8 National Park Trips in Bulgaria Worth Booking

1.Easy snowshoeing Pirin National Park & thermal spa

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 19 reviews · 6 hours · from $100Our pick

Leave Bansko with an English-speaking guide, snowshoes, and poles for an easy to moderate walk among Pirin’s pine forests and peaks. Guides such as Maria make the outing friendly and informative. Afterward, pay separately to relax in Banya’s thermal pools.

“The whole experience was perfect from start to finish. We cannot thank Mari enough for the most amazing day. The hike up the mountain was really good fun. We stopped half way on the mountains for some lunch, which was a perfect location with amazing views. We learned lots of facts about the area and its history from Mari, she is extremely knowledgeable and speaks great English. As a group of 4 friends, this was a great activity, which ended at a thermal spa before being dropped back to our hotel. We highly recommend! MASSIVE THANK YOU TO MARI, YOU REALLY MADE THE EXPERIENCE PERFECT FOR US AND WE ALL…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Pirin National Park Hike & Bansko Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 13 reviews · 11h 30m · from $111

You’ll hike from Vihren Hut past three Banderishki Lakes, with views toward Vihren and Pirin’s high peaks, then ride to Bansko for Bulgarian food and a 30-minute Revival-era walking tour. English-speaking guides, including Lubo, lead small groups of up to eight from Sofia.

“I've booked multiple tours with this company and I cannot recommend their services enough! Excellent communication, super friendly and 100% reliable. The guides are amazing, highly knowledgeable and very safe drivers. Thank you for this fantastic day and unforgettable experience :)”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Wilderness experience- Kroshuna waterfalls with Devetashka and God’s eyes cave

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 10 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $131Top rated

Leave Sofia at 7:30 am for Devetashka Cave, Prohodna’s God’s Eyes Cave, and the gentle forest paths of Krushuna Waterfalls. Expect a small group of up to 16, round-trip transport, coffee, water, and guides such as Iva, Georgi, or Alex.

“Definitely worth visiting! Views are fantastic! Kids enjoyed so much. Thanks a lot to our tour guide Iva! We had a great time!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Rila Monastery National park & Boyana church

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 1 day · from $58

Travel from Sofia with guides such as Tsvetan or Alex to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church. Expect a small group of up to five, history, mountain air, forest walks, and time for lunch. Entry fees and lunch cost extra, while guide languages include English, Russian, and German.

“Tsvetan was an excellent and very friendly guide. The trip in the fall was beautiful. The car was a bit small, but overall it was a great experience.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Pirin National Park: Glacial Lakes and Jagged Peaks Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 6 reviews · 1 day · from $102

From Bansko, Razlog, or Pirin Golf, your English-speaking guide takes you into Pirin National Park for a 3 to 5-hour hike past Eye, Fish, Frog’s, Long, and Muratovo lakes. Guides including Krasimir and Mikhail are praised for patient pacing, local insight, and careful route knowledge.

“The trip was wonderful . The guide was excellent. He arrived on time to pick me up, knows the route very well, was nice, with patience, and helped with everything that was needed”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Central Balkan National Park Guided Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 9 hours · from $111

Join English-speaking guide Ivo for a nine-hour small-group hike from Plovdiv into Central Balkan National Park. A chairlift from Sopot cuts the climb, leaving a steady walk to Dobrila Hut and 2,166-meter Levski Peak, with optional tandem paragliding on the way down.

“We were offered another tour to the Rila Lakes with Ivo ( Ivailo ) and we took it! And he was an amazing tour guide despite the lifts not working, he still offered us a bunch of other things that we can do including going to the top of the Rila Lakes. He told us the wonderful mythology of the lakes and was very understanding the whole way through and helped us climb the mountains. Very grateful we had him as a tour guide and definitely made our journey memorable to an extent.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Rila National Park Horse Riding Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · from $47Best value

Ride for about an hour through pine forest, open meadows, and rivers near Bachevo with a calm horse and an experienced guide. Beginners receive a gentle pace, while confident riders can enjoy a faster outing. Helmets are provided, and guides can take photos with your phone.

“This was advertised as suitable for very young children and beginner riders. I bought the activity for my family a 2 year old, 6 year old, 8 year old, myself and my mother who was in her 60s. My husband was there but he had a bad back and Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Sofia to Vitosha National Park Snowshoe Hike with Lunch time

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $78

Join mountain guide Simeon for a small-group winter outing from Sofia to Vitosha National Park. Walk snowshoe trails through forests and alpine terrain, stop at a mountain hut for lunch and hot drinks, then visit Dragalevtsi Monastery. Equipment and transport are included, but lunch costs extra.

“This was an amazing experience and a highlight of our first visit to Sofia. Vitosha National Park is very close to the city and absolutely beautiful when covered in snow. We were lucky to have great weather.”

Check availability →Read our full review