Day 1 Our flight takes us to Sofia, from where we travel eastwards to the Western Rhodopes, stopping along the way for our first taster of the Bulgarian countryside.

Days 2-3 We will spend two days exploring the Western Rhodopes, with its meadows and woodlands. More than 2,000 species of plants have been recorded here, of which more than 90 are endemic to the Balkans, including Viola rhodopaea and Geum rhodopaeum and a bewildering variety of saxifrages and campanulas, dianthuses and astragaluses. Chief amongst the area’s attractions is the fantastic Trigrad Gorge – in places the two sides of the gorge are just 100 metres apart. For the birders amongst us, Trigrad Gorge is famous as the home to nesting Wallcreeper, and we will pay particular attention to finding this amazing bird as it feeds across the rock faces. The same habitat is home to the equally impressive Haberlea rhodopensis, a locally-endemic relative of ramonda and the more familiar African violets, which grows on the damp, shaded cliffs, alongside Saxifraga sempervivum and Trachelium rumelianum.

Higher up, we will explore the flower-rich meadows, home to orchids including Bug Orchid Anacamptis coriophora, Heart-flowered Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza cordigera and Burnt-tip Orchid Orchis ustulata. We also hope to find Sideritis scardica, more familiar as the key ingredient in ‘mountain tea’ throughout the Balkans.

Lower down we will spend some time in the pine forests, where we hope to find Crested Tit, Black Woodpecker, Honey Buzzard and Firecrest. Black Redstart nest in the villages, Dipper will be bobbing on the streams while Corncrake will be singing their strange rasping song from the meadows nearby.

Days 4–6 Today we bid farewell to Trigrad and drive west towards the high mountains. We will spend our time here exploring the two massifs of Pirin and Rila, the latter the highest mountain in the Balkans. Amongst wooded areas we will hope to encounter noisy groups of Nutcracker, whilst in open grasslands Souslik keep watch outside their burrow networks.

This is a beautiful landscape of high peaks (over 2,500m), alpine meadows dotted with glacial lakes, spectacular rocky gorges, precipitous cliffs and dense forests. Some of the Macedonian pines here are estimated to be more than 1,000 years old. The summer flowers should include many local specialities – amongst them bright red Red Avens Geum coccineum, dark pink Rila Primrose Primula deorum, stunning yellow Lilium jankae and the creamy Bulgarian Columbine Aquilegia aurea. In the sub-alpine meadows we can hope to find a wonderful array of alpines including Balkan Butterwort Pinguicula balcanica, Pyrenean Gentian Gentiana pyrenaica, the endemic Bulgarian Sheep’s-bit Jasione bulgarica and some of the more diminutive orchids including Small White Orchid Pseudorchis albida and Frivald’s Gymnadenia Gymandenia frivaldii.

The butterfly fauna here features the Apollo, Clouded Apollo, Mountain Small White, Balkan Copper, Higgin’s Anomalous Blue, Phalakron Blue, Amanda’s Blue, Cynthia’s and Balkan Fritillary, Bulgarian Ringlet and many others. The birds of the mountains include Alpine Chough, Nutcracker, Hazel Grouse and various woodpeckers. Red Squirrels hide amongst the trees, while Balkan Chamois may be picked up as they graze on the mountain slopes.

Day 7 We will visit the Rila monastery, the largest monastery in Bulgaria founded by St Ivan in the 10th century and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. We will also visit more mountain meadows.

Day 8 Today we head back to Sofia airport and our flights home.

Please note that the itinerary may be changed to suit the weather or other practicalities at the discretion of the leaders.

We will be staying at three hotels during the holiday – Devin for three nights, Bansko for three nights and Rila for one night. Exact hotels used will depend on the final group size. All rooms have en-suite facilities with bath and/or shower. 

Meals provided during the stay will have an emphasis on local cuisine. Lunches will be a mixture of picnics and café/restaurants. Requests for special diets can be accommodated.

Transport will be by small bus or smaller ‘people carrier’-type vehicles if necessary.

Group flights

Group flights are with Easyjet from London Gatwick to Sofia.

24th June depart London Gatwick 07.20, arrive Sofia 12.25
1st July depart Sofia 13.20, arrive London Gatwick 14.45

Overland travel

You can reach Bulgaria by train from the UK. From London you can reach Sofia in two nights, with sleeper trains available. Contact us to find out more, and to make your holiday flight-free.

Time zone

Bulgaria is two hours ahead of UK time.

Entry requirements

If you hold a British passport, you can travel to Bulgaria for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Your passport must be issued less than ten years before the date you enter the country and valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave.

Starting in mid-2025 British passport holders will need to apply for the ETIAS European Travel Authorisation to visit Schengen countries. This must be applied for online prior to travel, at a cost of €7 (free for over 70s). Once granted, your ETIAS will be valid for three years. Although Bulgaria is not an official Schengen country, ETIAS will still be applied to its immigration policy. The Bulgaria ETIAS will become a requirement, even if the nation is still not a member when the travel authorisation is introduced.

The weather should be warm, although cooler in the mountains. We hope for dry weather, but rain, wind or cold weather and even snow are always a possibility at this time of year.

On most days, we are out and about for much of the day, albeit walking a relatively slow pace and making several stops each day. We will spending our time out in the mountains, where it is necessary to walk on rougher ground and up some slopes, although none of the walking is strenuous. Walking boots are essential. The highest altitude we go to is about 2,200-2,400 metres, but our accommodation is only at 1,100m. There are likely to be steps at our hotels, with no lift, as well as up/down into the vehicle.