The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery
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.
Options
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.
What's included in The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
St. Alexander Nevski CathedralPass-by Only
Departure at 07:00 from the car park in front of La Cattedrale restaurant, at the south-east corner of Alexander Nevski Square
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).
Rila Monastery
Admire the impressive Rila Monastery (UNESCO)- its architecture and the frescoes present the apogee of the Bulgarian Renaissance art. With an about 1-hour guided tour of the most treasured monuments in the inner yard and the Monastery museum (optional), you will learn the most fascinating facts and stories about the biggest Bulgarian monastery complex.
Inclusions
- 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)
- 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.
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting / End Points
- IMPORTANT: The meeting point is BEHIND Alexander Nevski Cathedral (opposite La Cattedrale restaurant) | | GPS coordinates: 42.695598, 23.333649 | Please, be there 15 min. in advance!
Redeem
Ticket Redemption
Google Maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/54JbrQKPKdJ47yRA6
