The Soca River Valley (Soča in Slovenian, pronounced socha) is easily one of the highlights of your visit to Slovenia, especially if you are nature lover. This beautiful region in the north-west of the country is featured in more or less all of our pre-prepared itineraries of Slovenia where we cover its most impressive sights. The area is renown mostly for its natural beauties, but also for rich historic heritage as an important WWI battlefield and gastronomy. The list of local specialities includes the stinky cheeses and juicy trout from Soca River.
If you are an outdoor person we definitely recommend to add an additional day or two as Soca River Valley offers numerous sports activities to enjoy with family or friends. The area is also a great destination for team-buildings or even stag trips.
Since we are experts in preparing tailor-made tours all over the Balkans, it will be no problem for us to further adjust your Slovenian itinerary to also include some of the outdoor activities you have been wanting to cross them off your bucket list. Check out the list below are some and add new ones to the list.
for a tailor-made trip to Slovenia
KAYAKING
The emerald beauty has been inviting kayak enthusiast from all over the world for many years and it still remains one of the most popular activities in the Soca River Valley. There are several levels of difficulty on the Soca River itself, while the equally charming Koritnica River is only appropriate for those with more kayaking experiences. We would gladly include kayak tour in your tailor-made trip if you wish to do it and also organise a guide, permits and equipment rental. Don’t worry if you are a beginner. Everyone is invited to try and we can get you a teaching class with a professional instructor for adults and/or kids.
RAFTING
As opposed to kayaking, which is an activity more reserved for experienced adventurists, rafting on the other hand, is something everyone can try. In other words: it’s a perfect family activity. Even if you are visiting Soča River Valley for just a day, you can squeeze in a 2 – 3 hour trip down the rapids of this emerald beauty. No pre-existing knowledge is required, you only need to know how to swim. Let us organise everything for you. Let the fun begin!
CANYONING
Another must-do in the Soca River Valley is canyoning. This water adventure is an unforgettable experience for outdoor lovers: numerous natural slides, jumping and climbing ropes over waterfalls will undoubtedly energise your body and fill it up with adrenaline. Many canyons in the area are hard to reach, but accompanied by a trained guide you don’t have to worry about a thing. This experience takes 2 to 3 hours to complete and can easily be incorporated into a daily excursion to this gorges valley.
STAND-UP PADDLING
For more relaxing type of water activities you can choose Stand-up paddling (or SUP) which is gaining popularity in recent years. Although Soča is know for being a fast river with numerous rapids, it calms down after reaching the town of Most na Soči and turns into a turquoise lake. This is a great place for a SUP adventure which can be further extended to the picturesque canyon of Soča’s tributary Idrijca River. Get in touch with us at ➨ info@ekorna.net to incorporate stand-up paddling on Soča River into your Slovenian trip.
HIKING IN THE SOCA RIVER VALLEY
If you are not visiting Soca Valley in the hot summer months, water sports on this icy river might not be the best idea. But there are still plenty of outdoor activities you can do as the area is interspersed with hundreds of hiking routes. The peaks of the Julian Alps that surround the valley are especially inviting in the early autumn days and offer a wide range of difficulties. But you don’t have to climb a mountain to enjoy the beautiful scenery of this region as there are many gentle paths as well. Let’s just mentions the wonderful Soča Trail that follows the river from its spring in Trenta to Bovec – the unofficial capital of Soča Valley. It’s a pleasant hike also appropriate for families.
Additionally there are numerous long-distance trails running through Soca River Valley and can be used as a foundation to plan a longer active holidays in Slovenia. One of them is the new Juliana Trail (opened in 2019) which consists of 16 stages and circulates the Julian Alps. Another one is the famous 750-kilometres long international Alpe-Adria Trail that runs from the Austrian Alps to the Adriatic Sea in Italy. Is that too much for you? No worries, you can also opt for shorter historic Walk of Peace – a collection of paths connecting the WWI locations in this area. If you are a history enthusiast, we can even get you a professional guide to show you around the numerous trenches, forts and bunkers used during the so called Isonzo front.
For those of you seeking week-long self-guided hiking tours, we invite you to check out our pre-prepared ➨ hiking itineraries.
Soca River Valley is a heaven for outdoor junkies
CYCLING & MOUNTAIN BIKING
Cycling is another big thing in the valley of Soca. Whether you prefer road cycling or mountain biking, there are countless routes of different levels you can choose from. Those of you who prefer the first option might be willing to challenge the highest road in Slovenia which climbs to Mangartsko sedlo at the altitude of 2040 meters above sea level or the highest mountain pass in the country – Vršič (1611 meters) that connects Soča Valley with Kranjska Gora, another popular sport centre. But don’t worry, there are many family-friendly options as well. Our guides and agents will be happy to point out those that most suit your physical condition and time schedule.
Mountain bike lovers have even more options than their road buddies. The steep slopes of the Julian Alps high above Bovec, Kobarid and Tolmin offer numerous climbs rewarded with magnificent views. If you choose to bike across mountain ridge of Kolovrat you can combine the workout with an interesting historic tour of the open-air museum as these slopes were important WWI battlegrounds. The most crazy ones will take a gondola to Mt Kanin and choose one of the downhill starting points – the highest and most advanced downhill track one starts at the altitude of 2292 meters!
All of the biking tours can be done with a guide or you can do them on your own as a daily excursion from one of the Soča Valley’s towns. Get in touch with our agents to include them into your tailor-made Slovenia trip. For those of you seeking longer self-guided biking tours, we invite you to check out our ➨ cycling itineraries.
ZIP-LINE
To appreciate the beautiful nature of Soča River Valley from another angle, you might want to consider experiencing one of the two zip-line adventures in the area. They are both equally thrilling and adrenaline rush is guaranteed. For less demanding adventure seekers, the region also features a few adrenaline parks which are appropriate for all ages. Let us know if this is something your family or a group of friends would be interested in including into you Slovenian trip.
Still want more? We got you covered! The hills surrounding Soča Valley are great starting points for paragliding and hang gliding. Even if you don’t have any experiences, you can still do it in a tandem with a professional. On the other hand Bovec Airport offers panoramic flights and/or skydiving over the valley. You name it, Soča has it all!
➨ go on a rock climbing adventure
➨ dare a 55-meters high bungee jump
➨ relax with fly fishing
➨ explore the area on a horse back
➨ enjoy golfing in pristine nature
to include these adventures
into your tailor-made Slovenia tour
As you can see, the options of adding some adrenaline when you travel to Slovenia are literally limitless. Get in touch with us at ➨ info@ekorna.net and our friendly agents will be happy to organise a tailor-made trip just for you. Whether you travel alone, in pairs, as a family or a in a group of friends – the Soča River Valley awaits you!