Plovdiv Lodge
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
7 days, planned by Cypress & Stone
Seven days into the Rhodope — a gorge two metres wide in places, caves with Neolithic floors, and villages that still play bagpipes.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Roman theatre |
| Old Plovdiv |
| Kapana |
Bachkovo is the second-largest monastery in Bulgaria and its ossuary holds eleventh-century frescoes that survived because the building was buried.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Roman theatre |
| Bachkovo monastery |
| Ossuary frescoes |
Shiroka Lâka has a school of folk music where children learn the kaba gaida — the low-pitched Rhodope bagpipe — and you can usually hear it from the street.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Smolyan lakes |
| Shiroka Laka |
| Bagpipe school |
The river drops into the Devil's Throat and comes out downstream, and nothing thrown in has ever been recovered — divers have died trying to trace it.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Trigrad gorge |
| Devil's Throat cave |
| Wallcreeper |
Yagodina has around ten kilometres of passage on three levels and a Neolithic occupation floor with hearths still in place.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Yagodina cave |
| Eagle's Eye |
| Buynovo gorge |
A last evening in Kapana, which was a craftsmen's quarter and is now where everyone eats.
Two hours to Sofia, and the airport is a metro ride beyond it.
Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026
Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.
Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
6 breakfasts and 4 dinners across 7 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 7.
10 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
“Walking in Europe with the timed tickets booked at release”
A walking operator whose main skill is administrative: Alhambra slots, Sagrada tickets and hut beds, booked the day they open.
The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb. Every night's lodge was a step up from what I'd braced for.
Did this over 7 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. Worth every rupee.
Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. The teahouses were warm and the beds were fine after eight hours walking. Would send friends their way.
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. The teahouses were warm and the beds were fine after eight hours walking. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Solid operator.
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Food was plentiful and hot, which counts for a lot at altitude. Would book with them again.
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Rooms were basic in the best way — dry, warm, and right where we needed them. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones. Would send friends their way.
Did this over 7 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. The teahouses were warm and the beds were fine after eight hours walking. Plenty to eat and they were happy to work around a gluten allergy. Good value for what's included.
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. The teahouses were warm and the beds were fine after eight hours walking. Food was plentiful and hot, which counts for a lot at altitude. Would send friends their way.
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
No. Both Devil's Throat and Yagodina run guided groups on fixed timings and you cannot walk in. In summer the slots fill, which is why both operators book them rather than turning up.
One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →