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How to Book Huts in Triglav National Park: A Step-by-Step Guide | Slovenia

Hut to Hut Hiking in Slovenia - Vodnikov Hut

Koča na Doliču, Triglavski dom na Kredarici, and Vodnikov dom na Velem polju are just a few of the names of the mountain huts in Triglav National park. Kind of a mouthful, right? If you don’t have at least a working knowledge of Slovenian and a lot of patience for research, booking your hut-to-hut hiking in Slovenia’s Julian Alps can be a ton of work.

But stick it out! The Julian Alps offer some of the best trekking in Europe and cozying up in a Triglav mountain huts with a cold beer at the end of a day of hiking is well worth the effort. 

Making arrangements to trek in Triglav National Park was tougher than I imagined. There are lots of routes through the park, some extra gear you’ll need to consider, plus Triglav National Park prohibits camping. It’s not an easy place to wing it so booking your mountain huts needs to be done in advance. If you’re struggling to plan your trip to Triglav, here’s everything you need to know about booking hut-to-hut hiking in Slovenia.

Triglav National Park Maps

You can pick up a simple printed map of Triglav in town, but it’s recommended to have a more detailed trail map to help with trip planning and navigation within the park.  At the time of writing, the best Triglav National Park maps on the market are these three:

  • Slovenia WK5141: Triglav National Park – Kranjska Gora-Planica-Bled (Walking Maps) ($12.95)
  • Alpi Giulie Orientali 065 Bohinj – Triglav 2016 ($15.56)
  • Triglav Slovenian Alpine Club 25K Map ($18)

The Planinska Zveza Slovenije (Alpine Association of Slovenia) also produces a free map that you can get at Visitor’s Centers and some guesthouses. I took photos of their Triglav National Park Map and their hut information if you want to take a look.

MAPS:  TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK MAP (2018) OR TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK HUT INFORMATION (2018)

Mountain Huts in Triglav National Park

There are 50+ mountain huts and bivouacs in Triglav National Park where hikers can stay the night. And there’s serious range! Some are basic while others are quite nice. You can choose between sleeping in the highest mountain hut in Slovenia (it’s Kredarici if you’re wondering!) to a basic bivouac that requires a key to enter. You’ll more than likely select accommodation based on your route, but seasonal availability, capacity, and overall quality are also factors to keep in mind.

Hut to Hut Hiking in Slovenia - Beer at Vodnikov Hut
Hut to Hut Hiking in Slovenia - Dorms at Dolic

While it is sometimes possible to reserve a bed upon arrival, it’s recommended that you book your mountain huts at least two weeks in advance during high season. Most huts have a phone number or email address where you can contact them.

The Triglav mountain huts are run by mountain clubs operating under the Alpine Association of Slovenia (Planinske zveze Slovenije). Below are links to all the huts in the park with links to the Alpine Association website where you can get phone numbers, email addresses, opening months, and other booking information. Huts are open daily unless otherwise specified.

Dolic Mountain Hut in Slovenia

How to Book a Hut-to-Hut Trip in Triglav National Park

Step 1: Choose your Trek

With mountain huts, bivouac shelters, countless trails, 880 km² to roam, there are pretty much endless trekking routes through Triglav National Park. Even if you narrow it down to a trip summiting Mount Triglav, there are tons of routes to consider!

Summit treks take 2-3 nights and can have you hiking through the Krna Valley, Vrata Valley, and the Seven Lakes Valley amongst others. But you can easily spend longer trekking in Triglav National Park if you have ambitions of a longer hike. Tip: Not all trails are suitable for all hikers. Be sure to do a bit of research upfront to pick the safest and most enjoyable way up!

Step 2: Apply for your Alpine Association Membership (Optional)

If you plan to stay in huts for 2+ days, you might want to apply for the Alpine Association of Slovenia membership. The 50€ membership includes both insurance and a 30-50% discount on mountain huts in Slovenia, plus discounts on 1,250 huts across Europe and Canada.

Step 3: Finalize Your Dates

Most huts in Triglav National Park don’t have a website. You’ll want to leave your dates and route flexible until you get confirmation.

My recommendation is to email your first choice hut with your name, dates, room preference, and the number of people in your party. They were pretty quick to respond, even during high season! You might want to wait on getting your first confirmation before booking the rest. Tip: During high season, start booking huts a month out to get your first choice.

Step 4: Confirm EVERYTHING!

Most of your reservations will be made over email, so it’s important that you review everything against your trekking plans to ensure you haven’t skipped a night or confirmed the wrong date. The mountain huts are often full, so it’s possible you would get turned away if you booked on a wrong night.

Step 5: Print or Download Confirmation Emails

Be sure to print or save PDFs of your email confirmations before heading out on your trek. Most of the huts don’t have WiFi, so plan ahead and have these reservations available if you need to prove it.

Dolic Hut in Triglav

Where to Stay in Bohinj & Bled

Need a place to stay before your trek? There are loads of hotels in Bohinj and Bled, and you’ll want to pick a spot that gets you close to the trailhead or near a free shuttle to ensure an early start. Here are a couple of good options

Guest House Alenka | Bohinj Bistrica makes an ideal base for hikers starting their trek from Rudno Polije as the free shuttle passes right through it. Guest House Alenka gets solid reviews for being cute and clean and is conveniently located. Double rooms start from €74.

Rooms Pekovec Bohinj | Stara Fuzina is another nice place to stay if you’re starting your hike from one of the park’s south entrances.  Rooms Pekovec Bohinj has local character and is best enjoyed for its views across Lake Bohinj. Double rooms from $47.

Hostel Lukna | Mojstrana is your best place to stay the night if you’re starting your trek through the Vrata Valley. Hostel Lukna is one of the most charming accommodations in town with wooden furnishings and a little bit of cabin kitsch.  Dorms from $14.

For more information on how to get to Triglav National Park, the best time to visit, and a comparison on the Julian Alps rather than the Graian Alps, read The Other Alps: Hiking the Julian Alps.

Are you planning your own Hut to Hut trip in Triglav National Park? If you don't speak Slovenian, the process is harder than you think! Here's everything you need to know for planning your hike in Slovenia.

Are you planning your own Hut to Hut trip in Triglav National Park? If you don’t speak Slovenian, the process is harder than you think! Here’s everything you need to know for planning your hike in Slovenia.

Do you have any other questions about hut-to-hut hiking in Slovenia? Want more information on the Triglav mountain huts? And if you’re traveling in Slovenia…

26 Comments

  • Reply
    Ron Janowitz
    January 5, 2019 at 9:04 pm

    Your website is great. Thank you!
    I am planning to climb Mt. Triglav in September with a friend. We will rent the ferrata equipment. We will stay at Dom Planika the night before. After we summit is there a non-technical way back to the hut? I can’t imagine people going in both directions on the narrow ledges.

    • Reply
      Taylor
      January 7, 2019 at 6:49 am

      Hey Ron! I’m super glad you’ve found it helpful! If I’m not mistaken, Planika & Kredarici (the one we stopped at) have the same route down. While it is narrow, there is via ferrata the whole way which makes it much easier than the other sides which are also steep, but without support and sheer drop offs. Hope this helps a bit?

  • Reply
    Ron Janowitz
    January 7, 2019 at 3:05 pm

    Thank you Taylor

  • Reply
    Veronica
    February 18, 2019 at 4:34 pm

    Hi Taylor,

    Do you know if there are places to store luggage while we’re doing the hut-to-hut hikes? We plan to stay at Lake Bohinj before hand. Excellent website!

    • Reply
      Taylor Record
      February 23, 2019 at 11:20 am

      Hey Veronica. So glad you found it helpful! We stored our bags with Altitude Activities (the shop where we rented our gear), but I reckon most guesthouses would be happy to hang on to your luggage for a couple of days while you’re on the trek. Keep me posted on how your trek goes!

  • Reply
    elizabeth
    April 3, 2019 at 6:09 am

    Hi Tayllor. Thanks a tonne for all the useful info! Would you recommend any 4-night routes? We’re pretty open, but would prefer avoid tackling the Mt. Triglav summit or anything that requires ropes and helmets….

    • Reply
      Taylor
      April 28, 2019 at 2:40 am

      Hey Elizabeth. Most of what I found were 3-day routes, but http://www.explore-share.com proved to be a good resource for Triglav itineraries. We hiked from Blato Meadow to Dolic Hut to Triglav Summit to Vodnikov Hut to Rudno Polije and had a really nice experience! Hope this helps.

  • Reply
    Katarina
    April 10, 2019 at 6:49 pm

    Hi Taylor 🙂

    Do you know from when can I arrange the booking with Dom Planika? Our route would be the following: Rudno Polje-Vodnikov Dom-Dom Planika-Triglav. What do you think about this route? Thank you 🙂

    • Reply
      Taylor
      April 12, 2019 at 7:53 am

      Hey Katarina. Yes, I met a few other people on our way down that did the hike that way! As it’s only about 4 hours from Rudno Polje to Vodnikov Dom, I’d recommend pushing on to Kredarici or Planika your first night so you can get to the summit early. Then, on your summit day, you’ll spend most of your hiking time making your way down to Vodnikov. If you’re booking for summer, you should be able to call or email now. If you have any other itinerary ideas that come up, one of the best ways I’ve found is looking at tour operator itineraries and checking their huts for the night. Best of luck with your trip and let me know how it goes!

  • Reply
    Lisa
    April 24, 2019 at 9:26 pm

    What actual route did you hike? I cannot find a good map with routes, huts, and the distance between them. Any ideas on good maps?

    • Reply
      Taylor
      April 25, 2019 at 3:06 pm

      Hey Lisa. Finding a good map is pretty tough! The maps I’ve included can be downloaded and used to reference distances, but what I’d recommend for route maps is looking at tour operators who run Triglav summits. Most will have itineraries laid out with approximate travel times and hut recommendations!

      We hiked from Blato Meadow to Dolic Hut (via Hribarice Pass) then to Vodnikov Hut (via Triglav Summit). A more common route is to start at Rudno Polije, stay the night at Kredarici or Planika, hike to the summit first thing, and come out the same way. Hope this helps a bit!

      • Reply
        Natalie Reynoso
        April 25, 2019 at 8:48 pm

        Here is the info I am looking for! How many miles or km is the hike you did for this? How did you get from Altitude Activities to the trailhead? and can you rent trekking poles?

  • Reply
    Per Christ
    July 9, 2019 at 9:28 am

    Hi, what’s the name of the cabin photo under your Step-5 above ?

    • Reply
      Taylor Record
      July 9, 2019 at 8:09 pm

      That’s Koča na Doliču, or Dolic Hut, Per! Pretty, isn’t it?

  • Reply
    Mike Watson
    August 6, 2019 at 2:50 am

    Taylor, I am trying to book this hut by the Logar Valley: http://logarski-kot.si/en/home/
    Any chance you know how to get this booked? I have tried to call and email, cannot get a hold of anyone.

  • Reply
    Victoria
    September 7, 2019 at 3:52 pm

    Hi Taylor, thank you so much for this guide! I’m planning to hike The Valley of the Seven Lakes (some route like this one maybe: https://www.10adventures.com/hikes/julian-alps/the-valley-of-the-seven-lakes/). I’d love to do this in two days though and spend the night in one of the huts, but I have no idea which one makes sense. Do you have any recommendations? It’s quite tough to choose one if you don’t speak Slovene! Thanks in advance 🙂

  • Reply
    Brodie
    October 21, 2019 at 8:25 am

    Hi! Did you find that most huts provided blankets / bedding? Keen to just take a silk liner and avoid carrying a sleeping bag for my hut to hut triglav trip. 🙂

    • Reply
      Taylor Record
      October 21, 2019 at 5:58 pm

      Hey Brodie. Yes! Both of the huts we stayed in (Dolic & Vodnikov) provided bedding. Hope you enjoy your trek!

  • Reply
    Trine M K
    January 26, 2020 at 9:40 am

    Hi Taylor.
    My boyfriend and I would like to do our first hut-to-hut hike this summer in Slovenia. We would like to hike for about a week or so. Which routes can you recommend for beginners?
    And what do you do with food while on the road? Is it possible to buy lunch in the huts to bring on the hikes or do we need to bring all the food from the beginning?

    Best regards Trine

    • Reply
      Taylor Record
      March 11, 2020 at 1:11 am

      Hey Trine. This comment slipped through the cracks, sorry I’m only just responding! To choose your hike, I always like looking at itineraries for the guided tours to see what they recommend. Explore-Share is a good resource for this! As for food, all of the huts should have it for sale. We ate our breakfast and dinner at the huts but packed sandwiches for lunch. They weren’t the most delicious by the end, but it was nice to not have to hike out of our way to eat lunch during the trek! Hope this helps a bit, and if you have any more questions, feel free to email me and I’ll do my best to answer!

  • Reply
    Luca Kreisel
    June 8, 2020 at 8:57 pm

    Hi Tailor. It seems like the email address for “Bivak II na Jezerih” isn’t working…do you have my idea what to do now?
    Best regards, Luca

    • Reply
      Taylor Record
      June 18, 2020 at 4:06 pm

      Hey Luca! I just visited the website, and their contact page has additional emails and phone numbers. You can take a look here!

  • Reply
    M
    July 12, 2020 at 11:42 am

    Hey there, Thank you for sharing and for your help in the notes above. Do you have a tour operator you would recommend? We are family looking for a 2 -3 night hike. thank you

    • Reply
      Taylor Record
      July 15, 2020 at 6:58 pm

      Hi M. I’ve heard the most about Altitude Activities and they get good reviews online! Explore-Share also lists itineraries with independent guides, and quite a few reviews as well. Good luck with your trip!

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