dec—Mar
GROUP SIZE
Up to 12 people
MEETING POINT
Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, Slovenia
ACCOMMODATION
Classic
Hotel · Mountain hut
DIFFICULTY
Moderate
You’ll need to be reasonably fit and comfortable hiking for 5-6 hours a day. No previous snowshoeing experience is required.
Clip on your snowshoes for an epic hut-to-hut hike in one of Europe's most stunning mountainous corners (with plenty of snow-angel and panoramic-photo stops)
Stomp up 2000m high peaks and ramble along dramatic mountain ridgelines for sweeping 360-degree vistas of the Julian Alps
Keep warm and cosy in traditional Slovenian mountain huts, with bountiful hot tea, home cooked food and local schnapps
Day 1
Welcome to Slovenia
Meet your host in Ljubljana, hop in the van and head straight for the Julian Alps. After an hour or so of winding through stunning winter scenery, you'll arrive at Pokljuka, a small village nestled in a forested plateau beneath dramatic mountainous peaks. Check in to your hotel and spend the rest of the day enjoying the fresh air and mountain views, or head out for a little warm-up hike to prepare you for the big hiking days ahead.
Day 2
Snowshoe to the summit of Debela Peč
Hiking
2hrs · 5km · 300m up · 50m down
Snowshoeing
3-4hrs · 7km · 400m up · 400m down
Grab a big breakfast at the hotel and set out on foot towards the first of your mountain hut retreats. After a couple of hours, spent hiking through forested valleys and gradually climbing higher into the National Park, you'll arrive at the Blejska mountain hut. Refuel here with some lunch before the big push this afternoon as you strap on the snowshoes and climb Debela Peč - your highest point of the adventure at 2014m. If the skies are clear you'll have 360-degree views across the Julian Alps, Mount Triglav and the forested valleys and plateaus below. A cosy evening awaits you back at the mountain hut - maybe brave a shot of the local schnapps to warm you back up.
Day 3
Hike to Uskovnica mountain hut
Snowshoeing
4-5hrs · 9km · 100m up · 500m down
Enjoy breakfast at the mountain hut before wrapping up and venturing out into the crisp winter air. It'll be another big day on the snow as you hike and snowshoe over to Uskovnica; a small village set in a picturesque alpine pasture. Today's route takes you deeper into Triglav National Park, offering up more scenery of the snowcapped jagged peaks of the Triglav range before entering densely forested areas and a gorge crossing at Ribnica. The final section towards the mountain hut at Uskovnica delivers another panorama of the Triglav mountain range, with the Bohinj and Tolmin Mountains in the distance.
Day 4
Hike to iconic Zajamniki, drive back to Ljubljana
Snowshoeing
3-4hrs · 10km · 200m up · 100m down
Bid farewell to Uskovnica mountain hut as you hike back down the valley towards one of this area's most iconic and 'grammable locations: the picturesque hillside village at Zajamniki. From here, you'll head down to Rudno Polje - hopefully have time for a quick celebratory beer at the ski lodge - before jumping back in the van for the drive back to Ljubliana. Your host can drop you at the airport, or in town if you are staying on longer in Slovenia.
Included
Guides
Professional, English-speaking guides
Accommodation
1 night in a hotel in Pokljuka. 2 nights in a mountain hut
Meals
3 breakfasts, 2 dinners
Transfers
To and from the airport and everything in-between
Equipment
Snowshoes
Not Included
Flights to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance
Some meals as described
Visas where required
Day 1
Hotel · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 3
Mountain hut · Mixed dorm
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Departure day
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
At Hotel Jelka you'll enjoy traditional Slovenian foods, such as soups made from the abundance of fresh mushrooms in Slovenia, sweet & sour crackling and cheese dumplings. Blueberries are another plentiful local produce. You may come across steak with blueberry sauce, blueberry cake and shots of 'borovnica' - homemade blueberry schnapps.
The mountain huts serve simple, hearty food including: meat or vegetable stew, goulash, sausage, ham and eggs, polenta, bread with honey, wine, beer, tea and coffee. You can purchase sandwiches and snacks at each hut to take with you for lunch while on the hikes, though we also recommend packing some of your favourite snack bars, dried fruit and nuts too.
Most food requirements can be accommodated, including vegan and vegetarian. The huts also list potential allergens in each dish, as well as serving some allergen-free options. Please let your host know your dietary requirements in advance.
What is the accommodation like?
Pokljuka
You’ll stay in twin-share rooms at Hotel Jelka, an alpine hotel nestled within Triglav National Park and surrounded by the Pokljuka Mountains. The hotel has modern facilities and saunas for you to enjoy before you head out to the more rustic cabin the following day.
Blejska mountain hut
The Blejska mountain hut is nestled amongst the spectacular scenery of the Julian Alps. The hut is basic but comfortable, with dormitory-style bunks, electricity, water, central heating and a small restaurant that serves a range of foods. Beds are equipped with pillows, sheets and blankets - however, you may wish to bring a sleeping bag liner for extra comfort.
Uskovnica alpine hut
Another remote and rustic retreat awaits you on the final night of the trip at Uskovnica, a beautiful alpine meadow dotted with traditional shepherds' huts. This alpine hut is another classic, rural Slovenian experience with traditional foods and a warm atmosphere. You'll stay in a mixed dorm.
Bedding is provided, however, you may wish to bring a sleeping bag liner for extra comfort.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, private rooms are available on night 1 at Hotel Jelka, subject to availability. See Optional Extras for more info.
It is not possible to have private accommodation in the mountain huts.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Ljubljana Airport
16:00 on Day 1
Ends
Ljubljana Airport, Ljubljana city centre, or Bled
Late afternoon
Transfers
Your host will meet everyone at Ljubljana Airport at 4 pm ready for the 1-hour group transfer to Hotel Jelka in Pokljuka. You can also meet up with your host on Day 1 in Bled if you are already in Slovenia. On Day 4, you'll be dropped back off at the airport by approximately 18:00 - it's important to book flights that depart after 20:00 to ensure you aren't late for check-in. You can either be dropped off in Bled, Ljubljana city centre or at the airport. If you arrive or depart outside these times, private transfers can be arranged - see Optional Extras for prices.
Travel options
There are regular flights to Ljubljana from major airports across the UK and Europe, with plenty of connection options for those heading to Slovenia from outside Europe.
Ljubljana and Bled are accessible by train via various routes across Europe. A popular and easy route from Western Europe is via Munich. You can travel by rail from there to Slovenia's capital, through beautiful Austrian scenery on daytime services or on a sleeper train from Munich-Ljubljana.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What's included in the price?
- Snowshoes
- Poles
What do I need to bring?
Bags
- 1 main backpack suitable for hiking, 40-60 litres
- 1 smaller 30-litre backpack if leaving your main pack in Bled and doing the hike with a lighter load
Clothes
- Waterproof jacket and trousers (ideally windproof as well)
- Warm, synthetic or down jacket for winter
- Thermal top and bottoms (ideally woollen)
- A warm sweater or fleece jacket
- Wicking shirts and trousers (not cotton)
- Sturdy, worn-in hiking shoes
- 2 warm woollen hats; one for hiking, one for at the mountain huts
- 2 pairs of thermal gloves (ideally one pair waterproof)
- Several pairs of good, thick hiking socks
- Comfortable clothes and a change of shoes to relax in at the mountain huts
Other
- Sunglasses
- Universal travel plug adapter
- Power bank or solar charger
- Passports (and visas)
- Travel Insurance documents
- Earplugs
- Suncream
- Personal first-aid kit (including blister treatment)
- Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)
- Quick-dry towel
- Alcohol hand-gel
- Reusable water bottle x1 litre (two if you have room)
Optional
- Sleeping bag liner
- Thermos flask/bottle
- Biodegradable wet-wipes
- Energy bars and snacks
Upgrade to Hotel Astoria in Bled (3 Star) - Single Room
Payable Before Departure
Upgrade to Hotel Astoria in Bled (3 Star) - Single Room
… Per Night
Upgrade to Hotel Astoria in Bled (3 Star) - Twin / Double Room
Payable Before Departure
Upgrade to Hotel Astoria in Bled (3 Star) - Twin / Double Room
… Per Night
Single room in Bled
Payable Before Departure
Single room in Bled
… Per Night
Twin/Double room in Bled
Payable Before Departure
Twin/Double room in Bled
… Per Night
Private transfer from Ljubljana airport to Bled accommodation
Payable Before Departure
Private transfer from Ljubljana airport to Bled accommodation
…
Great adventure overall with beautiful mountain views, hearty meals and comfortable accomodation. The hikes are challenging but very manageable and the snow-shoeing was a fun way to experience deep snow. Had a great time so would recommend it to anyone wishing to see Slovenia in winter!
Really great experience, went to places otherwise not possible without the use of snow shoes!m
We've crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of this trip, and plant enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 67kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal for 2023 to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. For every person booked with us since 2016 we’re planting enough trees to suck at least 2x more carbon out the atmosphere than is emitted by their trips. All native trees, as part of amazing projects that are re-foresting degraded land, tackling the biodiversity crisis and supporting local communities at the same time. We go further than that too, also funding re-wilding projects worldwide to help protect important keystone species from extinction. See the reforestation and re-wilding schemes we support. See our carbon action plan.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
Snowshoeing is a type of hiking that uses a special type of footwear - a snowshoe - to spread your weight over a larger area to help you move easily across pristine powder snow-covered terrain. While today's snowshoes look modern, snowshoeing has actually played a vital role in mountain life for centuries, with traders and trappers using early wooden incarnations of snowshoes to move freely through the wilderness.
Snowshoeing is incredibly easy, comfortable, and safe. You simply clip your snowshoe to the outside of your hiking boot and off you go. You'll be in the hands of local, experienced, and trained mountain guides who know the area intimately and will guide you safely throughout the hike.
The hikes are of moderate difficulty, suitable for reasonably fit people who are happy hiking for up to 6 hours a day with regular stops. You will also need to carry your own pack each day, so keep that in mind when packing.
No previous snowshoeing experience is required.
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Yes! Your host is based in the lakeside town of Bled, which you will pass through en route to the hike starting point in Pokljuka. Bled is a great place to spend a day or two on either side of the trip. Your host can arrange accommodation for you in Bled before or after the trip, please see the Optional Extras section for prices and to add to your booking.
The Julian Alps in winter will be cold, with heavy snowfall on most days throughout January and February - just what you came here for! Daytime average high temperatures hover around 1-2 degrees Celsius, while nighttime lows can be down to minus 8 degrees. You'll need to bring adequate winter clothing for the hikes and the mountain hut will keep you snug and warm during the evenings.
On your way from Ljubljana to the start point in Pokljuka on day 1, you'll pass by the town of Bled where your host is based. You can leave any extra luggage at your host's office here. Please remember to take another, smaller backpack with you to carry your gear for the adventure ahead.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.
Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.
Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.
Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.
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