Winter Hiking in Slovenia's Julian Alps
Snow-blanketed plateaus & forests, epic mountain peaks and ridgelines - hike hut to hut through a wild winter wonderland in Slovenia
What's Included?
Small Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 12 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
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What's it like?
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
Key Information
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
Snowshoeing
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
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
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.
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.
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
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.
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
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
Our trips are hassle-free by design. We include all the activities and equipment, as well as many of the meals, so you can simply rock up with your rucksack and share the adventure with your new pals.
Personal Expenses
You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.
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
…
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
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 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 1000 miles/1609km would be approximately 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person, if there were two of you in it).
- A return economy class flight between London and New York would be approximately 1619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approximately 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. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
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.
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.
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.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
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 as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
Need help finding flights?
From logistics and how to get there, to fitness, group dynamic and trip difficulty, Rory and his team of friendly experts are on hand to help.
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DEPARTURE DATES
