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

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.

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.

• Aljažev dom v Vratih at 1015m: Inquire here
• Bivak Hlek at 1225m: Inquire here
• Bivak I v Veliki Dnini at 2180m: Inquire here
• Bivak II na Jezerih at 2118m: Inquire here
• Bivak III za Akom at 1340m: Inquire here
• Bivak IV na Rušju at 1980m: Inquire here
• Bivak na Črniku nad Drežnico at 1160m: Inquire here
• Bivak na prevalu Globoko at 1828m: Inquire here
• Bivak pod Luknjo at 1430m: Inquire here
• Bivak pod Muzcem at 1550m: Inquire here
• Bivak pod Špikom at 1424m // LOCKED: Inquire here
• Blejska koča na Lipanci at 1630m: Inquire here
• Bregarjevo zavetišče na planini Viševnik at 1620m: Inquire here
• Dom dr. Klementa Juga v Lepeni at 700m // CLOSED: Inquire here
• Dom na Komni at 1520m: Inquire here
• Dom Petra Skalarja na Kaninu at 2260m // CLOSED: Inquire here
• Dom Planika pod Triglavom at 2401m: Inquire here
• Dom Valentina Staniča pod Triglavom at 2332m: Inquire here
• Dom Zorka Jelinčiča na Črni prsti at 1835m: Inquire here
• Erjavčeva koča na Vršiču at 1525m: Inquire here
• Gomiščkovo zavetišče na Krnu at 2182m: Inquire here
• Koča na Doliču at 2151m: Inquire here
• Koča na Gozdu at 1226m: Inquire here
• Koča na Mangrtskem sedlu at 1906m: Inquire here
• Koča na Petrovem Brdu at 804m // Open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: Inquire here
• Koča na planini Kuhinj at 1002m: Inquire here
• Koča na Planini pri Jezeru at 1453m: Inquire here
• Koča na planini Razor at 1315m: Inquire here
• Koča na planini Stador at 1050m // CLOSED: Inquire here
• Koča pod Bogatinom at 1513m: Inquire here
• Koča pri izviru Soče at 886m: Inquire here
• Koča pri Savici at 653m: Inquire here
• Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih at 1685m: Inquire here
• Koča v Krnici at 1113m: Inquire here
• Kosijev dom na Vogarju at 1054m: Inquire here
• Kovinarska koča v Krmi at 870m: Inquire here
• Krekova koča na Ratitovcu at 1642 m: Inquire here
• Mihov dom na Vršiču at 1085m: Inquire here
• Orožnova koča na planini Za Liscem pod Črno prstjo at 1346m: Inquire here
• Planinska koča Merjasec na Voglu at 1535m: Inquire here
• Planinska koča na Uskovnici at 1154m: Inquire here
• Planinska koča na Vojah at 690m: Inquire here
• Planinski dom pri Krnskih jezerih at 1385m: Inquire here
• Planinski dom Tamar at 1108m: Inquire here
• Pogačnikov dom na Kriških podih at 2050m: Inquire here
• Poštarski dom na Vršiču at 1688m: Inquire here
• Šlajmerjev dom v Vratih at 1015m: Inquire here
• Tičarjev dom na Vršiču at 1620m: Inquire here
• Triglavski dom na Kredarici at 2515m: Inquire here
• Vodnikov dom na Velem polju at 1817m: Inquire here
• Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih at 2071m: Inquire here
• Zavetišče pod Špičkom at 2064m: Inquire here

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.

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.

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…