












Best of Rila Mountains
Starting point
Govedartsi
Finish point
Govedartsi
Duration
7 days / 6 nights
Season
From June to September
Technical level
3/5
Fitness level
4/5
Tour type
Hut-to-Hut
Number of people
Choose your style
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- Explore the highest mountain range in the entire Balkan Peninsula
- Immerse yourself in Bulgaria’s pristine wilderness
- Hike to the iconic Seven Rila Lakes, crystal-clear and tucked between peaks
- Immerse yourself in an authentic hut-to-hut experience amidst dramatic mountain scenery
- Take in the beauty of the UNESCO-listed Rila Monastery, a 10th-century architectural marvel
- Spot diverse wildlife, from chamois to golden eagles, in their natural habitat
Itinerary of the trip
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What’s included in the price?
Self-guided
NOT INCLUDED
What to bring to the tour
- Hiking shoes/boots
- 25 to 45-liter backpack
- Base layer
- Sports T-shirts
- Hiking shorts
- Hiking water-repellent pants
- Waterproof jacket
- Midlayer
- Sports socks and underwear
- Leisurewear for evenings
- Down jacket
- Gloves
- Shade hat/cap
- Warm headwear
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Headlamp
- Hiking poles
- ID card or passport
- Snacks
- Cash
- Water bottles or hydration pack
- Sleeping liner
- Toiletries
- Toilet paper
- Small first aid kit
This 7-day hiking tour takes you through the heart of Bulgaria’s most spectacular mountain range, blending breathtaking alpine landscapes, crystal-clear lakes, and centuries of cultural heritage.
As the highest mountain range in Bulgaria and the entire Balkan Peninsula, the Rila Mountains offer more than just breathtaking views. With over 200 glacial lakes, alpine meadows, and towering peaks like Malyovitsa, this area is a paradise for nature lovers.
Your adventure will begin and end in the peaceful village of Govedartsi, the perfect base for exploring the Rila Mountains. You’ll hike through lush forests along the Cherni Iskar River before ascending to the iconic Seven Rila Lakes, where you’ll be treated to sweeping alpine vistas.
As you continue, the rugged beauty of the mountains reveals itself with dramatic peaks and ridgelines, offering stunning views from every angle. The tour also takes you to the UNESCO-listed Rila Monastery, a 10th-century treasure nestled in the mountains, renowned for its stunning frescoes and tranquil courtyards.
This tour strikes the perfect balance between adventure and serenity. Well-marked trails guide you through alpine terrain, offering moments of both exhilaration and peace as you uncover hidden mountain gems. Nights spent at the remote mountain huts give you an authentic alpine experience, while the descent toward Rila Monastery brings a cultural richness to your journey.
We take care of every detail so you can focus solely on enjoying the experience. From booking your stays in cozy mountain huts and charming village hotels to planning the most scenic routes, we ensure your trip is seamless. Before the trip, you will receive a comprehensive digital guidebook, equipped with GPS tracks, maps, trail descriptions, and insights into the landmarks you’ll encounter.
Join us for an adventure of a lifetime and discover Bulgaria’s scenic trails and most treasured landmarks!
Map
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course. We aim to make your decision as easy as possible. Therefore, we crafted several selections targeted at particular groups of hikers – Best for Beginners, Best for Advanced Hikers, Mountain Hikes, Pilgrimages, Classic Treks, etc.
If you remain unsure and overwhelmed, you can fill out this form or book a call with us, and we can help you directly.
My friend and I went with Triglav Tours for a 3 day, 2 night hike this summer and had the most amazing time!! Our guide, Bine, was awesome and had lots of cool facts to share about the area we were hiking. Additionally, my friend and I had not completed such a technical hike before and the guide and other guests were very patient with us and encouraging, ensuring we felt safe the entire time. The overnights were also such a fun way to get to know Bine, the other guests, and other hikers as well. Cannot recommend Triglav tours enough!!!



I arranged a six-day/five-night trip with Hut to Hut Slovenia. It's the first time I've gone with a tour organizer and I can say it went really well. In the past I've arranged huts myself and it is a huge hassle figuring out how to make the bookings, if the bookings actually exist, and what good/viable routes might be. Having this all sort was, at least to me, totally worth it. The routing is via Ride with GPS, which was great. I'd recommend bringing 1:25,000 scale paper maps as a backup, just in case. The huts themselves differ wildly. Some are really rustic with, ahem, interesting toilet facilities. One was accessible by road and thus had showers, a long menu, and even espresso. All will have some sort of food, but you might only have two options for dinner (one with meat, one vegetarian). The cuisine in the Slovenian huts leans strongly to stews and goulashes with minimal fresh vegetables and/or fruit. Certainly good and hearty but pretty much everyone I talked to said the food was better in the Italian and Austrian huts. Some huts are cash only, some take cards (but the card reader might be down). A 1.5 litre bottle of water is about 6 euro, so if you have a beer with dinner and also buy lunch you need to carry about 25-30 euro per day in cash (assuming you have a booking that includes breakfast). Of the six days of hiking, four were ridiculously spectacular, with the highlight being sunrise from Mt Stol. Getting up to the high mountains, though, can be crazy steep, with switchbacks only sparsely used. Descents are similarly tough, and you have to watch every step. For the first time ever I used trekking poles and my knees thank me. Two days were a bit of a slog, but this is probably unavoidable getting up to or down from the high terrain. Would I do something like this again? Yes, absolutely! But next time it will probably be the Dolomites.




We had a lovely hike today with our guide Klemen. He personalized the tour on our needs and interests, so that we saw places we wouldn't without his experience. The hike was a little bit slippery after the rain from the last days and it went a lot upwards, but it was totally worth it! Thanks again :)



Tina and her team gave me perfect support on my hut hike through the Triglav National Park in July. In particular, they had to cater to my specific needs twice, which they did for me with no problem. I once had to cancel at short notice before the start of the trip because my father was not feeling well, but then we found a solution and I was able to start the hike. Tina and team first canceled the huts immediately and then reserved them again for me. Even when my condition caused a little tour change again, I immediately had suggestions and these were immediately available in the Trip plans app. I liked this app very much because it was easy to handle and the huttohut-team gave a short overview how the daily tour will be and which highlights – mostly beautiful views – I will see“

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