Summits and lakes of the Rila and Pirin mountains

  • Best price guaranteed
  • No booking fees
  • E-ticket/Mobile voucher
5 Based on 2 Reviews
  • duration 8 days
  • tour type Independent
  • age requirement 12-79 yrs
  • guiding method Self-guided
  • Tour Code BM-23403
  • Footprint Carbonneutral CO2 emissions resulting from all trips on Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
  • Operated in English
map
  • Starts Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Ends Sofia, Bulgaria
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Hike the best of the high Bulgarian mountains
  • Enjoy the mountain scenery and pristine mountain lakes
  • Revel in the rocky peaks and spectacular ridges
  • Visit the world-famous UNESCO site Rila Monastery
Looking for an independent trekking tour to test your hiking fitness? Bored of the popular walking destinations in the Alps and the Pyrenees? You have come to the right place. This is our most scenic self-guided hiking trek, which covers the very best of the highest Bulgarian mountains: Rila and Pirin.

Climb the giant of Rila, Mount Musala (2925m) the highest in Bulgaria and on the Balkan Peninsula. Trace dramatic ridges, visit the world-famous UNESCO site Rila Monastery and get a thrill on the challenging climb to the Pirin summit of Mount Vihren (2914m). Panoramic mountain views will take your breath away along an almost infinite series of trails to alpine meadows, rocky cirques, remote glacial lakes and onto spectacular ridges and summits.

The best part? You can walk every day with just a day pack. The rest of your luggage either remains inside the transfer vehicle or in your accommodation. And for peace of mind, all ground transfers are included!
ITINERARY Expand All
  • Day 1: Arrival
  • Day 2: Climb Mount Musala
  • Day 3: The Seven Rila Lakes
  • Day 4: Transfer to the Pirin mountains with a stop at the Rila
  • Day 5: Climb the Polezhan summit
  • Day 6: Bandereshki Lakes Cirque
  • Day 7: Climb the Vihren summit
  • Day 8: Departure
WHAT'S INCLUDED
  • 7 Breakfasts and 3 Dinners
  • Transfers to and from Sofia Airport (on first/last tour date only)
  • All other transfers for the daily treks as per itinerary
  • Accommodation and catering as mentioned
  • GPS tracks
  • Detailed route notes in English
  • Maps (one per room)
  • Emergency hotline
  • All local taxes
OPTIONAL ADDONS (Available during check-out)
  • Rent of hiking poles
WHAT'S EXCLUDED
  • Extra meals and drinks
  • Lift tickets (appr. 15 Euro/pp)
  • Travel/medical insurance
  • Entrance fees for museums
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
5 - Excellent
Based on 2 reviews
  • Robin Atkinson
  • From England
  • On May 21 2019
5 - Excellent
Stnning trek through Bulgaria's highest mountains!
Every transfer was spot-on time with friendly drivers. The hikes were challenging as expected but led to some spectacular scenery. Pre-training and good hiking shoes, preferably boots, a must. Trails were well labelled with... Read more
  • Scott Jones
  • From England
  • On May 21 2019
5 - Excellent
Hikers paradise
My friend and I really enjoyed our trip. The local travel expert did a fantastic job selecting the hikes and the accommodations. The landscapes along the trails were superb. The hiking directions and maps were very good, easy to... Read more
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What are customers saying about Bookmundi
Excellent
4.65 Average 674 Reviews
GOOD TO KNOW
CANCELLATION

20% Deposit payable upfront. Remaining balance payable 45 days prior to trip departure. Free cancellation up to 45 days prior departure, but the 20% deposit paid is non-refundable. No refund applicable within 45 days of departure.

Payment

A deposit of 20% is required when booking this tour. The remaining balance will be charged 45 days prior departure. For any bookings within 45 days of departure, the full tour amount will be charged upon booking.

Travel Insurance

We advise to take out Travel Insurance to cover for any unforeseen circumstances. Bookmundi recommends World Nomads' travel insurance.

Other Practical InformationYou walk every day with just a day pack. The rest/unnecessary luggage either remains inside the transfer vehicle or in your accommodation. This trip is not suitable for novices as you’ll be trekking high above the tree line, amongst some of the most unknown and interesting mountains to be found in Europe. No rock climbing experience is needed and no “via ferratas” are present. It is meant for very welltrained hikers with ample experience of dealing with bad climate conditions up in the mountains (incl. fog, thunderstorms etc.) and for people used to walk over rocky slopes, overtaking steep ascends/descends now and then. The terrain in the Pirin and Rila is alpine and includes trails over steep slopes, where surefootedness is necessary on a couple of occasions. Small patches of snow may still be present on some of the trails until the end of July. Best period: midJune – midSeptember; this program is meant to suit TuesdaySaturday arrivals; travelling on later dates is also possible (till the end of October), but with a program reduction (the climb to Mt. Musala will be waived since the lift used for it won’t be working after midSeptember).
NEED HELP OR HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS TOUR?
If you have any question about this tour or need help with planning a trip, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We're ready to help.
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