Half a day from Bled into Vrata valley. In summer we drive in. In winter we walk.
Peričnik drops fifty two metres off an overhanging lip of rock, and it is undercut deeply enough that a ledge runs along the back of it. In summer you can walk that ledge and stand behind the water looking out through it.
In winter you cannot, and you cannot drive there either. The road into Vrata closes, the valley empties out, and the only way to reach the waterfall is to walk in. Which is why the winter version of this morning is the one worth booking.
In summer you can drive most of the way to Peričnik, park, and be at the waterfall in ten minutes. Half of Slovenia does exactly that.
In winter the road into Vrata valley closes. The car parks are empty, the valley goes quiet, and the only way in is on foot. That is what this day is.
We drive you from Bled to where the road ends, and from there it is about two hours of walking up the valley through snow-covered forest, with the walls of the Julian Alps rising on both sides and almost nobody else out there. At the end of it, a fifty two metre waterfall coming off an overhang of rock, with the spray frozen onto everything around it and icicles hanging the length of a person.
Then, if the group is going well, we keep going.
Another hour and a half beyond the waterfall brings you to Aljažev dom, the mountain hut at the end of Vrata, and the reason to carry on past the falls.
The north face of Triglav stands above it. Two thousand metres of mountain, a wall of rock and snow that is one of the largest faces in the Alps, and in winter you will very likely have the whole thing to yourself. Photographs of it do not do what standing under it does.
This is the part of the day people talk about afterwards.
It is a long day on your feet. Around five hours of walking in total, on a steady gradient with no technical ground and no climbing, but the distance is real and it is cold.
You need to be reasonably fit and comfortable being outside in winter for a full day. If that sounds like you, nothing about this is difficult. If it does not, we run shorter winter days from Bled and we would rather point you at one of those than have you unhappy at kilometre six.
Your guide picks the gear for the conditions on the morning. Microspikes most days, crampons when it is icy, and a helmet where there is any chance of something coming off the walls above.
Conditions in the valley change week to week through the winter, and what is a straightforward walk in February can be a different proposition after fresh snow. Your guide reads that, chooses the right footwear for the day, and knows how close it is safe to get to the falls, which matters more than it sounds when there are icicles overhead.
The rest of it is simply that almost nobody knows the valley is walkable in winter. Most visitors read that the road is closed and cross it off the list.
Winter boots, jackets, backpacks and gloves, if you are travelling light.
If a full day on foot in the snow is more than you had in mind, we run plenty of shorter winter days from Bled. There is snowshoeing near Bled for a relaxed half day, sledding if you are here with kids, a winter adventure day on the snow if you would rather try three things than walk one valley, and the Bohinj and Kranjska Gora winter tour if you want to see a lot of the country without doing much walking at all.
The full list is on our winter activities in Bled page.
Can I drive to Peričnik in winter?
No. The road into Vrata valley closes for the winter, so the only way to reach the waterfall is on foot. That is exactly why the winter version of this tour exists. We drive you to where the road ends and walk in from there, and you get a frozen waterfall with nobody else at it.
How long is the walk in winter?
About TBC kilometres and TBC each way from where the road closes, on an easy gradient through the valley. It is a real distance rather than a stroll, but there is nothing technical about it and no climbing. We carry microspikes and hand them out wherever the track is icy.
How long is the walk in summer?
Ten to fifteen minutes each way from where we park, on a good path with some uphill. In summer the road is open all the way up the valley, so the walking is short and the driving does the work.
Can I walk behind the waterfall?
In summer, yes. The rock is undercut deeply enough that a ledge runs along the back of the falls and you can stand behind the water and look out through it. In winter that path is closed, because icicles come off the overhang without warning, so we admire it from a safe distance below instead.
Will the waterfall be frozen when I come?
Sometimes, and it depends on the year rather than the month. In a cold winter the flow drops, the spray freezes onto the rock and the trees, and icicles form along the overhang that are longer than a person. In a mild one it runs closer to normal. We describe it as a possibility, never a promise. Having the place to yourself is the part we can guarantee.
Why book a tour when the waterfall is free to visit?
In winter, because you cannot drive there and most visitors do not realise the valley is still open on foot. We handle getting you to the start and back and know the conditions on the way in. In summer the honest answer is that you can drive yourself, and we have written a [guide to doing that](https://www.altitude-activities.com/blog/all-interesting-facts-about-the-pericnik-waterfall). What the summer tour adds is the valley gate and parking handled, plus the drive on to the head of Vrata under the north face of Triglav, which almost every self-drive visitor turns around before reaching.
What is at the end of Vrata valley?
The north face of Triglav, around a thousand metres of rock standing straight up out of the valley floor and one of the largest faces in the Alps. There is also a monument at the valley head, a huge iron piton set in the ground, for the mountaineers killed in the war. We reach it in summer, when the road is open.
Is it suitable for children?
In summer, very much so. The walk is short and children love getting behind the falls. In winter it depends on the child, because the walk in is a real distance in the cold. Tell us their ages when you book and we will give you an honest answer.
What is included in the price?
Return transport from Bled, a local guide for the whole morning, all valley access and parking fees in season, microspikes in winter, and photos of you sent afterwards. Food and drinks are not included, and there are no museum or attraction entries in this tour.
What should I bring?
In summer, shoes with grip and a layer. In winter, proper winter boots, gloves and a warm jacket, because you will be on foot for considerably longer. A camera either way, and something to drink.
From: 95,00€
