Price:
60 euro per person – guided tour; *50 euro – transport only (check booking calendar for availability)
* Hiking time: the given walking time does not include stops for pictures, picnics, breaks etc.!; it is conditional and generally based on an average hiker’s speed of 4-5 km/hr on flat terrain, additional 30 min for each 300 m elevation gain, and a backpack weighing not more than 10-15% of your body weight. Still this varies a lot on the fitness level, weather conditions, the group size and the hiking experience of each client within the group.
This tour is a fine combination of a scenic hike and a trip to the most famous Bulgarian UNESCO site. This is a tour with long and intensive itinerary, but with many rewarding travel experiences.
- The Tear – the highest one.
- The Eye – the deepest one (37.5)
- The Kidney – perfect for a picnic.
- The Twin – the largest one.
- The Trefoil.
- The Fish Lake – the shallowest one.
- The Lower Lake – the lowest one.
Every lake has its individuality and own charisma, but they all are strikingly beautiful. The distance of the hiking route is only 7 km ( roughly 500 m of elevation), but you will be amazed that the view from each lake is different. Browse the internet for images of the 7 Rila Lakes Cirque. Fabulous, right? If every picture is a thousand words then obviously there is a lot to experience and enjoy on the hike. The lakes are a favored destination for Bulgarian and foreign tourists alike. They are listed as one of the Bulgaria Tourist Association’s Top 100 National Tourist Sites.
RILA MONASTERY
This site is mainly dedicated to the most famous and biggest Bulgarian monastic complex and its historical and artistic value. Find out more in our Learn More menu.
This tour is long, demanding and intensive. You have to be in good physical condition. You need to be at the meeting point at 7 am or be ready at the appointed time in your booking form for a hotel pick up, if you select this option. This is a small group tour and other tourists may join you. There is about 2-hour drive to the chairlift that will take you to the first of the 7 Rila Lakes. You will be one of the first to get on the chairlift (around 30 mins ride uphill). Your guide will usually take you along the lower route that passes by each lake and you will gradually reach the Kidney Lake (the fifth that you will see on the way). From the Kidney starts the most demanding part of the hike that will take you up to the Eye and then to the Tear (the highest of the lakes). Some tourists decide to remain at the scenic Kidney and not finishing the most tiring part of the walk. They will be picked up on the way back. The return is via the panoramic trail that gives you good views of the lakes from the plateau that is higher than them. There is very limited time for lunch and we highly recommend that you bring a lunch pack with you. Around 2 pm you will be back to the vehicle for another 1.5 drive, but this time to the Rila Monastery. A guided tour (about an hour) of the monastic complex will follow. The paid entry to the main Rila Monastery Museum is included in the package price. The drive from Rila Monastery to Sofia is also about 2 hours. The tour will be concluded in the late afternoon with a drop off at your accommodation.
Dress appropriately for the season and for a hike that is above 2000 meters in the mountains. The weather changes quickly and you have to be prepared for cold showers even during the summer. Sun cream, sun glasses and hat are a must. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Sandals and flip-flops are not accepted. You will have limited time for lunch or shopping. We recommend that you bring a lunch pack and water with you on the tour.
Book online safely and with confidence. You will receive automatically your booking confirmation.
PRICING:
60 EUR per person – guided tour; *50 Eur – transport only (check booking calendar for availability)
INCLUSIONS:
+ Professional and friendly English-speaking guide throughout the tour
+ Transfers with comfortable air-conditioned vehicle
+ Pick up at 07:00 from the meeting point at the southeast corner of the Alexander Nevski Cathedral
+ Parking fees
EXCLUSIONS :
– Meals & beverages
– Gratuities (optional)
– Hotel pick up
– Chairlift tickets
– Rila monastery museum entrance fee (4 Euro per person)