Peaks & Lakes Of The Pirin And Rila Mountains

We meet you at Sofia Airport and transfer you to Bansko at the foot of Mount Pirin (appr. 2,30hrs). (If you are landing in Sofia on the tour starting date, your flight should be landing before 15:00. If you are staying already in Sofia before the tour starts we will pick you up from your accommodation and drive you to the airport to meet the rest of the group.)

Chair cable car to the Bezbog Hut. This is the setting-off point for the hiking trek to the Polezhan Summit (2851m/9354ft) which offers one of the most beautiful panoramas in the Pirin, over 17 stunning glacier lakes, including the largest Popovo Lake (30m/100ft deep). Polezhan is the 5th highest summit in the Pirin. It is surrounded by three Cirques with three groups of lakes - Disilishki in the north, Polezhanski in the south and Strazhishki in the west. We use the classic route trough the northeast ridge, which is not difficult or too steep, except of the last 20-minute stage of the summit. (5hrs of walking; from 6,9km/4,3miles to 7,9km/4,9miles; climbing and descending from 770m/2526ft to 840m/2756ft)

Today, we visit one of the most picturesque parts of the Pirin: the Banderishki Lakes Cirque. Many trekking routes cross this beautiful area. We pass among some of the 16 glacial lakes, revealing one by one as we climb the terraces. The walking trek through the Todorina Porta takes us directly to the Yulen Nature Reserve, from where, by way of the Todorini Ochi  (Todora's Eyes) Lakes, we descend into virgin fir groves to the Demyanitsa Hut. From here, we follow a shady path along the Demyanitsa River. (6-7hrs of walking; from 15,3km/9,5miles to 7,8km/4,85miles; climbing from 612m/2008ft to 470m/1542ft and descending from 1215m/3986ft to 470m/1542ft)