Bulgaria tours

Bulgaria is open for adventure from April to October, with hiking holidays taking full advantage of its diverse seasons. Spring sees wildflowers blanketing the valleys and hillsides, while summer brings sunshine, cool forest trails, and clear mountain air, some of the purest in Europe, in fact. In the Rhodope Mountains, daily highs range from 20–25C between May and September, but evenings can still be cool, especially at higher elevations.

May is particularly magical for walking in places like Rila and Pirin National Parks, with their alpine lakes just starting to thaw and trails lined with primroses, orchids and poppies. Autumn colours start to take hold in late September, making it an ideal time to hike without the summer crowds.If you’re after a cultural twist, the Bansko International Jazz Festival in August adds a musical interlude to your mountainscape, with performances just a short hop from the Pirin Mountains. For more information, see our blog, Best time to go to Bulgaria.

Bulgaria’s climate varies depending on where and how high you’re hiking. The Rhodope Mountains, for example, benefit from both northern continental and southern Mediterranean influences, giving them a generous 200 days of sunshine a year. Temperatures range from pleasant springtime 15–18C in May to highs of 25C in July and August, although mountain nights can still dip to single digits.In the higher Rila and Pirin ranges, you can expect snow to linger into late spring at elevations above 2,000m, but also find warmer pockets of air in the valleys. Even in the height of summer, the air stays fresh and clean, especially above 1,500m. Occasional thunderstorms can roll through, so pack waterproofs just in case. For more information, see our blog, Best time to go to Bulgaria.

Bulgaria uses the Cyrillic alphabet, which has 30 letters. About half are similar to Latin script (like A, E, K, M, O, T), but others are unique (eg ж, ч, ш, ъ, ю, я), and transliterating them often requires multi-letter combinations. In major cities, airports, train stations and tourist attractions, you’ll often see Latin transliterations or English signage. In smaller towns, though, many signs appear only in Cyrillic. Don’t worry, after a little practice, you’ll recognise enough to navigate easily. It may feel confusing at first, but it certainly won’t spoil your holiday.

Unfortunately at the moment, we do not have any tours in Bulgaria that are easy to reach by rail. 

Yes, especially for families who want to experience traditional culture, rural life and outdoor adventures together. We have some bespoke family adventures, such as the Bulgaria UNESCO sites self-drive holiday or Bulgaria Walking and Spa Adventure. In addition, it’s worth checking out our easy/moderate level holidays, to see if they appeal to all family members. If you have older teens, for example, who have walking experience, you may want to explore more moderate level hiking holidays. Our adventure specialists are here to cater for your needs, and we can often adapt a day’s itinerary if you think it’s going to be too hard or too easy.

Most definitely and we welcome solo travellers on a great number of our tours, ranging from walking in the Rhodope Mountains, Rila and Pirin Mountains or perhaps all three ranges in one go. Our Walking in the Western Balkan Mountains and Belogradchik Rocks holiday is also a perfect solo saga. You can find all of our solo trips in Bulgaria here, but please remember that a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared.  

Tap water in Bulgarian cities and large towns is generally considered safe to drink. While Bulgaria adheres to European Union regulations, Bulgaria still faces challenges with tap water quality, particularly in southern districts. It’s fine to ask for tap water (чешмяна вода or cheshmyana voda) in restaurants. If you want to check in your accommodation if the tap water is safe to drink, say “Питейна ли е водата, моля? or Piteyna li e vodata, molya?” And, if you are hiking in mountain areas, and want to drink from streams, where there can be a risk of harmful runoff, we recommend investing in a filtered water bottle to ensure water is free of any toxins. 

If you need medical care in Bulgaria, private clinics are usually the best option, though they can be slightly more expensive than the public system, they are usually better funded and better equipped. No vaccinations are required, but the WHO recommends routine vaccines such as tetanus, measles, mumps and rubella before travelling. While Bulgaria is rabies-free, ticks can be a problem when hiking, so you do need to take precautions. Wear long sleeves and trousers, and tuck your trousers into hiking socks when possible. Lyme disease and Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) are both tick-borne, so always check yourself fully after hiking and carry a tick remover with you too, so that you can catch them quickly. 

Always make sure that you have suitable health insurance to suit your adventure travel and also note that Bulgaria has a well-developed network of pharmacies, staffed by trained pharmacists, helpful for minor ailments and dispensing medications. As with all international travels, it’s always worth getting up to date information at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for UK travellers or similar foreign office advice in your home country.

Of course this depends on the region that you are visiting but, as with most of our adventures, you may be exploring remote terrain where weather conditions may be unpredictable. For that reason, this blog What to pack for a hiking trip may help. As well as that, don’t forget to pack your sense of adventure, plenty of sunscreen and a phrase book. 

Overtourism is an issue in many parts of the world, and although we are all for people having adventures, we’re aware that some places just need to put the brakes on. Which is why we aim to take you off the beaten path, and also encourage travel outside of the peak seasons. Luckily in Bulgaria, there are only two big cruise ship destinations, Varna and Burgas on the Black Sea coast, which see a seasonal influx of visitors in summer as a result. Most of Bulgaria’s natural and cultural highlights remain blissfully crowd-free, especially in the mountains and rural areas. By exploring lesser-known trails, villages and national parks, you can experience the country’s beauty without contributing to the pressures of mass tourism. Take a look at our blog, Best hikes in Bulgaria for more travel inspo and info. 

As we only have tours in Bulgaria from April to October at the moment, we don’t have any winter sports holidays such as snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. 

Bulgaria is increasingly accommodating to travellers with special dietary needs, especially in larger cities and popular tourist destinations. EU regulations require restaurants to label common allergens on menus, and many supermarkets stock clearly-marked vegan and gluten-free products. While rural areas may offer fewer options, fresh produce is widely available at markets, and traditional vegetable-based dishes can often be adapted to suit different diets. In Sofia and other major cities, you’ll find dedicated vegan cafés, gluten-free bakeries, and restaurants that are happy to adjust meals if asked in advance. For peace of mind, it’s worth carrying a translated dietary card and contacting your accommodation or chosen restaurants ahead of time to ensure your needs are met.

It’s the euro, or €, the same currency that’s used across most countries in the European Union. 

Most adventurers in Bulgaria’s rural areas just want a good three course meal at the end of the day, and some great picnic food for their backpack. A must try trek treat is a banitsa, a cornerstone of Bulgarian cuisine. It’s a traditional pastry found in bakeries, cafes and bus stations across the country for €1.50-2. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant outside the main cities costs between €6-15 per person, while mid-range establishments can charge €25-35 per person. A beer in a bar ranges from €1-3 and a glass of wine averages around €3. It is recommended to have some cash in the rural areas, as payments by card are not always available.

While a service charge is often included in the bill (look for the phrase такса за обслужване or taksa za obsluzhvane), leaving an extra tip of between 5-10% is normal in restaurants. Tips aren’t expected in bars, but having some coins to round up the bill is very much part of the culture. 

Generally it’s considered good although it can still be problematic in some rural areas. Average download speeds are around 83Mbps. For more information on speeds and providers, see here. And, the most useful wifi phrase you can have on your travels in Bulgaria is ‘Каква е паролата за Wi-Fi, моля? or Kakva e parolata za wifi, molya?’’ (what is the wifi password please?).