Mushrooms in the forest are a whole world. This Bovec experience turns mushroom hunting into a food day, led by Bojan and Anja—a father and daughter duo who teach you what you’re looking at, how to handle it, and how to cook it. You start with breakfast at Bovec kitch’n, then you head into the woods, come back with your basket, and finish with hands-on cooking and tasting.

What I like most is the focus on real local expertise and the way the day covers the full process. You don’t just pick mushrooms; you learn how to clean, prepare, and store them, then you create mushroom-based dishes and taste the results. I also appreciate the value-added extras: a digital recipe booklet, snacks, lunch, and even a gift.

One thing to consider is that the day depends on conditions in the forest. In bad weather, they’ll try to reschedule, and if they can’t, the experience can be cancelled and you’ll be notified beforehand.

Key things to know before you go

• Real people, real authority: Bojan and Anja are from Bovec, and Bojan holds the highest title at the Mycological Association of Slovenia.
• You start with breakfast, not just a walk: Breakfast at Bovec kitch’n gives you energy before foraging.
• You’ll learn safety through identification: The program includes edible and non-edible mushroom knowledge, taught in the field.
• From basket to plate: After picking, you clean, prepare, and store mushrooms, then cook and taste.
• Food that matches the season: The lunch includes a tasting dish made from the mushrooms you forage.
• Everything is timed well: The day runs about 6 hours, starting at 8:30 am, with a snack midway.

Meet Bojan and Anja: Mycology in the Soča Valley

If you’re drawn to Bovec for the outdoors, this adds a second theme: fungi, taught by locals who actually do this. Bojan and Anja aren’t there to hand you a basket and hope for the best. They guide you through identification, and they explain what to look for so you’re not just collecting random stuff.

Bojan’s credentials matter here. He has the highest title at the Mycological Association of Slovenia and works as a mentor, which helps explain why the tour leans educational, not casual. That comes through in the experience flow: the day is structured around understanding mushrooms before touching them.

I also like the father-daughter dynamic. It tends to make the experience feel grounded rather than scripted. You’re getting local context alongside field skills, including the idea that natural flavors should stay front and center when you cook.

Breakfast at Bovec kitch’n: your fuel for a forest morning

You begin at Mala vas 114a, with the action starting at 8:30 am. Then you head to the terrace of Bovec kitch’n for a homemade breakfast made from local ingredients. This isn’t just a snack to keep you quiet until the hike; it’s a proper start so you can handle a few hours outdoors.

The practical value here is timing. Mushroom foraging often means you need your energy early, and a solid breakfast helps you stay focused when you’re walking, bending, and examining growth on the forest floor. It also sets the tone that the mushrooms you find will matter later at the table.

One small drawback you might want to think about: since it’s a forest-focused day, you should plan to eat the day’s schedule as designed. If you’re the type who prefers to graze whenever you feel like it, you may feel locked into breakfast, then the picking and cooking blocks.

Into the Bovec forests: picking edible mushrooms the right way

After breakfast, the tour moves into the woods. You’ll hike for a few hours while you look for mushrooms and learn as you go. The “look” part is important: you’re taught how to recognize mushrooms, not just where to find them.

This is where the hosts’ expertise becomes the main feature. In the field, you’ll learn about edible and non-edible mushrooms, so your understanding goes beyond a single success story. People come away with the sense that they can use some of that knowledge at home, which is rare for a food tour.

There’s also a simple safety reason this works. Foraging isn’t the kind of hobby where guessing pays off. When you have a guide who can identify what you’re holding, you’re not just collecting—you’re learning.

You also get a mushroom basket for the foraging. That detail sounds minor, but it fits the real purpose: you’re picking enough to use later, and you’re doing it in a way that’s manageable for the walk back and the cooking session.

The reality check: weather and how it affects your day

This tour has one big outdoors variable: weather. If conditions aren’t good, they’ll reschedule if possible. If rescheduling isn’t possible, the experience is cancelled, and you’ll be notified ahead of time.

So your best move is to treat it like a forest plan, not a guaranteed city event. If you’re traveling in Slovenia and have tight timing, it’s smart to keep your schedule flexible around this day.

On the plus side, the tour is structured so the key moments happen early and flow into the cooking and tasting. The foraging window exists inside a bigger plan, which helps when you’re learning and cooking rather than just hiking for hours with no payoff.

Back at Bovec kitch’n: cleaning, preparing, and storing what you found

Once you return, the day shifts from the woods to your hands. You come back with a basket of freshly picked edible mushrooms, and then the hosts help you through the next steps: cleaning, preparing, and storing.

That portion is easy to overlook on tours that focus only on picking. Here, it matters because mushroom flavor and safety depend on how you handle what you find. Even if you’re a home cook, you probably have questions like how to clean without turning the texture wrong, or what to do right away versus later.

What you learn is practical enough to take home. The day doesn’t end at the lunch table; it gives you a method you can use when you’re dealing with mushrooms at home and trying to keep them tasting good.

Cooking class time: make mushroom-based dishes and taste them

This is the most fun part for food lovers: you create your own mushroom-based dishes under the watchful eye of Bojan and Anja. The tour isn’t just “watch the cook.” You’re involved, and you learn by doing.

The hosts also focus on cooking that celebrates the natural flavor of the produce. That approach is common in Slovenia’s food culture, but it feels extra logical here because you’re using what you foraged minutes or hours earlier. There’s no disconnect between origin and plate.

After cooking comes tasting. You get to try what you made, and lunch includes a tasting dish featuring the mushrooms you forage and prepare. That closes the loop: field knowledge becomes kitchen results.

Snacks, lunch, and the digital recipe booklet you keep

Midday, you’ll have snacks after mushroom picking before the second part of the experience. Then you’ll have lunch as a tasting dish that uses the mushrooms you forage.

The best part about this meal structure is that it keeps you from getting stuck waiting. You keep moving from foraging to cooking to eating, with food breaks that match the pace of the day.

On top of that, you get a digital booklet with recipes. That’s one of those extras that matters more than it seems. It helps you remember what you made and gives you a way to cook the same styles again once you’re back in your own kitchen.

There’s also a gift included. The type of gift isn’t described in the details you provided, but the fact that you receive something beyond the meals and lessons contributes to the overall “you got the full day experience” feeling.

Price and time: is $230.67 per person good value?

Let’s talk money plainly. The price is $230.67 per person for about 6 hours. This isn’t the kind of bargain tour that drops you off and wishes you luck. You’re paying for private, hands-on instruction, plus a full food day.

Here’s what you’re actually getting for that cost:

• Breakfast with local delicacies at Bovec kitch’n
• Snacks after mushroom picking
• A lunch tasting dish using your mushrooms
• A mushroom basket
• A digital booklet with recipes
• A gift
• A private group experience in English
• A plan that includes learning to clean, prepare, and store mushrooms, plus cooking and tasting

When you total it up, the price starts to make more sense. You’re paying for expertise (Bojan’s mycology standing is a big deal), for the teaching time, and for the fact that the meals are part of the program rather than an add-on.

One more value note: it’s described as a private activity, meaning only your group participates. That usually makes a big difference for learning. If you can ask questions as you go and get attention while you’re handling mushrooms, you’re more likely to walk away with usable skills, not just photos.

Who should book this mushroom day in Bovec?

This is a great fit if you’re traveling for taste and authenticity, not just box-checking scenery. You’ll especially enjoy it if you like:

• food experiences that teach skills, not only eat-and-leave
• nature days where you learn something real
• local cooking focused on seasonality and natural flavors

It also works well for people who want a deeper connection to the area around Bovec. The program is tied to local identity and uses local ingredients at breakfast and in the overall food flow.

If you’re a serious hiker who only wants big trails and views, you might find the pace more “instruction and foraging” than “athletic day out.” The woods time is a few hours, but it’s guided around identifying mushrooms, not maximizing kilometers.

Small practical tips to help you enjoy the day

Because this is a forest and cooking blend, you’ll enjoy it more if you show up prepared. Wear shoes that handle uneven ground, and plan for time spent bending, walking, and looking closely at things on the forest floor.

Bring a curious mindset. The tour makes room for learning about edible and non-edible mushrooms, and that means you’ll probably see more than just the perfect ones. A big part of the fun is realizing how much variety exists, even when you’re hunting for the edible.

If you want to cook later, take the day’s notes seriously. The digital booklet helps, but the habits you learn on cleaning and preparation matter too. That’s where the experience can pay off long after you leave Bovec.

Should you book I Smells Like Mushrooms?

If you want an authentic Bovec food-and-nature day with real local experts, I’d say yes. The strongest reasons to book are the full arc: breakfast at Bovec kitch’n, guided foraging, hands-on cleaning and cooking, and a lunch tasting dish built from what you find. You’re also getting a digital recipe booklet and support in the field from Bojan and Anja.

Book it if you’re comfortable with a morning start at 8:30 am and you’re ready for a few hours outdoors. Consider skipping or shifting dates if weather is a problem for your schedule, since the experience can be rescheduled or cancelled based on conditions.

If your travel style is mostly “I want food, but I don’t want to learn,” you might find this more work than a pure tasting. But if you like the idea of earning your meal by learning how to identify, handle, and cook mushrooms, this is the kind of day you’ll still be talking about when you’re back home.

FAQ

Where does this experience start and what time is it?

It starts at Mala vas 114a, 5230 Bovec, Slovenia. The start time is 8:30 am, and it ends back at the meeting point.

How long does the mushroom foraging and cooking day last?

The duration is about 6 hours.

Is this tour private?

Yes. It is a private tour/activity, so only your group participates.

What language is the tour offered in?

It’s offered in English.

What’s included in the price?

The experience includes breakfast meeting and breakfast with local delicacies at Bojan and Anja’s, a mushroom basket, a digital booklet with recipes, a gift, snacks after mushroom picking, and lunch as a tasting dish with the mushrooms you forage and prepare.

What happens during the foraging part?

You go into the forest to pick mushrooms and learn from Bojan and Anja. You return with a basket of freshly picked edible mushrooms and then learn how to clean, prepare, and store them.

Do you get to cook and taste the food?

Yes. You create your own mushroom-based dishes under the watchful eye of the hosts and then taste what you made.

What if the weather is bad?

If the weather is bad, they’ll reschedule the experience if possible. If not, the experience will be cancelled, and you’ll be notified beforehand.

How much does the experience cost?

The price is listed as $230.67 per person.