The tour will take us from Ljubljana to Julian Alps, up to Vršič Pass – one of the most popular mountain passes in the country, which lies at 1600 m (5250 ft). The spectacular drive up follows a road built during WWI and offers incredible views of the mountains as well as remarkable war time stories. We will stop at the Russian Chapel memorial and marvel at the achievement of Russian POWs, who built this winding road with its 50 hairpin bends.
Descending down from Vršič Pass, we will enter Trenta Valley, the source of Soča River. Soča is often named the most beautiful river in Slovenia and boasts a unique emerald colour. It’s a popular summer destination for both nature lovers and photography enthusiasts. We will follow its course to the Soča River Gorge, where over thousands of years, the river carved into the pure white limestone and created a magnificent crevice.
Our trip will lead us deeper into the Alps, and we will continue into Lepena Valley for an easy hike along an alpine stream with heavenly scenes of waterfalls and green pools, cascading through an untouched forest. A picture of peace and tranquility, disturbed only by the rippling sounds of water, it is a place to really get in touch with nature.
Afterwards, we will continue to Bovec, the adrenaline capital of Slovenia, where you will be able to choose how to spend your afternoon. Your guide will make all the arrangements and communicate meeting points and times for those that opt for different adrenaline activities.
OPTION A – WHITE-WATER RAFTING
You can opt for white-water rafting on Soča River and thus get to see and experience the river in a completely different and fun way, going down rapids and splashing about. For this experience you need to be a swimmer as well as bring a swimsuit and a towel. A local agency will provide you with transfer, professional rafting guide and gear (wet suit, shoes, life jacket, helmet).
OPTION B – ZIPLINING
If you prefer a view from above, then ziplining is the activity for you. Magnificent views are what you can expect while suspended up to 200 m (650 ft) above the valley on a series of zip lines with a total length of 3.2 km (2.2 miles). When you get over the adrenaline rush of whizzing down cables with speeds up to 65 km/h (40 mph), you will be able to observe spectacular views of the Julian Alps and the Soča River Valley, a scene that even a mountain would envy. Your professional ziplining guides will teach you how to use the safety gear they provide (helmet, harness, protection gloves) and instruct you at every cable what to do and expect. The whole experience takes 2-3 hours.
If adrenaline is not your thing, you will have about an hour for a lunch break* in Bovec and then your guide will take you to a nearby waterfall. A popular stop in Bovec, it cascades in many strands of water over a 12 meter (40 feet) tall cliff into a beautiful green pool. If you love waterfalls, we have another treat for you: the waterfall with most water in Slovenia is close by and our path will take us there as well.
Later in the afternoon, we will pick up those who opted for the adrenaline activities and together continue north towards the highest road in Slovenia. Known to be one of the most scenic drives around, the narrow winding road can be considered an adventure in its own right and it rewards visitors with unparalleled vistas of the Julian Alps.
The Julian Alps stretch further into neighbouring Italy. We will take another mountain pass across the border and stop by Lake Predil, set in a picturesque valley beneath the Kanin massif. Then we will loop back to Slovenia via the top north-western corner and arrive back to Ljubljana enjoyably tired, but left with some of the best memories you can make in Slovenia.