Explore two of Bulgaria’s staggering mountain ranges by snowshoe
Snowshoe across mystical mountain ranges that immerse you in storybook-like images on the Bulgarian Mountains Snowshoeing Tour. The trek will have you exploring Rila—the tallest mountain range in Bulgaria—where you’ll encounter staggering peaks cradling lush valleys and lakes glimmering with beauty, as well as the Rhodope mountains. Expect the folklore and character spanning the villages and natural scenery to propel you to forget that you’re traversing across the land by snowshoe and transport you to a calming dreamland.
The snow sweeping the region paired with breathtaking views makes the Bulgarian Mountains Snowshoeing Tour the ideal winter getaway. To top it off, you’ll spend the evenings next to warm fireplaces munching on authentic Bulgarian dishes with a glass of red wine in hand in a cozy family hotel nestled in faraway woodland.
Highlights of the Snowshoeing in Bulgaria
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Bulgarian Mountains Snowshoeing Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Sofia to Rhodope Mountain
Meet up with your tour guide at Sofia airport. Begin your journey to a pleasant family hotel tucked in the depths of Rhodope Mountain. Go over a short briefing discussing the tour with your group. Enjoy a delicious meal before going to sleep.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Smolyan
Distance: None
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 Trigrad
Experience total winter wonderland bliss on day two of the Bulgarian Mountains Snowshoeing Tour. After a 15-minute transfer to the trailhead, embark on a four-hour snowshoe that winds by frozen falls and scenic mountain views. Regain your energy over a picnic lunch. After you eat, you will travel one hour to Trigrad, a peppy village cradled by layers of hills. Spend the night recharging in this charming village.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Trigrad
Distance: 4 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 Rhodope Mountain continued
After consuming breakfast, you will go on a relaxed three-hour journey. The expedition will begin with a visit to Devil's throat cave—a marvellous natural masterpiece that embodies the ideal setting for a chapter in a fantasy novel. Next, you will meander through Rhodope Mountain, encountering aged pine forests, staggering rock formations, and vast meadows en route. Enjoy a picnic lunch before visiting the Yagodina cave and the Buinovo gorge. Stay in the same hotel as day two.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Trigrad
Distance: 3 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Rila
Let your muscles relax in an open-air mineral pool during the morning. Consume lunch at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant before travelling over three hours to Rila mountain, where you will spend the night in a hotel tucked in the foothills of the Rila mountain range.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Govedartsi
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 Malyovitsa summit
Today’s ascent requires a hearty breakfast! After you fill your body with energy, you will go on a seven-hour round-trip trek to the summit of Malyovitsa. This journey will be the most technical on this entire eight-day tour. Admire the pointed peaks, sleek glaciers, and rock formations as you snowshoe. Spend the night in the same hotel as the night before.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Govedartsi
Distance: 7 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 Seven Rila Lakes
Commence on a five-hour meander along a forested path that will guide you to the stunning Seven Lakes area, one of Bulgaria’s most coveted views. Continue your journey admiring the vistas blanketing the Rila mountains along the way. Replenish your body with a friendly picnic lunch. The end of the trail will take you to a quaint, remote hotel, which sits below the Seven Rila Lakes.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Rila
Distance: 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 Seven Rila Lakes continued
The trek today will give you a closer look at the Seven Rila Lakes sprawling across the mountain range. A gondola will take you to a trail that leads to the fifth lake. After munching on a picnic lunch, you will have the chance to try ice climbing with the help of a licensed instructor. Stay in the same hotel as the night before.
Overnight Location: Hotel is Rila
Distance: 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 Back to Sofia
Travel back to Sofia airport for your departure.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast
Bulgarian Mountains Snowshoeing Tour Price and Dates
This guided snowshoeing tour in Bulgarian Mountains is always run as a custom tour for your group only and the price always depends on the number of people in your group.
The best time to travel to Bulgaria for this snowshoeing tour from mid-January to mid-April.
Private Guided Bulgarian Mountains Snowshoeing Tour
Have your own private tour with just your group! Prices below are per person:
- Guided Groups of 2-3: $1,750 USD
- Guided Groups of 4-5: $1,025 USD
- Guided Groups of 6-18: $925 USD
Accommodation on Bulgarian Mountains Snowshoeing Tour
We hand-picked a mixture of two-star and three-star hotels for this journey. All hotels offer the necessary amenities to elevate the overall pleasantness of your stay. Some rooms may have additional amenities like fireplaces or access to relaxing luxuries like hot tubs or steam rooms. Expect to stay in a double room, but feel free to upgrade single occupancy for an additional price.
Note that specific accommodation may vary based on availability but will be substituted with accommodations of a similar standard.
Single Rooms and Solo Travelers
You can pay a supplement of $175 USD to have a private room in a hotel while traveling with your group.
Hotels on Standard Tour
Hotel Kiparis in Smolyan
Not only does Hotel Kiparis offer mountain views, but it has a hot tub, an on-site spa centre, a sauna, a pool, and free Wi-Fi, as well as a bar.
Hotel Arkan Han, Trigrad
Hotel Arkan Han blends a rustic design, modern amenities, and a good time. This hotel has free Wi-Fi, a TV in the restaurant, a playground for kids, a library, and a bar.
Hotel St. George, Govedartsi
This cozy hotel offers a pleasant combination of sweeping mountain views, amenities (free Wi-Fi, TV in the room, à la carte restaurant), and friendliness!
Hotel Bendida in Panichishte
Great views, tasty local food, comfortable amenities and friendly staff – this hotel has everything to make your stay in Panichishte enjoyable.
What’s included in the Bulgarian Mountains Snowshoeing Tour?
Meals
7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners are included.
Accommodations
Accommodations for 7 nights during the tour are included.
Transportation during the Tour
Transport for you and your luggage is included throughout the tour.
Also Included
- Tickets for gondola
- Ice climbing lesson
- Equipment rental
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- Snowshoes
- Trekking poles
- Inventor for ice climbing
- Licensed English-speaking mountain guide
Not included
- Drinks during the dinner
- Tickets for museums and historic monuments
- Personal expenses and tips
- Insurance
- Anything not stated as ‘included’
Optional Extras
- Extra night in Sofia before or after the tour
Frequently Asked Questions about Snowshoeing in Bulgaria
Adventure Trails is a boutique tour operator specializing in all kinds of outdoor-based tours in Bulgaria.
Adventure Trails creates innovative tours that capture the most special parts of Bulgaria. Clients looking for an adventurous and active trip can choose from trekking, biking, climbing, and cultural tours.
The accommodations and transportation during the tours are always carefully selected for their quality.
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Stoyan is one of the most experienced guides at Adventure Trails. He has 12 years of guiding under his belt. Stoyan is comfortable in all kinds of adventure activities, but he is especially comfortable when it comes to mountaineering.
- Q: What is your favourite tour to lead and why?
- A: I like every trip I guide, but my favourite are the winter snowshoeing tours, as this is when the mountains are at their best.
- Q: What is one experience anybody visiting Bulgaria should have?
- A: For active tourism, I would say climbing Mt. Vihren in the Pirin range. In terms of cultural-historical tourism, I would say visiting Plovdiv, the most ancient city in Europe. We like to combine both active and cultural-historical tourism in our tours.
- Q: What do your guests like best about the trips you lead?
- A: The fantastic scenery, the excellent food, accommodations, and hospitality, the perfect organization, the interesting conversations, and the berries in the forests!