| After a rescue operation on 05.07.2019 of a tourist with low sneakers, summer jeans, cotton sweater, without lighting, navigation and spare battery, I remind again that Rila is a high and dangerous mountain. You need two days and hiking equipment. Finally, I will delete this article, to sleep well. If you are a city tourist, be a city tourist. Or at least learn more about MRS, equipment and Bulgarian mountains |
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| Seven Rila lakes touristic map |
Summer is in full swing. And people start asking me again for advice about hiking Rila Lakes area or how to reach the Rila monastery.
For Rila mountain better get three + days to enjoy hiking and nature there.
And I hardly recommend, if you want to go from Lakes to the monastery, to make this hike north to south – or Seven Rila lakes to Rila monastery. And read the article to the end, if you don’t want to get lost…
You need to go by bus or train to Dupnitsa town – 1-2 hours and 6BGN. Buses start and from Central bus station, and from Station “Zapad” (West). In station “Zapad” also starts direct bus to Rila town and Rila monastery in 10:20. Price is 11+2BGN.
From Dupnitsa need to take a bus to Sapareva Banya – 15-20 min and 1,30BGN. In Sapareva banya have a lot of SPA hotels, family hotels, and guest houses to stay for a night and of course my favorite mineral water pool complex.
(Longest, but beautiful way to lakes or monastery is from Samokov, Maliovitza hut and peak)
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| Center of Saparva Bania with geyser |
From town are minibus (starts when the bus is full) and taxi to Panichishte resort (minibus is between 3-5 BGN per person, and taxi varies from 10 to 25 BGN!!! greedy people). You also may hike from Sapareva Banya to Panichishte, its approximately 1 1/2 – 2 hours. From resort and Pionerska chalet to Rila lakes have chairlift -10BGN in one direction, but I don’t recommend to use and beg you – DON’T USE – these people steal from you and use the money against nature, so hike to lakes, is an hour and a half.
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| Chairlift to Seven Rila lakes |
Good deviation is to go first to
Skakavitsa chalet
and 90 m high waterfall with the same name. Spend a night in this hut, it’s nice, cheaper that chalets on lakes, people who host it are young and cheerful and food is good.
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| Skakavitsa hut |
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| Skakavitsa 90m waterfall |
From Skakavitsa to
Seven Rila lakes
is one hour. On the area, Seven Rila lakes are two huts. The bigger one is Rila lakes and is more like a hotel – rooms, and prices. Two lakes up are old small Seven lakes hut.
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| “Hut” aka hotel Rila lakes |
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| Old Seven lakes hut and White brotherhood tent camp |
If you want to go from Seven Rila Lakes to
Rila monastery
you need to stay overnight in the hut Ivan Vazov (2,20 hours from lakes). Yes, you need two days minimum for this trip. From Ivan Vazov hut to Rila monastery are 5,30 – 6 hours, depends by your speed, equipment, and training* (or experience). If you a late in the monastery have rooms for guest and camping sites around.
Other option
if you don’t want to hike (or don’t have hiking equipment) between lakes and monastery is to go back to Dupnitsa and take a bus to Rila monastery. Have buses in 6:40 and 14:15.
From the Rila monastery have buses to Sofia in 15:00, but also to Dupnitsa, Blagoevgrad and nearby town Rila from where you can connect to another bus or train.
If you want more detailed bus schedule and prices or if you think I’m mistaken or missed something, please check form bellow or ask a question here in the comment section.
See other Rila places and routes | Check Pirin mountain | Or my favorite Rhodope
Still in Sofia! Check more about Vitosha mountain.
Here is some
GPS tracks
that I made in (for) this area. View and download from wikiloc.
– Separeva Bania – Skakavitsa hut (recorded backward)(http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=5092371)12 km
– Skakavitsa hut – Seven Rila lakes(recorded backward)(http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=5092364)6 km
– Panicishte – Ivan Vazov hut – Rila monastery (recorded backwards)(http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=8383398) 31km
Want more information about this trip? What do you think about guidebook?
Print and Enjoy
If this info is useful for you, gratefully will accept a beer or two 😉 And also will be glad to know if something missing as info or what more you need to know – please, take 1-2 minutes and send me a mail.
* It’s good to know that in one moment on 2 hours from the monastery, the path is hard to find and marking disappear. Use a GPS. That is a place:
