Kayak Rental

This is the no-instructor option. You take a recreational kayak, paddle a marked-out flatwater stretch of the Soča, and we pick you and the boat up downstream when you’re done. There’s no schedule beyond “be off the water by 18:00” and no guide watching you. It’s the closest thing to a kayak hire-by-the-hour service in the valley — except we drive you back to your car after.

Two things to be clear about, because we’d rather under-promise:

1. This is flatwater, not whitewater. The stretch we let solo paddlers onto runs class I (basically a moving lake) with one short class-I+ riffle near the end. Anything trickier and you need our [Whitewater Kayaking](/activities/whitewater-kayaking/) trip.

2. You should have paddled a kayak before. Not at instructor level, just enough to know how to get back in if you fall out. If you’ve never kayaked, take a [Kayak Lesson](/activities/kayak-lesson/) first — €65 well spent.

### The route

The standard rental run goes from a put-in just outside Tolmin down to the Idrjica gorge confluence. It’s about 6 km of paddling and takes most people two to three hours including swimming breaks (which you will want — there’s a beach halfway that locals consider one of the better swimming spots in the country).

If you want to extend, we can put you in higher up for an extra €10 and you’ll get an extra hour on the water. Ask at the desk.

### What’s included

– Recreational sit-on-top or short sit-inside kayak
– Paddle, helmet (optional but recommended), PFD, wetsuit if conditions warrant
– Dry-bag for valuables
– Map of the route with put-in, take-out, exit points, and the “do not pass this point” warning
– Pickup from the take-out and transport back to Camp Gabrje
– A 20-minute briefing on river-reading, the route, and what to do if anything unexpected happens

### What’s NOT included

– Soča River Pass — required by law for every person on the river. €18/day, [gosoca.si](https://www.gosoca.si). Buy it before arrival.
– Lunch. There’s a good spot in Tolmin for sandwiches; we’ll point you at it.

### Skill prerequisites

You don’t need to have taken our lesson — but you do need:

– To have kayaked before (any flatwater experience is fine)
– To be confident getting back into a sit-on-top in chest-deep water
– To be a confident swimmer
– A willingness to listen to the briefing and stay on the marked route

If you’re not sure, take the lesson first. Half the kayak-rental customers we’ve sent home with refunds are people who overestimated their skill level on the morning of the booking. We’d rather you have a good day.

### What to bring

– Swimsuit
– Towel and dry clothes
– Water shoes or old trainers (NO flip-flops)
– Sunscreen — you’ll be out for hours, the alpine UV is harsh
– Snack and water bottle
– A waterproof bag for your phone if you want to bring it (we provide one but you might want your own)

### Schedule and meeting point

May through September, daily. Two start windows: 9:00–11:00 and 13:00–15:00. Last pickup at the take-out is 18:00 sharp.

Meet at Camp Gabrje 29, 5220 Tolmin. Same briefing room as the rest of our activities.

### Why book with us

The flatwater run is well-known enough that several outfits offer it. We picked the route, we shuttle you back, and our boats are recent-model Prijons rather than the battered fleet some outfits have. The price is competitive (€38 is roughly the valley standard) and the bag of dry kit at the take-out — towel, hot tea, somewhere to change — is included.