In the morning - meet your local English-speaking host at the centrally located meeting point. A 2-hour minibus transfer through the Bulgarian countryside takes you to the Rhodope mountains, where you climb aboard the narrow gauge train for a scenic ride through the mountains. Meet local Bulgarian people on the train and learn about the history of the area. Get off the train at Avramovo station for a short transfer to Bansko town at the footsteps of Pirin National Park. Your driver will drop you off at the convenient location, close to the Old Town. Explore at your own speed the ancient streets, visit the main church or take the opportunity to taste traditional local food at one of the traditional restaurants called mehana (lunch is optional and not included). In the afternoon, meet again your host and driver for a minibus transfer to the Rila National Park. You will arrive at the UNESCO listed Rila monastery after the crowds have gone, for a truly intimate experience. Explore on your own the ancient monastic complex. Later in the afternoon, get on the minibus for the final transfer back to Sofia city.

Hike to admire Banderishki Lakes and see the highest peak of the mountain, Vihren. Go down to the biggest ski resort in Bulgaria, Bansko, to tuck into a traditional Bulgarian lunch. Take a guided walk in the historical part of the town and learn about the history and architecture of the Revival period. At 8:00 AM, be picked by your guide from your accommodation in Sofia. Enjoy a 2-hour drive on a very beautiful scenic road. See the highest mountain on the Balkans—Rila Mountain—on the way. Then, reach the starting point of your hike, Vihren hut. The hiking takes approximately 3.5 hours in both directions, during which you pass by 3 of the Banderishki Lakes. When back in your vehicle, head towards Bansko Ski resort, just 15 minutes from the parking. Upon coming down from the mountain, relax in Bansko, nestled in a valley. Have a Bulgarian lunch in the heart of the historical part of Bansko. Afterward, join a 30-minute walking tour of the place. Be introduced to the local Revival period architecture. Learn about the beginning of the Revival period in the 18th century. At around 04:30 PM, start your journey back to Sofia. Your guide will drop you off at your hotel.

Journey to the outskirts of Bansko mountain resort, situated at the foot of the UNESCO listed Pirin National Park, where you will partake in a tour of the mountains with a local guide. Visit the St. Nikola archeological complex and the “Nameless Settlement”, dating back to the end of the II century AD, enjoy lunch at a restaurant with own Balkan trout fish farm situated at the shore of a picturesque mountain lake and relax deeply at the end of the tour in the thermal spas fed by hot spring waters in Banya, or Dobrinishte village.