The 8 Best Seven Rila Lakes Tours & Hikes

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

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

Leave central Sofia at 7:00 am with driver Philip and a shared minivan. Hike the Seven Rila Lakes at your own pace, using route advice and paper maps, then visit Rila Monastery. The 13-hour outing includes transport but not the 25 BGN chairlift, food, guide services, or mountain rescue insurance.

“A great and well organised journey which allows you to combine nature with a very impressive UNESCO site, the Monastery of Rila. Trustful company”

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2.7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Tour

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

This full-day trip from central Sofia pairs the peaceful Rila Monastery with a mountain hike to the Seven Rila Lakes. Expect a 1.5 to 2.5-hour drive each way, about five hours at the lakes, and a chairlift fee of roughly €15. Guides such as Alexander, Apostolos, and Stoyan have led recent departures, but the hike is largely self-guided.

“To take the trip to the rila monastery and the Rila lakes was the best decission we made during our visit of Sofia. My girlfriend and I had an amazing experience exploring the beautiful nature of Bulgaria. Our guide/driver Stoyan made the trip even more memorable with his enthusiasm and knowledge about the place and Bulgarian history. He was really helpfull and ready to answer all our questions, we would really recommend him as a guide! Bulgaria had a lot more to offer than I expected. I would really recommend this trip!”

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3.The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery

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

Leave Sofia early for a chairlift ride into Rila National Park and a guided hike among the Seven Rila Lakes. You’ll then visit Rila Monastery, with guides such as Maya, Todor, Peter, or Megi Ski depending on the departure. Expect a long day, steep paths, mountain weather, and roughly six hours of road travel.

“Seven Rila Lakes was a gorgeous hike! We managed to get to all seven lakes in the three hours that we had, which took a bit of hustling! I had expected us to have more time scheduled at Rila Lakes but when we got on the tour we found out we'd only have 2.5-3hrs (but this is because I hadn't realized that Rila Monestary is 1.5hrs from Rila Lakes). The Monestary was very beautiful and the tour guides had a lot of great information about it! There is a small bakery at the Monestary that serves great bread and for very cheap! The bus was large and comfortable. If you…”

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

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

Leave Sofia early with an English-speaking mountain leader, ride the chairlift to 2,150 meters, and snowshoe toward the frozen Kidney Lake. You get snowshoes, poles, transport, hotel pickup, and about 2.5 hours on the trail. Afterward, warm up in Sapareva Banya’s mineral pools. Bring food, and budget extra for the lift and spa.

“Our tour guide was amazing! The view was absolutely beautiful. Definitely want to come back during the summer to do the hike again!”

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

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

Leave Sofia at 7:30 a.m. for the Seven Rila Lakes, riding by minivan to Panichishte and taking the cable car uphill. You’ll have about five hours for a marked mountain route through the lakes, with a guide or self-guided option depending on your booking. Expect moderate hiking, changing weather, and a 30 BGN cash cable car fee.

“We booked this trip for a couple + 3Yo kid. Trip started on time at the location. Tedzto (our guide) was prepared with a child seat for the van, he was very polite and courteous all way. Please consider you have to be in good physical shape (if you bring your child you might take them in your arms). It took us 2h to climb it to the top and 1:20:00 the way down. I tracked the path and it's 3.6km each way with 450m of elevation gain. Starting at 2,100m above sea level. Again, our guide was with us all the way making it a superb experience. I will…”

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

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

Join a small English-speaking group from Sofia for a snowshoe hike in Rila National Park, reaching the Tear Lake at about 2,500 meters. Guides including Velko, Veselin, Marin, Iva, and Miran adapt the route to weather and fitness. The day ends at Kotvata’s thermal pools and saunas.

“The most memorable part of our experience was to face our fears in the middle of these huge mountains, covered by an incredible mantle of snow. Vez, our guide, was experienced and helped us to hike: he gave advices, technical tips and was very friendly. I'd recommend this experience to anyone who wants to explore Bulgarian nature and to live a thrill that can change his/her mind, and probably his/her life.”

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7.The Seven Rila Lakes Self – Guided Hiking Tour

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

Leave Sofia at 7:00 for a self-guided hike through Rila National Park. A climate-controlled minivan takes you to the Panichiste chairlift, then you walk among seven high mountain lakes, including The Eye and The Kidney. The route lasts about five hours and suits hikers with moderate fitness. Guide Petar has also provided useful Sofia and mountain commentary.

“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.”

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8.Small group to Seven Rila Lakes and Skakavitsa waterfall

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

Join a group of up to 15 from central Sofia for a 9 to 10-hour mountain outing to the Seven Rila Lakes and Skakavitsa waterfall. Guides such as Viktor and Dobrin lead the walk, share Bulgarian history, and adjust plans when weather turns. Snowshoes and poles are supplied in winter, but the chairlift costs extra.

“We loved the snow trekking to one of the most beautiful places in the Balkans. This route is absolutely outstanding and our guide Dobrin was superb. He went out of his way to keep us all feeling good, safe and showed us spectacular sites. A dream trip we will never forget.”

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