Three summits Balkan Mountains trek

Amazing 8-day Balkan Mountains trek. This guided tour will take you to the summit of three of the Balkans highest peaks in Bulgaria and Greece. Join Nikolay, a local UIMLA mountain leader.

Olympus, Pirin, Rila Mountains

8 Days

Jun - Sep

Description

Join me in this Balkan Mountains trek, traversing some of the most beautiful natural areas in Bulgaria and Greece.

The Balkan Mountains, also known as ‘Stara Planina’ (which means ‘old mountain’), are a mountain range at the east of the Balkan peninsula. These mountains cross Bulgaria and divide the country in two sides. They also occupy part of the countries of Serbia, Macedonia and Greece.

During this 8-day Balkan Mountains trek I will take you to the three highest peaks of this mountain range: Musala Peak (2925m), Vihren peak (2914m) and Mytikas (2917m). Each of them are surrounded by the beautiful landscapes of different protected areas.

Rila National Park, for instance, is the largest natural park in Bulgaria and the place where we’ll find Musala Peak, the highest summit of the Balkans.

I will also guide you through Pirin National Park (in Bulgaria), an area protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site because of its natural and cultural attractions.

The last protected area to visit will be Mount Olympus National Park in Greece, where I’ll take you on a trek tour to its highest peak: Mytikas.

Finally, the trip includes some sightseeing through the most relevant historical and cultural spots in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital city.

For further details, you can find the complete program of this Balkan Mountains trek below.

ITINERARY

Day 1
After your arrival at Sofia airport (in Bulgaria), you are transferred to Govedartsi mountain village, which is an hour away. There’s a short hike in the village. Afterwards, we spend the night there.

Day 2
In Rila National Park we hike Musala (2925 m), which is the highest peak not only in Bulgaria but in the Balkans. Then, a short transfer leaves us in Borovets ski resort (1390m). Once there, we take the gondola lift towards Yastrebets Peak (2369 ml).

The summit of Musala Peak offers a wonderful view of the surrounding peaks of Rila Mountains. You can also admire the marble edges of Pirin Mountains, see Mount Vitosha and Sredna Gora Mountains, as well as the green summits of Rodopi Mountains.

This day involves between 6 or 7 hours of hiking. It’s worth mentioning you will enjoy some outstanding views of the Balkan Mountains.

Finally, we’re transferred to Bansko, where we stay for the night.

Day 3
We are transferred to Gotse Delchev hut 1475 m. Once there, we take a chair lift to Bezbog hut 2240m. The hut is the starting point to hike Polejan peak (2851 m). From the summit of this mountain you can have a great view of Popovo Lake, the biggest and deepest lake in Pirin National Park. Our next destination is hiking Bezbog peak (2645 m). After that, we return to Bezbog hut and then to Bansko, where we spend the night. This day we spend four hours hiking.

Day 4
We hike Mount Vihren at 2914 m, which is the highest peak in Pirin National Park. After a short travel we arrive to Vihren hut (1950 m). This hike gives you the chance of enjoying the views of most of Pirin’s peaks, as well as Vlahini and Bunderishki lakes. You may also find Edelweiss, a typical flower, among other rare plants flowering on the way.

We plan to have lunch in the summit, depending on weather conditions. We stay again in Bansko for the night.

This day involves almost eight hours of hiking.

Day 5
We are transferred to Prionia, a city in Greece which is between four and five hours away. Once there, we hike to Kakalos hut (2650m) for almost five hours. We spend the night there.

Day 6
This day we hike Mytikas peak (2917m) which is the highest peak in Mount Olympus National Park and the second highest on the Balkans. This hike takes seven hours. In the afternoon we return to Prionia and travel to Leptokaria, a village on Aegean sea coast where we spend the night.

Day 7
We are transferred to Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria). On the way, we visit Rila Monastery, one of the country’s most famous landmarks.

After that we go sightseeing to the hermitage of St. Ivan Rilski. Our next stop are the Stob Pyramids, some amazing sand forms. We spend the night in Sofia.

Day 8
Transfer from Sofia to the airport for departure.

If you interested in this Balkan Mountains trek, please contact me. I will be glad to be your guide for this trip.

Price includes

Accommodation included
Guiding fee
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Transport during the trip
Luggage transfer
Lifts tickets

Price details

Full board meals, all transfers, guiding, accommodations, lift tickets.

Details

More info

-For groups of less than 4 people contact us for price. -Dinner on day 7 is not included in the price, as well as entrance fees for cultural and historical sights.

Meeting point

Sofia (Bulgaria).

About the guide

Nikolay

4.8

(40)

Mountain Leader

I started snowboarding when only a few people were doing it. At the time, it was just an emerging sport. We used to experiment modifying our equipment by hand. We didn't know about first lines or powder days, we were simply having fun and enjoying amazing snow.
As things got more serious, I gained experience and learned more about the mountains. I found so many new possibilities!
From the mountains, I learned how to enjoy with just the essentials, to travel lightly and to cherish the company of a friend on the snow. But I also learned responsibility and learned from my mistakes.
This passion led me in 1994 to the Himalayas, where the beauty of the scenery and the amazing peaks were almost overwhelming. In summer, I started exploring the mountain and in this way I discovered climbing.
All of this inspired me to become a professional. Now I have a Ski Instructor Qualification Class C, a Professional Mountain Leader UIMLA Qualification and in 2009 I became the first Bulgarian snowboard guide. Since 2017, I'm a snowboard Instructor qualification Level “3” and international ISIA.

Languages

Russian | English | Bulgarian

Certificates

UIMLA

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What people are saying about Nikolay

JOSEP

Fantastic guide and amazing terrain for freeriding and splitboarding, not crowded.

Akseli

Guide was professional and safe. The trip we made was pretty much all I hoped. Everything (planning, guidance for rentals and the trip) worked out like a charm.

Tomer

we approached Explore - Share to find a guide for the Via Ferrata Malyovitsa in Bulgaria. Nikolay Pavlov responded and from this moment remain in ongoing communication to make sure we receive a great service. he was very responsive and was kind enough to assist us in planning additional hiking days. on the July 31st we met one of his guides - Stoimaen (AKA - Bambita) and another guide - Elena which led my partner and myself through the Via Ferrata with a lot of good spirit and patience (and passion).they made the introduction to Bulgarian outdoors much enjoyable. The additional tips we received from this great team enhanced the quality of our Bulgarian adventure. much recommended. Regards Natasha & Tomer

Leanne

Nikolay was brilliant, really accommodating to our date changes. Extremely friendly and helpful, has great knowledge of the area. We felt very comfortable and confident even though the weather wasn't great. Overall really enjoyed our 2 day split boarding course. Would highly recommend for anyone that wants a challenge.

Red

Did a trip in Feb 2019 with Nikolay. This is the second year we have been with him. Brilliant day out with hiking and riding off the beaten track. I would highly reccomend this if you're looking for an experience off the slopes!!!