Daily hiking treks to Vitosha & Rila mountains
1. VITOSHA MOUNTAINS & CHERNI VRYH PEAK (2290 m)
As a background of Sofia, Vitosha Mountains are the first to welcome newcomers to the capital on their way from the airport to the city centre. Few are the big cities in the world, and capitals are even fewer, that possess such a natural advantage. Vitosha is the oldest Nature Park on the Balkan Peninsula and also the most visited Bulgarian mountains. Thousands of tourists visit it every year, exploring the two nature reserves, their inspiring landscape, flora and fauna.
After transfer to Dragalevtsi we take the chair lift to "Goli vryh" Peak. Then we head through the plateau area to Cherni Vryh Peak (meaning The Black Peak, 2290 m a.s.l.). There we make a short rest trying the local tea, produced from many species of fragrant mountain herbs. 
From here we can either get back or continue through the plateau areas reaching The Golden Bridges area famous for their stone rivers.
Transfers time: 2 hours
Walking time: 4-6 hrs (moderate difficulty; no steep parts)
Best period: June-September
Price: 70 Euro (the price is per group of up to 3 persons and includes guidance in English, private transfers to/from the mountains (not included: lift tickets (5 euro/person), meals, drinks etc. personal expenses; for larger groups or guidance in other languages please ask for quotation)
2. RILA MOUNTAINS & MUSALA PEAK (2925 m)
The Rila Mountains are the highest ones not only on The Balkan Peninsula but also in South East Europe with Mount Musala - 2925 m a.s.l. It occupies the prestigious 6th place in the European "classification", preceded by Caucasus, the Alps, Sierra Nevada, the Pyrenees and the Etna volcano. Many of the tops here are close to 3000 m a.s.l. Rila Mountains (an old Slavic word, meaning "Water Mountain") looks like a rough sea of mountain ridges and peaks, deep gorges and 150 crystal clear lakes. A big part of the National Park is under the protection of UNESCO.
Early transfer will bring us to Borovets (1350 m a.s.l.). Borovets is the oldest international and one of the most popular mountain resorts in Bulgaria. There we take the gondola lift to Yastrebets. The path now goes within the Dwarf Pine massifs towards the highest in altitude in Bulgaria Musala hut (2389 m a.s.l.; about 1,5 hours trek). 
The jagged form of Mount Musala could be enjoyed during the whole time. From Musala hut we need two more hours to climb the peak, going by the Musalenski lakes and the "Icy lake" refuge in between. The view from the very top is really breath-taking - one could spot many other peaks of Rila Mountains, the marble edges of Pirin Mountains, Vitosha and Sredna Gora Mountains, the green summits of the Rodopi Mountains and not the least the long body of the Balkan Mountains. We make a little rest here before going back to Yastrebets and further with the gondola-lift to Borovets, where the bus waits to take us back to Sofia.
Transfers time: 2,30 hrs
Walking time: 5-6 hrs (few steep parts; good physical condition is needed)
Best period: mid June-September
Price: 85 Euro (the price is per group of up to 3 persons and includes guidance in English, private transfers to/from the mountains (not included: lift tickets (7 euro/person), meals, drinks etc. personal expenses; for larger groups or guidance in other languages please ask for quotation)
3. RILA MOUNTAINS - THE SEVEN RILA LAKES & RILA MONASTERY
A whole-day trek to Rila Mountains, easier compared to the previous one, exploring probably the most eminent area in the mountains – The Seven Rila Lakes and the most famous tourist attraction in Bulgaria – Rila Monastery. 
The Seven Rila Lakes comprise a group of glacial lakes situated between 2100 and 2500 m a.s.l., surrounded by rugged peaks and deep valleys.
After a transfer of 1,30hrs we reach the region of Panichishte resort, where we board the chair lift to The Rila Lakes hut. From here we continue on foot to explore the circus and its pearls – The Eye, The Tear, The Kidney, The Twins, The Trefoil, The Fish Lake and The Lower Lake. The route is not difficult but can be adjusted additionally on spot depending on the fitness of the clients – following either more gentle or steeper parts. Having visited all of the lakes we get back and continue by car (1,30hrs drive) to Rila Monastery - the biggest and most important symbol of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Behind the 20-metre high walls lie impressive monastery buildings, a church and a chapel with valuable murals. 
The monastery's most treasured historic and artistic monuments include the 14th century Hrelyo Tower, the five-domed Birth of the Blessed Virgin Church and the original monastery kitchen from the 19th century. The monastery also houses a rich museum collection of valuable old manuscripts and documents, charters and icons, an ethnographic exhibition of fabrics, jewelry, carpets and wrought iron objects, and a library containing more than 16,000 books.
Transfers time: 4,30-5 hrs
Walking time: 4 hrs (moderate difficulty)
Best period: mid June-September
Price: 110 Euro (the price is per group of up to 3 persons and includes guidance in English, private transfers to/from the mountains (not included: lift tickets (8 euro/person), museum tickets in the monastery (4 Euro/person), meals, drinks etc. personal expenses; for larger groups or guidance in other languages please ask for quotation)