The Triglav National Park is home to a rather unique waterfall in Slovenia: the A-shape Savica Waterfall. When planning your trip to Slovenia, combine both a hike and beautiful views of the water rushing down by choosing to visit this place. Learn why it’s considered unique and how to visit with our full guide…you won’t be disappointed!
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Looking for more stunning waterfalls in Slovenia? Check these out!
What is Savica Waterfall
Savica Waterfall, also known as Slap Savica in Slovenian, is considered to be one of Slovenia’s most beautiful waterfalls. It’s located at the end of a short hike, with a well-maintained path that has steps and fences.
The waterfall is 78 metres tall and it splits in two before falling down into a green water basin. This is Savica Waterfall’s main peculiarity, which makes it a unique waterfall in the country.
Savica Waterfall is located in the Triglav National Park, at an altitude of 836 m above sea level. It is fed by the water flowing from the Triglav Lakes Valley, a stunning alpine valley in western Slovenia.
Where is Savica Waterfall
Savica Waterfall is located just 5 km west of lake Bohinj, or 90km from Slovenia’s capital city Ljubljana. Below is the exact location of Savica Waterfall:
How to get to Savica Waterfall
The waterfall can be reached after a short hike, which starts from a mountain hut called “Planinski dom Savica“. This restaurant can be reached by car, by public transport or even by walk. Those staying in Ukanc, in fact, could opt for a longer hike and walk the 4km road that connects the parking lot of Savica with Ukanc and Lake Bohinj.
🚗 By car – parking info
Savica Waterfall can easily be reached by car, and there is a wide parking area near “Planinski dom Savica“. Parking costs €5 EUR during high season (01/07-31/08), while it’s free of charge during the rest of the year.
- FROM BLED: Savica Waterfall is just 35km or 35 minutes from Lake Bled, via Bohinj Lake and Ukanc.
- FROM LJUBLJANA: The drive from Ljubljana to Slap Savica takes about 1h 15minutes, as the two places are almost 90km apart.
FIX THE GOOGLE BUG: When searching for directions to Savica Waterfall on google maps you won’t find the “drive” option to reach “Planinski dom Savica”, which is the designated parking area for Savica Waterfall. This is due to a google maps problem near Camp Bohinj, where both roads leading to Savica Waterfalls are indicated as walking routes, even though they are normal roads.
🚌 By public transport
- FROM BLED: there are two bus lines that take you either to Ukanc or to Ribčev Laz. The bus line operates every day and buses leave every hour. The ride takes about 35-45 minutes depending on your destination.
- FROM LJUBLJANA: the bus ride takes around 2 hours from Avtobusna postaja Ljubljana station to Ukanc. The village of Ukanc is 3.7 km away from Savica Slap and it takes an hour to walk up to the waterfall from there.
During peak season (from the 1st of July to the 20th of September), there is a shuttle bus that connects Bohinjska Bistrica to Savica Waterfall. The bus is run by Hop-on Hop-off Pokljuka, and stops at the car park next to Savica Waterfall.
🥾 Trail to Savica Waterfall
The trail to Savica Waterfall is a bit steep but overall quite easy, and pretty much everyone can do it. It takes about 30 minutes to climb the 553 steps leading all the way up to the waterfall.
If you have perfect weather, like what we had in the middle of May, the hike is definitely easygoing. It was sunny when we went and wasn’t too hot. If you are in good physical condition, it’s a short 25-30-minute walk up stairs and a rocky path. If you aren’t in as best physical health or are elderly, this trail can be a bit of a challenge to go up. But you don’t have to worry! There are several possibilities along the path to take a break on your way. You can find benches and space to stop and rest a bit if you feel the need.
The path gives you very different vibes depending on which season you visit Savica. The forest road crosses several small rivers, which you can see if you come here in spring when all the snow is melting from the mountains. While if you plan your trip in summer there is a high chance that you will see the rocky bed of these rivers because all of them will be temporarily dried out.
Our experience at Savica Waterfall
Slap Savica is a must-see in Triglav National Park, but the key is to visit it in good time to be able to see it in all its glory. We have been at the waterfall twice in different seasons and we had very different experiences. Here is what our visits looked like, so keep that in mind when planning your own!
- HIGH SEASON (08/22)
Visiting Slap Savica during summer 2022, in August, which is the high season in Slovenia. With high season come tourists and the trail becomes very busy, resulting in a less charming experience. While that’s something we were expecting, we had still hoped to find a beautiful, impressive waterfall at the end of the trail.
We walked our way up, and to our surprise, the waterfall didn’t quite look like it was supposed to look. The mainstream wasn’t flowing at all, and since you’re forced to look at it from behind a gate elbow to elbow with other tourists, the whole experience wasn’t fascinating at all.
Unfortunately, springs and summers in Europe are facing fewer rainfalls each year, and this is becoming so evident in lakes and streams. There is less water each year, no matter where you go, but here in Savica, the effect was even worse than in the other places.
- LOW SEASON (05/22)
Visiting Savica waterfall in the same year (2022) during the low season brought us an entirely different experience. We started our way up to the waterfall on an early Sunday morning in May, and to our surprise, there was already a tourist bus in the parking lot. When we got back from the waterfall two more buses had arrived.
May is the low season in Slovenia, but popular places like Savica Waterfall can be busy year-round during the weekends. The way up to Slap Savica was already a bit crowded, but not as crowded as in summer for sure.
At the top – between the shelter and the small gate which divides you from the waterfall – there were people lining up trying to snap some pics. Seeing the crowd was quite disappointing compared to what we expected from the low season, but the waterfall was stunning in the morning sun and even a rainbow appeared before the fall.
The huge amount of water came down with such force that if you got even just a little bit closer to the waterfall, you could already feel the water spraying all over you. If you want to keep your clothes perfectly dry but take a look at the waterfall from a bit closer it might be useful for you to bring a raincoat.
What else to see in the area
If you are keen to discover other waterfalls in Slovenia, don’t miss Slap Pericnik and Slap Virje. Both of them are worth the visit, with Slap Pericnik possibly being the best waterfall in Slovenia.
Just next to Lake Bohinj there is another activity that you don’t want to miss: the Vogel Cable Car. It’s one of the best hikes next to the lake and on top of the Vogel Ski Station, there is a gorgeous viewpoint overlooking the Bohinj Lake valley with a restaurant.
If you are looking for some great views and a hike worth the sweat we would recommend you the hike to Slemenova Špica in the Julian Alps.
Entrance Fee
There is an entrance fee to visit Slap Savica. The price of the ticket depends on the time of your visit, and it costs more during the high season. Tickets can be bought at the entrance. Here are the details for the admission fee:
High season (01/07 – 31/08)
– Adults: €4.00 EUR
– Children 7-14 years: €2.00 EUR
– Pupils, students: €2.50 EUR
– Seniors 65+: €2.50 EUR
Low season (between 01/01-30/06 and 01/09-31/12)
– Adults: €3.00 EUR
– Children 7-14 years: €1.50 EUR
– Pupils, students: €2.50 EUR
– Seniors 65+: €2.50 EUR
The entrance is FREE for children up to 6 years.
Best time to visit
Pretty much all waterfalls change a lot across the different seasons, and Savica Waterfall is no exception. It’s actually one of the waterfalls that changes the most.
The best time to visit Savica is in SPRING when the snow in the mountains above Lake Bohinj is melting and all that water drops down 78 meters. On the opposite side, the “worst” time to visit the waterfall is in summer (or the end of summer), because after a very dry season, the waterfall and surrounding streams may dry up completely.
So do not leave Savica disappointed, we would recommend you plan your trip there in spring (May is a perfect month) and visit the waterfall in the early morning hours when the sun is still enlightening the cascade and it’s more likely less crowded with tourists.
What to bring
Make sure to bring cash with you, as you can only pay for the ticket in cash.
We recommend you wear comfortable shoes and bring some water with you for the trip. During opening hours, you can buy drinks in the guest house next to the parking lot and you can stop for a coffee & snacks after the hike.
Where to stay near Savica Waterfall
Slap Savica is located near Lake Bohinj, which is the perfect place to spend a few nights.
The closest place to the waterfall is called Planinski dom Savica, and it offers double rooms for €144 EUR per night. It’s not the cheapest option, but it’s clean and the rooms are nice.
If you’re looking to stretch your Euros as much as possible, Camp Bohinj is your option. A spot here only costs €15 EUR per person, but you need to bring your own tent or rent one. Another budget-friendly option is Hostel pod Voglom, located on the lakeside. Here you can get a double room for €44 EUR per night in low season. Please note prices increase during the higher season.
A mid-range option is Apartments pr’ Špeli, which costs about €100 EUR/night for a double room. Another beautiful one is Apartments Ukanc, costing just slightly more.
Keep in mind Lake Bohinj is a popular mountain resort and it tends to be quite pricy compared to other areas in Slovenia. If you own a car and want to save some money, look at accommodations down the valley, further from the lake.