At a glance: The best things to do in Bohinj
1. Let your jaw drop at the Vogar viewpoint
2. Walk through the Mostnica Gorge and Voje Valley
3. Ride the Vogel cable car (or don't)
5. Explore Ribčev Laz and the Church of St. John the Baptist
6. Rent a kayak or paddleboard
7. Take a Bohinj boat trip on the panorama boat
8. Walk around Lake Bohinj (or at least part of it)
9. Discover Stara Fužina, the Peč viewpoint and the Alpine Dairy Museum
10. Tackle the best Triglav National Park hikes
11. Watch the sunset at Ribčev Laz
Slovenia definitely feels naturally different than the rest of the Alps. A lot more leafy trees and higher humidity. Nowhere more than in Bohinj, a glacial valley in Triglav National Park.
While planning what to do in Bohinj, I was surprised by how hard it was. Very irrelevant information on the websites; ChatGPT was semi-useful... well, my list of the best things to do in Bohinj will really help you plan your visit to Lake Bohinj.
Overall, it's certainly among the absolute top places to visit in Slovenia. For me, it was a bit overhyped before going, based on everyone around, so the expectations were a bit high, which it didn't really meet, but it was still beautiful.
Lake Bohinj is 4 km long and 1 km wide. I was surprised that the lake is smaller than I expected. It's a big lake, but not Lago di Garda big. Somehow, it reminded me of Štrbské Pleso.
Lake Bohinj itself was super, super clean and had a dramatic landscape. Certainly the most beautiful lake in Slovenia. In the Alps? No. I loved the cleanliness.
Fun fact: The water in the lake changes completely about two to three times a year.
Bohinj is in one of the rainiest parts of Slovenia. But Bohinj is one of the rarer places which you can visit in bad weather, as the mixed forest looks great with rolling clouds over it. It was like a fairy land.
Read more from my Slovenia travel blog.
Starting at Stara Fužina, the Vogar hike offers one of the most unique Bohinj viewpoints from this part of the lake.
Super top tip: You can hike up and park at the foothill or, like me, pay 20€ and drive through the mountain road. Yes, it's lazy, and it was worth it, as the drive was absolutely epic. It was an ultra-fun drive and sort of a farewell to my beloved BMW M4, which was about to be sold.
And if you're short on time, this way you can make it quickly and also manage to do the Mostnica Gorge and Voje Valley, as they are on the same toll road.
We drove to exactly 1,000 m above sea level. From the parking lot, Vogar is another 20 min walk.
There is a hut near the viewpoint; we ate there, and it was pretty good. The viewpoint is 3 minutes from the hut, with unique views toward Bohinj. If you don't have clouds, you can see the high alpine landscape behind Vogel. We did not...
The viewpoint was absolutely full of people. The views were extremely pretty. It felt like the fjords in Norway. Lake Bohinj looks a lot better from here than from the lower parts. I would give it 10/10.
Pro tip: Consider renting a car; Slovenia comes with many beautiful road trips.
I really recommend driving, as you would hike mostly in the forest. There is a nice hut at the trailhead. There is a nice open Voje Valley with brutal panoramas around.
In the end, the Mostnica waterfall is nice. But not nice enough to be worth paying the gate and a 2h hike. I would rate it 7/10. But since you can connect it with Vogar, it's worth the visit. The hike itself is 9/10 thanks to the views and plains.
Is it worth going by the Vogel cable car, walking it, or skipping it? Honestly, I would go by cable car unless you have like 5 days in Bohinj. You would be hiking up mostly through the forest.
The logistics of Vogel are stupid – it goes up every 30 mins, which is a rather large gap between each ascent, and it's annoying.
It's also very expensive, 35€ per person for going up and down. You can get a discount of 20% (about 7€) with the Julian Alps Card. But come on, it's still very expensive. The ride up is very unpleasant because it's extremely crowded. It will take you from Bohinj to 1,535 m above sea level.
On top, there are restaurants and a multitude of hikes in good weather. The plain is mostly a pretty ski area. I genuinely liked the plain.
Up there, we went for a 1.5 km walk to Orlove Glave. I liked that if you are not feeling like it or have small children, you can move around the plains by chairlift and cabins, so you can see mostly everything.
Top tip: Before going, check the cloud ceiling. Anything below 2,000 m is troublesome.
In good weather, it's the best viewpoint toward Bohinj and one of the best toward Triglav.
Top tip: The top views of Lake Bohinj are from the cable car and right after getting off the cable car. Once up on the plains, there are no sensible views.
I would rate it 9/10 in great weather and 3/10 in bad weather, when it's basically not worth going.
We went here first because of bad weather. I recommend it when you don't have a good weather option.
The entry is 4€ per person. There is a large parking lot at the end of the road beyond Ukanc, past the western end of the lake. From there, I had to hike for about 20 min up. The hike up feels like a jungle, with leafy forest and moss everywhere. The trail is really well maintained. Expect a stone stairway with over 500 steps.
Pro tip: You can also book a guided tour to Savica from Bohinj.
The main good thing about rainy weather is bigger waterfalls. The waterfall is 78 m tall, and the volume is high as well for the Alps. It was very satisfying.
It took me an hour to visit, and it's a really nice waterfall. It's the nicest waterfall we saw in Slovenia, with additional views toward Lake Bohinj and its glacial valley.
Fun fact: Legend says that Zlatorog, a white chamois with golden horns, was shot by a greedy hunter and, in fury, tore up his alpine garden, leaving the rocky landscape of the Triglav Lakes Valley, whose waters feed the Savica.
The parking cost 7€, which is kind of expensive for a 40 min stop. But the entry is included in the Julian Alps Card. The card's free parking doesn't apply here, though – the Savica car park costs 7€ for up to 3 h (15€ all day), card payment only. I would give it an 8/10 in the context of Slovenia.
From the same parking lot, you can start the hike up to Komna.
There is a church to visit – St. John the Baptist. But there isn't anything super special about it. It's one of the most photographed churches in Slovenia.
Enter inside for 3.5€ or with the card. It's a very small church inside, but it was fun collecting the stops with the card. There are old frescoes inside, and it's picture-worthy. Would I go in without the card? No. It's a lot nicer from the outside. Especially from the boat.
Don't expect to buy anything there. The local coffee and bistro are shit.
Ribčev Laz is generally a place where you can start walks around Bohinj and mainly rent a paddleboard and kayak. I love both, and Lake Bohinj kayaking is one of the best things to do. Great pics too.
Boat rental – keep in mind that it is closing quite early. Something like 4–5 pm. Thankfully, there are also guided kayak tours you can check out.
It's free with the Julian Alps Card, which is great value for money then. Otherwise, a return ticket is 14€. It takes about 30 min each way (about 1 h return). It gives you a totally new perspective of the surrounding landscape.
The boat is fairly small, and the benches are a bit inconvenient, but it's still worth doing. The boats are electric, built in 1956, and one of them originally sailed on Königssee.
The panorama boat is again best used when the clouds are low, or it's rainy. The boat takes you to the other end of the lake, from where it's about 1 km uphill to the Vogel cable car.
It's mutually interchangeable with kayaking. I probably wouldn't do both in one day. But over multiple days, it's another story. Among Lake Bohinj activities, I would rate it 6–7/10 in the local context.
I would walk parts of the Lake Bohinj walking trail around Ribčev Laz. Unless you have multiple days, it's not the best activity to spend your time on, as it can be a long hike. The full loop is about 12 km. But parts of the lake are certainly pretty.
There are multiple beaches around, and honestly, the lake was a lot warmer than I expected. But then again, I visited right after very warm weather. The official bathing area is at the eastern end of the lake, running from the Church of St. John the Baptist in Ribčev Laz along the shore.
I definitely recommend going to Vir Bohinj, as it's the best value for the money.
Stara Fužina is a traditional alpine village just above Ribčev Laz, and you'll pass through it anyway on the way to Vogar, the Mostnica Gorge or the Voje Valley. A short walk (about 20 min) from the village takes you to the Peč viewpoint, one of the easiest Bohinj viewpoints – panoramic lake views without paying for a cable car or a toll road.
Perfect if you only have a short window of good weather. The Alpine Dairy Museum, all about Bohinj cheese, is a great rainy-day option, and it's free with the Julian Alps Card.
For serious Lake Bohinj hiking, experienced hikers can do the Seven Lakes Valley (a long full-day hike from Planina Blato, or better over two days with a night in a mountain hut) or climb Mount Triglav, usually over two days. Count on about 3–4 hours each way to the Seven Lakes, through a limestone landscape dotted with alpine lakes.
The Triglav summit part is a via ferrata, so if you don't have the experience and gear, take a guide. Both are realistic only from about July to September – and start early, because the mountain weather here turns quickly and afternoon storms are common.
Ribčev Laz is supposed to be the best place to be at sunset. The lake runs east to west, so from Ribčev Laz you look straight down its whole length toward the mountains where the sun goes down. Try the stone bridge by the church – right next to it stands the statue of the Four Brave Men, the four locals who made the first ascent of Triglav in 1778. And since the local bistro isn't worth it, bring your own drink and snack and have a picnic on the lakeshore.
Come early. I know, I know. I keep repeating the same thing all the time. But come as early as possible – the parking near Bohinj and especially Ribčev Laz parking is a total pain.
Things close early. Keep in mind that Slovenes close places to visit early – museums at 3 pm sometimes. Boat rental in full season at 4 pm.
Drive. Renting a car saves you the hassle of having to figure out public transport in a foreign country.
Get the Julian Alps Card Bohinj. It costs 21€ per 3 days, 27€ with parking. I recommend buying the normal one and the 27€ one for the driver. It's quite expensive, but in total you will get a little more value from it for all the Bohinj attractions, so I recommend it anyway. Buy it at the hotel or at the tourist information. It's available to guests staying at least two nights with a Tourism Bohinj partner accommodation. Children up to 14 get it free with a paying adult.
With it, you get 20% off the Vogel cable car, which is already 7€, a free boat ride, free entry to gorges and waterfalls, and parking, which would be another 10€ (not valid at the Savica Waterfall car park or for the 20€ Voje/Vogar toll road). Discounts for boat rentals and museums, and free public transport. If you use most of the things, you can get a value of about 80€, so you can save around 50–60€ per person.
Don't expect warm service. The service in Slovenia is worse than in Western Europe – like Italy, Spain – and much worse than in the UK. It's more like the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
English is no problem. The level of English is really high in services in Slovenia. We have seldom encountered someone who does not speak English.
Where to stay in Bohinj: Ribčev Laz is the most practical base.
Yes, it's one of the top places in Slovenia.
Ideally 2–3 days.
By car, 1h15 from Ljubljana, 30 min from Bled.
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At a glance: The best things to do in Bohinj
1. Let your jaw drop at the Vogar viewpoint
2. Walk through the Mostnica Gorge and Voje Valley
3. Ride the Vogel cable car (or don't)
5. Explore Ribčev Laz and the Church of St. John the Baptist
6. Rent a kayak or paddleboard
7. Take a Bohinj boat trip on the panorama boat
8. Walk around Lake Bohinj (or at least part of it)
9. Discover Stara Fužina, the Peč viewpoint and the Alpine Dairy Museum
10. Tackle the best Triglav National Park hikes
11. Watch the sunset at Ribčev Laz
Hi, I’m Jan. I travel fast and intensely, whether I’m exploring the buzz of Tokyo in 3 days or road-tripping through mountains and beaches on a 3-week Thailand adventure. And no matter where I am, you’ll always find me in a comfortable hotel at night and eating the best food.
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