Private Tour
Seven Rila Lakes Snowshoe Hike and Thermal Baths Full-Day Tour from Sofia
Overview
Available languages
1 day
Mobile ticket
Dramatic landscapes and breathtaking alpine sceneries, centuries old pine forests and rugged mountain peaks make the Seven Rila Lakes cirque one of the most beautiful areas in the Rila Mountains National Park. Enjoy a gentle snowshoe walk in the picturesque Seven Rila Lakes area followed by relaxation in the thermal water pools of Sapareva Banya spa resort, fed by one of the hottest springs in Europe. All this within a day tour from Sofia!
Additional Info
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
This is a simple way to explore a winter wonderland, whatever level of challenge you are after.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Your guide will pick you up early in the morning from your hotel in Sofia for a wonderful journey in the Rila Mountains. You will arrive within hour and a half at Pionerska mountain hut from where you will take a chairlift to Rila Lakes hut, situated high above the tree line at 2150 m a.s.l. The walk begins from the hut in the direction of the Kidney, the third of the Seven Rila Lakes. On your way you will admire breathtaking alpine sceneries of jagged peaks and frozen mountain lakes. After a short break and a cup of warm tea at the lake you will head toward Rila Lakes hut. You will descent via the chairlift to the van and have a short transfer (20 min.) to Sapareva Banya spa resort, where you can relax deeply in the thermal pools fed by hot spring water. Walking time: approx. 2.5 hours Uphill / downhill: approx. 250 m
What‘s Included
All transportation by private vehicle
Guidance throughout the tour
English speaking certified mountain leader
Pick up / drop off at your hotel
All local taxes
Snowshoes and walking poles
Chair lift tickets (16 € round trip ticket per person)
Entrance fees for the mineral water baths
Food and drinks
Other personal expenses
Personal travel insurance
Gratuities
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Seven Rila Lakes Snowshoe Hike and Thermal Baths Full-Day Tour from Sofia
Pickup included
Reviews
43 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Scam
Demishoebridge,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00This is a scam. Booked it through GetYourGuide but we never got picked up. Waited about an hour, tried calling the number but no answer. Emailed too and still no response. I ended up contacting GetYourGuide who were helpful and are refunding me. I would avoid booking this tour.
SCAM
jaap van diggele,Jan 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Nobody showed up and the number was switched off.
No communication from vendor
Elizabeth B,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
1.00In advance of the tour, we sent multiple Viator messages, wrote an email, and called the provided number 5+ times. We did not select a pickup point because we were already going to be in Rila and wanted to meet there, so we asked where would be best to meet the local guide. No one responded to any of these inquiries, no one reached out to us via the phone number I provided, and so ultimately my husband and I did not go on this tour. (Despite having paid for it!) We had a great day in Rila by ourselves, but there was absolutely no communication from the vendor which was really disappointing.
Amazing experience!
H9613ECpaigeb,Nov 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had the best day! Guider was very helpful and explained everything we saw. We would really like to do this all over again. Thank you for an amazing day Velko!
A great hike
jabessouguie,May 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I had a great time. I highly recommend to visit Rila and all the lakes. Experience of a great quality. The guide is an expert and I felt quite safe Everything went according to the plan. The price is fair
A great experience
303arielk,Apr 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Alex was a great guide, picked me up from my hotel and drove us to a point on the mountain, and then we took a jeep up as the chairlift was closed, jeep cost the same as the chairlift. We then hiked around four of the seven lakes, partially with regular hiking boots and partially with snow shoes. Amazing views, had a great time! (visited in late April 2025)
Very nice experience
charlottedC9557QR,Mar 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Yesterday we have the opportunity to participate in the excursion and it was a magical experience for us. Accompanied by Alex, our private guide, we climbed to the peak of Mount Rila to have a magnificent view of the lakes. The weather did not allow to complete the entire hike but we highly recommend you to test it! Then we were able to relax in the hot spring thermal baths to perfect this great day. Again thank you to Alex for his kindness and patience.
Unique way to experience both the cold and hot in the mountains
globalfoodie13,Mar 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00There was an initial scheduling issue. However, the company stepped up and made it absolutely right. We had a great snowshoeing and thermal bath trip. Our guide was interesting, a good leader and safety focused. We had a great time
Totally epic!!!
janeeV5352XC,Feb 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Was so great!! The lakes were frozen over and had snow on them but given the time of year, it was still worth doing! I really enjoyed! I would recommend this. Alex was the mountain guide and driver. Alex was friendly, kind and caring. He drove very safely and was a fantastic guide. The tour started later due to safety reasons as the weather was very cold. I liked that he took safety very seriously as I know being in the mountains 🏔️ can be a very dangerous territory. I personally wasn’t bothered for the hot springs pool as I don’t like being in the water nor swimming. I did the trip only for the 7 lakes. The rest of the group wanted to do the pools and Alex let me sit with him and we had lunch instead which I was grateful for as I was hungry anyway. What a great day. Totally loved it and would highly recommend it. The views were lush!!!!! I’m a mountain girl and just loved this Trek.
Lovers in snowshoes
annepN7193UH,Feb 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The snowshoeing was great! The landscapes are beautiful even if the fog was there. Our guide Alexander was great, super nice and very helpful! After hiking small SPA well relaxing! A wonderful day in the past.
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Operated by Azimut Tours