BULGARIA
Bulgaria's best days out.
The 10 best seven rila lakes hikes in Bulgaria. What each one involves, who runs it, and what you will pay.
A long Sofia day trip to the UNESCO Rila Monastery and the Seven Rila Lakes, with self-guided hikes plus organized transfer timing.
“It’s an amazing tour discovering a beautiful landscape and an amazing monastery. I really recommend it.”
Day trip from Sofia to Rila Monastery and the Seven Rila Lakes, with scenic mountain roads, chairlift hiking, and weather backups.
“My friends and I had an amazing experience at this well-organized tour! Our guide Apostolos was super attentive and gave valuable information about the sights. Highly recommend!”
Chairlift to the Seven Rila Lakes and a UNESCO Rila Monastery day trip from Sofia, with mountain hiking, frescoes, and practical tips.
“Seven Rila Lakes was a gorgeous hike! We managed to get to all seven lakes in the three hours that we had, which took a bit of hustling! I had expected us to have more time scheduled at Rila Lakes but when we got on the tour we found out we'd only have 2.5-3hrs (but…”
Full-day hike from Sofia through the Seven Rila Lakes, then a soak at Sapareva Banya Spa. Small group, chairlift, 103°C thermal water.
“Really nice experience hiking in this impressive area. Our guide did a great job of adjusting to everyone's different needs and fitness levels. He had a great attitude and disposition the entire time and was super helpful. If you can make it all the way to the top point...the view is stunning! Highly recommend!”
Snowshoe the Seven Rila Lakes from Sofia, then unwind in Sapareva Banya thermal pools with guide-led instruction and pickup.
“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…”
Seven Rila Lakes day hike from Sofia with small-group minivan transport, cable car access, and a moderate 5-hour walk at high altitude.
“We booked this trip for a couple + 3Yo kid. Trip started on time at the location. Tedzto (our guide) was prepared with a child seat for the van, he was very polite and courteous all way. Please consider you have to be in good physical shape (if you bring your child you might take…”
Snowshoe Seven Rila Lakes from Sofia, then soak in mineral pools at Kotvata, plus geyser and waterfall stops. Small groups.
“L'esperienza piú bella della mia vita. Marin è una guida strepitosa, esperto e molto simpatico, ci ha fatto vivere la montagna e scoprire tante curiosità. La serietà e la professionalità che ha dimostrato non ha precedenti. Super consigliata !”
Seven Rila Lakes hike from Sofia with climate minivan, chairlift, and a guide’s wildlife tips in Rila National Park.
“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.”
Small-group hike from Sofia to the Seven Rila Lakes and Skakavitsa waterfall, with snowshoes in winter and free waterfall entry.
“We loved the snow trekking to one of the most beautiful places in the Balkans. This route is absolutely outstanding and our guide Dobrin was superb. He went out of his way to keep us all feeling good, safe and showed us spectacular sites. A dream trip we will never forget.”
Sofia to Seven Rila Lakes, Bulgaria’s 103°C geyser, and Rila Monastery in a small-group day with weather-smart guides.
“We had the absolute pleasure of having Radu as our guide, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. From the very beginning, he was proactive and thoughtful—he even reached out to us before the tour to make sure everything was in place. Radu was calm, punctual, and incredibly well-organized, which made the day…”
