This whole-day trek to the Rila Mountains is meant for people, who would like to walk in a leisurely pace among its jewels - The Seven Rila Lakes. You will have enough time to get to the highest of all lakes and enjoy the super scenery revealed from there. Enjoy a self-guided hike among nature Marvel at the views of the Seven Rila lakes Walk at your own pace
In demand: 22 of the next 60 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 10.
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. He, you'll pay for the chair lift ticket - 25 BGN.
Enjoy the hiking tour to the pristine heart of the majestic Rila National Park. Each lake is named after its most characteristic feature. The highest one (at 2500m/8200ft above sea level) is called Salzata ("The Tear"), from where we have a bird’s eye view over all seven lakes, as well as surrounding outcrops and deep valleys; the next one in height carries the name Okoto ("The Eye") after its oval form; Babreka ("The Kidney") is the lake with the steepest shores of the entire group; Bliznaka ("The Twin") is the largest of all; Trilistnika ("The Trefoil") has an irregular shape; the shallowest lake is Ribnoto Ezero ("The Fish Lake") and the lowest one is Dolnoto Ezero ("The Lower Lake"; 2100m/6995ft), where the water that flows out of the other lakes is gathered to form the source of Dzherman River.
Arrive back at the starting point at approximately 17:30
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 608 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
The Seven Rila Lakes Self - Guided Hiking Tour lasts about 8h 30min. The itinerary has 4 stops.
Prices start at $34 per person for this Sofia experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 6:30 AM and 7:00 AM.
It can: 22 of the next 60 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is IMPORTANT: The meeting point is next to the Vasil Levski Monument, in front of the Embassy of Slovakia. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in DE, RU, EN, IT, FR, ES.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 30 participants.
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.4 out of 5 across 15 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Traventuria.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Grear company for different bus routes inside Bulgaria. I booked and got a good confirmation including letting me know exactly when and where to be and what luggage I can bring. The day before I got reminders and extra information on exactly which bus, which made things incredibly easy. I had a smooth ride to and from tourist destinations and will be taking it again. Recommend it highly
A seamless experience with Traventuria completing the 8 day self-guided hikes in the Rila and Pirin mountains. Transfers and transport were punctual with excellent flexibility to be picked up earlier depending on when I completed hikes. Excellent GPS trail resources provided for the hikes (a must for hiking solo). Stayed at wonderful family hotels with some traditional home cooking. I hadn’t expected Bulgaria to be so beautiful but the experience was further complemented by warm hospitality and an excellent travel experience with Traventuria. Many thanks for a wonderful trip!
I booked a visit to the 7 lakes of Rila with this agency. On the day of Check-out, I was informed that I had not booked a tour with a Guide, but with an Audio Guide and headphones. When I asked for the Audio Guide, the Guide told me that he was the Audio Guide and that I could follow the band eventually. The group was 31 people with one Guide. Arriving on site in Panitchishte at 8:30 we waited more than 2 hours to queue to buy tickets and access the mountain cable car!!! I was able to climb the mountain at 11:15 and we had to wait for the rest of the group. I gave up and left on my own. Only 5 people managed to go around 7 lakes because you had to be at the bus at 15:15 no matter how late we got to the mountains. Catastrophic organization! Agency to avoid!
Merci beaucoup pour vos commentaires et votre avis. C'est d'une grande valeur pour nous et nous apprécions votre temps. Nous sommes désolés de lire que vous n'avez pas apprécié votre voyage aux 7 lacs du Rila. C'est notre voyage le plus vendu et à cette période de l'année, le circuit est particulièrement fréquenté et visité. Ainsi, l’attente pour les billets de télésiège pourrait être plus longue que d’habitude. Nous nous en excusons, cependant, le programme de la tournée est capable de gérer l'attente sur cette ligne. Habituellement, la plupart des gens sont capables de gravir 5 des lacs et le guide doit s'adapter au rythme des plus lents du groupe. Veuillez accepter nos excuses pour la visite qui n'a pas répondu à vos attentes. Cependant, nous avons hâte de vous revoir en Bulgarie pour d'autres tournées ensemble. Cordialement, Nora Dobrinska (équipe Traventuria)
Seamless. Booked day before spontaneously. They had a message to me v quickly w logisitics. Radi our tour guide was awesome. Super chill and easy to hang out with. Made it super fun.
I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the service provided by Traventuria Ltd despite agreeing on a certain pricing structure and providing a deposit, I was shocked to discover that they increased the pricing after collecting my deposit. This deceptive practice is not only unprofessional but also a clear violation of our agreement. I feel betrayed as a customer, and this experience has eroded my trust in Traventuria. I strongly urge them to rectify this situation promptly and honor the originally agreed-upon pricing. Such unethical behavior tarnishes the reputation of the company and harms the relationship with its customers. I expect a timely and fair resolution to this matter, and I hope that [Service Operator] takes immediate action to address their lapse in integrity.
This review is written by a bot, not a real customer person. The trip in question is not offered in January, neither in February. Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Beautiful experience with very kind and helpful guides to manage the needs of our group. The only recommendations I would make, given that the chairlift was not in operation when we went, I would say that you need to be very fit as the route is very demanding and it would be advisable to bring suitable equipment to deal with the terrain and the weather. I highly recommend Traventuria.
Cara Grazia, Grazie mille per il tuo feedback e le 5 stelle! Apprezziamo molto il tuo tempo e siamo felici che ti sia piaciuta la tua escursione. Si consiglia vivamente di portare un abbigliamento da trekking adeguato. Purtroppo nel mese di ottobre a causa di lavori di manutenzione la seggiovia non funzionerà, quindi questo allunga il tempo di percorrenza dell'escursione. Grazie per aver viaggiato con Traventuria e ci vediamo di nuovo in futuro. Cordiali saluti, Nora Dobrinska (Team Traventuria)
Radi was a great guide! We had rainy weather when we started and he paced everything so that the chairlift was open when we arrived. He’s very knowledgeable about the area and is a very chill person to be around with. Great success!
Dear Alejandro! Thank you for choosing Traventuria to explore Bulgarian beauty! We are looking forward to meeting you again! Safe travels Maria Kamenova
Radi was a great guide! Prepare for breathtaking views, but also quite a hike! Wear hiking shoes and check the weather before going.
Hello Maja, Thank you for sharing this information with others on our social media! We always try to warn our guests of the bad weather possibilities, but it's really helpful when a traveler gives advice himself. We can't wait to host you again! Stay safe, Annie Paykova
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.
Dear Sara, Thank you very much for the review! During these hard times, it's really important to heаr good feedback from our customers. This gives us the will to keep on working and improving despite the hard situation that tourism is in right now! I hope you'll be back one day when the situation is back to normal so we can show you more of the beauties in Bulgaria! Stay safe! Kind regards, Annie Krumova
This trip is fantastic. Very beautiful view from the peak. I love the peace and the clean air. I enjoyed the hike very much. The guide, Peter..... he is knowledgeable. It worth the money you pay for. Thank you for this nice trip.
Dear Nur, Thank you! I hope you will enjoy many other tours with us! There are a lot of places worth seeing in our country... and we can take you to all of them! Come again! Safe travels, Annie Krumova
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Seven Rila Lakes Self - Guided Hiking Tour | 8h 30min | 4.4 (15) | $34 | |
 Seven Rila Lakes - Full Day Hiking Trip in the Rila Mountain | 10 hours | 4.8 (44) | $34 | View |
 Rila Monastery and 7 Rila Lakes Self-Guided Shared Trip from Sofia | 13 hours | 4.8 (336) | $54 | View |
 Seven Rila Lakes Guided Hike With chairlift ticket | 10 hours | 5.0 (10) | $136 | View |
 The Seven Rila Lakes Day Tour From Sofia | 10 hours | 4.7 (112) | $34 | View |
 Seven Rila Lakes Guided Hike from Sofia with Lunch and Hot spring | 7 hours | 5.0 (4) | $149 | View |
 The Seven Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery - 2 Days Hiking trip | 2 days | — | $315 | View |