Rila, Olympus, Bulgaria, Greece 9 Day Guided Hike
Join a UIMLA Tour Operator in the Top Guides team for an amazing 9-day hike in the Rila, Pirin, Olympus mountains of Bulgaria and Greece.
Private
Rila, Pirin, Mont Olympe
9 Days
Jun - Oct
High
Intermediate
Description
Over the course of 9 exciting days, we want to guide you on an adventure that will stretch over 3 different mountain ranges and 2 countries. The mountain ranges are the Rila mountains and Pirin mountains of Bulgaria and the Olympus mountains of Greece. However, there is so much more you will get to see and do throughout this trip. From the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia, and the Aegean sea of Greece, to the Rila monastery, the variety is incredible.
This is an extensive trek. There will be a lot of walking. Typically we will be hiking between 5 and 8 hours every day. Hence, all participants should be in good physical condition. They should also have some prior hiking experience.
Throughout the trip, we will be staying in several different forms of accommodation. We will be spending our nights in hotels, family run guesthouses and mountain huts. All of these places offer their own unique advantages and charms.
During the hike, we will be ascending 3 different peaks. Those peaks include the Polezhan peak (2,851m), Mount Vihren (2,914m), which is the highest peak in the Pirin mountains, and Mount Olympus (2,918m) otherwise known as Mytikas.
There are many other wonderful highlights on this trip that stretches from the Rila mountains to Mount Olympus. They include the Belmeken dam, the village of Bansko, The Bezbog lake, various ancient Greek temples, the village of Paralia, the beautiful Rila monastery and so much more. It is also important to note that the views you will get of the natural landscape from the various peaks, as well as along the trails, are truly breathtaking.
It would be our pleasure to guide you on this 9 day adventure. We know you will gain enough exciting memories to last a lifetime. So if you would like to join us on this amazing journey that will take you from Bulgaria to Greece and back again, just send us a request.
We also offer a 5 day, hut to hut hike through the Balkans as well.
Price includes
- Accommodation included
- Guiding fee
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Transport during the trip
- Lifts tickets
Price details
The price includes transfers to and from Sofia, accommodation, and lift tickets.
Itinerary
Day 1: Sofia
Today, participants will meet at Sofia, were we will spend the day and spend the night in a local hotel.
Day 2: Bansko
Today participants will transfer to the high dam of Belmeken. We will ascent to the Belmeken peak, before hiking down to the village of Bansko where we will spend the night in a local guesthouse.
Day 3: Polezhan Peak (2,851m)
Today participants will take a ride to the Bezbog hut and log before trekking to the Polezhan peak. Afterwards, we will hike back to Bansko, where we will spend the night in the same guesthouse.
Day 4: Mount Vihren (2,914m)
Today we will make our way up Mount Vihren before descending and making our way back to Bansko where we will spend the night in the same guesthouse.
Day 5: Olympus mountain (2,918m)
We will take a long, 5 hour transfer to Mount Olympus, which we will then ascend to the mountain hut at approximately 2000 metres, where we will spend the night.
Day 6: Mount Olympus summit
Today we will finish the ascent of Mount Olympus and reach the summit before making our way back down to the hut for the night.
Day 7: Village of Paralia
Today participants will make our way down Mount Olympus, crossing the plateau of the muses, then enjoying a swim in the Aegean sea before reaching the village of Paralia, where we will spend the night in a local hotel.
Day 8: Rila Monastery
Today we will make our return to Sofia in Bulgaria. However, we will first stop at the beautiful Rila monastery, before reaching the capital, where we will spend the night in a hotel.
Day 9: Departure
On the final day, participants will get to enjoy the sights of Sofia before returning home.
Details
More info
Participants should bring the following items with them: hiking boots, rucksack (35-45L), trekking poles, water and windproof jacket, rain cover, sun hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, warm hat and gloves, water bottle (1.5L), travel liner (optional), torch, personal first aid kit.
Meeting point
About the guide
Top
4.7
(27)
Tour Operator
Top Guides is an adventure travel company founded by three UIMLA-certified mountain guides Lyuben Grancharov, Dimiter Samounev, Alexander Serafimov. In 2016 we started as an association between certified local mountain guides united by the idea to ease and enrich the travelers’ outdoor experiences in Bulgaria.
Nowadays we are a leading tour operator specialized in authentic and tailored active tours throughout Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Turkey and Georgia.
We offer a wide-range of activities: hiking, trekking, rock climbing and mountain biking, snowshoeing, ice climbing, ski touring and off-piste skiing.
All our guides are certified, experienced and passionate about their job and will guide you with a smile and care through the wild beauty of the Bulgarian and the Balkan mountains.
Languages
Russian | English | Bulgarian
Certificates
UIMLA
What people are saying about Explore-Share
Man
5
Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!
Maxine
5
Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.
Valeriya
5
You’re simply the best!!! :))) Explore-Share made everything easy and stress-free. Will definitely use again.
Joshua
5
We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.
Cami
5
Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.
4.8
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