With seven days in Bulgaria and a quick hop over from Turkey, I was here to hike the seven Rila Lakes in Bulgaria.

If there was a spot that doesn’t need filters it would be this place. The seven Rila Lakes are above 2,000metres and you get a good view of these glacial lakes.

It is also one of the best day trip you should absolutely take if you’re coming to Sofia. The best way is to join a tour because public transport in Bulgaria can be tough to crack.

Even if you’re not much of a hiker, you could absolutely do this trek and decide to go up to lake 5 and not all the way to the 7 lakes.

Heck, I even saw people in jeans trying to do this hike — but I don’t recommend it because if there’s snow, it quickly changes and becomes very treacherous.

Also read: The Epic 7 Days Bulgaria Itinerary: Culture, Hiking & Food

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The Best Way To Do The Rila Lakes

doing the seven rila lakes hike — a bird’s eye view of the mountains

The easiest way to book this trek is to go on a tour.

I know the internet has some posts very people DIY where you can rent a car or take a bus or train to Dupnitsa and then to Sapareva banya. From Sapareva banya to the chair lift, there are taxis or you can drive there.

But it’s not worth the hassle of figuring out transportation to go here. So, there are two options to do this hike:

Rila Mountains Full Hiking Tour (Self Guided or Guided)
The Seven Rila Lakes & Monastery Tour

If you’re not fussed about seeing all seven lakes, and you want to maximise your time you should do the monastery tour.

But if you’re like me, an avid hiker and do want to go at your pace, I’ll recommend the first one.

When Is The Best Time To Go?

The best time to hike this mountain is from June to September.

Even in early June there’s still snow lingering at the top and by October it would be freezing. I went in mid-September and the winds were crazy — it was still cold but I had an awesome time.

What to Expect on the Hike

taking the cable car to the rila lakes chalet - the starting point

If you love a total adventure and enjoying a non-technical hike but touristy hike, the Rila Mountains is for you.

The total hike is around 9km and the incline is about 583 metres.

The starting point starts at the cable car station and costs 25 BGN which is about 12.5 EUR per person. It sways for 20 minutes, carrying you up to the Rila Lakes Hut and the start of the trail.

The Seven Rila Lakes

Believe it or not but each lake has a name, given not by scientists or officials, but by locals due to their shapes and interesting moods or myths.

The Lower Lake (Dolnoto Ezero) – the starting point.
The Fish Lake (Ribnoto Ezero) – the very shallow lake.
The Trefoil (Trilistnika) – shaped like a three-leaf clover.
The Twin (Bliznaka) – the largest and also two lakes that are connected
The Kidney (Babreka) – a steep climb & it is shaped like a kidney
The Eye (Okoto) – the deepest and one shaped like an eye
The Tear (Salzata) – the highest lake and you’ll see the true colours of the lake

My Experience Hiking The Rila Lakes

The night before I was anxiously looking at the weather site (YR.no) to check the weather. In mid-september, according to the site the weather will be a cool 10-15 degrees with afternoon showers expected.

The next morning we had to reach the starting point for the pick-up by 7am at Alexander Nevski Cathedral. From here it took us two hours to reach the cable car station at Rila Lakes.

By 9am we were at the cable car with frozen faces riding up high to Rila Lakes Chalet, the starting point for the hike. To be honest, the cable car felt very exposed and it was freezing!

If you’re on a hut-to-hut journey in the Rila Mountains, a lot of people often stay up at the chalet.

Starting The Hike

one of the first viewpoints enroute the seven rila lakes hike

It was easy to make friends eventhough I chose the self-guided option.

The path is straightforward and easy enough to meet people on the trail so you’ll never truly get lost unless you veer off path.

The first lake that we came across had breathtaking views of the Rila Mountains. I read that the kind of wildlife in this park include large mammals like brown bears, wolves, and lynx, as well as red deer and chamois.

There have been no bear attacks in the Rila Lakes other than the Dancing Bears Park in Belitsa. I am always vary of wild animals in the area since some part of the Balkans have a significant territory for brown bears.

The Kidney Lake

a view of the gorgeous landscapes and trails. we stopped here to have a picnic

As we climbed further, we came across the Kidney Lake located at an altitude of 2282metres. This is also the lake for taking a breather, stopping for a picnic and staring into nothingness.

There’s an interesting fun fact and something you shouldn’t miss out on if you come in August.

In mid-August, you can witness the Paneurhythmy dance where Bulgarians perform a circle dance integrating dance and poetry around the Kidney Lake. The reason they do this is to celebrate their oneness with nature and the world.

Heading To The Peak

the tear at an elevation of 2,535 metres

We finally began our steep ascent to the top — this is where most people who are doing the Monastery tour give up or simply head back.

We continued along crossing streams before arriving at the peak. It might not look like much when you’re seeing the lakes at eye level and merely seeing it as a break spot.

But from the top? I was blown away. You could see all the prominent lakes and the glacial water change colour.

The Kidney lake and the Tear lake is the most prominent from the top.

💡 You should also know that: you can totally continue hiking here and beyond to get views of Bulgaria's tallest peak, Musala. But that should be on your own DIY trip if you stay in Sapareva Banya which is a 25-min drive to the trailhead.

On My Descent

some bulgarian folk music to ring in the spirits towards the end

It became freezingly cold on my descent. I stopped multiple times to take in the views and notice what was around me.

Wildflowers dotted the trail, and at one point, I spotted a bright orange mushroom on its own.

It looked like something out of an Enid Blyton book… small, slightly surreal, and oddly out of place. For a moment, it felt like a ghibli moment!

We got to the bottom around 2.30pm. There was a guy playing Bulgarian folk music. It felt random, but also fitting — like a low-key way to mark the end of the hike and soak in the Balkan vibe.

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