Self-Guided Hiking Tour: Discover the Beauty of The Seven Rila Lakes

Embark on a self-guided hiking tour to explore the breathtaking beauty of the Seven Rila Lakes. Marvel at the stunning views and enjoy a leisurely walk at your own pace.

Duration: 8 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral - The trip starts at 07:00 from the parking behind Alexander Nevski Cathedral, in front of LaCattedrale Restaurant
  • Panichishte - Once the group departs from the starting point, you’ll reach the Panichiste lift. He, you’ll pay for the chair lift ticket - 25 BGN.
  • Seven Rila Lakes - Enjoy the hiking tour to the pristine heart of the majestic Rila National Park.
    Each lake is named after its most characteristic feature. The highest one (at 2500m/8200ft above sea level) is called Salzata (“The Tear”), from where we have a bird’s eye view over all seven lakes, as well as surrounding outcrops and deep valleys; the next one in height carries the name Okoto (“The Eye”) after its oval form; Babreka (“The Kidney”) is the lake with the steepest shores of the entire group; Bliznaka (“The Twin”) is the largest of all; Trilistnika (“The Trefoil”) has an irregular shape; the shallowest lake is Ribnoto Ezero (“The Fish Lake”) and the lowest one is Dolnoto Ezero (“The Lower Lake”; 2100m/6995ft), where the water that flows out of the other lakes is gathered to form the source of Dzherman River.
  • St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral - Arrive back at the starting point at approximately 17:30
What's Included
  • Map
  • Surcharges on fuel
  • Transport by air-conditioned minivan
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Chairlift ticket (25 BGN) paid on spot
Additional Information

This whole-day trek to the Rila Mountains is meant for people, who would like to walk in a leisurely pace among its jewels - The Seven Rila Lakes. You will have enough time to get to the highest of all lakes and enjoy the super scenery revealed from there.
Enjoy a self-guided hike among nature
Marvel at the views of the Seven Rila lakes
Walk at your own pace

  • Food: if you have forgotten to take a lunch pack or a sandwich with you, you can take advantage of the meals on offer in the two huts on our way. The menu is limited though: soups (lentils, beans), grilled meat and some basic meals.
  • Difficulty: this walking route is moderately arduous, with individual brief paths featuring steep inclines. Please bring along comfortable hiking boots. Sandals and flip-flops are not accepted. Rain jacket might be useful in summer as heavy showers sometimes occur in the afternoons.
  • Important! Kindly note, that availability of the tour depends on the weather conditions and the operation of the chairlift. The terrain will be very wet and slippery and there will still be snow in the area. Walking in such conditions requires adequate equipment (good trekking boots, waterproof clothes and a warm layer beneath the jacket). The hike is demanding, so a good fitness level is also required. Keep in mind that some of the lakes may be covered in snow.
  • Important! As with all lifts the one, used for the hike to The Seven Rila Lakes, may stop anytime (due to strong wind, power cut etc.). In the rare case, this happens, an alternative hike will be offered on spot by the guide. Mind that such a situation does not make you eligible for a refund.
Location
pl. "Sveti Aleksandar Nevski" 1А
ploshtad "Sveti Aleksandar Nevski"
IMPORTANT: The meeting point is BEHIND Alexander Nevski Cathedral (opposite La Cattedrale restaurant) | Google Maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/54JbrQKPKdJ47yRA6 | GPS coordinates: 42.695598, 23.333649 | Please, be there 15 min. in advance!
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.4
(13 Ratings)
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S0ltraveller
Aug 1, 2024
Seven lakes hike - Seamless. Booked day before spontaneously. They had a message to me v quickly w logisitics. Radi our tour guide was awesome. Super chill and easy to hang out with. Made it super fun.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gracemc9575vn
Oct 5, 2023
Seven lakes - train - Beautiful experience with very kind and helpful guides to manage the needs of our group. The only recommendations I would make, given that the chairlift was not in operation when we went, I would say that you need to be very fit as the route is very demanding and it would be advisable to bring suitable equipment to deal with the terrain and the weather. I highly recommend Traventuria.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sunshine46974525548
Aug 7, 2021
Marvelous hike along the Rila Lakes national park - Radi was a great guide! We had rainy weather when we started and he paced everything so that the chairlift was open when we arrived. He’s very knowledgeable about the area and is a very chill person to be around with. Great success!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ulamajam
Sep 22, 2020
Best tour ever - Radi was a great guide! Prepare for breathtaking views, but also quite a hike! Wear hiking shoes and check the weather before going.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sara_d
Jul 13, 2020
Great day tour from Sofia - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Nur
Oct 22, 2019
Beautiful 7 rila lakes - This trip is fantastic. Very beautiful view from the peak. I love the peace and the clean air. I enjoyed the hike very much. The guide, Peter..... he is knowledgeable. It worth the money you pay for. Thank you for this nice trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Keprive
May 4, 2019
Great mountain hike - I went with 7 others to make an hike on the 7 lakes The guide, Petar, was great, just on time, guide us very well in the mountain. We had a great ambiance ! Just be careful that this is not an easy hike. We has a lot of snow and wind and you need to be fully equipped.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauren
Nov 20, 2018
Fantastic! - After seeing some good return airfares, a friend & I decided to see Sofia for a weekend. After going on some great tours in summer with viator i decided to see what they had going on for the weekend when were going to be there. I saw this tour pop up, i had never heard of the lakes before and booked it instantly. Our tour guide Petar was superb! He really does make the experience that much more incredible. Its about a 2 hour drive to the mountains and he provides some really nice information about the history of Sofia, points out the small villages on the way and explains there way of life. We arrived to the mountains completely unprepared - literally wearing not much more that a raincoat and a thermal underneath. Petar gave us more puffer jackets and overcoats to wear - obviously we read the weather report for Sofia and not for 2100m above sea level!! There is a 20minute chairlift ride to the start of the hike - on the morning we went it was a beautiful sunny morning so we got really spoiled with visibility of the amazing mountain-scape. The hike of the 7 lakes took about 4 hours round trip. Its about a moderate intensity workout. Getting to the top the most amazing feeling - no picture really does it justice!
Review provided by Viator
Vnimavay
Sep 1, 2024
Disaster organization. Agency to avoid! - I booked a visit to the 7 lakes of Rila with this agency. On the day of Check-out, I was informed that I had not booked a tour with a Guide, but with an Audio Guide and headphones. When I asked for the Audio Guide, the Guide told me that he was the Audio Guide and that I could follow the band eventually. The group was 31 people with one Guide. Arriving on site in Panitchishte at 8:30 we waited more than 2 hours to queue to buy tickets and access the mountain cable car!!! I was able to climb the mountain at 11:15 and we had to wait for the rest of the group. I gave up and left on my own. Only 5 people managed to go around 7 lakes because you had to be at the bus at 15:15 no matter how late we got to the mountains. Catastrophic organization! Agency to avoid!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
204gracep
Feb 1, 2024
Unethical Business Practices – Failure to Honor Agreed Pricing - I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the service provided by Traventuria Ltd despite agreeing on a certain pricing structure and providing a deposit, I was shocked to discover that they increased the pricing after collecting my deposit. This deceptive practice is not only unprofessional but also a clear violation of our agreement. I feel betrayed as a customer, and this experience has eroded my trust in Traventuria. I strongly urge them to rectify this situation promptly and honor the originally agreed-upon pricing. Such unethical behavior tarnishes the reputation of the company and harms the relationship with its customers. I expect a timely and fair resolution to this matter, and I hope that [Service Operator] takes immediate action to address their lapse in integrity.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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