Hiking the Seven Rila Lakes in Summer: Complete Guide and Tips

Hiking the Seven Rila Lakes in Summer is one of the most unforgettable experiences you can have in Bulgaria. Located in the Rila Mountains, this scenic trail takes you past seven glacial lakes surrounded by alpine meadows . The route is moderately challenging but accessible to most visitors, and with a chairlift connecting the base to the starting point, it’s an ideal day hike for nature lovers, photographers, and anyone wanting to see Bulgaria’s most iconic landscape.

Getting there

You can reach the charlift station coming by car. There’s an extensive parking lot next to the charlift.

Starting point: Take the chairlift from the lift bottom station, which will bring you to the top station where you can start the hike. The ride takes approximately 20 min. The price was 30 leva for a return trip in 2025 and the working hours can be checked on their website, and were Mondays 12:30-17:30 PM, and Tuesday to Sunday, 8:30-17:30 when I went. The lift is cash only.

Finishing point: You will finish in the same chairlift, which will bring you to the bottom station.

Distance: 8.2 km

Total time: approx. 3 h for the hike, and you need to include the gondola time (approx 20-30 min/ride).

Elevation gain: 537 m

Fitness difficulty: Medium

Technical difficulty: Easy

Facilities: There is a hut right next to the gondola end, which includes bathrooms, a restaurant, a small store, and rooms.

Notes:

• It can be really cold. I went in July and the temperature on the top chairlift was probably around 10ºC. Bring warm clothes even in summer. They sell some fleece jackets in the hut, but better be prepared.
• There’s plenty of souvenir stores next to the chairlift. They are not selling clothes, but more traditional souvenirs.
• Swimming in the lakes is not allowed.
• As per 2025, people were allowed to bring in their drones to capture the beauty of the lakes. The rules change very fast, so check it out before bringing yours.

The hike itself

Before you go up, you’ll see the map of the hike ahead of you. There are a few of these maps and other information panels next to the lakes, so you can orient yourself. Like many others, I started the loop going to the right hand side, but you can also start by doing the trail behind the hut.

Dolnoto and Ribnoto lake views & Babreka lake

The first stretch of the hike is going uphill. Once you reach the plateuau, you get rewarded with the views of first the Dolnoto lake and if you continue a bit further, the Ribnoto lake.

There is a well marked path that continues further towards the Babreka (or Kidney) lake. There’s also a smaller path which will lead you to the same location. Once you reach Babreka, you have two choices. You can complete the circular hike and skip the upper lakes, or you can take the trail straight and climb up a bit more to enjoy all of them.

Towards the upper lakes

If you continue straight, you’ll get some beautiful views of the lower lakes, and will also have to cross a small river. There is a bridge to do so, although when I was there it was broken and people would just cross the river.

Now the hardest part of the hike starts, and you’ll basically climb up all the way to the top. While most of the way is a path, there are some areas that are a bit rocky, so good footwear is recommended. On your way to the top, you can approach the two upper lakes, and have a great panoramic view of all the lakes.

Way back to the chairlift

Coming back down you still have a nice view of the lakes. On your way back, you’ll pass by each of the last four (Blisnaka, Trilistnika, Ribnoto and Dolnoto). The remaining way is mostly flat and easy to follow, although I got a bit out of the way in a rocky area and had to climb back up to get back on track. Next to Ribnoto there is another hut where you can grab something to eat.

In any case, if you didn’t get to see them all, they have a nice photo at the end of the hike so you don’t feel bad about it.

Highlights of the hike

The lakes are really beautiful, so I would absolutely recommend doing this hike if you have enough time in Bulgaria.

Can I combine it with a trip to the Rila Monastery?

I’ve read a lot of opinions on whether you could or should combine the Seven Rila Lakes hike with the Rila Monastery visit. I’m going to present you with a list of factors to consider so that you can decide by yourself whether this is something you’d like to do.

When yes:

• You have your own car. This gives you all the flexibility in the world to decide when to start the hike or until when you can stay.
• You booked the tour from Sofia. No need to think about it, then.
• You’re used to driving. I’ve done road trips in the US, few hours of driving don’t scare me anymore. That being said, if you’re not comfortable driving many hours, this may not be optimal for you, as you’ll also be tired from the hike.
• Your accomodation is next to to the lakes or to the monastery. The further you stay, the longer is the roundtrip. Book yourself a night nearby Rila the night before the hike and you’ll feel fresh to start the trail as one of the first ones. You can also stay next to the monastery if you don’t feel like driving all the way to Sofia after a long day.
• You want to see many things in a short time. Some people like relaxing holidays, some people want to make the most of theirs. If you’re the second type, doing both is absolutely possible.

When to consider choosing only one of the two:

• You don’t like driving or waking up early. It’ll be a long day if you choose to do both. If you prefer taking it easy, there’s thermal baths in Sapareva Banya, which will be agreat addition to your vacation if you choose to relax.
• You’re not used to hiking or have people who are not used to it with you, such as kids or elderly folks. It’s only a moderately challenging hike, but if it’s the first one you’re doing in the last years, you’ll feel it – there’s a good portion of it that is climbing up, and it gets rocky at some points. Enjoy the views, have a great picnic, and take your time to see all there is to see without worrying about whether you’ll make it to the monastery.

Personally, I took a hotel in Sapareva Banya to reach the trailhead early, and consider that it’s a good idea. I was at the hiking spot from 8:00 to 13:00, which leaves the whole afternoon to do other activities. Being a bit concerned about the excessive driving and how far everyone claimed that things were, I chose to stay nearby the Rila Monastery for the night. Looking back, I think it wouldn’t have been an issue to drive to Sofia, which was my next destination, or to choose some intermediate point to visit.