Bulgaria skiing holidays should be on your list if you’re a fan of crowdless slopes, authentic experiences, and some really good off-piste skiing. This 8-day tour will allow us to explore multiple areas in the Rila and Pirin mountain ranges, and we’ll change accommodations three times. All breakfasts and dinners are included, as are hotels and local guides who’ve been skiing in these mountains for years now. Going out with a local expert is your best bet—not only will you explore these mountains’ absolute highlights, but you’ll also get a cultural experience, learning a lot about the area and the community along the way!
Following your arrival into Sofia Airport, you’ll get transferred to the village of Govedartsi at 1,200 m (3,940 ft) at the foot of the Rila Mountains. We’ll settle into our hotel: this is where we’ll stay for two nights. We’ll get to know each other over dinner, discuss the upcoming days, and get some rest for tomorrow.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Govedartsi
A 30-minute drive takes us to the starting point at 1,730 m (5,675 ft). From here, we will ascend Mount Malyovitsa (2,729 m / 8,953 ft) passing by Malyovitsa Hut and Deer’s Lake along the way. We’ll ski down the slopes of Malyovitsa and the valley back to the starting point.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Ski touring: 7 hours
Elevation: +1,000 m / -1,000 m (+3,280 ft / -3,280 ft)
Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Govedartsi
We’ll hit the highest point in the Balkans today! After transferring to Borovets Ski Resort (30-minute drive), we’ll take the Yastrebets gondola to take us up to 2,360 m (7,743 ft), to the foot of Mount Musala. Following a 3-hour ascent to the very top (2,925 m / 9,596 ft), we’ll take in the views and then ski back down to Borovets at 1,300 m (4,265 ft). At the end of our day out, we’ll drive to our next accommodation (about 1.5 hours), a hotel in Sapareva Banya village. This village is famous for its hot springs, so we’ll also have the option to visit a thermal pool!
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Ski touring: 6 hours
Elevation: +850 m / -1,800 m (+2,790 ft / -5,905 ft)
Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Sapareva Banya
This morning we’ll take the chair lift to Rila Lakes hut, nestled at the foot of the famous Seven Lakes area. We’ll ascend the main ridge of the mountain and then ski down to the hut, continuing further through the forests to the bottom lift station. We’ll spend the night in the same accommodation.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Ski touring: 6 hours
Elevation: +600 m / -1,100 m (+1,970 ft / -3,610 ft)
Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Sapareva Banya
A two-hour transfer takes us to Bansko, Bulgaria’s favorite ski resort with amazing facilities. We’ll take the lifts up to the top station at 2,550 m (8,366 ft) and then climb the ridge of Mount Todorka (2,746 m / 9,009 ft). There’s an option to follow an airy ridge (boot crampons required) to reach the peak, or we can do a longer, non-technical tour entirely on skis. After a short traverse along the ridge, we’ll ski down to Banderitsa Valley and further down to Bansko. We’ll stay here in a hotel for three nights.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Ski touring: 3-4 hours
Elevation: +400 m / -1,800 m (+1,315 ft / -5,905 ft)
Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Bansko
After a 30-minute morning transfer, we’ll reach the bottom station of the Bezbog chair lift and visit yet another area of the Pirin Mountains. The chair lift will take us to Bezbog Hut at 2,240 m (7,350 ft), and from there we’ll ascend one of the highest peaks in the Pirin Mountains—Mount Polezan at 2,851 m (9,354 ft). We’ll ski back to Bezbog or alternatively the west slopes of Damyanitsa valley until we reach the Bansko ski zone.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Ski touring: 6 hours
Elevation: +610 m / -1,900 m (+2,000 ft / -6,560 ft)
Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Bansko
For our last day of ski touring, we’ll ascend Mount Vihren, the very top of the Pirin Mountains. We’ll then ski all the way down to Bansko town. In the evening, we’ll gather for our final dinner together.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Ski touring: 8 hours
Elevation: +1,300 m / -2,100 m (+4,265 ft / -6,890 ft)
Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Bansko
A 2.5-hour transfer takes you to Sofia Airport. Time permitting, we can fit a sightseeing tour in Sofia on the way. If you’d like to stay longer, Bansko is a terrific area to get in some more skiing, just ask us for some recommendations!
Meals: Breakfast
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
Participants joining these Bulgaria skiing holidays should be confident skiing on red/black runs and have decent off-piste skiing experience. Regarding the fitness level, participants should be able to tour for 6-7 hours in total per day.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring for your Bulgaria skiing holidays:
Indeed you can! Your guides offer both touring set rental (boots, skis, tech bindings, sticks) as well as avalanche gear rental for these Bulgaria skiing holidays. You can add these upon checkout.
Accommodation
You’ll be staying at three different accommodations during your Bulgaria skiing holidays, which will allow you to explore new mountains and varied terrain. These will be 3-star family hotels in Bansko, Govedartsi, and Sapareva Banya, and you will stay in double/twin ensuite rooms. It’s also possible to stay in a hut for two nights instead of a hotel if you’d like that.
Food
Breakfasts and dinners are included in the price of the tour. Breakfasts will be served in the hotels you’ll be staying in, while for dinner your guide will take you to local restaurants. This will be a great cultural experience as well! Keep in mind that special dietary requirements can be accommodated, but please let us know if you have any upon checkout.
Group sizes and pricing
Bulgaria skiing holidays can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
To get to your Bulgaria skiing holidays, fly into Sofia International Airport (SOF). That’s where you’ll meet up with your guides on Day 1 of the tour, and get transferred to the village of Govedartsi at 1,200 m (3,940 ft) at the foot of the Rila mountains.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance.
With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.
We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to. If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!