Well worth it , we were lucky with pleasant weather perfect for the hike.... - 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 lakes as the 6th and 7th were covered in snow. The views are breathtakingly beautiful and feel one with nature. Rafi ( not sure if I got the name right) is a very knowledgeable guide and very passionate about the mountains and the preservation of it all. The tour was at a comfortable pace for us. We would highly recommend doing this tour if you enjoy a hike ( the first 30 mins is the most difficult part) , as we as a family with a teenage daughter thoroughly enjoyed it.

Stunning views and nice guides - We were a bit early in the season so there was still some snow on the mountain which I liked. We had to skip the two upper lakes because they were still too hard to reach due to the steep incline and snow. But loved every minute on the mountain and in the ski-lift. Our group was a bit big though. 30-ish people divided in 3 vans and 3 guides. Our guides spoke perfect English and knew a lot about both the mountain and the monastery. They really care you have a good experience while also respecting the mountain. One of our guides even reprimanded a couple that were not part of our group to get of the water because it is damaging the eco system. First bit of the (short) hike can be bit hard for people who do not hike so much. Expect to be in the car/bus a lot this day by the way, like 3 x 2 hours.

A great day out! - A great trip into the National Park. Fantastic scenery and amazing history. A small group, good, friendly and helpful guides. Would recommend this tour.

Amazing - Well organised with friendly and knowledgeable guides. The trek is tiring on the legs but nonetheless provides amazing views. On my trip we saw 5 of the 7 lakes plus the monastery. All this was enhanced by being with a happy, sociable group of people. Definitely one of the best day trips/tours I’ve done and would highly recommend it.

A wonderful experience - The hike up to the lakes was a challenge but well worth it. The views are spectacular. The hike down was also a challenge as the path is rocky. The monastery is beautiful and our guide was both informative and respectful. A great day out.

Beautiful - Stunning scenery both at the lakes and the monastery, (women remember to wear/bring clothing to cover your knees for the monastery) definitely worth it!

Stunning day - The Seven Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery day trip with Traventuria was great. My partner and I both enjoyed the tour. The coach was comfortable (though limited leg room) with charging ports and wifi. Please note you only see five lakes- NOT seven despite the description. This is due to limited time with the Rila Monastery visit. The Seven Lakes hike is lovely- the chairlift is 30mins each way with beautiful views, the lakes are stunning. The hike itself is of average difficulty, the initial half is uphill but you go at a slow pace. The rest is flat/downhill. There were lots of elderly people (60s-70s) and children on the hike so should be possible for most people to complete it. I would recommend this day trip if you have limited time but if you have longer, I'd suggest doing a full day trip to the seven lakes so you can complete the entire hike and visit the monastery separately.

Everything was well... - Everything was well organized. The trip started on time. Excellent guide, answered all the questions and made the trip really comfortable. A small group of 8 people only. We could move along the trail at a comfortable pace. There were some stops to rest and take pictures. Wonderful views!

Beautiful Riana - We love nature and specially mountaine, the election of this tour was wanderfull, it is a misture between exercise, nature and history. We enjoy the landscape, the weather was perfect too. If you need use the chair lift is important question about that is open, in that way is confortable to every one.

Terrible guide and life-threatening conditions - Once we come back from the stress of this trip, we are ready to share our experience. We chose this trip because Rila Lakes are indeed one of the most beautiful lakes you can find in Europe. We were really excited about this trip and were waiting for it for a long time. However, a few weeks before our trip, we noticed that thunderstorms and raining were forecasted for this region. We asked for the advice from locals and they told us that forecasts in mountain regions are not that precise. So we decided to take our chance and see if we can make it. Also, in trip description you can see that the trip can be cancelled same day, in case weather conditions are not suitable. So we understood that these guys know what they are doing and probably our fears are vain. We arrived at the mountains, came to the third lake and the weather started to get worse. We noticed a huge dark cloud that was nearby. We asked a guide if it was ok and he said: "No problem, I live here and I know that no rain is going to come". Ok. we reached the fifth lake and the rain actually started and it was quite strong. Once the rain gathered momentum, our guide decided to do the best thing a good guide can do. He just ran away back to our starting point, leaving us there. We didn't know where to go, or how to return, and the storm cloud already come, so we couldn't even see a thing. Then the most exciting part of this tour started. Severe thunderstorm with hale, raining and of course extremely slippy road. I can't say how many times thunder was like 2-3 meters close. We were inside of this cloud and we had quite a high risk of being killed by this storm. We couldn't see even members of our group, because all the people ran away in panic. Out there on the mountain, there were no places to hide and to wait till this storm ended. But we managed to survive this storm and went back to the starting point all soaked up. We went back and had a talk with a guide. He didn't apologize, didn't say anything about this situation, and cheered us up that we could die there if we stayed on a mountain for a bit longer. Then, we thought that it was going to be a stop for this trip because all the clothes were completely wet. We were so shocked by this trip to the mountains, so we couldn't argue with him. But he was okay with it and told us that we would go to the Monastery and the car had an air conditioner. So we can survive this road. Also, he assured us that there would be no rain near the Monastery. But actually, when we arrived there, the rain was the same and was so cold. We didn't want to see anything new and just wanted to come back home. Overall experience, the mountain views were wonderful. Truly great. The guide was a really unprofessional and inhuman person. You should decide all these things on your own. Never rely on this guide, since they don't know anything the same way as you. I can't recommend this trip, even though it's a really nice place to visit. Just organize it on your own and have fun.