Private Tour

Balkan Horse Riding - Glozhene Monastery Ride

Overview

Available languages

English

Mobile ticket

Teteven Balkan – one of the most beautiful parts of the Balkan Mountains – is situated very close to Sofia, it takes only an hour drive. Hidden forest paths lead to high ridges with spacious views – up there, where it’s easy to take a deep breath and where the eyes cannot get enough. But the pleasure is even greater when you enjoy this lovely nature riding on a horse back!

Highlights:

Glozhen Monastery

Itinerary:

We arrive at the village of Golyam Izvor. We meet the horses and get brief instructions. We saddle the horses and head along forest paths to the Ridge of Lisets Mountain, from where a splendid panorama view to Teteven Balkan is revealed. Riding through a century-old beech forest we approach Glozhen Monastery. Its impressive silhouette perched on an inaccessible rock is one of the most impressive sights in Bulgaria. After a short walk inside we return to Golyam Izvor. Drive back to Sofia.

Riding: 4-5 hours

Note: This tour is suitable both for beginners and experienced riders.

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Local guide

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Rent of a saddled horse and a helmet

Transport by air-conditioned minivan

Food and drinks

Personal expenses

Insurance

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Meeting points

Sofia

Sofia Bulgaria

End points

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Glozhene Monastery (Sveti Georgi Pobedonosets)

Itinerary: We arrive at the village of Golyam Izvor. We meet the horses and get brief instructions. We saddle the horses and head along forest paths to the Ridge of Lisets Mountain, from where a splendid panorama view to Teteven Balkan is revealed. Riding through a century-old beech forest we approach Glozhen Monastery. Its impressive silhouette perched on an inaccessible rock is one of the most impressive sights in Bulgaria. After a short walk inside we return to Golyam Izvor. Drive back to Sofia. Riding: 4-5 hours Note: This tour is suitable both for beginners and experienced riders.

45 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Options

Balkan Horse Riding -Monastery

Hidden forest paths lead to high ridges with spacious views up there, where its easy to take a deep breath and where the eyes cannot get enough.
Pickup included

Reviews

4.58

24 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Amazing
Getaway36131578406,
Nov 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Like Yellowstone, but no drama and just views Incredibly friendly people & horses. The stop in the monastery felt like a step into a movie. We lucked out with the weather as it was a glorious day. Would 10/10 recommend for any horse enthusiasts. (You're in the saddle a while though, so prepare for a numb bum....and the occasional encounter with a tree branch). If you know the basics, you'll be great ...wouldn't recommend if it is your first time on a horse though.
Great riding trip in Rhodopes
Pauline4492,
Jul 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I spent a wonderful week of horse riding in the Rhodope Mountains with Lubo from Penguin Travel as my guide. I really enjoy discover Bulgaria by this way. The horses were perfect for this type of trip, very reliable. I loved my horse, Darko, very well-trained, funny and energetic. The landscapes are mountainous with well-preserved forests. The route is quite challenging; it's best to be in good physical shape and to be trained for horse riding to fully appreciate it. Lubo knows his horses and these mountains very well and does his best to ensure everyone has a great stay and have fun. The accommodations during the trip were very pleasants and the food was plentiful, local, and excellent. It was also really nice to have the opportunity to visit Plodiv, which is a beautiful city. My only complaint was the choice of the hotel in Sofia where we spent the nights of arrival and departure. It was far from the city center, located in a neighborhood with no particular interest, and the rooms were not very clean.
Not a walk in the park!
399alexeip,
Oct 21, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Based on my experience with such tours I expected a slow lazy horse walk where you can leave the reins and chat on your phone. Nope, not really! Riding a horse in the mountains requires some attention and skill but once you get used to it you're not only enjoying the fantastic breathtaking views of the autumn hills and forest around but also feel as one with the animal that does the hard work. The monastery itself is rather small but still an interesting place to peek around (you can feed the cat too). So the main and most pleasant part of the tour was riding in fresh air and total silence except for hooves clopping and birds chirping.
Memorable adventure
893ivap,
Jul 19, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
My sister and I recently embarked on a trail adventure in Bulgaria, and we couldn't be happier with the experience. The horses were incredible, well-trained, and ready for the journey. Our guide deserves an A+ rating from us for their expertise and assistance throughout the trail. The natural scenery surrounding us was breathtaking, making the entire experience even more memorable. Despite the heat, which was perhaps the only downside, we highly recommend this trail to anyone who appreciates exploring beautiful landscapes on horseback. It's an adventure that shouldn't be missed.
Beginners, beware
246seang,
Nov 10, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00
I'm sure this tour is great for experienced horse riders. The trail and the scenery are beautiful. However, despite advertising as a beginner-friendly tour, I would not recommend this tour at all for beginners. First of all, this tour advertises as having an English-speaking guide. Our guide did not speak English at all. The guide was also on his phone for most of the ride, not paying any attention to us or making sure we're safe. The entire time, I was getting hit in the face with branches and getting scratched by thorns, making a lot of noise throughout. The guide was in his own world scrolling through his phone and didn't seem to care one bit. At one point, the guide went so far ahead that I was completely alone and lost. At a fork in the trail I didn't know which way to go, so I just stood there by myself (with my horse) and waited for someone to come rescue me. I've been on dozens of tours in many different countries, and I've never seen a guide who cared so little about the participants. A month after I did this tour, I did another one from another company with a similar length on a similar trail, and having a guide who's actually paying attention to the riders makes a world of difference. If you're a beginner, avoid this tour.
An Awe-Inspiring Ride With a Real Cowboy
josephpV470DV,
Oct 7, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was truly the epitome of my trip to Bulgaria. Todor was an incredible guide and the views were spectacular. He was a patient teacher, and told incredible stories of his exploits as a stunt performer and paraglider. The trail we took was peaceful and dynamic as the terrain shifted as we got closer to the monastery. The monastery itself was a wonder. It was hard to believe people could build something like that on top of the mountain. On the way back we got an incredible meal in the most picturesque village you had ever seen. My one regret was not being able to take part in the longer multi-day rides his company offers.
Trip was not available…
Timetraveler6999,
Feb 21, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00
I made a booking for me and my fiancé since it looks like such a great trip on our visit here but a couple days before the trip I tried to confirm personally with the staff about the pickup point since there was no answer I had to contact the support of the site and managed to get a refund The only thing they managed to tell me was there was no reply from the staff that manages this activity It was disappointing since I was really looking forward to it.
Horses were disappointing beautiful views
Shimie A,
Dec 28, 2022
- Review from Viator
4.00
We were not supplied with riding helmets and even after asking for them were given only one (so one of us had no helmet). The horses were not well taken care of (dirty and tangled hair) and one of them had a limp. The trail was not easy for the horses (rocks and muddy)... The views were beautiful and the guide Gekko did his best to give us a pleasant experience.
Great time
Brady N,
Nov 13, 2022
- Review from Viator
5.00
This was an awesome tour. The scenery was so beautiful and seeing it from horseback made it even more special. The guide was really good and the horses were very well trained. I had only moderate horse riding experience, and I think it's good to have at least a bit of experience before undertaking this tour.
Horseriding Sofia
johanbruzz,
Sep 28, 2021
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Wonderful experience! I was a little nervous but I quickly got comfortable! I would come back! Anton, the instructor was very knowledgeable, friendly and passionate. He took me on a beautiful route to get to the Glozhine monastry which was very scenic and peaceful. The horses are very well trained and easy to ride. If you are thinking of doing this experience, book it now! 10 out 10.