Bulgaria · HIKING & TREKKING
Good hiking & trekking tours fill up weeks ahead; the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Review of Sofia’s Seven Rila Lakes hike, with chairlift details, winter warnings, guide advice, costs, fitness needs, and booking tips.
“I went with the transport only option and there was plenty of time to enjoy the hike. The transport was comfortable and safe, and the guide helped us to get tickets for the chairlift too. Great service!”
Hike Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes from Sofia with transport, chairlift access, mountain views, and five hours to explore at your own pace.
“What an amazing trip right from start to end. Our driver Simo was just great and very helpful and really enjoyed this trip with him. The pick up was very smooth and right on time. The van used for trip was very comfortable throughout even though it was quite hot outside. We reached near the cable car ticket counter around 9am and we were asked to meet back around 2:30pm which was quite good of time to do the hike and be back. The ticket collection was very quick as it had no queue at all. Just remember to bring in cash for it. I really enjoyed the whole trip…”
Hike Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes from Sofia, then relax in Sapareva Banya’s hot springs on this guided mountain day trip.
“This tour was great, our guide was great, took us to see 5 of the seven lakes as there was too much snow to see the 6th and 7th. We saw incredible views. Only issue we had is that it was way more expensive than the tour description said. For the chair lifts it was 25lev return and for the spa it was 40lev. The description says that it would be 15lev for the spa this is a drastic difference and we probably would not have gone with this tour if we had known. The tour operators should update the description. We were not pleased by the miscommunication. Some people…”
Hike Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes from Sofia, then unwind in Sapareva Banya’s hot-spring pools on a practical full-day mountain tour.
“We had a fantastic time on our trek Mari was a wonderful guide and tailored the trek for we two older Aussies. we have fond memories of the trek and particularly Mari, she is a most wonderful person and was a pleasure to spend the day with.”
Review the Seven Rila Lakes snowshoe tour from Sofia, with mountain views, chairlift access, thermal baths, costs, and weather tips.
“O passeio não aconteceu pois o teleferico que nos levaria aos lagos estava fechado em virtude dos fortes ventos. Faltou atitude da empresa/guia, de obter informações sobre o tempo no local . Viajamos por horas, perdemos nosso dia. depois vimos que já estava sendo divulgado localmente que não era recomendado o passeio e não fomos avisados. Na minha opinião todo o valor pago deveria ser devolvido.”
Review of the Seven Rila Lakes hike from Sofia, covering transport, cable-car costs, fitness, timing, guides, value, and practical tips.
“Driver was on pickup location at correct time and the van was quite nice and modern with AC. Guide showed us around lift area and explained us little about the park. Although there was enough time to visit all lakes when walking a bit faster, one more hour at the location would be ideal.”
Review of Sofia’s Vitosha and Boyana Waterfall hike, with route details, fitness advice, guide tips, pricing, transport, and booking guidance.
“filip was a great guide. we saw a lot of the nature around sofia. from snowy mountaintops to a forrest to a lakeside village. we learned a lot about bulgaria and i can definitly recommend this tour!”
Hike Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes, enjoy a mountain lunch, see Europe’s hottest geyser, and relax in Sapareva Banya’s thermal pools.
“Semplicemente un posto meraviglioso. Le due guide super gentili e disponibili. Attrezzatura ottima, cibo delizioso . La Spa una vera chicca , super rilassante dopo una giornata in montagna .”
Review of Sofia’s private Vitosha hike to Cherni Vrah, winter snowshoe option, mountain views, Dragalevtsi Monastery, price, and practical tips.
“So this is one of the most useless tours i have ever seen in my life. Maybe they guided version is better as people write in the reviews, def not the self-guided. First of all self guided should be somebody dropping you in a place and then you go around yourself. But here i just received a word file and nothing else. And even if the concept has a different meaning, the transport advice they provided, you can easily find online - i received it in a free walking tour guide of sofia- and a wikipedia description of the place. A 30 euro worth of word file. No map print…”
Visit Rila Monastery, St. John’s Cave, Boyana Church, and a Bulgarian winery on a practical day trip from Sofia.
“We were lucky enough to be the only couple on this tour the day we went. Our tour guide, Marin, was very flexible, adjusting the usual tour start time so that we made it back to Sofia for our flight back home, while still ensuring that we had ample opportunity to see each of the sights. The tour itself was fabulous! Rila Monastery was just beautiful - there is just so much to see in this stunning complex. I would recommend buying a combined ticket to see the museums, kitchen, guest rooms, and kitchen, and to climb the tower for a lovely view of the monastery and surrounding mountains. The…”
Hike Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes from Sofia with minivan transport, a flexible self-guided route, mountain views, 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 past Pirin’s Banderishki Lakes, see Vihren, enjoy Bansko cuisine and history on a small-group day trip from Sofia.
“Very knowledgeable and professional guide. Glad I booked this trip, highly recommended !”
Review of Sofia’s full-day Vitosha snowshoe tour, with Cherni Vrah views, hotel pickup, gear rental, guide, costs, and practical tips.
“An amazing day with a great team! We got very lucky with the weather and had an opportunity to hike up to the 5th lake since it was clear and sunny. It might be a bit challenging physically for some but in general everyone would be able to do it without a lot of preparation. Appreciation to our guide Daniel for his knowledge, competency and responsibility.”
Hike Pirin’s Banderishka Lakes, then explore Bansko’s Revival-era streets on a small-group day trip from Sofia.
“The drive from Sofia to Bansko was very comfortable. The hike was incredible; especially the views from above the lakes. Definitely the most beautiful scenery I have seen. Bansko is also a must-visit place in Europe - very charming little town. My guide, Georgi, was the best - definitely ask for him.”
Hike Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes with a guide, chairlift ticket, hotel pickup, and round-trip transport from Sofia.
“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.”
Every kind of day out, and the best of each.
