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Home » Hiking tours, guided (multi-day) » HIKING TREK IN THE RHODOPES, PIRIN, RILA AND VITOSHA MOUNTAINS

Hiking in the Rhodopes, Pirin, Rila & Vitosha mountains

A well balanced programme with half-day (or shorter) easy to moderate walks, offering more opportunities to visit also culture sites. The stress is on the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains (famed birthplace of mythical musician Orpheus), Mount Pirin (Bulgaria’s most beautiful mountain, named after the pagan Slav god Perun), Mount Rila (housing more than 200 glacial lakes and the highest peak on the Balkans - Musala, 2925m) and Mount Vitosha (Bulgaria’s most popular mountain destination due to its close proximity to the capital city of Sofia). We visit some of Bulgaria’s remotest and least-known parts, many of them until recently out of bounds for foreigners, and taste traditional local cuisine and hospitality. Famous sites of cultural importance are also included: Koprivshtitsa (museum-town, housing well-preserved architecture from the Revival Period), Plovdiv (the second biggest town in Bulgaria), Bachkovo Monastery, Rila Monastery (the most famous UNESCO attraction in the country), Shiroka Laka (architectural reserve) etc. An exceptional kaleidoscope of beautiful caves, deep gorges, alpine meadows, glacier lakes, monasteries, and museum villages with authentic old-time architecture.

The hiking programme is moderately difficult and designed for people who would not be comfortable on long and tiring treks along steep paths, who would yet like to savour the best the landscape and local culture have to offer.

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Dates, Prices & Remarks

 

SCHEDULED DEPARTURES FOR 2022: 

June 11th, September 3rd, September 17th


(***private groups can be accommodated on any other date during the season; 6 or more should book as a group to take advantage of the below price***)

Limited time offer:
Price: 665 €
Single room supplement: 95 € (obligatory for all individual clients)

Price includes: transfers to and from Sofia Airport and all other transfers included in the itinerary; accommodation and catering according to the itinerary; English-speaking mountain guide; cable car tickets, and all local taxes.
Price does not include: caves and museums entry fees (appr. 15 Euros/pers.); extra food and drink; mountain maps; medical insurance; personal expenses, spa procedures.

Accommodation: three-star hotels and family guesthouses; en-suite facilities; breakfast and supper included.
Best period: mid June – September

Program

  • Day 1: Sofia – Koprivshtitsa

    We meet you at Sofia Airport and transfer you to Koprivshtitsa at the foot of Sredna Gora Mountains. Koprivshtitsa is a museum town unique with its cobblestone alleys, houses painted in bright colors with expansive verandahs and picturesque eaves.

  • Day 2: Koprivshtitsa – Plovdiv – Bachkovo Monastery – Kossovo

    During the Ottoman rule, Koprivshtitsa withstood many attacks, it was burned down to ashes several times, its inhabitants were frequently robbed and driven away. Many Bulgarians who laid down their lives for the liberation of their motherland had been born here and today we will visit some of their museum-houses to learn more about the local history. Later we continue towards the second biggest Bulgarian town – Plovdiv. Within 2-3 hours of walking along the city we will discover history and culture behind a 7000-year old settlement, written by the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Bulgarian civilizations. You can enjoy sightseeing in the Old Town with its museums, historical monuments, revival period houses, lined with souvenir shops cobbled streets or get impressed by the rich Ethnographic Museum and the ancient Roman Theater. In the afternoon we continue further to Bachkovo Monastery, which is also the second biggest monastery in the country. Our day ends in the village of Kosovo, famous for its old stone houses (we stay overnight in one of them, fully restored and cozy).

  • Day 3: Kossovo – Shiroka Laka – Lyaskovo – Devin (1,30-2hrs; 3km; +50m/-50m)

    After delicious breakfast at the terrace of your house, overlooking the whole village, we transfer further deep to the heart of the Rhodopes. Our next stop is Shiroka Laka village – architectural reserve, presenting some of the best examples of the local mountain houses. After a short walk along the cobblestone streets we will continue further to the famous SPA resort Devin. An adventurous eco-path, weaving on wooden bridges over Devinska River, awaits us here as we make our way along the wild valley, crowned with steep rocks where Balkan Chamois (wild goats) may be seen resting. Later in the afternoon we stop for overnight at Lyaskovo village – rustic and fairly typical mountain village, which you can explore on your own before dinner.

  • Day 4: Devin – Trigrad – Zhrebevo – Trigrad (6 hrs; 18km; +700m/-700m)

    In the morning we continue to the stunning Trigrad Gorge and the village of Trigrad, which will be our base for the next night. Today, you enjoy a particularly pleasant walking trek to the village of Vodni Pad right by the Greek border, until recently within a closely guarded strip proscribed even for those living down the road. A circular trail takes us up panoramic crests, through pine forests dotted with green meadows and smallholdings, sheltered valleys, and traditional stone houses. At dinner time we will try domestic delicacies made of potatoes and will of course taste fresh grilled Rainbow Trout.

  • Day 5: Trigrad – Trigrad Gorge – Yagodina – Dolen – Bansko (4 hrs; 10km; +350m/-560m)

    The day we dedicate to the Karst highlights of the Rhodopes. First in the list is the Trigrad Gorge, fenced by 250m high vertical cliffs, and its main attraction – The Devil’s Throat Cave. The sinister interior of the cave houses the highest underground waterfall on the Balkans (42m/140ft high). From here we take a path following the upper edge of the gorge in the direction of Yagodina village, encircled by lands cultivated in a traditional way. Very near is Yagodina Cave, which is one of the longest in Bulgaria (more than 10km/6miles) and for sure one of the most beautiful. After a cave tour here we board the bus towards Pirin Mountains, with short stop on the way at the museum village of Dolen. We stay overnight in a house in one of the villages, located in the hollow, surrounded by Pirin, Rila and the Rhodopes.

  • Day 6: Bansko – Banderishki Lakes – Bansko (variety of options: 4-7 hrs; 6-8km; +480m/-480m)

    Today, we visit one of the most picturesque parts of the Pirin: the Banderishki Lakes Cirque. Depending on your fitness we can choose among a variety of trekking options of different difficulty and duration. If you are very fit we can even attempt the marble pyramid of the local giant – Mount Vihren (2914m/9700ft.), which offers remarkable panorama to a sea of summits and ridges above 2500m/8325ft. Dinner will be organized in a traditional tavern (“mehana”), where we can try some of the local delicacies and home-made spirits.

  • Day 7: Bansko – Rila Monastery – The Seven Rila Lakes – Govedartsi (3,30-4,30hrs; 6-9km; +400-500m/-400-500m)

    Quite busy yet another stunning day expects us as we head towards Rila Mountains. First we transfer to the impressive Rila Monastery – UNESCO heritage listed site and one of the most famous tourist attractions in Bulgaria. This is also the largest and most significant Bulgarian Orthodox Church establishment. Next we continue to another renowned place – the Cirque of The Seven Rila Lakes, which we reach by chairlift. These glacier lakes are set between 2100 and 2500m/6800 and 8200ft above sea level, with names fitting their shapes, like Babreka (the Kidney), Okoto (the Eye), and Salzata (the Teardrop). Scenic walk here will put the end of the active part of the holiday. We base for the evening and enjoy our gala dinner in the charming village of Govedartsi.

  • Day 8: Govedartsi – Sofia

    Transfer from Govedartsi to Sofia Airport.

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