Penguin Travel

This tour is a lighter edition of the Pirin-Rila trek, which combines the high and challenging Pirin Mountain's beauty with the serenity of the Rodopi Mountains. During the trek, you explore some of Bulgaria's remote and forgotten regions. Mountain border villages, which in the near past had been closed for foreign visitors, enable the tourists to experience a part of the original Bulgarian culture and life in the countryside. Throughout the tour we also visit caves and the 2nd biggest Bulgarian Monastery.

Tour Highlights:
• Diverse landscape - the jagged alpine peaks of Pirin Mountains and the peaceful green meadows and thick forests of Rodopi Mountains
• Small mountain villages, providing close look at the typical way of living – history, traditions, cuisine
• Yagodina Cave - considered to be one of the most beautiful in Europe and The Devil's Throat Cave having one of the highest underground waterfalls in Europe (42 m).
• Bachkovo Monastery - the second largest Bulgarian monastery.
• Plovdiv old town - one of the oldest European towns contemporary to Troy and Mikena.

Download our trip-dossier as PDF

Departure dates:	Status
07 August 2010	Closed
21 August 2010	Open for booking
18 September 2010	Open for booking
02 October 2010	Open for booking
26 June 2011	Guaranteed departure
24 July 2011	Guaranteed departure
28 August 2011	Guaranteed departure
16 October 2011	Guaranteed departure

Country region:   Pirin and Rodopi mountains

Price without flight ticket:    520 EUR

Trip plan:
Day 1. Arrival at Sofia airport and transfer to the town of Bansko at the foots of Pirin Mountains for overnight (2,30hrs drive).
Day 2. Morning hike above Vihren hut (1950 m a.s.l.). There we visit Muratovo, Ribnoto, Dulgoto, Zhabeshkoto and Okoto lakes. Sighseeing trip along the streets of Bansko is planned in the afternoon.
Walking time: 5hrs; uphill walk: 300 m (984 ft); downhill walk: 300 m (984 ft)
Day 3. Today we head to Mount Polezhan (2851 m a.s.l.). This trip offers probably the most beautiful panoramic views in the mountains where one can count 17 glacial lakes from a single point, including the biggest lake in Pirin Mountains – Popovo Lake.Then we continue to Leshten village and further to the village of Kovachevitsa for overnight.
Walking time: 6hrs; Uphill walk: 650 m (2,132 ft); downhill walk: 650 m (2,132 ft)
Day 4. Sightseeing tour in Kovachevitsa (declared an architectural reserve) and the adjacent area. Transfer further to Trigrad village where we stay overnight for the next 2 nights. En-route we stop for lunch by the blue water of Dospat dam.
Day 5. In the morning we continue southeast to the peak of the ridge by Trigrad village and further to Vodni Pad village. The return journey is a real delight going after Trigradska River all the way to Trigrad and Trigrad Gorge.
Walking time: 5hrs; uphill walk: 400 m (1,312 ft); downhill walk: 450 m (1,476 ft)
Day 6. After breakfast we leave the hotel in Trigrad on foot. A nice dirt road, following the upper edge of Trigrad Gorge leads to the village of Yagodina (850 m a.s.l.) and Yagodina Cave where we have about 45 min cave tour. The bus is waiting by the entrance of the cave to take us to the town of Devin, where we stay overnight.
Walking time: 3-4hrs; uphill walk: 250 m (820 ft); downhill walk: 600 m (1,968 ft)
Day 7. We walk along the Devin eco-path, offering some fine views of the Valley of Devin River. At noon we continue with a transfer to Shiroka Lyka for short sightseeing and continue on to Bachkovo Monastery - the second largest in Bulgaria. We end up in Plovdiv, where you will have some free time in the late afternoon for sightseeing and shopping.
Walking time: 3hrs; uphill walk: 200 m; downhill walk: 200 m
Day 8. Early transfer to Sofia or Plovdiv Airport for departure.

Price of extra services:   Single room supplement: 75 EURO

Price includes: 7 nights accommodation on halfboard basis (7 breakfasts and 6 dinners), airport transfers, all transport according itinerary; lift tickets and entrance fees, English-speaking guide.

Accomodation: Good family-run hotels, rooms with private facilities (days 1,2,6 & 7), guesthouses in Kovachevitsa and Trigrad (days 3, 4 & 5 ) rooms with shared facilities.

Not included: Dinner on day 7, lunches/lunchpacks, tips, alcohol drinks and other personal expenses.

Practical information:    EXTENSION AT THE BLACK SEA COAST: we have a unique proposal, which gives you the opportunity to stay on a sea holiday for extra week after your active tour at an incredibly low price in Sozopol, Nessebar, Sunny Beach, Lozenets, St. Vlas, Golden Sands etc. and all this with arranged transportation right after your tour and before your departure flight. For more information please check "Vacation extensions" below. LOW COST FLIGHTS TO BULGARIA: please check: Wizz Air - http://wizzair.com/; Sky Europe - http://www1.skyeurope.com/; Easy Jet - http://www.easyjet.com/; Germanwings - http://www.germanwings.com/; My Air - http://www.myair.com/; Penguin Travel – http://www.flybulgarien.dk/; Norwegian Air Shuttle - http://www.norwegian.no/. in summer time there are loads of opportunities to book a cheap flight to Bourgas or Varna Airport instead of landing at Sofia Airport. We can arrange for you a bus or train ticket to the starting point of the active tour with transfer to the central bus/railway station in these towns, picking you up at the airport upon arrival or vice versa at the end of your tour (this would only cost you appr. 20-30 Euro per car + the bus/train ticket price itself). For detailed information and prices, please look at the trip dossier

Recommended travel period of the year:   June - September

Links to additional information:   
http://www.walkingbulgaria.com

 

Tour difficulty:   B 

Most of you, who are used to walking/cycling during a long weekend, will be in condition to cope with a tour of this level. You should be in a good health condition. We have successive days of longer and more difficult walking and days of lighter walking/cycling. Some parts of the day routes are done at a higher altitude. The paths are in good condition. We walk/cycle for 5/7h a day.

Group Size:   Min. 4 persons

Vacation Extensions:
Sozopol (Bulgaria)
Sunny Beach (Bulgaria)
Lozenets (Bulgaria)
Sveti Vlas (Bulgaria)
Nessebar (Bulgaria)
Varna / Golden Sands (Bulgaria)

Reservation System Code: BGPIRROD

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