Rila Monastery and Seven Rila Lakes Tour
4.5
134 Ratings
Sofia

Discover Bulgaria’s wonders: Explore the stunning 7 Rila Lakes and historic Rila Monastery on a guided tour. Book now for an unforgettable adventure.

Duration: 11 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Rila Monastery - The amazing Rila Monastery

What's Included
  • On-board WiFi
  • Driver
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Entrance fees
Additional Information

IMPORTANT: Entrance in the monastery is only allowed with covered shoulders and covered knees. So please make sure you have appropriate clothes.
Often called the 8th wonder of the world, the Seven Rila lakes are legendary for their beauty and awesomeness. They are one of the most visited natural sites of Bulgaria. We combine them with a visit to the Rila…

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Location
ul. "Iskar" 31
ulitsa "Iskar"
Iskar 31 street - Big Yellow House - Only a few minutes away from Alexander Nevski Cathedral.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(134 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
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1 star
Goplaces55172629896
Sep 7, 2025
Amazing views - Incredible views on the mountain and an amazing and knowledgeable driver. We had an amazing time! Would absolutely recommend this!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janahg6188un
Aug 14, 2025
Very nice trip - The tour was well organized. We were at the monastery before the big tourist groups arrive so it was quite empty. The tour guide gave us advice on which routes to take to see the lakes.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Duane_l
Aug 13, 2025
Monastery, Mountains, & Memories - My only complaint about this tour is the lack of time to do the activities. However, it’s a great combo! The Rila monastery is incredible.. as beautiful inside (no photos allowed) as it is on the outside. A little more time would be nice to see all areas. The Rila 7 lakes has amazing scenery. Beautiful mountain and lake images. Be advised, however, that there is a lot of uphill hiking AFTER the ski lift up. But the views are worth the effort. Again, at least an hour more is needed to see all 7 lakes. And be prepared for a long line at the lift after 4:30pm. Definitely a day of memories from this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Alexandra
Aug 11, 2025
It's worth it! - It is very worth this excursion, wl monastery and the lakes are beautiful. The guide is an encyclopedia and is always willing to share his knowledge, very friendly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
650raynak
Aug 8, 2025
Family fun - Took my sons (8 and 9 years old) and we all had the best day. The views were beautiful, the food delicious and our tour guide lovely and very helpful. He played really nice and chilled music in the car so we all got some sleep in between destinations. Perfect day out!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tamas_c
Jul 31, 2025
Both the monastery and... - Both the monastery and the seven lakes are as beautifull as on the pictures. If your are experienced in hiking, you should have no problems, but if you are not, than at least bring good hiking shoes! If you go in the summer, than also bring sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat, because there is little shadow up there. The tour is self-guided, so having company or teaming up with others might be a good idea. The seven lakes are accessible via cable lift, which takes about 15-20 minutes form the parking lot, and costs 30 BGN (in 2025).
Review provided by Viator
Amd00024
Jul 28, 2025
Lovely tour - Great tour, the monastery is absolutely beautiful, the guide drives you there and then gives you an hour to walk round on your own, you get given a link for an audio guide if you would like to find out more about the monastery and the exhibitions there, the full audio guide does cost 5€ but there's a couple of free things to listen to to give you the gist. Our guide Apostolos was great, very attentive and knowledgeable, he made sure we were aware of the best routes around the lake walks and what to look out for. The lakes themselves are absolutely beautiful and its a great walk! The only thing to mention, please take proper walking boots or trainers with ankle support, I just wore ordinary trainers and wish I'd worn something a bit more sturdy. All in all a lovely day and a very interesting tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Draliba
Jul 20, 2025
Excellent Tour with a Great Guide! - We joined the Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery tour with Apostolos as our guide. Everything was perfectly organized, and Apostolos was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful throughout the day. Highly recommended experience! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pompeyo_l
Jul 18, 2025
Nice hike to 7 Lakes - The tour starts with a visit to the Rila monastery but the highlight is really the hike to the 7 lakes.
Review provided by Viator
Nadejda_m
Jul 30, 2025
activity that could not be done because of having a non-guide , not knowing the region , nor the mountains - that the guide was not a Bulgarian , to introduce us to the region, that he's not a high mountain guide so, he didn't accompany us on the hike which is irresponsible, because if there had been an injured person, found alone, he would have died alone in the mountain
Review provided by Viator
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).
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