HIKING THE SEVEN RILA LAKES: THE BEST DAY TRIP FROM SOFIA, BULGARIA
There is a certain type of magic in the mountains of the Balkans that is unexplainable and one of the best places to easily experience this is the Seven Rila Lakes area in Bulgaria. Just about 2 hours outside of the capital city of Sofia, and an easy hike up, the Seven Rila Lakes is the best option for a day trip outside of the city, and is a must see while visiting Bulgaria. This is all that you need to know before you go.
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HIKING THE SEVEN RILA LAKES OVERVIEW
Up in the northern Rila Mountains, The Seven Rila Lakes are a group of beautiful, otherworldly, bright blue glacial lakes that we are lucky to have easy enough access to. I will admit that I didn’t do too much research on the lakes beforehand, and as I was reading up after the hike, I completely understand how these mountains have been considered sacred and powerful because seriously…it’s a fever dream. I can’t imagine stumbling upon this in ancient times.
The park is one of the most popular places to visit in the country, for both foreigners and Bulgarians alike, yet I barely ever felt like I was surrounded by many people at all. It was actually quite relieving when I would see people, so I knew that I wasn’t lost.
Each of the lakes are named according to each of their characteristics; the Tear Lake, along with the Eye Lake, Kidney Lake, and Trilistnika Lake are all named after their shapes. The Fish Lake is named for its loads of fish, the Twin Lake for the two smaller ponds connecting into one, and the Lower Lake after its placement in the area.
How Much Does It Cost To Enter The Seven Rila Lakes Park? :
In the summer, entering the Seven Rila Lakes National Park itself is free, but a ticket to take the 20 minute chairlift up to the main lodge where the trails start will cost some BGN. Along with that, if you drive to the mountain yourself, parking will cost about 5 lev per car from what I am reading.
Adult Lift Tickets:
One Way: 20 BGN / $11 USD
Round Trip: 30 BGN / $17 USD
Children/Seniors/Visitors With Disabilities:
One Way: 10 BGN / $5.50 USD
Round Trip: 15 BGN / $8.50 USD
The Main Lodge Beside The Chairlift, The Seven Rila Lakes
When Is The Best Time To Hike The Seven Rila Lakes Park? :
Summer (June, July, August, September) is definitely the most common time, and the smartest time to visit the Seven Rila Lakes if you are hiking. Spring and fall are both a bit iffy because the lakes are pretty much frozen from October to June. During the winter, the park is a ski area, and I can imagine that is absolutely unreal.
Can You Swim In The Seven Rila Lakes? :
You cannot swim in the Seven Rila Lakes as the Rila National Park protects the land and the waters by prohibiting swimming, camping, fires, etc. You probably wouldn’t want to swim in the lakes anyways, the water looks pretty and inviting but it is absolutely freezing.
THE EASIEST WAY TO GET TO THE SEVEN RILA LAKES FROM SOFIA
When looking at transportation options, you will find that getting to (and from) the mountain seems to be quite hard and I could imagine a bit stressful, I would 110% recommend doing a day tour from Sofia. Though I am not the biggest fan of a group tour, this option was great because it was ‘self-guided’, basically being just a transfer there and back.
You can book one of these self-guided tours to do just the 7 Rila Lakes, or you can do the lakes and the Rila Monastery as well, which is what I did!
I highly recommend the guided tour that I am linking below, it was extremely easy, straight forward, and convenient! The English speaking employee who met the group in the center of Sofia in the morning to give us the run down before leaving was so kind and informative and the driver was kind and great as well.
And like I just said again, there is an option to just do the Rila Lakes hike for the day, but while you’re out there you might as well visit the Rila Monastery-which you can add to your day trip in the late afternoon before heading back to the city.
It is also worth it to use this opportunity to see the Rila Monastery because it would also be kind of a pain to get out to the monastery on your own-this is another spot that is way out, secluded in the middle of nowhere in the woods.
WHAT TO BRING TO HIKE THE SEVEN RILA LAKES
-A lot of water: You can buy water and drinks at the main lodge after you get off the chair lift, but it is smart to bring x2 the amount that you think you want, especially in the summer.
-Portable charger(s): If you’re solo traveling like me and hiking on your own, it is extremely important to have a charged and working phone, actually even if you aren’t alone it is just important to have a charged phone while up in the mountains. Small necessities.
-Cash: You will need to pay for the chairlift with cash, and again it is also smart to have some on you if you want to stop at the main lodge to grab some drinks or a small snack.
-Good hiking/walking shoes: You don’t need the craziest hiking shoes as you can get by with a good pair of sneakers, but not on an Adidas samba vibe or Teva vibe. It does get a bit rocky and dusty and it is good to have some grip at the bottom of your shoes.
-Layers: Even in late June the air was pretty cool being so high up, and I was glad that I had a light flannel to throw on over my clothes. The weather also changes quickly 2,500m above sea level, it is smart to bring a layer to throw over if it starts to rain, even if it isn’t a rain jacket.
-Lots of snacks
-Sunscreen: Even on the cloudier day that I hiked, I got a burn on my chest where my flannel and tank top didn’t cover my skin. I had no idea that the UV was crazy like that.
THE SEVEN RILA LAKES HIKE DURATION
From the top of the chairlift, there are a few different ways that you can go about exploring the lakes.
You can walk up to the first viewpoint above the lift and main ski lodge, and then head back down, you can do a full loop around all of the lakes, and lots of little options in between. It fully depends on the day that you want to have. You can walk around and see beautiful views for one or two hours, or you can hike for four or five hours.
THE SEVEN RILA LAKES HIKE DIFFICULTY
One of the greatest things about the Rila Lakes area in modern day is how easily accessible the area is for visitors.
The mains stretch of elevation going up before the plateau to the spots overlooking the first few lakes is moderately easy, you might feel it in your legs, but there was also a legitimate two year old walking up beside me at one point.
If you were to keep going to visit more lakes, or to do the full loop around, it is not difficult at all, and the first stretch up after the chairlift is really the greatest physically demanding part of the whole hike. I would highly recommend continuing on past the first view point, down to the Kidney Lake and beyond.
I did the full loop, it was easy and so worth it. It took me about four hours with lots of sitting, stopping, and taking in my surroundings.
I will continue to visit the Balkans’ mountains for the rest of my life, and I am so happy that I was able to experience the Seven Rila Lakes at least once in my life. I would definitely visit again, and I would definitely book the same self guided tour again! If you are reading this because you are considering going, I really hope that you do.
THINKING OF TRAVELING TO THE SEVEN RILA LAKES? DO IT.
HERE ARE ALL OF THE RESOURCES I USE TO PLAN MY TRIPS:
FLIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATION: BOOKING.COM IS WHAT I WILL ALWAYS USE TO BOOK FLIGHTS AND STAYS. NEVER DONE ME WRONG.
TOURS, DRIVERS, AND ALL THAT FUN STUFF: VIATOR IS MY GO-TO.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: SAFETYWING HAS ALWAYS BEEN FABULOUS. THE BEST EVER.
RENTAL CARS: WHEN BOOKING ANY TRIP THAT YOU DECIDE TO RENT A CAR FOR, BOOKING.COM IS FABULOUS LIKE ALWAYS.
