The Vintgar Gorge is clearly the most beautiful gorge on Lake Bled. If you are in the area, then you simply have to stop by here. The hike along the narrow gorge is just really spectacular and can definitely keep up with the most beautiful gorges in neighboring Austria.
What are the most beautiful highlights of the Vintgar Gorge, how to get there and where to park at the Vintgar Gorge you can read in our travel report.
Hi Guys!
We are Sabrina and Andreas, two adventurous travelers who never miss an opportunity to discover the world. Whether by plane to distant countries or with our campervan Bruno, we just love to travel. We hope to give you helpful tips for your next trip on our blog.
Sabrina & Andreas Globetrotters, Travelers, Adventurers
The Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia
The Vintgar Gorge is a narrow gorge carved by the Radnova River between the mountains Hom and Boršt. You can hike along the ridge on narrow boardwalks for almost exactly 1.6 km and have spectacular views of the river and the steep rock walls next to you.
Immediately after you pass the entrance with an attached café (where, by the way, you can get delicious Bled cream cake), you will realize why the Vintgar Gorge is such a popular destination.
You can see the river directly below you as you walk across a narrow wooden bridge.
Everywhere it drips down on you from the rock walls. This can make the boardwalks very slippery, so you should proceed with caution. The steep rocks are overgrown with greenish shimmering moss and grasses. The gorge is sometimes wide, sometimes narrow.
You walk sometimes on the left side and sometimes on the right hand side of the roaring river. The water has a beautiful turquoise color, while it flows with a loud roar under you through the gorge. 
After 30-60 minutes (depending on how many photos you take along the way) you will reach the end of the gorge and see the last highlight of the Vintgar gorge, the Šum waterfall.
This is the highest river waterfall in Slovenia, but definitely not the most spectacular.
Here at the end of the hike is another small café and if you want to go back to the entrance, then you have to keep left here. After a few hundred meters, which are quite steep, you will pass through a small village.
There are also some cabs ready to take you back to the parking lot for 7 euros. But this is really not necessary, because if you have made it this far, then the way back to the parking lot is just a piece of cake. 
From the village, the path is well signposted back towards the river and you then walk above the gorge back to the entrance. You will always have a beautiful view of the water rushing by just 50 meters below you.
It took us a total of 1 hour to walk through the gorge and a little less than 1 hour to walk back.
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Tips for the Vintgar Gorge Hike
How to get to Vintgar Gorge?
The Vintgar Gorge is only a 10 minute drive from the famous Lake Bled and can therefore also be reached by bike. If you are traveling by car, you can follow the numerous signs or use Google Maps to find your way.
If you are sporty, you can also take an e-bike tour from Bled to the Vintgar Gorge*.
E-Bike Tour to Vintgar Gorge | Check Prices*
Where is the best place to park at the Vintgar Gorge Slovenia?
When you drive the last kilometers to the gorge you will see numerous parking signs and many friendly helpers want to lure you to the best/last parking spot. However, if you are not arriving at midday during the peak season, we would recommend that you simply drive through to the end and take the last parking spot.
Not only do you have to walk less, but you don’t even pay a euro more, because all parking spaces cost exactly 5 euros per day. Even though the last parking lot is idyllically located directly at the raging river Radnova, camping is unfortunately forbidden here (like everywhere in Slovenia).
Entrance fees & opening hours
You pay 10 Euro per person and 3 Euro per dog or child. You can buy the tickets on the spot. If you want to visit the gorge in the high season between 9 and 13 o’clock then you have to buy the tickets online. You can do this on the following website: vintgar.si/price-list
The Vintgar Gorge is open between April and October at the following times:
- April weekends and holidays 9:00 – 17:00
- rest of April 10:00- 16:00
- 1. May – 27. May 9:00 – 17:00
- 28. May – 24 June 8:00 – 18:00
- 25. June – 21. August 7: 30 – 19:00
- 22. August – 18. September 8:00 – 18:00
- 19. September – 10. October 8:00 – 17:00
- From 11 October – until closing at the end of October 9:00 – 16:00
Accommodation near the Vintgar Gorge Slovenia
At the nearby Lake Bled there are wonderful places to stay overnight. We recommend you the following very well equipped hotel directly at the lake.
Penzion Pibernik in Bled
Penzion Pibernik is a family-run bed & breakfast in a quiet location.
The hotel is located on a large meadow surrounded by a forest above the Sava River, only 300 m from the main road to Lake Bled.
You can reach the lake very quickly on foot. Nevertheless, you are in a quiet environment in the middle of the forest.
Penzion Pibernik | Check Prices*Will it be very crowded at the Vintgar Gorge?
Since the gorge is one of the top highlights in Slovenia and especially in the area around Lake Bled, it gets very crowded here in the high season. In the low season it looks quite different.
We were here in early October and had to share the panorama only with a few other visitors, which was also very nice for our dog Aaro.
Are dogs allowed in the Vintgar Gorge?
It is allowed to take dogs into the Vintgar Gorge. You have to buy a ticket for your dog (3€) and keep it on a leash all the time. Then the Vintgar Gorge can also be a great experience for your dog.
But you should keep in mind that the paths here are very narrow and you must therefore sometimes walk past other visitors or dogs.