Rila Monastery and 7 Rila Lakes Self-Guided Shared Trip from Sofia

Sofia, Bulgaria

de la
EUR22.50EUR
Rila Monastery and 7 Rila Lakes Self-Guided Shared Trip from Sofia

Programul activitatii

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, Aleksander Nevski Square, Sofia Bulgaria

Enjoy stunning morning views of Sofia's main landmark

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Seven Rila Lakes, 2650 Sapareva Banya Rila Mountain, Sofia Bulgaria

Admire the beautiful Seven Rila Lakes at your own pace

Duration: 6 hours

Stop At: Rila Monastery, Rila 2643 Bulgaria

Admire the biggest Christian Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Rila Shuttle, Sofia Bulgaria

Travel with ease to the Rila mountains from Sofia on the Rila Shuttle

Duration: 13 hours

Stop At: Rila Mountains, Rila Bulgaria

Enjoy the beauty of the Rila Mountain in Bulgaria

Duration: 13 hours

Stop At: Rila National Park, Rila Bulgaria

Spend your day at Bulgaria's most beautiful mountain

Duration: 13 hours

Incluse

  • Round-trip shared transfer
  • Transport by air-conditioned minivan
  • Driver
  • Entry/Admission - Rila Shuttle

Neincluse

  • Entrance fees - Rila Lakes chairlift ticket (25 BGN per person, two-way)
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks
  • Guide services

Informatii aditionale

  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • 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.
  • Near public transportation
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Face masks required for travelers in public areas
  • Face masks required for guides in public areas
  • Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 36 travelers
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking

Informatii despre voucher

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Punct de plecare

pl. "Sveti Aleksandar Nevski" 1А, 1504 Old City Center, Sofia, Bulgaria

Ora de plecare

07:00 AM

Durata

13 hours

Detalii despre intoarcere

Returns to original departure point

  • Luke_S

    2023-02-08

    One of the best tours I’ve ever done. The Monastery was brilliant, really quiet too, no queues or crowding. Bobby spoke great English. Perfect amount of time in both places & we were given a clear map for Rila Lakes.

  • Sakarios

    2022-11-08

    the monastery was really nice but the weather was horrible. They knew it but we are tourists. i did not expected the weather to be this bad on october 3rd!! so obviously we did not see any lake. the fog was too much and it was extremely cold and raining like crazy. so we sat in the cabin for few hours until its time to go home HAHA

  • ChunNan_W

    2022-11-05

    We had a great time for one day tour. Philpe is a knowledgeable and very helpful assistance bring us to different places. He was very friendly and yet professional. I would reconmmand him for people who need a tour.

  • SamVanDijck1998

    2022-10-31

    Great hike through the Seven lakes area. My advise Is to take it easy. Rushing is absolutely not necessary and you most likely will see all lakes at a slower pace while enjoying more.

  • Jack_H

    2022-10-15

    Fantastic. Amazing. Best thing I have ever done. This review I’ll give you a complete overview as I was looking for that. Rila Lakes: This walk was amazing. It was long, hard and lots of different levels but amazing. The views were perfect. The stair lift was very very cold, wrap up warm as I definitely needed more layers. You get 6 hours here, plenty of time! Bobby is the main guy, he is amazing. So lovely, always wanted to see photos, great English, couldn’t have been better. Getting to the view point, number 12 on the map they give is the main part for me. If the weather is not completely sunny or at least some part I’d change days as when it got cloudy, it turned into a cloud! So many people too so photo opportunity were always there. I went solo, AirPods on and off you go! I did 40,000 steps but was great! Rila Monastery: This was so cool and wouldn’t have gone without this tour. Really stunning place. Bright, cultured and great. They give you maps for both destinations. It was amazing. Thank you Bobby. You were great and so was the trip. If you go to Sofia and don’t do this, you’ve wasted the trip!

  • Warda_O

    2022-10-09

    This tour was amazing! The hike is definitely something I’d recommend anyone coming to Bulgaria to tick off their list! The monastery was tranquil! Absolutely recommend!

  • deepbluesea20

    2022-10-04

    The tour is a self guided tour and includes a good amount of trekking, at least 3 hours. This should be clearly informed on the site. The more you walk, the more lakes one can see.

  • raymountford

    2022-10-04

    Had an excellent day out. The trip up to the lakes on the chairlift was very cold and in fact was 1oC at the top. There is a building where you buy drinks and food, and a great log fire going in the large room. The walk to the lakes is quite hard but the views are stunning. The Monastery is amazing and well worth the visit. All in all a great day out.

  • K_P

    2022-09-10

    Rila National Park and the Seven Lakes were absolutely beautiful and I’d love to go back again. As far as Rila monastery, I do not think it was worth driving another hour and a half after wonderful hiking the Seven Lakes.

  • Dauan A

    2022-09-02

    They did not give me enough information to arrive location and tried to many time to call them on number on the ticket.no reply and i asked later for refund they refued.do not recommend them at all.avoid avoid

  • MARIAFERNANDA_G

    2022-08-27

    This self guided tour was perfect. You are dropped off at Rila lakes with a map, and enough time to do the long route. Views are spectacular. After that, you go to the monastery and again you have a map and instructions. The museums were all closed by the time we arrived to the monastery, but still we had a good time.

  • Antu_D

    2022-08-09

    Even if it says "self-guided", Bobby told us everything we needed to know before departing for the Rila lakes. Drop off at the lakes is 8.45 and pick up is at 15, 6 hours is kore than enough to take the chair lift and hike the 8km trail (even with a 1y8m baby as we did). There is really no need for a guide during the hike as the trail is perfectly delimited. Before departing to the monastery, Bobby again told us everything we needed to know and gave lots of tips and advice. Awesome guide and amazing day!

  • midnightvea

    2022-08-08

    We enjoyed our trip to Rila Lakes & Monastery very much. The minivan was comfy, it had aircon and charging stations for our phones. Bobi, who welcomed us in front of the Cathedral, was so pleasant and funny. He gave us info about the lakes and the monastery, and gave us a small itinerary map of the lakes. Thank you! I recombed this experience! The lakes & the monastery are so worth visiting!

  • Christian_S

    2022-08-02

    Bobi was very friendly and provided excellent guidance. Highly recommended 👌. The Rila mountain is wonderful

  • Bozhana_P

    2022-08-01

    Well organised trip. Minivan comfortable n driver was good. On time to depart. Excellent briefing tips about mountain routes. Highly recommend this self guided tour. My friend & I enjoyed the trip.

  • Antoaneta_P

    2022-07-31

    Stunning scenery, great sense of peace. Viator made it all very easily accessible. A fantastic day out!

  • Jonathan_Y

    2022-07-25

    Beautiful lakes. Hiking is strennouos but worth it. Highly recommended. Nila monastary is magnificent.

  • Alex_P

    2022-07-18

    An absolutely unmissable experience. The shuttle gives plenty of time to see both the Lakes and the Monastery both. The views from the top of the Lakes national park are unforgettable and well worth the climb to see

  • Timothy_H

    2022-07-13

    Rila Lakes should be pretty much the top attraction on TripAdvisor etc. Its stunningly beautiful. I'm 61 and well travelled and this is still one of the most beautiful places I have been. The trip allows you time to hike around all 7 Rila Lakes. The mountains are really spectacular. Its a 20 mins journey on a ski lift which just adds to the fun. Rila Monastery is also stunning and this trip means you arrive quite late in time for evening service when the monastery is less visited. Practical points. Have cash for the ski lift, 25 lev, plus toilets, 1 lev plus drinks etc. Bulgaria isn't a cashless society. The trek is quite challenging with extended uphill sections so do be sure you are fit enough. There's very limited chances to buy food and poor options so do pack your own lunch.

  • NormaDelik

    2022-07-06

    This was a great trip made even better by our tour guide Bobbi. He was very knowledgeable and very accommodating. The views at the lakes are amazing and worth the hike. It is challenging but well worth it and I would go again withbthis tour operator. Thank you for an amazing day.

  • Steven_C

    2022-06-05

    We got engaged in absolutely amazing surroundings :). The trip was great. We had fantastic driver (bus nr 1) who was very knowledgeable and talkative and spoke good English. Bus was comfortable and there was more less enough time for everything. We could have done with half an hour longer in the 7 lakes but it was alright. Good price for amazing experience. We would definitely not be able to get there any other way. Strongly recommend the experience.

  • Adam_C

    2022-06-03

    Bobby was the most wonderful tour guide. We spent a total of nearly 6 hrs in the van with him and is was so pleasant. We had about 5 hrs at the Rila Lakes that are absolutely beautiful and about 1 hr at the Rila Monastery. A few notes: 1. For anyone afraid of heights make sure you won't be afraid of a 20+ minute chairlift ride (very high up) in each direction to/from the Rila Lakes start. 2. The hike was mostly moderate but at times was intense with some snow so definitely come prepared with hiking shoes, water, sunscreen, food etc. 3. The Rila Monastery has a strict dress code (especially in the Church) so be prepared to cover up or be handed something to cover up with.

  • jackied314

    2021-11-23

    Bobby was our tour guide for a Private shuttle from Sofia, the trip included the 7 Rila Lakes and the Rila Monastery. Bobby was an excellent tour guide, provided us with excellent maps to use on the hike, was very accommodating and gave us lots of information about the lakes, monastery and Bulgaria. Was a thoroughly enjoyable trip and would highly recommend! Much easier than organising to use local transport to visit both these places!

  • Lowri D

    2021-10-29

    What a fabulous trip! It was a last minute decision and we only booked 12 hours before departure. Quick confirmation via email, easy meeting point, great written information on the day from the guide and a good amount of free time at the sights. If you’re planning on hiking, wear sensible footwear and dress for a range of weather conditions. Well worth a visit!