Hike Bulgaria's Rodopi Mountains

A very underrated trip with a real focus on wildlife, and there is lots to see. The walking is spot on for a moderate trip but there is time to stop and take photos and learn about the area and the wildlife. Trails are good and very quiet. It's definitely a place to get away from the rest of the world but with a homely hotel with good food at the end of the day.

This was a holiday: good food, good weather, relaxing hotel, nice hosts , great group, well organised. An exploration, fabulous unhurried but exhilarating walks, wonderful scenery and an education. Our guide Julian seemed to know and love all the wildlife, the butterflies and birds, the geology, geography, mythology and the current social and political status of Bulgaria. An interesting , informative and stimulating trip for mind and body.

This was an excellent walking tour with, as described, moderate walking but with time to stop and enjoy the wildlife and great views. It was very well organised and the village hotel was a good choice for walkers with good rooms, excellent home made food and attentive staff.

This is a very relaxing hiking trip with lots of time to explore nature at its best in the Rodopi Mts!

Beautiful wildlife everywhere!

Beautiful wildlife everywhere you looked, really nice hikes and beautiful home cooked food!

Walking in the peace of thick pine forested mountains and grassy meadows, with cool crystal clear streams, but in the domain of wild brown bears and raptors. The legend of Orpheus never far away. Meticulously kept hotel, with good food.

An under-appreciated gem. The mountains are stunning, the walking is moderate and achievable in breathtaking scenery, and we saw very few other people on any of the walks. Lots of additional interest in terms of flora and fauna, and the tour guide (Svetla) was extremely knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects, patient and had a great sense of humour.

A lovely week in an undisturbed mountain environment. We hardly saw anyone else on our walks, and Yagodina village is completely calm. It feels such a healthy week - unspoilt and wholesome.

Great week walking in the environs of Yagodina, an isolated village in the Rodopi mountains. Super hotel, serving wonderful traditional food.

Just returned from an excellent week in the Rodopi mountains. Faultless organisation throughout, from the warm hospitality of the Family Hotel Yagodina, its excellent and plentiful local food, to varied walks through deep forests, sunlit meadows, mountain tops. The leader’s knowledge of the area is second to none and he is generous with his knowledge of the wildlife you may encounter and sharing his understanding of this mysterious landscape, its history and myths, its people and way of life. One of the best Exodus trips I’ve ever been on, highly recommended. Thank you.

We had a great group and superb leader. I echo everything that Susanne has written. Rodopi is just a magical place - it is lush and full of nature: insects, particularly butterflies, wild flowers, lichen and signs of bigger animals who were no doubt watching us. I felt extremely comfortable, more knowledgable and much more aware of my surroundings by the end of the week. The walks are varied and a good length; no rush in the morning and back in time to have a couple of quiet hours in the evening. Five days in a row is reasonably challenging, but it is also possible to miss the odd day; a couple of our group found plenty to do - maybe a short walk, glass of wine with lunch and then wander in the village. Yagodina Hotel is perfect for the trip - very friendly and comfortable, we had wonderful home cooked food - recipes local to the region, Maria could not do enough to help I have been on several Exodus Trips and this is my favourite so far.

This trip far exceeded our expectations in many ways! The area is unspoilt & very quiet-we only saw one other group of hikers during our week in the mountains! Every day was filled with lovely walks through stunning scenery & we enjoyed discovering all of the flora & fauna in the area as well as spotting traces of bears! The Family Hotel Yagodina was spotlessly clean with decent size rooms & the food was amazing-all locally sourced & freshly made! Nothing was too much trouble for Maria & her team & we felt truly spoilt!

New to Bulgaria, great week discovering the landscape, flora & fauna and culture of this unique region.

I am ashamed to say that until we started looking for our next trip I had never heard of the Rodopi Mountains. They are a wonderful place, spectacular scenery with vistas of ridge after ridge, after ridge, a week isn't really long enough, maybe we will have to return. The walking was very enjoyable and the accommodation just what you want on a trip like this; clean and comfortable with a happy, relaxed atmosphere, a good shower, lovely staff and well cooked, tasty, locally sourced food . There is an abundance of wildlife in the mountains, but it is just that, wild, so don't expect to see it all. I have come to the conclusion that the wall creeper is a mythical bird! We were the first group in after two and a half years and everything worked really well. If you haven't been you are missing out on a treat.