# Visiting the Škocjan caves > As soon as we had picked up the rental car in Koper, we hit the road towards the famous Škocjan caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Source: https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/blog/visiting-the-skocjan-caves/ Published on 16 August 2019 As soon as we had picked up the rental car in Koper, we hit the road towards the famous **Škocjan caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site**. The road is really beautiful between the coast and the Karst region, with changing landscapes, between mountain and forest. We arrived at around 11am at the cave car park and, surprise... we had never seen so many people in Slovenia yet! The site staff are there to guide you to a space, it's very well organised. We then queued for about fifteen minutes to collect our tickets. > **Our tip** > > if you can, arrive at opening time, a little before 10am to avoid waiting long. The opening times on the website [here](https://www.park-skocjanske-jame.si/fr/contenu/informations_2/visites-du-parc). ## Visiting the caves ![Illustrated map of the three visitor routes around the site](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-02-0fe91a7c.webp) You can easily spend the day at the Škocjan caves! Indeed, two main routes are offered: - **Through the underground canyon**: this is a guided tour (offered every hour from 10am to 5pm in summer) which costs **16€ for students** and 20€ for adults. The tour lasts about **2h**, over three kilometres inside the caves. It is between 12 and 13 degrees in the cave, but personally, we had stayed in shorts because of the heat outside, and we weren't cold at all - **From the Reka river to the underground world**: this is a self-guided visit (but only offered between 10am and 3pm in summer) which on its own costs **9€ for students** and 12.50€ for adults. The visit lasts about **1h30**, over 1.5 kilometres in the canyon. There is a **combined ticket** including both routes which costs only **18€ for students** (_if we work it out right, the second walk therefore only comes to 2€..._) and 24€ for adults. We went for this option, which allowed us to see all of the caves. > **Our tip** > > pay attention to the visiting times, particularly for the second walk. Indeed, we hadn't noticed that it wasn't possible to do this visit after 3pm: we were still able to come back the next morning thanks to the kindness of the staff who gave us a special stamp on our tickets. So we came back at opening time at 10am and... we were alone in the immensity of the canyon! ## The Škocjan caves in pictures ### Through the underground canyon Photos are normally forbidden in the cave to preserve the place but... here are a few taken with a phone (without flash). The place is spectacular, so no photo can really do justice to the scale of these caves. The thread of light you can make out in the last photo, bottom right, is nothing other than the path along the cliff face that we took. ![Stepped limestone rimstone pools on the wall](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-03-ad1874bc.webp) ![Chamber bristling with stalactites above a green pool](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-04-1f11d5f1.webp) ![Path cut into the rock along the wall](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-05-685eb9e7.webp) ![Lit walkway running along the underground river](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-06-5cf7bb38.webp) ![Vast underground canyon crossed by beams of light](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-07-421d61e6.webp) ### From the river to the underground world It is certainly one of the loveliest surprises of our road trip in Slovenia. The canyon is so gigantic that you feel tiny in it. ![Cavity open to the daylight above a stretch of water](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-08-7213bab7.webp) ![Reflections of the vault in the motionless water](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-09-919b8869.webp) ![Rocky passage leading towards the lit exit](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-10-c44d67e9.webp) ![Metal walkway stretched between two walls](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-11-46f3bde7.webp) ![High dark wall followed by a suspended staircase](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-12-2aedbfc6.webp) ![Narrow gorge where the river disappears beneath the cliff](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-13-cb73d85f.webp) ### Along the educational trail While waiting for our guided tour to start, we went to the **educational** **trail**, which starts from the caves' restaurant. Only **250 metres** away, there is a belvedere with a stunning view over the canyon. ![Village perched at the edge of a limestone chasm](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-14-f76cc48c.webp) ![Wooded chasm glimpsed through the branches of a pine](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-15-7d7503df.webp) ![Cliffs and forest ringing the karst collapse](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-16-1dae3ec7.webp) After a quick lunch in the caves' restaurant (_which we don't recommend at all_), we set off on the educational trail which goes through the hamlet of Škocjan and then goes back down into the canyon. Don't miss the view from the church of Škocjan, over the whole green Karst valley. ![Church and village square at the entrance to the site](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-17-940a6dfe.webp) ![View over the wooded hills of the karst plateau](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-18-0df7eef9.webp) ![At a viewpoint above the wooded gorge](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-19-7a49b3ec.webp) ![Long white cliff and village bell tower in the distance](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-20-e84a8285.webp) ![Couple posing against a low wall in front of the chasm](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-21-c45dd040.webp) ![Stone staircase descending into the vegetation](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-22-cbbb529e.webp) ## Our favourite spots in the Karst - **Ice cream shop at the Škocjan caves**: very well located after a climb and the exit from the lift, this little ice cream shop offers six different flavours (**1.50€** a scoop) and cool flavoured waters (**1€** a glass). - **[Gostilna Skok](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g277815-d1020216-Reviews-Gostilna_Skok-Sezana_Slovenian_Littoral_Region.html)**: a very good spot in the Karst region, after visiting the caves (15 minutes by car). The terrace under the vines is very pleasant. On the menu, local produce such as Karst cured ham (**41€ for two** for a plate of ham, two mains and a dessert). ## What we thought of the Škocjan caves Visiting the Škocjan caves is one of our best memories of our trip to Slovenia! We had never visited such impressive caves. You quickly understand the reason for UNESCO's patronage when you see them. This natural site lets you discover both the underground world and also the canyon, the river and the surrounding hamlets: a very complete visit! **We can only advise you to set aside half a day or even a whole day for the Škocjan caves. A geological wonder in Slovenia!** Planning a trip to Slovenia? Read [our article about Ljubljana](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/blog/day-in-ljubljana/) and [our article about Piran and the Slovenian coast](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/blog/slovenian-coast-piran-izola/)! ![Green chasm overlooked by the village and its hills](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/visite-des-grottes-de-skocjan-23-a391b823.webp)