Bulgaria · HIKING & TREKKING
Rila, Pirin and Vitosha, all within reach of a city breakfast. These 13 walks are compared on ascent, how long you are actually on foot and what the guide does when the weather turns, with prices and season windows.
Review of Sofia’s Rila Lakes hike and Sapareva Banya hot springs tour, including trails, costs, weather, transport, and practical tips.
“We really enjoyed this tour and would recommend. The guide was friendly and helpful and the sights beautiful though we went in late May so there was still snow on the ground and unfortunately a lot of fog.”
Review of Sofia’s Seven Rila Lakes snowshoe tour, with chairlift access, mountain views, thermal baths, costs, weather tips, and booking advice.
“Our tour guide was amazing! The view was absolutely beautiful. Definitely want to come back during the summer to do the hike again!”
Review of Sofia’s Seven Rila Lakes hike, with minivan transport, cable car costs, trail advice, timing, value, and practical tips.
“The hike was beautiful albeit quite difficult, it's important that tbe weather is good though. Our guide was nice and responsible, but the minibus was in a really bad shape and very uncomfortable.”
Review of Sofia’s Vitosha and Boyana Waterfall hike, with route details, fitness advice, guide quality, price value, and practical booking tips.
“It was wonderful. My guide was extremely knowledgable about both the mountain and Bulgarian history. The hike was challenging and hugely rewarding. The scenery was stunning. I highly recommend it.”
Review of Sofia’s Vitosha hike to Cherni Vrah and Dragalevtsi Monastery, with advice on guides, transport, timing, value, and winter conditions.
“Since I was getting conflicting messages online on how to access Vitosha mountain (mainly the transport info being in Bulgarian) I decided to book a self guide tour to provide me with the local knowledge which will save me time and energy. Or, so I thought anyway. I booked this tour in advance and had to message as to what will happen next since I did not receive any info beforehand at all. I was told I will receive bespoke instructions a day before which I have, but they were not bespoke at all. For starters, my starting point was a random hotel (I was not asked where I stayed…”
Review of Sofia’s Rila Monastery, St. John’s Cave, Boyana Church, countryside drive, and wine tasting, with tips on cost and timing.
“Excellent visit. The guilt is kind, cool, benevolent and very professional. The travel was well organized and the guilt got a lot of knowledge about the place I've visited. And now, i know a lot about Bulgarian history. I had a good day and I recommend without hesitation. Thank's a lot.”
Review of Sofia’s Seven Rila Lakes self-guided hike, with transport, chairlift costs, trail advice, timing, value, and practical tips.
“Great day tour from Sofia. Professional on-time driver. I would recommend this tour (self-guided option). Hike with beautiful views that is very moderate.”
Hike Pirin National Park’s Banderishka Lakes, then explore Bansko’s Revival-era streets on an active day trip from Sofia.
“This hike isn’t the easiest, but the breathtaking views make every step worth it! I had an amazing day exploring the mountains with my guide, Iliam. He was fun, personable, and made the whole experience really enjoyable. We visited four stunning lakes, each more beautiful than the last. If you’re up for a challenge and love nature, I highly recommend this adventure!”
Review the Seven Rila Lakes hike from Sofia, with chairlift access, guide support, transport, trail difficulty, price, and practical tips.
“I went on this hike August 29th. Meto was my guide. He is very knowledgeable about the area. He has a great respect for nature and the area. He made the hike very entertaining and informative. Pick up and transportation was very easy. I would highly recommend METO as a guide as well! He knew the best routes to stay away from the crowds and the best spots for taking pictures. This hike was a great way to see nature and the beauty that Bulgaria has to offer.I would recommend this to any one who loves nature. likes to hike/walk and is in moderate shape.”
Review of a private Sofia day trip to Stob Pyramids and Rila Monastery, with hiking, mountain scenery, local pastry, and door-to-door transport.
“The hike was perfect. We had perfect weather for the end of October. Also the Monastery is worth to see. So much history and great nature.”
Review of Plovdiv’s Eagle’s Eye and Devil’s Throat tour, with Rhodope mountain views, a moderate hike, cave visit, lunch tips, and value advice.
“Highly recommended trip - we had Ivo as our guide and he was incredible - background in history and knows a lot about the places he took us to. Eagle's Eye is absolutely worth the hike and Devil's Throath needs to be experienced - photos don't do it justice and words aren't enough to describe it. The restaurant was also amazing - the food they serve is next to none both in quality and taste. We had a slight issue with card payment at the end but it got resolved very very quickly by the staff - they were very polite and got it sorted literally by the next morning…”
Hike Bulgaria’s Iskar Gorge, see 120-meter Skaklia Waterfall, visit Lakatnik and Cherepish Monastery on a small-group tour from Sofia.
“This is a bit of a journey. The afternoon the day before our excursion, I got a message that our tour guide was not well, and so we could either cancel and receive a refund, or book in for a different tour. That is fine. However, we opted to do a Read more”
Hike Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes, sleep at 2,300 meters in Ivan Vazov Hut, and finish at historic Rila Monastery.
“Beautiful 2 day hike with great guides Pavel and Nikolay! Overnight stay in the Ivan Vazov hut which is no frills but has everything you need. About 9.5mi hike each day, finishing at the beautiful Rila Monastery. Pavel and Nikolay were friendly, helpful, and called beforehand to go over what to pack and what to expect. Would definitely recommend them again!”
Pick a mountain, a monastery or a table.
