BULGARIA
Bulgaria's best days out.
The 10 best hiking & thermal spa tours in Bulgaria. What each one involves, who runs it, and what you will pay.
Full-day hike from Sofia through the Seven Rila Lakes, then a soak at Sapareva Banya Spa. Small group, chairlift, 103°C thermal water.
“This was a great tour if you like hiking. Our guide Phil was very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.”
Half-day Sofia sights and Vitosha mountains plus a year-round thermal spa at Korali, with guide-led stops and Wi‑Fi transfers.
“Great host and tiny group ( 4 of us)”
Snowshoe the Seven Rila Lakes from Sofia, then unwind in Sapareva Banya thermal pools with guide-led instruction and pickup.
“In advance of the tour, we sent multiple Viator messages, wrote an email, and called the provided number 5+ times. We did not select a pickup point because we were already going to be in Rila and wanted to meet there, so we asked where would be best to meet the local guide. No one…”
Seven Rila Lakes day hike from Sofia with small-group minivan transport, cable car access, and a moderate 5-hour walk at high altitude.
“Great experience. Don’t miss. This can be challenging physically hiking to the top. The views are stellar along the way!”
Snowshoe through Pirin National Park from Bansko, then unwind in Dobrinishte mineral pools with a small-group hike and spa stop.
“This was very unique and fun hike!! The snow and forest are truly beautiful and the guide Dobrev was very nice and explained everything to us and provided a lot of info! The booking was fast and easy, and the hot pools at the end perfect after a cold walk!”
Full-day Mt. Vitosha summit hike plus Boyana Waterfall from Sofia, with hotel pickup, small group pace, and free entry tickets.
“I had an amazing time climbing Vitosha mountain with Avi as my tour guide. She was extremely knowledgeable, skilled as a mountain guide, and interesting to talk to. It was a nice climb: we ended up doing 19.5km of walking, 32,000 steps, and 1500 meters of elevated climbing. I think I would describe it as…”
Snowshoe Seven Rila Lakes from Sofia, then soak in mineral pools at Kotvata, plus geyser and waterfall stops. Small groups.
“We didn’t realise that you can’t actually see the lakes during the height of winter because they were frozen and had snow over. Due to the extreme cold and severe weather conditions our guide offered us an alternative which was tailored to our requirements.”
Climb Vitosha’s Cherni Vrah from Aleko, visit Dragalevtsi Monastery, and return to Sofia with a local guide and great views.
“Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. Because the lift is not running the police close the road up the mountain after a certain number of cars each day. Our guide, knowing this, contacted us to leave earlier and we arrived be for the road closed and before the trail was busy.”
Small-group day trip from Sofia to UNESCO Boyana Church and Rila Monastery, with a cave hike, Stob pyramids stop, and wine tasting.
“The tour to the Rila Monastery was like a fairy tale! Thanks to the beautiful winter landscape and our guide, who created a fun atmosphere and told us detailed facts about the places we passed by. The Boyana Church is a unique historical heritage site because it is a pre-Renaissance masterpiece!”
Small-group hike from Sofia to the Seven Rila Lakes and Skakavitsa waterfall, with snowshoes in winter and free waterfall entry.
“Ask for Viktor. He is a happy guy that speaks great English.”
