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7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Small Group Day tour from Sofia

5.01 reviewRila Monastery

  • 11–12 hours
  • Free cancellation up to 24h before
  • Guided in English
  • Instant confirmation

Highlights

Mountains, Lakes, Monastery, Fresh air, Stunning views - all in one day! Escape from Sofia for a few hours to meet the highlights of Rila National park. The 7 Rila lakes are one of the most beautiful glacial lakes in Bulgaria and Rila monastery is the biggest and the most important monastery in Bulgaria.

Inclusions

What's included

  • WiFi on board
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Licenced english speaking tour guide

What's not

  • Chair lift to the lakes - 16 euro per person for roundtrip

Itinerary

  1. Travel time from Sofia to the lift for the lakes is around 1 hour and 45 minutes

    1.8 h

  2. Stunning! That is the most used word from our customers during the trip to the 7 Rila lakes. We will see beautiful nature, glacial lakes with crystal clear water, unbelievable landscapes. We will reach the starting point for the hike by chair lift. The hikes starts from 2100 above the sea level and the upper view point to the lakes is at around 2550. Hiking time is around 2 hours in direction. Wearing a hiking shoes, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, jacket are highly recommendable!

    5 h

  3. Rila monastery is the biggest and most important monastery in Bulgaria and also part of Unesco World Heritage. Travel time from 7 Rila lakes to Rila monastery is around 1 hour and 50 minutes.

    1.8 h

  4. Rila monastery is part of UNESCO world cultural heritage list and It’s one of the symbols of Bulgaria. Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation. You will have enough time to explore the monastery, the main church and the monastery museums.

    1 h

  5. Travel time from Rila monastery to Sofia is around 1 hour and 45 minutes.

    1.8 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

5.0

  • 51
  • 40
  • 30
  • 20
  • 10

Ratings come from 1 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

Meeting point
Public parking space
Pickup
Pickup is offered, or you can meet at the starting point.
Ticket type
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group size
Up to 7 travellers
Operated by
Multi Travel Bulgaria
  • Service animals allowed
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Not recommended for travelers with knee problems
  • Not recommended for travelers who are afraid of using an open chair lift

How it compares in Sofia

  • Its from-price is close to the median of the 174 day trips we list in Sofia.
  • It is longer than most of them.
  • By number of reviews it ranks 122 of 174.
  • The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Sofia

Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, lies below Vitosha mountain, mixing Roman ruins, golden-domed churches, mineral springs and a busy café culture.

Sofia sits in a high basin at the foot of Mount Vitosha, and its centre layers Roman Serdica, Orthodox Bulgaria and the Ottoman and Soviet eras. The gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, completed in the early twentieth century, is the city's best-known building. Close by are the fourth-century rotunda of St George, the Banya Bashi Mosque and the remains of Roman streets that show through glass in the metro stations.

Top-ranked sights in Sofia: Rila Monastery, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Ivan Vazov National Theatre.

See all 611 experiences in Sofia

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Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.

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