The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery

Overview

Available languages

German

Russian

English

Italian

French

Spanish

12 hours

Mobile ticket

A whole-day guided trek to the Rila Mountains with its top best locations - the Rila Monastery (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the 7 Rila Lakes. Experience the two most visited tourist sights in Bulgaria in just one day. Combine great hiking with a full of history visit to the biggest and most important cloister in the country.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Food: although there are two huts on our way where we can purchase some basic food (i.e. beans soup, meatballs, tea) we advise you to come prepared with a lunch pack from Sofia, because the programme today is rather tight and for sure we won’t have much time for a proper lunch.

Difficulty: the hiking route is moderately arduous, with individual brief paths featuring steep inclines. Please bring along comfortable walking boots. Sandals and flip-flops are not accepted. Rain jacket might be useful in summer as heavy showers sometimes occur in the afternoons.

IMPORTANT FOR MAY AND JUNE DEPARTURES! Kindly note, that availability of the tour depends on the weather conditions and the operation of the chairlift.

The terrain will be very wet and slippery and there will still be snow in the area. Walking in such conditions requires adequate equipment (good trekking boots, waterproof clothes and a warm layer beneath the jacket). The hike is demanding, so a good fitness level is also required. Keep in mind that some of the lakes may be covered in snow.

Important! As with all lifts the one, used for the hike to The Seven Rila Lakes, may halt operations (due to strong winds, power cuts etc.). In this unlikely event, an alternative hike will be offered on spot by the guide. Mind that such a situation does not make you eligible for a refund for the tour.

Tour with ONLINE (cloud-based) Audio-guide in different languages (EN, ES, IT, FR, DE, RU). INTERNET required to download and use. Headphones required, too.

Cancellation Policy

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

What‘s Included

Transport by air-conditioned bus/coach or minivan

English-speaking guide (if guided tour selected)

Fuel surcharge

Entrance fee for the Rila monastery's museum appr. 5EUR/10BGN (optional)

Food and drinks

Gratuities

Chairlift ticket- appr. 15EUR/30BGN (only cash payments in BGN accepted)

What To Expect

Departure at 07:00 from the car parknext to Vasil Levski Monument, in front of the Embassy of Slovakia

Admission Not Applicable

Seven Rila Lakes

The tour begins with an early transfer to the Rila, followed by a brief cable car ride to the Seven Rila Lakes Cirque. The glacier lakes are at between 2100 and 2500m/6800 and 8200ft above sea level, with name fitting their shapes, like Babreka (the Kidney), Okoto (the Eye), and Salzata (the Teardrop). As we need to follow strict time schedule depending on your fitness we can either walk the whole trek around all lakes, or make the stroll shorter and skip some of them (normally the two highest ones).

4 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Options

Tour with Audio-guide

Tour with ONLINE (cloud-based) Audio-guide in different languages. INTERNET required to download and use.

Self-guided tour with a driver

Only with a driver, who'll collect you from the starting point of the tour and bring you back. There's no tour guide.