Oficially the opening of the “adventure season” in Soča valley is on 15th of March and it closes on 31st of October. Everyone starts advertising then and yelling “SEASON OPEN” like it is the moose hunting season in Canada!

The weather here is way too cold to do anything else but ski. Skiing season can last all the way to the end of May! And even if it is a warm spring, you would definately want to avoid April since it can rain for a whole month straight!

Depending on what you want to do, you would be well-off coming in May, especially for the water activities. A good idea is to check the amount of snow on Kanin and Mangart mountain and also Triglav, since these all feed the Soča river. If there is a lot of snow, then come in June, if not, then May.
How can you know that? Just call me and I will tell you. =)

P.s.: just reading what is the snow cover on a mountain is not enough, because our mountains are porous and have underground lakes where melted snow accumulates. This means you need to know what was the whole winter like to be able to assess what water level will Soča river have during the season.

Most definately DO NOT come over in July or August. That is the time for families and people who enjoy crowds and high prices. Those basically go through the roof since Bovec is a small countryside town but as popular as Venice in Italy.

It is crazy! There is NOT ENOUGH parking lots, not enough agencies that provide guided tours, not enough shops, not enough restaurants or ATMs. People wait in lines reaching out to the streets to get a table for dinner and the ATMs run dry! (This can be a problem, because we still do a lot of business with cash only.) Furthermore there are no EV charging stations. 

Visit Slovenia in May and June or early September to get the best experience. Avoid 15th of August at all costs!

This brings us to the next problem: you need a reservation for everything when the high season hits Bovec!

I know that most of you want to travel in a spontaneous way, but if you cannot travel sooner than July or August, then make sure you have a reservation before entering Soča valley. And better still – make it at least a week in advance!

On the up side there are many companies offering low season prices if you book early on. I do too! =)

Before you book any guided activity do a thorough research about it and make sure they answer all of your questions. Demand that they inform you about any changes regarding the trip.

It is not rare for them to change the starting locations to fit their schedule better. You did not pay for that!

Any company that is willing to give you more that 15-20% discount is not worth your time. They can afford giving out discounts because they don’t pay their guides enough because they are inexperienced students.

PRO TIP: try to get to know your guide before the trip and secure one for yourself that is older than 30 years. Also – arrive early at the location! You will be treated better.

There are many things you can do to explore Slovenia on your own, but once it comes to water or adventure sports it is much better and safer! to have an experienced guide by your side.

As soon as you need a guide, you need an agency – and not all are created equal.

As I mentioned before, some are old and big and have lost touch and forgot why they do what they do. Money seems to be their only drive. This holds true for any outdoor agency that has been around for more than a decade.

A lot of companies are open only for a few summer months. They get the high-season adventure-rush and pack their stuff immediately after that to return back home to: Slovakia, Hungary, Czech republic and Italy.

I do not need to tell you that those are NOT the best companies.

Slightly better are some older Slovenian companies, but their problem is that they are too old and too big. They have zero personal approach. Also, they employ inexperienced students or guides from South America – nothing against them. Just not the best pick.

You will get more than your money’s worth from the small local (Bovec) companies and family owned companies, where the owner is the guide himself. Or herself.

Just in case you are wondering:
I, myself, am a guide as well as an instructor, teaching other guides. I have more than a decade of experince and I only work with other guides that I either trust or have trained them.
My expertise are in rafting, kayaking, caving, canyoning and above all, white water rescue techniques. I am also a first responder so you are safe with me. =)

P.s.: I have three kids – I can take care of yours too. =P

AVOID any agency that employs students as guides. They just want to look cool and will do stupid shit to prove they are the best.

AVOID any agency that uses old, beat up gear. They only care about the money.

AVOID any agency that has more than two rafts. Otherwise you risk being treated like sheep or like chickens on the conveyor belt. Do not be shocked if – in the chaos before the trip – you are somehow left behind and do not get your money back.

AVOID any agency where you see the staff is nervous. They have too much work and will not give you the attention you deserve.

As I have just said, try to book with a local company which employs local guides, because:

• we know the region better
• we know the weather better
• we guide for pleasure and for the soul, not just for the money
• we are connected and we inform each other about changes on the river and mountain
• we are older and less drunk! ... or high.

Alright, it is pretty simple – you only have the Nort-West region of Slovenia (Triglav National Park) where you can get the perfect nature rush through your veins. The leading three towns are:

• Bled, which gets disgustingly crowded due to that fairy-tale island on the lake with a little church at the top
• then there is Bohinj lake area, which is a bit more raw and wild than Bled
• and finally Bovec – the capital of Alpine adventure sports! Anything is possible in Bovec: from caving to sky-diving and all in between. Bovec also has the most mountains in Slovenia and the legendary Soča river.

Honestly, every step you make in the great outdoors of the Triglav National Park is amazing and worthwile. May that be MTB biking, fly-fishing, hiking and climbing or simply chilling near Soča river. You will recharge yourself with the abundance of negative ions floating around in the crisp mountain air.

However, there are some spots that are impossible to reach without a guide and some proper gear. I am talking about rafting or kayaking, caving and above all, canyoning.

Rafting is the thing everybody who stop in Bovec do and because it is easy to sell everybody offers it. But beware! – there are only one or two agencies that I would recommend and only about 5 guides that I would trust. Call me before you book rafting!

DO NOT go rafting in the middle of July or August. The river is extremly low which makes the trip boring as hell! Ofcourse if you ask the agency, they will say it is “medium low but good to go“. Skip it or at least demand that no more than 6 customers are in the boat.

DO NOT go rafting if you have small children and they put a big fat lady in the raft with you. Say that you are concerned about the safety of your child. Fat kills!

DO NOT go rafting on Soča if the starting location is Srpenica 1. They just want to cut your trip shorter because – money?? Enter at Boka waterfall.

Kayaking is also very popular but most agencies only do kayak trips, meaning they guide you from A to B. This trips can be very frustrating if you cannot maintain balance and keep capsizing and swimming all the time. Try to find those that actually teach kayak courses or simply call me before you book your trip!

DO NOT go on a kayak trip if you have no previous experience. Ask for a “sit-on-top” kayak, which is much easier to handle and a lot more fun for beginners.

DO NOT go kayaking in a group of more than six customers per guide.

Canyoning should not be mistaken for canoeing where you paddle a canoe. Canyoning takes place in the canyons and steep creeks where you jump, slide and rappel over the waterfalls. Definately call me to learn more about canyoning!

DO NOT go canyoning with a company that does not provide you with professional canyoning shoes, preferably Adidas terrex.

DO NOT go canyoning if the guide does not have a canyoning license.

DO NOT go canyoning in a group of more than six to eight people. You will do more waiting at top of the waterfalls than actually canyoning.

DO NOT go canyoning in Bled or any of the smaller canyons in the high season. Those canyons get crazy crowded and even if you are in a small group it will not help. You will suffer. 

There should always be time for some good food after an active day and you will find plenty of it in Slovenia!

However, I must warn you to bring your own soy milk when visiting Bovec area, because we do not know what “vegan” means. In fact, we barely understand “vegetarian”. … Just so that you will not be disappointed.

Recommendations? Too many to list! But I will tell you about one dish that takes the cake. It is called BUŠKI or KOBARIŠKI KRAFI. You must not miss those. It is a dessert and it is even vegan friendly!

For all the normal folks? Definately try Soča trout. That’s it!

Serious budget I mean …
Then what you need to know is that, in Kobarid town, there lives the-world’s-best-cheff-of-2017. Her name is Ana Roš and I do not need to say anything more.

Then go straight to the little hamlet of Log pod Mangartom and enter the only restaurant there. You will find Ana Roš’s apprentice – Tomaž – making some serious magic out of local ingredients. His masterpieces are on par with Ana’s.

Of course you will need a reservation for both of them.

Just this: do not come to Soča valley in the high season with no reservation for your stay because you will find none free. The place is packed!

follow this button!
It will take you to a page where I will try to sell you my best offer.