Rila Monastery and 7 Rila Lakes Self-Guided Shared Trip from Sofia
4.7
138 Ratings
Sofia
Embark on a self-guided shared trip from Sofia to the stunning 7 Rila Lakes and the UNESCO-listed Rila Monastery. Hike through the lakes in the morning and explore the monastery in the afternoon.
Duration:
13 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral - Enjoy stunning morning views of Sofia’s main landmark
What's Included
- Driver
- Round-trip shared transfer
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees - Rila Lakes chairlift ticket (25 BGN per person, two-way)
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Guide services
Additional Information
Embark on a self-guided, communal shuttle tour that will usher you towards the stunning 7 Rila Lakes area in the morning, followed by a visit to the UNESCO-protected Rila Monastery in the Rila National Park, highlighting Bulgaria’s finest natural and cultural spots, in the afternoon. In the initial part of the day, the shuttle bus will transport you to the onset of the hiking trails at the Rila Lakes locality and the bottom dock of the chairlift, allowing you to ascend the mountain using the chairlift. You have an extensive span of over 5 hours for your autonomous exploration of the Rila Lakes region. Following that, in the latter part of the day, the communal shuttle will convey you to the Rila Monastery –– an epitome of Bulgaria’s cherished cultural and historical legacy. There is ample time exceeding 1 hour allotted for you to independently delve into the monastery premises.
- A moderate to intensive amount of walking is involved (walking/hiking experience is a must)
- Comfortable walking shoes and clothes suitable for mountain/walking are required
- Sun cream and sunglasses are strongly recommended
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Dress code at the Rila Monastery: high heels, short skirts and trousers, shirts with no sleeves, etc. are not allowed in the monastery.
Location
пл. „Княз Александър I“ 1
площад „Княз Александър I“
Go to the car parking at Knyaz Aleksander I square (in front of The Palace - National Art Gallery). Look for a vehicle with Rila Shutle sign. Nearest metro station is Serdika.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(138 Ratings)
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X6645wdsannev
Nov 4, 2023
Great! - It was a long day, but absolutely worth it! Both the lakes and the monastery were amazing😍! Also, we had enough time to thoroughly explore.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kaoh517
Nov 3, 2023
Day trip from Sofia - Worth doing the 7 Rila Lakes + monastery in one day. It'll be a long day but it's worth every second. No need for previous hiking experience, although moderate fitness is required to make the most the day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C5077kkautumns
Nov 1, 2023
Well worth the long day! - We had an amazing day on Sunday. Whilst the tour is self guided, Philip gave us plenty of information on the coach trip - both history and practical tips for the hike. The driver was also amazing, dropping us off and picking us up right by the ski lift (though I think we were very lucky!)
We were very fortunate with the weather and managed to do the whole loop at the lakes and see all 7 (even with my 10 year old sister). Sun hat is a must and good shoes but as the weather was so nice we were fine in comfy trainers. The route has some steep inclines but good paths and plenty of flatter areas too.
We hiked as a family, but I noticed a few of the solo travellers ending up hiking together too.
One downside - when you arrive at the Monastery, the museum is closed and the little shops outside were also starting to close. Not a huge issue as the grounds and church were still open and amazing, and the plus is that it's a lot less busy by the time we arrived - for us the lakes were the real highlight but if you are going for the Monastery particularly something to bear in mind.
Overall a fantastic trip which I would 100% recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Claudiadb7453zz
Oct 31, 2023
Rila Monastery and 7 lakes - Amazing trip, very well organised so that we had the chance to do an hiking tour of the 7 lakes (4 hours) and visit the monastery. Both places are worth a visit!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherpa67122521667
Oct 31, 2023
A very good day between nature and history - The trip has been very well organized, the 7 lakes were amazing and I really suggest the hiking. Rila Monastery is a beautiful building of great importance for Bulgarian history and religion. I enjoyed very much this experience and I would recommend it to everyone!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Y3757tproberts
Oct 30, 2023
Amazing Day at Rila Lakes and Rila Monastary - Philip was an amazing and personable host. The tour was well managed to make the most of the daylight hours. Philip provided helpful and thoughtful guidance during the self-guided tour and was quick to respond to questions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nikelevra12
Oct 29, 2023
Unbelievable hike, best day out - Just wow. Hike was incredible. Monestary was amazing but lakes were definitely the highlight. Driver was great and Philip the guide was awesome - informative, friendly & punctual. I loved this trip. Highly highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sorriso2018
Oct 29, 2023
Great tour - Very nice tour guide, smiling, being helpful and warmhearted all the time.
Greatly organised, it was an amazing day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hannem689
Nov 4, 2023
We were blown away by this experience - Due to the wind, the chairlift in the Rila Lakes did not work. The alternative was also not available.
This meant we had to walk to the hut, which was very intensive. The wind made the trip to the lakes very difficult. Nevertheless, we were still able to enjoy the beautiful nature. Despite the many unexpected circumstances, the guide always remained friendly and optimistic and tried to make the experience as pleasant as possible.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_b
Nov 1, 2023
Upset Most of Rila Monastery was not open - I enjoyed hiking up to 7 Rila Lakes. I was slow and took many stops and I had just enough time to make it to the top and back down before we had to leave. However, I was disappointed with the Rila Monastery portion of the trip. We got there on time and we had an hour before they closed but the only thing that was open was the sanctuary. All the other portions were closed like the kitchen, museum. Basically all we could do was walk around. One good point I found a snack bar and they made homemade donuts fresh right out of the fryer so they were hot and I sprinkled powdered sugar on them and they were amazing.
If I had to do it over I would have gone on a cheaper tour that had a longer time at the Rila Lakes and I would have done a separate tour to the monastery.
Review provided by Viator
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