Triglav National Park is Slovenia’s only national park, and boy does it pack a big punch! The park covers northwestern Slovenia and is part of the Julian Alps. If you find yourself in Slovenia, northeastern Italy, or even southern Austria, making the detour to spend at least two days in Triglav National Park is well worth your time! Consider basing yourself in the town of Bled. Not only is it a beautiful town with a ton to explore, but it’s centrally located and easy to access the best the park has to offer. Here is how to spend two days in Triglav National Park!
Read More: How to Spend One Day in Lake Bled, Slovenia
Day 1: Vintgar Gorge, Slap Savica, and Lake Bohinj
On day one of your two days in Triglav National Park, it’s all about the water! Rivers, waterfalls, and lakes (oh my)!
Vintgar Gorge
Vintgar Gorge is an absolute star in the park. Plan ahead by doing this first thing in the morning. Visiting at 7:00 am, I felt like I had the whole trail to myself and was able to get spectacular photos! Reservations must be made ahead of time by clicking here. You’ll reserve a specific day and time, and while hours may vary seasonally, you’ll want to get the earliest one you can! You can’t park directly at the gorge, so you’ll need to park your car here (for free). From this lot, you’ll take the shuttle out to the base. More info on the shuttles can be found here.
Plan for about 3 hours for your visit to Vintgar Gorge. You’ll start your visit with the highlight: walking alongside the Radovna River through a stunning gorge with huge walled cliffs. Then, you’ll choose between two paths back to the base. The River of Trees Trail (which will make your total walk about 4.3 km) or the King of Triglav Trail (which will make your total walk about 5.7 km). Both are different experiences, so take some time to read about them here before making a decision! I chose the River of Trees trail due to its proximity to Slap Šum. I loved how this trail took you through a small town and then through the forest!
Slap Savica
Next, make the easy 45-minute drive from Bled out to hike to a spectacular waterfall! Slap Savica is 78 meters high and fed by a spring at the top. The water tumbles over the gorge and lands into a stunning emerald green pool (or if you’re lucky and the sun hits it just right, it’ll glisten bright Gatorade blue!). Park your car right at the base of the waterfall and begin the short 30-minute hike to the falls. Entry to the trail is €4 per person, payable at a small hut before the trail begins. Although it’s a short hike, don’t be fooled. It’s a straight uphill climb (about 550 stairs!).
It’s a sleep hike, but is well maintained and has benches and picnic tables scattered along the way for a quick rest. Once you arrive, there will be a small hut with more benches to rest and take in the view of the falls! There is also a small narrow staircase to get closer to the falls, and is well worth the quick detour. After, make your way back down the trail and grab a well-deserved meal or treat at the small restaurant at the base.
Lake Bohinj
After a jam-packed hiking day, it’s time to rest at Lake Bohinj! The secret is definitely out on this lake. It’s spectacularly stunning, nestled in the mountains of Triglav National Park. While still busy, I found it to be significantly less crowded than Lake Bled, so it’s a great place to relax with less crowds. I also felt like it was much more local, with families flocking in to enjoy a relaxing summer day at the lake. It’s a great place to relax for a few hours!
There is a walking trail that goes around the entire lake. It’s about 7.5 miles or 12 km long, so it would take a few hours to walk, but the views would be worth it! There are also places to rent kayaks, SUPs, or small boats in the town of Ribčev Laz if you wanted to spend the day on the water. Or if you’re like me, I was just fine grabbing an ice cream bar, laying out on the grass, and staring out at the scenery.
Bonus: Vogel Cable Car
Should time and weather allow, consider taking on a ride on the Vogel Cable Car! This was on my itinerary, but dense clouds and rain started coming in shortly before I planned to make my way over from Lake Bohinj. I tried to wait it out for a bit, but it just kept getting worse. Unfortunately, I had to call it. I knew that my only views would be fog and at €33 for a round-trip ticket, it wasn’t worth the risk. Watch the forecast and try to sneak this in whenever the weather will allow you to!
Day 2: Slap Peričnik, Kranjska Gora, Lake Jasna, and Vršič Pass
Day two in Triglav National Park will be a nice blend of hiking, relaxing, enjoying scenery, and spectacular drives! Perfect day incoming? I think yes!
Slap Peričnik
Slap Peričnik is a spectacular waterfall for many reasons, but the part that makes it the most unique is the fact that the hiking trail goes right behind it! Plan to arrive first thing in the morning (I arrived about 8:15 am and only met a few other people on the trail at this time). While the trailhead is located here, you can’t actually park there. Instead, you’ll need to park in the town of Mojstrana and take a shuttle to the trailhead. I parked at the Slovenian Alpine Museum, located here. You can either wait for the national park shuttle from the museum, or take the public city bus from the Mercator in town. Both options are safe, fast, and more importantly- free!
The ride up is only about 5 minutes, and it drops you right at the trailhead! The hike to the falls is short (only about a half a mile), but it’s another steep, uphill climb. Click here for a map detailing the elevation and entire loop. The hike up took me about 20 minutes, including a few breaks to catch my breath. Once you arrive, there are three main viewpoints. The first is right when you arrive with a view of the falls and large bounders. The second is after you walk behind the falls, out, and on the other side. This one was my favorite! The third is up a short staircase from the same side of the falls, but you cannot see the entire waterfall from here, so worth skipping in my opinion!
Read More: 6 Tips for Hiking Slap Peričnik in Slovenia
Lake Jasna
Lake Jasna is a beautiful lake just outside of the town of Kranjska Gora. It sits right below stunning peaks making this a great place for photography, while also relaxing and taking in the views. Lake Jasna is actually two man-made lakes interconnected. Don’t let that take away the appeal though! The lakes are stunning and relatively small, so you can walk around both in less than a half hour. On the northern end of the lake is the famous Kozorog statue. Stand in front of it to get views of the statue, lake, and Julian Alps all in one shot!
On a summer day, you can even go for a swim in the lakes (though I’ve read that the waters are usually chilly, even on the warmest days!). Park your car in the small lot here. From there, you’ll have central access to the lakes, walking paths, and Pišnica River. There is even a trail that leads to a suspension bridge over the gorge and is worth the short walk!
After your visit to the lake, sneak over to the town of Kranjska Gora, just a couple of kilometers down the road. This picture-perfect little alpine village is so quaint. Take a stroll through the town, stop for lunch at one of the many restaurants, and enjoy the mountain views in the background. Kranjska Gora was one of my favorite towns in Slovenia!
Vršič Pass
Vršič Pass is the highest mountain pass in all of Slovenia. If you’re looking for incredible views of the Julian Alps, wildlife, and adventure- this drive is for you! The entire road, constructed by Russian POW’s during WWI, is 24 kilometers long and connects the town of Kranjska Gora to the Soča Valley. Don’t let the seemingly short distance fool you! You’ll reach heights of over 1,600 meters and around hairpin turns. The views at every turn are breathtaking. It was hard to not pull over at every single spot to take photos!
I started my drive in Kranjska Gora and drove up Vršič Pass to the highest point, located about here. After that, it starts to descend into the town of Trenta and the Soča Valley. At this peak, there were tons of hikers, campers, and mountain bikers setting off on adventures. There was even a small gift shop where you can snag a souvenir from the highest mountain pass in Slovenia! Try to plan this drive on a clear day so you can get the best views over the valley from the top!
From the peak, I turned back around and made my way back down into Kranjska Gora. Along the drive up (or down), make sure to stop at the Russian Chapel. This chapel was built to honor the Russian POWs who died building the road. Another one of my favorite stops was outside the Koča na Gozdu restaurant. I loved the way the road appeared to drive straight into a perfect triangle-peaked mountain. I think I took about a thousand photos here!
Bonus: Soča Valley
On the day I drove the Vršič Pass, I was a little pressed for time as I had to make it across the Italian border and to my next hotel in the Dolomites (you can read more about those adventures here!). When I made it to the peak, I turned back around and went back to Kranjska Gora to continue on the most direct route there. However, I really wish I would have had the chance to drive the entire Vršič Pass into the Soča Valley. From the photos I’ve seen (a quick Google Image link here), it looks absolutely stunning. I’m a sucker for emerald green and milky blue rivers and lakes, and that’s exactly what you’ll find in the Soča Valley. If I had just one more day on my trip, this definitely would have been how I spent it!
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