Bulgaria - Rila Monastery Trail

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Day 1 Arrival
Arrival and transfer from Sofia Airport to Samokov / Dospey village.
Depart from Sofia no later than 4:00p.m. Transfer by car takes approximately 1 hour. Meet the guide for a welcome dinner. Overnight in a 3 star hotel in the town of Samokov or guest house in the village of Dospey.

Day 2
Transfer to the ranch after breakfast to meet your horse and ride out to the Lakatitsa river valley. Cross the cold waters of the Cherni Iskar river and pass through authentic villages at the foot of the mountain. Enjoy riding along the cool forest road and begin the ascent of Northwestern Rila. Spend the night in a cozy forest hut while the horses enjoy fresh forest meadows. The pace of riding on this day is mainly a trot, and depending on the terrain, it can be changed to a canter or walk. Approx. 30km

Day 3
After breakfast head out for a full day of riding. Start the climb to the Mechit peak (2567m) along a mountain path. enjoy incredible bird's-eye views towards the heart of the mountain, the Samokov Valley, the Iskar Lake and countless mountain peaks. The perfect spot for some photography. Continue along an ancient Roman road, renovated by King Ferdinand during the First World War to welcome the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. After crossing the ridge, start to descend to the area of “Kobilino branishte” (Mare’s protection). After a short break for lunch, continue on foot for a short time leading the horses along rocky terrain to the beautiful “Suhoto” Lake before descending into a picturesque forest and onto the most attractive rocks in Bulgaria - the Devil's Needles and the Evil Tooth. Then pick up the pace and enjoy some faster riding on route to the impressive Rila Monastery. Well-deserved rest and delicious mountain trout in a comfortable hotel.

Day 4
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before saddling up and setting out. Most people think that the Seven Rila Lakes, are the most beautiful sight in Bulgaria, this is because few have glimpsed the hard-to-reach Urdini Lakes, which are many times more impressive. Fortunately, today you will be lucky enough to be among them. Cross the whole mountain, stopping only for a picnic lunch on route, before eventually reaching the cosy Vada hut. In the mountains meet wild horses, ride through extensive highland pastures, and enjoy views of the most alpine area of Rila - Malyovitsa. The pace is walk and trot, briefly lead the horses on a steep path. Overnight at the hut, enjoying home cooked meals.

Day 5
After breakfast, head out on the trail towards Belchin Banya, Here relax your muscles and enjoy hot mineral water and SPA*. The riding on this day is leisurely on soft forest terrain. Before lunch, stop to see “Tsari Mali grad” - a late antique Roman fortress from the IV - VI century, which was a Thracian sanctuary long before that - VIII - VI century BC.

*SPA and Wellness Package include indoor mineral pool - 29 °C, outdoor mineral pool - 28 °C /summer season/, Roman bath /thermal pool/ with air nozzles, water jets and geyser - 39 °C, Finnish sauna, warm relaxation bench.

Day 6
After breakfast ride out over the vast fields of the Palakaria river valley, with an abundance of wildflowers and soft farm roads, the perfect opportunity to pick up the pace. Today finish the ride back at the Ranch. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel in the town of Samokov or guest house in the village of Dospey.

Day 7
Breakfast and transfer to Sofia - about 1 hour by car.

Please note: All itineraries are given for your guidance only and it may be altered on the ground and in accordance with the prevailing conditions by the organising team.

There are 12 horses, a combination of Purebred Arabian, Anglo-Arab, Shagya Arabian all of which are trained in endurance riding. They are fit, strong and forward going. They are all well trained and experienced on these trails, with endless amounts of energy. The tack is English style and comfortable.

The riding is in the style of the Endurance discipline - suitable for experienced riders and for covering long distances up to 45km per day. The main pace is trot, with some exciting canters on suitable ground and frequently downhill so please make sure you are comfortable with this.

Each horse has leather saddlebags for waterproofs, sun cream and water during the day.

We recommend that riders bring their own hard hats as there are none available to borrow, comfortable shoes for walking and riding and half chaps. There will be occasions where you need to lead your horse a short distance.

This ride is for fit, strong intermediate riders and above only. This is a physically demanding ride, so riding fitness is essential. Ideal for eventers/cross country or endurance riders looking to explore the beautiful countryside of Bulgaria.

You should be in control at all paces, in open spaces and comfortable at trotting and cantering for long stretches, both uphill and downhill. You also need to be happy crossing ditches.

Expect to cover up to 40km per day on this endurance style trail, with large portions of the distance covered in trot and canter with multiple opportunities to gallop on day 5 and 6.

Minimum riding age is 16yrs.

The weight limit for this ride is 198 lb/90 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.

The overnight stay on Days 1 and 6 are in a hotel in the town of Samokov or a guest house in the village of Dospey.

Overnight on Day 2 and 4 are in a mountain hut with a shared bathroom.

Overnight on Day 3 and 5 are in a hotel with private bathrooms.

Expect traditional Bulgarian dishes, including traditional cucumber and tomato salads with cheese, home made soups, grilled meats and fish. or breakfast you can expect pancakes, omelettes, bread and home made jams.

Can cater for vegetarians with ease but not vegan. Other dietary requests can be catered for, within reason and with advanced notice. Please let your consultant know before booking.

Vegetarian or other dietary requirements within reason can be accommodated with advance notice. Please contact Unicorn Trails with requests before booking.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct documentation in place for your trip. NB: Be sure to check the COVID status of the country you plan to visit including entry procedures and requirements while travelling. Passport and Visa requirements differ dependent on which country you’re travelling from. Please check with your consulate for the latest regulations and requirements. Unicorn Trails will assist with any questions you have or supply any necessary supporting documents as required by the consulate should you need a visa. In the UK the British Foreign Office gives advice: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bulgaria In the US: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Bulgaria.html In Canada: https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/bulgaria

Another useful resource is Sherpa - this summarises any travel and vaccination requirements based on when you are travelling simply by entering your home country followed by your destination country: https://apply.joinsherpa.com/travel-restrictions<

The territory of Rila National Park is located mainly in the transitional-continental climate zone of the country, temperate-continental from the north and continental-Mediterranean from the south. The warm season lasts for 3.3 months, from 5 June to 15 September, with an average daily high temperature above 25°C. The hottest month of the year in Rila is August, with an average high of 30°C but can reach 40 degrees. The cold season lasts for 3.4 months, from 23 November to 4 March, with an average daily high temperature below 7°C. The coldest month of the year in Rila is January, with an average low of -5°C and high of 3°C.

COVID: Be sure to check the latest COVID regulations for travelling in any country you visit.

Facilities in most Bulgarian hospitals are basic and old-fashioned compared to those in the UK. Standards of medical care are acceptable, although specialised equipment/treatment may not be available, and hospital staff may not speak English.

You are required to take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance to cover the full period you will be in the country at the time of booking, we recommend including medivac to the UK if necessary. You should be aware, however, that most insurance companies will not authorise medivac to the UK as a matter of routine, or because local hospitals are not up to UK standards. You should check any exclusions and that your policy covers you for horseriding.

Please check the latest country-specific health advice prior to travel and contact your own GP for up to date advice on vaccinations and prophylaxis prior to travel.

In Bulgaria the supply voltage is 230V. If the appliance or its power supply are not dual voltage rated, the single voltage appliance will have to be used alongside a voltage transformer or converter to allow the appliance to work safely and properly (unless the appliance operates at 230V).

Charging points and wifi available in all hotels.

Riding Hat
Riding gloves,
Suitable boots for riding (walking boots with a small heal are also fine and better than long boots as there may be short periods when you need to lead your horse)
Half Chaps
Jodpurs or trousers suitable for riding.
Layers of clothing, T shirts (
Swim wear for lake/kayaking
Shoes for the evening
warmer clothes for the cooler mountain evenings
Items of a personal nature
any medication you might require
Light weight raincoat is always worth bringing

This is 7 day, 6 night programme with 5 riding days.

2025: 6 - 12 Jul; 14 - 20 Sept; 26 Oct - 1 Nov.
Other dates on request all year round, arrival Sunday/Monday

Available only on nights 1 & 7 please enquire.

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Spa treatments available in some hotels. (payment on site)

Rila Mountain Range is home to some extremely rare wildlife species that are threatened with extinction both on a European and on a global scale. These include: The imperial eagle and the black vulture; the dormouse, otters, mole rats, and brown squirrels; and the wolf. If you are very luck you may hear a wolf in the distance or see an eagle fly overhead. There are also a number of deer found in the forests, including red deer, fallow deer, roe deer and wild boars.

Best times to travel - June/July lots of beautiful flowers in the meadows and in the forests with temperatures of around 25 degrees, and late Sept (autumn) with the foliage turning deep red and golden similar temperatures. Winter is also possible and offering beautiful snow topped mountains.

Bulgaria has changed swiftly over the last decade, though in the villages you can still find folk who ride a donkey to work, eat homegrown potatoes and make their own cheese. The difference now is that they finish the day in front of a satellite TV. When Bulgaria ran away with the topsy-turvy capitalist circus, no-one told its people they were swinging without a safety net. What the visitor encounters now is a country struggling valiantly to adapt and people who remain remarkably hospitable in the face of social and economic chaos. Urban Bulgaria, especially Sofia, is much changed, so visit now. Time Zone is GMT/UTC +2. Daylight saving is in place and starts last Sunday in March, ending on the last Sunday in October. Weights and measures are metric so kilometres and kilograms instead of miles and stone. One mile is about 1.6km and one stone about 6.8kg