How to Visit Slap Savica Waterfall of Slovenia | Trail, Map & More

While Slovenia is home to plenty of mountains and lakes, it is also home to some of the most beautiful waterfalls. One of the top ones to visit in the country is the emerald colored Slap Savica waterfall located near Bohinj.

During a visit to Slap Savica waterfall, you will be able to take part of a short hike with some stunning valley views and end the trail directly in front of this 78 meter / 250+ foot double waterfall.

This guide will go into detail on how to visit the waterfall and what to expect along the way to better prepare you for your trip.

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1) Waterfall Facts & Background

Below is an excerpt from one of the informational boards on the way up to the waterfall itself. This should give you a bit better background about Slap Savica and what makes it so unique:

“Water flows from the cave passage through a fault line in the Komarca rock wall, and its outflow is a karst spring at an altitude of 836m. After a few rapids, the water starts flowing diagonally and then falls into the depths almost vertically. The total height difference of the higher, right hand cascade is 78m.

There is a 40m long first lake in the underground karst tunnel behind the source of the higher part of the waterfall, and there are also three other smaller lakes. It has been discovered that a vast amount of water from the second lake flows out along a crevice from the main water channel and emerges as the lower, 25m left hand cascade. When the water further expands this crevice in the future, only the lower part of this majestic two part waterfall will remain. This already happens in longer dry periods.”

» If you are interested in following the water’s path to its source, you can take part of the Triglav Seven Lakes hike. Read more in the guide!

Today, Slap Savica stands as one of Slovenia’s most visited attractions.

Some of that can be attributed to France Preseran, a famous Slovenian poet, who wrote about the waterfall in a poem, Baptism at the Savica.

2) How Do You Get to Slap Savica

Slap Savica is located on the western side of Lake Bohinj.

At the Slap Savica entrance, you will find a parking lot and ticket office. From there it is a short but tough uphill hike until you reach the waterfall itself. The more popular closest towns to the waterfall would be:

• Ukanc: 4km / 10 minute drive
• Ribcev Laz: 9km / 15 minute drive
• Bled: 35km / 40 minute drive

If you are staying in Ukanc you could opt for the 4km / 2.5 mile walk to waterfall. However, the more likely option is to drive your own rental car there. The drive is pretty straightforward from any of the three towns mentioned above.

All you need to do is input “Slap Savica” waterfall into your GPS and you should be taken right to the parking lot. From the parking lot, it is a few minute walk until you reach the ticket booth entrance.

Read More: Visit the Slap Savica waterfall as part of a longer Slovenia road trip around the country

Savica Waterfall Parking Lot

Once you reach the parking lot, you can choose from one of the many spots to park in. As you park your car, someone will approach you to ask for a 5 Euro parking fee.

Also, within the parking lot area you will find a couple mountain huts – Planinski dom Savica and Koca pre Savici. These are also great options to stay at if you want to visit the waterfall and some of the nearby trails (note you can start the Seven Lakes Valley hike from here as well).

Just beyond Planinski dom Savica you will be directed towards the entrance ticket booth for the trail.

Car Rentals: When renting a car in Slovenia, I would recommend checking out Rentalcars.com for potential options. You will be able to browse through cars based on price, category & other filters, to find the perfect car for your trip.

Savica Waterfall Bus

If you do not have your own car to drive to the parking lot, you should be able to get on a bus that will take you directly there. These busses usually only run during the high season (June – September).

The Bohinj website has a bus schedule for the area that you can take a look at. It stops all around Bohinj, and is an easy hop on – hop off type of bus.

If you are looking to take a bus from Bled, there *may* also be that option during the high season. You can connect with your hotel in Bled or the Bled tourist information office for up to date info.

3) Where to Stay

If you are traveling to the region, the most popular place to base yourself in would be in Bled (a great base for exploring Triglav National Park and other Slovenia hikes).

Bled is a charming little town located closer to the eastern end of the Lake. There are plenty of hotels, guesthouses, and apartments to choose from during a visit to the region. I thought it may be helpful to give three highly recommended options of where to stay.

During high season, these hotels will sell out. So once you know your dates I would advise to book your hotel as soon as possible.

4) Slap Savica Things to Know

Below are just a few additional helpful things to know about visiting Slap Savica waterfall.

Savica Waterfall Ticket: you will need to purchase a ticket from the booth at the entrance to visit the waterfall. It is a very affordable ticket at just 4 Euro for adults / 2 Euro for kids (7-14) / and free for kids younger than 7.

When to Visit: try and plan your visit to the waterfall for the early morning or late afternoon. Remember, this is one of the more popular attractions in the area and many group tours visit the waterfall.

The ending point of the waterfall trail is just a small staircase so it can get overcrowded. When I visited, I made it there around 4:30PM and it was relatively empty of people.

Can You Swim in Savica Waterfall: The answer is no, you cannot swim in Savica waterfall. As you will see in the photos, there is a gate blocking off access from the trail towards the waterfall pool. It is there for a reason and you should not be going around it.

5) Map & Hiking Route

Below you can find a helpful map that pinpoints the different places of interest during a visit to the waterfall. I have pinpointed down the parking lot, entrance booth, and the waterfall itself.

You can also see the trail highlighted in blue that you will follow along until you reach Slap Savica.

6) Slap Savica Waterfall Trail

From the parking lot, you can simply follow the signs pointing you towards Slap Savica.

The trail to the entrance can be found just beyond Planinski dom Savica, where you should see the pathway head into the forest. You will be directed to the entrance booth, buy your ticket, and continue along the trail.

The trail itself is well maintained throughout with steps and railings in place. However, do prepare yourself for a 20 minute or so walk up 500+ stairs from the ticket booth entrance.

That’s right, to visit the waterfall, you will need to work for it.

Along the way you will find a couple of rest areas to relax at and some informational sign boards along the way. There is a great lookout area down the valley with the mountains out back and Lake Bohinj in view.

Soon after continuing along the trail, you will then come across a bench area and the waterfall will come into view. It is a a short staircase down to the bottom of the pathway and the closed gate I was referring to earlier on.

This staircase can get crowded during peak hours with people going up and down, trying to take pictures, and enjoying the view. So, if you are visiting during those times, just be prepared for it.

On the other hand, if visiting early or later on in the day, you may get lucky and have the whole place to yourself. Take a look at the next section for some great Slap Savica images.

7) Savica Images

Below are just a few pictures I was able to take during my time visiting Slap Savica waterfall. Some were taken directly at the closed gate while others were taken from a bit higher up on the staircase.

That about does it for a guide to the Slap Savica waterfall of Slovenia. If you are looking to visit another nearby waterfall, check out the guide to the Slap Pericnik Waterfall I put together.

Also, don’t forget to check out the other Slovenia itineraries and guides up on the site, like the ones about the Vintgar Gorge, hiking Mount Vogel, and the hike up Mount Triglav!

Have fun out there and safe travels!

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