The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Sofia, Bulgaria
- 12 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
The mountains are one of Bulgaria’s great joys—especially for hikers—but can be hard to reach independently. Tailor-made for lovers of both walking and history, this action-packed day features a hike around the beautiful Seven Rila Lakes and a tour of the Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Opt for self-guided tour, book an audio guide, or explore with a live guide: All packages exclude entrance fees and chairlift tickets.
- Ride the chairlift to the Seven Rila Lakes and hike through the valley
- Explore the cloisters, church, and chapels of UNESCO-listed Rila Monastery
- Soak up the mountainous beauty of Rila National Park
- Upgrade to add an audio guide or a live guide
What's Included
- Transport by air-conditioned bus/coach or minivan
- English-speaking guide (if guided tour selected)
- Fuel surcharge
- Entrance fee for the Rila monastery's museum appr. 5EUR/10BGN (optional)
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Chairlift ticket- appr. 15EUR/30BGN (only cash payments in BGN accepted)€15.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Sofia Center, bul. "Yanko Sakazov" 9, 1527 Sofia, Bulgaria
IMPORTANT: The meeting point next to Vasil Levski Monument, in front of the Embassy of Slovakia| | GPS coordinates: 42.69677705130451, 23.336332286917877 | Please, be there 15 min. in advance!
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Embassy of Slovakia (Pass By)
1
Seven Rila Lakes
4 hours • Admission Ticket Free
2
Rila Monastery
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
bul. "Yanko Sakazov" 9 (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Food: although there are two huts on our way where we can purchase some basic food (i.e. beans soup, meatballs, tea) we advise you to come prepared with a lunch pack from Sofia, because the programme today is rather tight and for sure we won’t have much time for a proper lunch.
- Difficulty: the hiking route is moderately arduous, with individual brief paths featuring steep inclines. Please bring along comfortable walking boots. Sandals and flip-flops are not accepted. Rain jacket might be useful in summer as heavy showers sometimes occur in the afternoons.
- IMPORTANT FOR MAY AND JUNE DEPARTURES! 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 halt operations (due to strong winds, power cuts etc.). In this unlikely event, an alternative hike will be offered on spot by the guide. Mind that such a situation does not make you eligible for a refund for the tour.
- Tour with ONLINE (cloud-based) Audio-guide in different languages (EN, ES, IT, FR, DE, RU). INTERNET required to download and use. Headphones required, too.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Rongling_Y
This is a fantastic trip!! 7 Rila lakes are so beautiful! It’s definitely worth visiting. Our family enjoyed so much! Maya is a great tour guide! She drives safely and looking after us well! Thanks a lot!
Reviews
4.6
based on 109 reviews
CHAIM_S, Oct 2025
An interesting and fascinating trip, the tour guide Megi Ski had an excellent knowledge of the area , it was pleasure to listen to her.
Patricia_W, Sep 2025
This is a great day out of Sofia… beautiful monastery and the mountains & lakes were amazing. This could easily be a 5 star trip but tarnished by the unfriendliness of the tour guide. Multiple times she kept on about being on time and somehow she managed to delay our return to Sofia by 40 mins. In addition more people joined the bus which was not mentioned and thus created some frustration with other travellers.
Daniel_S, Aug 2025
An amazing time hiking the Rila Lakes and visiting the monastery, done with professional guides and a nice bus
Brenda_C, Jul 2025
The transportation is good and comfortable. The guide is attentive, knowledgeable and accommodating to everyone’s ability for the climb. If you have the fitness, definitely hike up to the 7th lake. The view is beautiful. Not to be missed.
Daria_G, Jul 2025
I absolutely loved this trip! You just need to make sure you're wearing appropriate clothing for the hike as it does get cold there. The guide was friendly and informative. I wish we had a little bit more time at the monastery as it's such a stunning place!
Rongling_Y, Jun 2025
This is a fantastic trip!! 7 Rila lakes are so beautiful! It’s definitely worth visiting. Our family enjoyed so much! Maya is a great tour guide! She drives safely and looking after us well! Thanks a lot!
Rosalie_T, May 2025
Went on early May on a weekday. Rila Monastery was great to see when it's not crowded. But since there was no tour, I feel like we spent a bit too much time there. The bread sold outside the other monastery entrance was great for the morning. Bring coins to use the bathroom. At Rila mountains, about a third of the path still had snow which made it challenging especially on the rocky paths. We were not able to see two lakes since the path was ascending and snow made it slippery. Hiking poles and hiking shoes, preferably waterproof, are highly recommended at this time of the year. The ascent was challenging since I was not used to steep paths (and the altitude) but after that part it was great. Everything was beautiful. Crocuses were blooming and looked fantastic against the backdrop of mountains still partially covered in snow. Our guide was an expert hiker/mountaineer. Sometimes I thought we were not stopping enough (for picture taking) but I knew he was making sure that we were able to get down in time while there is still light. Having a guide in this case was really helpful. Be careful of the chairlift. It is barebones and my arm got caught in between when my seatmate pulled the safety gate down while I was still holding on to the steel shaft. If you are afraid of heights, this might be a dealbreaker for you.
xuting_l, May 2025
It’s brilliant experience to travel in seven lake. people was not too much and the view is extraordinary
Grace_B, Nov 2024
We paid for a “guide” and all it did was make it so we could only see 5 of the 7 lakes- if you choose this option it’s just a walk with a slower crowd and a LOT of waiting; he offers almost no information and everything he says is on the signs. The trail is very clearly marked so I recommend just paying for the bus fare option and hiking independently. Bus was very nice, but when we showed up it was labeled bus one and we were assigned bus three which never arrived. FYI bring cash to the monastery- you can buy baked goods w levs.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Dear Grace,
Thank you very much for your feedback. It is of great value to us and we appreciate your time. We are sorry that the tour did not meet your expectations. The tour guides have to lead the group with the pace of the slower travelers in the group and we understand that sometimes this could be rather too slow for other customers. And as you point out and recommend, the self-guided (transport only) option could be the better choice for the more prepared hikers. However, we take into account your remarks and will invest time and money to improve our service more.
We look forward to meeting you again in Bulgaria. Give us another chance to show you more of our beautiful country.
With best regards,
Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Vasco_P, Sep 2024
The tour I needed from Sofia to Rila mountains. Very well planned and beautiful scenery! I was a solo traveler, but never been alone - made new friends from all around the world!
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Dear Vasco,
Thank you very much for your feedback and review. It is of great value to us and we appreciate your time. We are happy you enjoyed your tour and look forward to seeing you again in Bulgaria!
With best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Wil_M, Sep 2024
Our tour was a great mix of nature and history combined with a day-long escape from the city. The tour bus (one of those big ones) was roomy and comfortable.
Even in wet weather the Rila Lakes were impressive. Although the tour typically visits the first five lakes, our group was able to see the sixth lake too. At the monastery our guide provided good descriptions of the history and significance of the Rila Monastery.
Our guide, Todor, spent a great deal of time walking the bus during the drive answering any questions we had about what we were seeing as well as Bulgaria in general. On tours like this a knowledgeable interactive guide like Todor can turn a good tour into a great one.
Nathan_G, Sep 2024
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 like to hike, I'd definitely recommend Seven Rila Lakes! But if you want to hike a bit slower and see all seven lakes, the day tour to just the lakes without the Monestary might be a better option.
MartinPeter_B, Aug 2024
Nice trip. Well organized. Good for people who like to have easy access but like independent activities for visit and hiking.
IRENA_R, Aug 2024
Beautiful day for a trip .
Be prepared for a strenuous hike and wear good hiking shoes.Tour guide Maya and driver Asen were wonderful!
VINCENT_C, Jun 2024
Wonderful trip perfectly organised. The agency send you much information about the schedule, what to bring and so on.
The trip was very well managed by Maya, who is a nice seasoned multilingal guide, and very knowledgeable, from history to botany!
The unforgettable walk along the lakes requiers normal condition and good trek shoes.
I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who wishes to visit both Rila monastery and the Seven lakes in a day.
Margarita_I, May 2024
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.
Manju_M, May 2024
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.
Raoul_W, May 2024
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.
Jeff_K, Oct 2023
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.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Dear Jeff,
Thank you very much for your lovely review. We greatly appreciate your feedback and time. It would be great to have you on another day tour with us again, next time you visit Bulgaria. With best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Yelena_P, Sep 2023
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!
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Dear Yelena,
Thank you very much for your feedback. We kindly appreciate your time and are happy you have enjoyed your tour. Looking forward to seeing you again next time you visit Bulgaria. Best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Valerie_E, Sep 2023
As soon as we were on the sii lift we were in thick fog. We saw 0 out of 7 lakes and the walk was cut short. This wasn't the fault of the provider but disappointing. We were given a cave visit to compensate but not everyone did this because we were told we would have to do a 'technical climb' to get back out of the cave. The information beforehand is inadequate. Others had the guides emergency phone numbers but people booking with viator just had an email with a broken link. I was told no food was available le until the monestry. It's the other way around. Food is available at the start and finish of the walk but not at the monestry.Shorts and skirts are not allowed in the mobestry but this wasn't mentoned. It does say you have to wear a mask so it really needs updating.The drivers both used their phones and are and drank while driving. This is unacceptable. They should be given proper breaks.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Dear Valerie,
Thank you very much for your feedback. We greatly appreciate your time. We are sorry for the fog, but unfortunately we cannot control the weather. But, kindly note that the day before your tour date we send you out an email full of "Important information" regarding your trip, where we specifically explain the dress code for the Rila Monastery, and we also recommend the type of clothing for the lakes hike. As far as food is concerned, we recommend you bringing a snack with you, since sometimes restaurants at the Monastery do not work, and food in the 7 Rila Lakes Hut is not guaranteed either. Wearing a mask is something we have specifically asked Viator to remove from the description. They haven't so far. Texting and driving, or talking on the phone while driving is forbidden by law and by the rules of our firm, and we are very surprised to read that some of our guide/drivers have done it. We will investigate on that. Thank you once again for the feedback. And we all look forward to seeing you again. Give us another chance to impress you. Best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Leah_S, Aug 2023
Rila lakes and monastery were amazing, but the tour itself is poorly organised. Also it is not a small group tour. It says max 15 people but they mean “per guide”. We had about 40 people on the tour and three guides. The chair lift tickets aren’t included so the first hour after you arrive at Rila is spent standing in a giant queue waiting to buy a ticket, then go into another queue to get on the chair lift. We only got to 5 lakes but had we been able to just walk at our own pace I think we would have been able to do 7. Instead we had to stick together (except this wasn’t communicated well so some people didn’t). The guides told some information but they didn’t speak to everyone. They just started speaking to a few people and then you would realise they were talking and come over. Not really worth the money and could easily be improved.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Dear Leah,
Many thanks for your feedback. It is very important to us and we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience here with others on Viator. August is one of the busiest months for the tour to the Seven Rila Lakes and unfortunately the payment system of the lakes chairlift does not provide the option of booking these tickets online. It would have been great if those tickets could be purchased in advance, but unfortunately it is still not an option, and this is something we could not have control of. On busy days, there could be a vehicle shortage, and we send a bigger bus, but we always send many guides, who divide the groups, and is always not more than 15 people per mountain guide, as it was in your tour day. Please, also keep in mind that Traventuria is eco-friendly business, supporting sustainable practices, preserving the environment. Sending one bigger bus (instead of three smaller buses) to transfer all the groups to the chairlift ticket center, is not something we are ashamed of. Quite the opposite. Sticking together as a group with your guide is very important in the mountain and we are happy that you were from the ones following this advice.
However, we will take into consideration all your remarks and do our best to improve even more our services. Looking forward to meeting you again next time you visit Bulgaria. Give us another chance to impress you.
With best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Arman_T, Aug 2023
Overall the trip was satisfactory. Guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Too bad we were able to visit only five of the seven lakes.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Dear Arman,
Thank you very much for your feedback. It is of great importance to us and we appreciate you taking the time to review us here on Viator. We always strive to provide the best hassle-free experience to our customers and our guides are one of the best tour mountain guides in Bulgaria. Usually if the overall ability of the group does not allow for reaching to all 7 of the lakes, or depending on the weather conditions, guides may decide that it would be the best for the whole group not to go further up. We would be happy to see you again in the future for other tours together. It would be great to give us another chance to impress you.
With best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Claudia_N, Aug 2023
Very beautiful hike. challenging- bring proper sneakers or hiking shoes, lots of water sunscreen and food. Dont forget cash as credit card machines cannot be guaranteed. Very nice guides and super helpful, you can go at various pacing. Really recommend!
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Dear Claudia,
Thank you very much for your feedback and 5-star review. We are happy you have enjoyed Bulgaria's nature and history. Looking forward to meeting you again in the future for more trips together.
Best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Darcy_W, Jul 2023
We enjoyed the trip and although it was hot in Sofia the weather in the mountains was very pleasant. The guide who was on the smaller bus was very knowledgeable and gave good insights during the hike of the lakes. The guide who was on the bigger bus added very little and did not give any stories on the drive to the monastery and gave about 2-3 minutes worth of narrative when we went to the Monastery before having us just go off on our own (I took another company for another trip on the next day ad he gave us much more interesting facts on the Monastery than we received on the actual trip.) But overall it was a pleasant day and is nice to see the Monastery and the hike was pleasant.
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Dear Darcy,
Thank you very much for your feedback. It's of great importance to us and we appreciate your time. Our highest priority is customer satisfaction and we will take into account your remarks. We will put an effort into improving as we always strive to provide the best hassle-free experience to our customers. We would be very happy to have you on another tour with us. It would be great to give us another chance to impress you - next time with 5 out of 5 stars!
With our kindest regards,
Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Elizabeth_B, Jul 2023
A perfect solo experience, a really good group of people with really expert guides. Peiter was lovely and really knowledgeable (and evidently passionate) about the mountain and the lakes were so beautiful (and worth the hike which was also really well sign posted and accessible) I really appreciated that people could hike to the limit of their interest / ability and so could wait by the lower lakes and chill if they weren’t feeling the rest. I never usually take tours but this was so easy and well organised I feel confident in taking more (I hate group activities and prefer to explore solo). Peter didn’t over explain everything and provided interesting descriptions and gave us time to explore - 10/10 would do again
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Dear Elizabeth,
Thank you very much for your feedback. It was a pleasure reading your review. We will surely let Peter know of your kind words, too. Looking forward to having you again on a tour with us!
Best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Allison_C, Jun 2023
Went on a Monday so we started the day at the monastery and ended on the hiked. Loved this itinerary. I felt I had enough time at both locations. Easy trip and great guides.
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Dear Allison,
Thank you very much for your feedback and 5-star review. We greatly appreciate it and we are happy you have enjoyed Bulgarian culture, nature and history. Looking forward to seeing you again in the future.
Best regards,
Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Kristian_D, Jun 2023
The seven lakes was incredible. Everything that we had hoped for and a must see.
My only complaint of the experience was two fold.
One it wasn’t made clear that there is an extra charge for lift hire outside of the payment made for the trip itself. Which is an extra 25 LEV equivalent to £13.
Although that is an experience in itself which is worth the extra. Very cool way to see across the mountains. So no issue with this other then it was an unexpected additional cost.
The second issue was we were under the belief that the monastery was close to the 7 lakes, however it wasn’t. It was 2 x hours away. As such you spend about 6 hours in the bus, so it is a tiring day.
But overall a memorable experience, the 7 x lakes are incredible to see
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Dear Kristian,
Thank you very much for your feedback. It is of great importance to us and we appreciate your time. Our highest priority is customer satisfaction and we will take into account your remarks. We will put an effort into improving as we always strive to provide the best hassle-free experience to our customers. However in the description of this tour is clearly stated that the tour is of approximately 12 hours duration and the return back to Sofia is around 19:30h. It also states that the ticket to the chairlift is not included in the price.
We would be very happy to see you again on another tour with us. We have shorter trips and we would love to have you as a customer again.
With best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Lawrence_C, Jun 2023
Simply it's a must if you are Sofia Bulgaria. The guide Maya was wonderful and helpful. Yes the tour is fantastic
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Dear Lawrence,
Thank you very much for your feedback and for your 5-star review. It is of great importance to us and we appreciate your time. May will be very happy of your kind of words, too. Looking forward to seeing you again on a tour with us!
Best regards,
Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Sandra_F, Oct 2022
We had a beautiful day for this tour (Oct 8). A few tips - bring water and food. There are a couple places to buy and fill up but not a lot of extra time. The gondola up takes about 30 min each way. What a view! (It was 25 bgn and the card machine wasnt working - recommend cash). The hike was more challenging than I expected but the guides allowed everyone time to catch their breath. Wear solid footwear. There was quite a bit of time in the van being transported (2 hrs to mountain, 1.5 hours to monestary, 2 hrs back to Sofia)... the van was clean and comfortable. The monestary is beautiful. It was enough time there for me 😁
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