Seven Rila Lakes Tours: The 15 Best Hiking Days

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 280 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $54Our pick

Join Philip and a shared minivan from central Sofia for a long but rewarding day in the Rila Mountains. You’ll ride the chairlift, hike the Seven Rila Lakes at your own pace, then visit Rila Monastery. The walk is unguided, but maps, route advice, timing help, and WhatsApp support keep the day on track.

“The entire day is incredible! The guide was informative, friendly, spoke great English and had a good sense of humour! The seven lakes was beautiful, not to challenging at all and finished within a few hours! But you need to do this hike, it’s stunning! The monastery was so rich in history as well, very stunning and a special place to visit”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 165 reviews · 10 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $71

Spend a full day from Sofia visiting the peaceful Rila Monastery and hiking toward the Seven Rila Lakes. Guides such as Alexander, Apostolos, and Stoyan have driven this route, but the mountain section is largely self-guided. The lift costs €15 extra, and snow, mud, storms, or poor visibility can change the plan.

“An overall great experience..!! A day away from the city and close to nature. A beautiful monastery in a green landscape. As for the 7 lakes, it's a stunning scenery with breathtaking views. It is recommended for everyone to visit it, either take the short route with fewer lakes or the long one with all 7 lakes.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 109 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $54

Spend about 12 hours pairing a mountain hike with Bulgaria’s grandest monastery. Ride the chairlift to the Seven Rila Lakes, hike as far as your fitness and weather allow, then tour Rila Monastery with an English-speaking guide such as Maya, Todor, Peter, or Megi. Bring cash, food, waterproof shoes, and a warm layer.

“Well worth it , we were lucky with pleasant weather perfect for the hike.... A very well organised trip, started bang on time. Make sure you have enough cash(no cards accepted) , packed lunch and drinks. We visited the Rila monastery first and then headed to the Rila lakes which was ideal for us as being the last Monday of the Month the cable chair lift was on maintenance. The jeep journey to replace the cable chair lift was rather an adventurous one, especially for our teen daughter who enjoyed it the most. We were a small group and literally had the mountain for ourselves. Could only do the 5…”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Seven Rila Lakes Snowshoe Hike and Thermal Baths Full-Day Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 43 reviews · 1 day (approx.) · from $144

Travel from Sofia into Rila Mountains National Park, ride a chairlift to 2,150 meters, snowshoe toward the Kidney lake, then soak in Sapareva Banya’s thermal pools. An English-speaking mountain leader provides equipment and instruction. The private tour includes hotel pickup, but chairlift and spa fees cost extra.

“In advance of the tour, we sent multiple Viator messages, wrote an email, and called the provided number 5+ times. We did not select a pickup point because we were already going to be in Rila and wanted to meet there, so we asked where would be best to meet the local guide. No one responded to any of these inquiries, no one reached out to us via the phone number I provided, and so ultimately my husband and I did not go on this tour. (Despite having paid for it!) We had a great day in Rila by ourselves, but there was absolutely no communication from the vendor which…”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Seven Rila Lakes – Full Day Hiking Trip in the Rila Mountain

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 40 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $35

Leave Sofia at 7:30 am for the Seven Rila Lakes, reached by minivan and cable car. You’ll hike for about five hours among seven high mountain lakes, with a guide handling navigation and transport. The route is self-guided on some departures, so bring sturdy shoes, food, cash for the 30 BGN cable car, and warm layers.

“Driver was on pickup location at correct time and the van was quite nice and modern with AC. Guide showed us around lift area and explained us little about the park. Although there was enough time to visit all lakes when walking a bit faster, one more hour at the location would be ideal.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Seven Rila lakes-Snowshoeing with Waterfall and Hot Mineral pools

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $150

Travel from Sofia into Rila National Park for a guided winter hike from 1,800 to 2,500 meters, using snowshoes and a cable car. Guides such as Velko, Veselin, Marin, Iva, and Miran adjust the route to weather and ability. Finish at Kotvata’s hot mineral pools, with transport, drinks, and snowshoes included.

“We had an amazing trip! Ves was a great guide and took good care of us. The hike was intense but one of the most gorgeous experiences we’ve seen.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.The Seven Rila Lakes Self – Guided Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $36

Leave central Sofia at 7:00 am for the Seven Rila Lakes in Rila National Park. You’ll ride a chairlift, hike for about five hours with a map, and learn about local plants, wildlife, and mountain life. The route is moderately strenuous, with steep sections, changing weather, and lunch huts along the way.

“Great day tour from Sofia. Professional on-time driver. I would recommend this tour (self-guided option). Hike with beautiful views that is very moderate.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Sofia: Small group to Seven Rila Lakes and Skakavitsa waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · from $113

Travel from central Sofia to Rila National Park for a guided hike around the Seven Rila Lakes, then visit Skakavitsa, Rila’s highest waterfall. Guides such as Viktor and Dobrin speak excellent English and adapt to changing weather. Winter trips use snowshoes and poles, but the route reaches only Kidney Lake.

“Our group thoroughly enjoyed the tour with Dobrin. He demonstrated exceptional professionalism, courtesy, and knowledge throughout. We appreciated the historical insights and information he shared about Bulgaria. Most notably, Dobrin was attentive to the needs of the eRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Incredible Day tour from Sofia to 7 Rila lakes and Rila monastery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 10 to 30 minutes (approx.) · from $156

Travel from Sofia in an air-conditioned van with an English-speaking guide such as Radu, Lyuben, Marin, Joro, or Ves. Hike toward the Seven Rila Lakes, reach the Tear at about 2,500 meters, see Bulgaria’s hottest geyser, and spend two hours at Rila Monastery. Expect mountain weather, a moderate hike, and a long day.

“Joro was incredible and extremely nice and knowledgeable. He had so much information and stories to share about the tour and his experiences. He was very well prepared and positive all the time. The lakes were all.frozen and there was still a lot of snow which made the tour very exciting. The landscapes were grand and absolutely stunning. Rila manastry also a jewel in the country was beautiful and full of stories and history. Would highly recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Seven Rila Lakes Guided Hike With chairlift ticket

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $143

Leave Sofia at 8:00 am for Panichishte Resort, ride the chairlift, then hike past all seven Rila Lakes with a professional guide. Meto has led the route with smart crowd-avoiding choices and good photo stops. The moderate hike lasts about five hours, with transport back to your Sofia accommodation.

“The hike was enjoyable, and the view was great. time management was good, we were back in Sofia earlier than expected.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.The Ultimate Snowmobile Adventure – 7 Rila Lakes & Panichishte

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $31Best value

You ride a powerful snowmobile with an English-speaking instructor in the Panichishte area near Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes. Choose 30 minutes, one hour, two hours with lunch, four to five hours, or an advanced Extreme rider option. Fuel, helmet, goggles, and an area e-guide are included. Hotel pickup is not provided.

“I was probably among the first to have the activity and use the fresh snow. Very well-maintained snowmobiles, excellent guide and scenic route. Would come back again for sure!”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Private tour: Rila Mountains and The Seven Rila Lakes from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 6 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $259

Leave Sofia with an English-speaking guide such as Petia or Valentin for a private mountain outing to all seven Rila Lakes. You get round-trip transport, a three-hour hike, and time for photos. The lift costs €20 extra, and proper mountain shoes plus mountain insurance are required.

“Rila Mountains are a beautiful place. Our guide Petia provided an excellent service, from pick-up to drop-off.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Private & Tremendous Jeep Safari in the 7 Rila Lakes area

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · from $149

You’ll ride a private 4x4 Jeep with a professional driver through the Rila Mountains near Sapareva Banya. Expect mountain air, old rock formations, broad views, and a one-hour stop in the mountains, followed by time in the spa town. Hiking toward the 7 Rila Lakes is optional.

“Excellent activity with a private and new jeep with a superb guide. The route was great, the views, the information, the stop with magnificent views. Really recommend to everyone in the area. That was a fabulous experience and these guys know how to do it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Seven Rila lakes to Rila monastery guided Trek

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $335

Hike all seven Rila Lakes with a UIMLA-certified mountain guide, spend the night at 2,300-meter Ivan Vazov Hut, then descend through alpine valleys to Rila Monastery. Guides Pavel and Nikolay have led this trip, which suits fit hikers aged 16 and older. Pickup from Sofia is included.

“Beautiful 2 day hike with great guides Pavel and Nikolay! Overnight stay in the Ivan Vazov hut which is no frills but has everything you need. About 9.5mi hike each day, finishing at the beautiful Rila Monastery. Pavel and Nikolay were friendly, helpful, and called beforehand to go over what to pack and what to expect. Would definitely recommend them again!”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.From Sofia: Seven Rila lakes- private tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $92

Travel from Sofia with guide Metodiy Ganchev, known as Meto, to the Seven Rila Lakes. You will ride a chairlift from Panichiste, hike about five hours through the sacred valley, and reach Lake Peak for broad views of all seven lakes. Pickup, drop-off, and a private vehicle are included.

“I would like to recommend Metodiy Ganchev ("Bulgarian Fairy Tale ") as the best "one day tour" guide I have taken!”

Check availability →Read our full review