The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery

Name: The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery
Brand: Viator
Price: 47.29 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.6 (118 reviews)

4.6(118)12 hoursGerman, Russian, English, Italian +2Sofia, Bulgaria

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$47

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Experience Bulgaria’s two ultimate highlights in a single day. This expertly timed day trip combines a breathtaking hike to the panoramic Seven Rila Lakes with a cultural visit to the historic Rila Monastery, the largest and most important spiritual landmark in the country. It is the ultimate mountain-and-culture combo designed to maximize your time without feeling rushed.

- Conquer the highlights of the Rila Mountains in just one day from Sofia. - Trek past the spectacular lakes with stunning panoramic views (chairlift ticket optional/paid locally). - Rila Monastery: Enjoy ample time to explore the vast UNESCO-listed complex and its famous frescoed church. - Relax in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver navigating the mountain roads. - Active yet Accessible: A moderately active trek perfect for travelers with basic physical fitness and comfortable shoes.

Included

Visit to Rila Monastery
Parking Fees
Professional Tour Guide OR Cloud Audio Guide App (depending on the option you select have booked)
Round-trip transport by air-conditioned minibus or coach

Not included

Rila Monastery Museum (Optional; entrance to the main courtyard/church is free)
Food and drinks
Gratuities
Chairlift ticket- appr. 16EUR (only cash payments in euro accepted)
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Choose your option

4 options

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What you'll do

Departure at 07:00 from the car parknext to Vasil Levski Monument, in front of t
he Embassy of Slovakia
Seven Rila Lakes
2650 Sapareva Banya, Rila Mountain, Sofia, Bulgaria
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).
4 hours
Rila Monastery
Rila, Bulgaria
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.
1 hour
Return at the starting point of the tour at approximately 19:30

Meeting and pickup

2 locations

Pickup details

IMPORTANT: The meeting point next to Vasil Levski Monument, in front of the Embassy of Slovakia| | GPS coordinates: 42.69677705130451, 23.336332286917877 | Please, be there 15 min. in advance!

Good to know

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.