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(108)
We booked the tour visiting the Seven Rila Lakes, but when we received the message for tour details one day ahead of the tour, we found that our tour was changed to Seven Rila Lakes+Rila Monastery. After writing the message for inquiry, they replied that they were providing an "upgrade", ignoring the fact that we just visited the monastery with their other tour. We talked to the tour guide at the meeting point next day, and as their minivan to the lakes only could not accomodate us, we ended up visiting Vitosha nature park on our own. An opportunity to the lakes for the next day was later provided, but we were leaving Sofia on that day. The refund was processed within a week.
This was my first hiking experience, and on day 5 of a vacation + having a desk job meant, I wasn't in my best shape! I still had a really great time and it was a highlight of the trip! Some parts of the hike were steep but thanks to Megi our tour guide, I felt challenged but not out of my depth. I really appreciated her clear instructions and how she shared information. She paid attention to the group to make sure everyone was okay. We stopped when needed and she was a great leader to have with us! We lucked out on excellent weather. Make sure to bring water, snacks, cash, good shoes, and a windbreaker/rainproof coat. Treat yourself to the Bulgarian meatballs if possible at the end!
Great day trip with beautiful scenery, a wonderful guide and great people!
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.
