Seven Rila Lakes - day trip from Plovdiv

We spend an extraordinary hiking day within the Rila Mountains and more precisely within the boundaries of the Rila National Park.

Rila Mountains with highest peak Musala (2 925 m. a. s. l.) are the highest mountains in Bulgaria and on the Balkan Peninsula. It is the sixth highest in Europe as well. The name of the mountains is of Thracian origin and means “plenty of water”. The fact that Rila had twice been frozen has most influenced its landscape formation. The numerous circuses, well - formed glacial valleys, alpine mounts and more than 180 glacial lakes are certain proof of that. The tall coniferous trees of 50 - 60 metres and the rich animal world of bears, wolfs, imperial eagles, wild goats and many more are pure treasure.

Rila National Park is the largest of the three national parks in Bulgaria. Founded in 1993 the park contains rare and endangered wildlife species and communities, self-regulating ecosystems of biological diversity, as well as historic sites of global cultural and scientific significance. Some of the largest rivers in the Balkan Peninsula originate here.

The Seven Rila Lakes is the most popular trekking destination in Rila Mountains because of the outstanding beauty of the glacial lakes and the whole circus. The lakes are one of the 100 national tourist sites in Bulgaria as well. These mountain pearls are amphitheatrically situated one above the other as follows: The Tear (the highest one at 2535 m. a. s. l.), The Eye, The Kidney, The twins (the largest), The Trefoil, The Fish Lake and The Lower Lake (the lowest one at 2095 m. a. s. l.).

In the morning we drive to Pionerska hut at 1520 m. a. s. l. in Rila Mountains. We get on the chair lift to reach the Rila Lakes hut (2135 m. a. s. l.) at the top. Then we do a loop hike in the circus of The Seven Rila Lakes in the boundaries of Rila National Park to discover the fascinating beauty of the glacial lakes and the towering peaks around. The first lake on the way is The Kidney followed by The Eye (the deepest circus lake in Bulgaria – 37, 5 m) and the highest one - The Tear (2535 m. a. s. l.). From the nearby Lake Peak one can enjoy the incredible panorama over all of the lakes, the Vitosha Mountain and the Balkan Range in the distant background. After lunch at the top we continue exploring the rest of these mountain pearls by walking only downhill. The next one is the largest lake - The Twins, followed by The Trefoil, The Fish Lake and The Lower Lake which is the lowest and collects the waters from the other six lakes. The trek ends at the Rila Lakes hut again. Then we board the chair lift to Pionerska hut and drive back to Plovdiv.

It is best to book the trip in advance. All tours are held regularly.

1. Fill in the booking form, provide the name of your hotel and the duration of your stay.
2. Pay only the booking fee via Paypal and pay the rest in cash on the spot.
3. Receive booking and payment confirmations.
4. A representative of the local tour operator will contact you in order to arrange the meeting point.
5. You will be picked up by the representative from the meeting point. You should pay him or her the remaining amount in euros.

• Period: June-September (October-May also possible if weather conditions are favorable)
• Trip duration: 11.5-12 hours total