The Seven Rila Lakes Day Tour From Sofia
Description
Spend a day exploring the 7 Rila Lakes on this group hiking tour from Sofia. Accompanied by expert mountain guides, travel from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, to the Rila Mountains - Bulgaria's highest range. Be wowed by sweeping mountain panoramas during a 30-minute chairlift ride, and then set off on foot to explore the lakes. Enjoy personalized attention from our professional mountain guides (if you have selected the guided option). Depending on the group's tempo, all lakes may be visited. IMPORTANT: This tour has variations which depend on the season and whether the lift is operating or not. Please read carefully the description of the option that you are selecting. When the lift is closed for maintenance, the hiking tour is prolonged with 2 hours and the difficulty is high, requiring a good fitness level! During the winter and springtime, the lakes are NOT visible and will NOT be experienced as they are covered in snow.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The trip starts at 07:00 from the Vasil Levski Monument (Embassy of Slovakia)
Once the group departs from the starting point, you'll reach the Panichiste lift and buy lift tickets (if the lift is operating and not closed for maintanance)
You will explore the The Seven Rila Lakes with a local guide. Self-guided options are also available. Please note the option that you are selecting while purhcasing this experience.
Arrive back at the starting point at approximately 17:30
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please wear hiking boots; sandals and flips-flops are not permitted on this tour
- It is advised you wear warm clothing and bring a rain jacket, sunglasses and sunscreen with you
- Minimum age is 9 years
- A moderate amount of walking is involved (4 to 5 hours)
- The Audio-guide in different languages (EN,ES,IT,FR,DE,RU) is ONLINE (cloud-based). INTERNET is required to download and use. Headphones required for listening, too.
Reviews(105)
It is well worth it at a great price with a very knowledgeable guide who maintained safety at all times and spoke great English. Our guide was Megi Angelova and cannot rate her enough! I would do this tour again in a heartbeat and will be surely recommending to other likeminded travelers I meet! Thank you Megi!
It is an incredible, must see hike! Very easy on the knees so it’s available for everyone!! At all levels! And if you can get a guide even better. I highly recommend Dimitar, he is amazing. Very friendly, helpful, knows how to maintain and orchestrate the pace and tells you all the useful and interesting information along the way.
Nadia was an amazing guide. She showed the lakes and helped us a lot. We came bit under prepared for snow. But she was patient and helped us a lot. It was an amazing tour and must see if you are in sofia
Was great just come prepare for snow wind and rain. We rented a 4x4 to go up to the chalet to save some time which was great
Guide was amazing and tokd us stories about the lakes & the park itself. The hike to the top and down again took little over 5 hours because of heavy snowfall prior to my visit, but the guide waited and paced himself. Amazing area to explore this way and can definitely recommend!
Amazing tour. We are so glad to book the tour with guide. The payment and booking process was smooth and we got instant emails. They sent us detailed information about tour including guide name, phone, time etc. The tour began on time. Guide explained everything in the bus, including weather and currency. The track was arduous but guided slowed down for us as we are not regular trackers. In the end everything was perfect. We captured some amazing pics. Thank you.
Although we paid for a guide in English, we were not guided:: I expect that the guide will hand me a page on which all the trails are marked in English with relevant information (distances, altitudes), and all the cross roads were tourist ( which do not speak Bulgarian) can take the wrong turn. But the view was impressive and the driver was excellent.
Beautiful location. The tour guide was disappointing. She wasn’t very communicative and didnt check we all saw if she got moving again after we’d stopped for breaks. Left people behind! We stopped to spend time at the less interesting places and we rushed through the last part of the loop which is the most beautiful. I’d recommend doing self guided.
It was a very good trip, but a bit badly organised. We were given four different start times between 9.30 and 10 and then ended up leaving at 10.10 because someone was late (probably confused by the many different times given). It also says eight hours and we were gone for ten. Otherwise though the trip was good and enjoyable and the walk well led by Maya. We saw all the lakes. Quite hard walking because the path is very uneven and steep, glad I had proper hiking shoes, but good fun and beautiful views.
Was absolutely marvelous! Loved our guide Maya and the lakes were just gorgeous. Next time want to see the Dance. Highly recommend!
