Savica Waterfall (Slap Savica): Visiting Bohinj's Twin Waterfall
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Savica Waterfall (Slap Savica) drops 78 meters in two streams above the western end of Lake Bohinj, and you reach it on foot: 553 stone steps through forest, about 20 to 25 minutes from the parking area at Koča pri Savici. The left stream falls 78 meters and the right one 25 meters, and the water arrives from hidden cave channels fed by the Triglav Lakes Valley before it spills into the green basin below the wall of Komarča.
What you see at Savica Waterfall
The fall is a double stream in the shape of the letter A, with the taller left branch dropping 78 meters and the shorter right branch 25 meters. The water comes out of cave passages rather than over a surface riverbed, which is why the fall appears suddenly from the rock face below Komarča. Flow is strongest in spring and autumn.
The source describes the waterfall as the birthplace of the Sava river and a site tied to Slovenian poetry, but the practical appeal is the short climb through forest to a viewing point in a green bowl of rock. Budget your time for the climb, not for a long trail: the marked path from the parking area is the whole route.
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Where Savica Waterfall is
Savica Waterfall sits above the far western end of Lake Bohinj, near Ukanc, at the Savica parking area by Koča pri Savici. The GPS coordinates listed for the site are 46.292775 N and 13.796572 E, which is what you want in a navigation app if the village name alone sends you to the wrong side of the lake.
The waterfall is one of several stops around the lake, so it works well as an early or late slot in a day that otherwise stays low. If you are building a day around the lake, the Bohinj Attractions: 5 Visitor Guides covers the other places near Ribčev Laz and Bohinjsko jezero.
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How to get there by car
An asphalt road runs to the parking area at Koča pri Savici, where the walking path begins. From Ribčev Laz at Lake Bohinj the drive is about 9 kilometers and roughly 15 minutes by car. From Ljubljana the waterfall is about 90 kilometers away.
Parking is behind a barrier and takes payment by card only, with no cash accepted at the machine. Rates depend on vehicle height and length of stay, and a vehicle up to 2 meters pays less than a taller van or motorhome, so check the posted board before you pull in if you are driving a camper.
Getting there without a car
Public transport can bring you as far as the parking area, but the last stretch to the fall is always on foot. From Ribčev Laz the walk to the parking area takes about two and a half hours one way, which turns a short visit into most of a day.
If you are relying on the train, the Bohinj railway puts you in Bohinjska Bistrica and connects onward toward Nova Gorica, but it does not reach the lake or the waterfall itself, so you still need a bus, taxi or a long walk from the station. Plan the lake end of the trip separately from the rail leg.
The walk up: 553 stone steps
The path climbs through forest on a maintained trail whose signature feature is a long run of stone steps, 553 in total, taking about 20 to 25 minutes at an easy pace. The route is not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs, and the steps are the reason.
Wear shoes with grip and carry water, because the climb is short but steady and the stone can be slick after rain. Dogs are allowed on a leash and are not charged.
Tickets and opening hours
The charge at Savica is a fee for maintaining the path, paid at an entrance point before the steps, not a guided tour. Adults and teenagers aged 16 and over pay 4.00 euros, children and teenagers up to 15.99 years enter free, and everyone enters free on the first Sunday of each month. Holders of a recognized disability card and the Julian Alps card (Bohinj) also enter free, and licensed group guides are not charged. Cash, card and vouchers for announced groups are accepted.
The entrance point keeps seasonal hours, published in advance with a date range rather than as a year-round schedule. For the period from August 1 to December 31, 2026, the published hours run from 8:00 to 19:00 in August and September, 9:00 to 17:00 in October, and 9:00 to 16:00 in November and December. Treat those as the posted schedule for that window and confirm the hours for your own dates at the entrance point before driving up.
Parking rates and the free window
Parking is tiered by vehicle height and by time. Vehicles up to 2 meters pay 7 euros for up to three hours or 15 euros for a full day; vehicles over 2 meters pay 25 euros for up to three hours or 50 euros for a day. Any vehicle is free for the first 15 minutes, which covers a quick drop-off but not a visit.
Payment is card-only at the barrier, so a wallet of cash will not get you through, and the site notes a 100-euro charge for misuse of the parking conditions. The lot is managed for the Archdiocese of Ljubljana, and a support phone line is posted at the site.
Winter visits
The waterfall can be visited in winter, and the path is cleared as quickly as conditions allow, but snow can remain on the steps or fall from trees above them. Proper footwear matters more in winter than in summer, and the entrance point can close when conditions turn dangerous.
The mountain hut at the parking area, Koča pri Savici, serves drinks and snacks, but it is closed in the winter months. Snacks, drinks and souvenirs are available at the entrance point to the waterfall instead, so you are not entirely without options out of season.
Weather closures and safety
The entrance point and the access path close in heavy rain, storms, snowfall, ice, high water, or when there is a risk of landslides and falling rock. That is a real planning factor in Bohinj, where afternoon storms build quickly in summer; go in the morning if the forecast is unsettled, and accept that a closure can cancel the visit.
Keep the leash rule in mind if you travel with a dog, and keep to the marked path rather than cutting across wet stone. The steps are the route, and shortcuts around them are not part of the maintained trail.
How long to allow, and what is nearby
Allow about an hour to an hour and a half at the waterfall itself: 20 to 25 minutes up, time at the viewing area, and the descent. Add the 9-kilometer drive each way from Ribčev Laz, and the outing takes half a day rather than a quick stop.
Back at the lake, the Vogel Cable Car in Bohinj, Slovenia lifts you to views over the water on a clear day, and the Church of St John the Baptist in Bohinj at Ribčev Laz is an easy stop on the drive back. Both fill out the same day without another long climb.
Should Savica fit into your Bohinj day?
Yes, if you can handle 553 stone steps and want a short, contained outing close to the lake. No, if you are traveling with a stroller or wheelchair, or if your group cannot manage a steady climb on uneven stone, because there is no alternative route to the fall.
Check the entrance hours and the weather before you drive up, carry a card for the parking barrier, and keep the walk from Ribčev Laz as a separate plan rather than a substitute for the drive. The Bohinj Attractions: 5 Visitor Guides helps you slot Savica alongside the rest of the lake.