Unique and exclusive to Walks Worldwide, this one-week trekking and wildlife adventure offers opportunities to see the Carpathian bear on foot.
- Unique & exclusive to Walks Worldwide
- The majestic peaks of the High Tatras
- Walk through dramatic gorges
- A chance to see bears in the wild
This is a challenging walking holiday in a spectacular mountain area, with the opportunity to see bears. The trip does not involve sitting around in a bear hide all day hoping a bear might just come along – our aim is to following their tracks and trails to actively locate and observe the bears (from a safe distance of course) in their natural habitat.
Reaching the Silent Valley, a park ranger will accompany us as we go ‘off piste’ and walk amongst the mountains in an area where tourists are usually forbidden. In cooperation with the local rangers and national park, the group size is limited to a maximum of eight to minimise disturbance to the natural habitat.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1: Fly to Poprad & transfer to Hrabušice
Fly from the UK to Poprad, where you will be met and transferred to
Hrabušice village. -
Day 2: Walk in Slovak Paradise Park
Head out after breakfast for a long walk through the stunning and dramatic gorges of Slovak Paradise Park.
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Day 3: Transfer to Western Tatras & trek up Kamienista Valley
Drive to the Western Tatras for a walk up Kamienista Valley, a track well-used by bears. You’ll have good chances of seeing some of these magnificent animals eating the grass and berries that thrive on these open slopes.
Walking distance: 15 km | Ascent: 445 m | Descent: 815 m
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Day 4: Scout for bears on the slopes of Silent Valley
Walk through areas forbidden to tourists with your park ranger. You will almost certainly see traces of bears here: scratching posts, dung and maybe footprints. Your target area is a large bowl where one of the most visible bears spends a lot of time. In addition you may see red deer and plenty of birds, including golden eagles.
Walking distance: 17 km | Ascent: 1,000 m | Descent: 1,000 m
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Day 5: Hike through forest to Liptovske Kopy, a bear rich area
Ascend through deep forest towards the Krisna peak, a favourite area for one of the collared bears. See marmots and red deers in an area that is also rich in bears, before descending to the Koprova valley and heading back to the ranger cottage.
Walking distance: 18 km | Ascent: 1,000 m | Descent: 900 m
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Day 6: Drive to Slovak village of Spišská Sobota
Walk to meet your vehicle and head to Spišská Sobota, a beautifully preserved example of a Slovak village on the outskirts of Poprad. Stay in a converted townhouse on the delightful square, which also has a church and is worth a visit.
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Day 7: Free day to explore Spišská Sobota, visit Poprad or Spis Castle
Today is free for you to explore the town or take an optional excursion. Perhaps visit the famous Spis Castle, some of the many caves in the area, the award-winning eco-water park complex or do some bird watching.
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Day 8: Fly back to the UK
Transfer from Spišská Sobota to Poprad International airport for your flight back to the UK.
Please note: This guided trip is physically demanding, requiring a good level of fitness. We walk for seven to nine hours each day, along many well marked trails, but also on unmarked routes through the mountains and forest in our quest for bears.
Price and Other Information
- Duration and price excluding international flights: 8 days from £1,045 per person
- Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 8 days from £1,295 per person
- Single room supplement: From £150
- Walking grade: Demanding
- Guiding: Guided Group Private-Guided
- Max alt: 2,493m
- Group size: 2-12
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When to go: View Dates & Prices
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Route map:
View map 
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What’s included
- Hotel x 2 nights, pension x 2 nights, ranger cottage x 3 nights
- 7 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners
- Experienced English-speaking guide
- Airport transfers
Next Steps
| Year | Starts | Ends | Price From (Exc. Flights) | Holiday Status | Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All prices are per person. All our guided group trips have the option to be taken as a private guided itinerary. * Available: this holiday is available to book. ** Guaranteed: this holiday is available to book and is guaranteed to run. *** Fully Booked: if your preferred holiday is full we may be able to offer you a private departure or tailor a holiday to suit your requirements, please contact us for more details. | |||||
| 2024 | 31 May | 7 Jun | £985 | Available* | Book or Enquire |
| 2024 | 15 Sep | 22 Sep | £985 | Available* | Book or Enquire |
If you can’t see the holiday or departure date that you are looking for please contact us. We may be in the process of finalising further departures and are often able to arrange a holiday for you according to your own requirements.
