Plovdiv Lodge
Lodge
Days 1, 2, 6
Rhodope — 7 days (Plovdiv, Bachkovo, Smolyan, Shiroka Laka & Trigrad)
Seven days of gorges, caves and kaba gaida. Seven days with both caves guided, village guesthouses throughout and two nights in Plovdiv.
Cypress & Stone
Runs this trip
Trekking
Seven days of gorges, caves and kaba gaida
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Roman theatreSeven days into the Rhodope — a gorge two metres wide in places, caves with Neolithic floors, and villages that still play bagpipes. Bachkovo monasteryBachkovo is the second-largest monastery in Bulgaria and its ossuary holds eleventh-century frescoes that survived because the building… Smolyan lakesShiroka Lâka has a school of folk music where children learn the kaba gaida — the low-pitched Rhodope bagpipe — and you can usually hear… Trigrad gorgeThe river drops into the Devil's Throat and comes out downstream, and nothing thrown in has ever been recovered — divers have died…
Itinerary
Seven days into the Rhodope — a gorge two metres wide in places, caves with Neolithic floors, and villages that still play bagpipes.
PlovdivHow the day runs
- 2 hrsThe train from Sofia
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationPlovdiv Lodge
Included Activities
- Rail from Sofia
- Old-town guesthouse
LANDMARKS Roman theatre Old Plovdiv Kapana Start point Plovdiv, Plovdiv railway station 00:00 - 23:59Bachkovo is the second-largest monastery in Bulgaria and its ossuary holds eleventh-century frescoes that survived because the building was buried.
Plovdiv, BachkovoHow the day runs
- 3 hrs9:00 AM — the theatre, the old town houses and Nebet Tepe
- 1 hrs2:30 PM — south to the monastery
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationPlovdiv Lodge
Included Activities
- All entries
- Guesthouse in Plovdiv
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.
Plovdiv, Smolyan, Shiroka LakaHow the day runs
- 3 hrs8:30 AM — south into the mountains
- 1 hrs1:00 PM — on to the village
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationShiroka Laka Courtyard
Included Activities
- Transport
- Village guesthouse
LANDMARKS 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.
Shiroka Laka, TrigradHow the day runs
- 2 hrs8:00 AM — west into the gorge
- 4 hrs10:00 AM — the Devil's Throat cave and the gorge path
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationTrigrad Residency
Included Activities
- Cave entry and guide
- Village guesthouse
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.
Trigrad, YagodinaHow the day runs
- 1 hrs8:30 AM — over to the next valley
- 4 hrs10:00 AM — the cave, then the Eagle's Eye platform
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationYagodina Inn
Included Activities
- Cave entry
- Guide
- Village guesthouse
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.
Yagodina, PlovdivHow the day runs
- 4 hrs9:00 AM — north to the plain
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationPlovdiv Lodge
Included Activities
- Transport
- Guesthouse in Plovdiv
Two hours to Sofia, and the airport is a metro ride beyond it.
PlovdivHow the day runs
- 2 hrsThe morning train
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Rail to Sofia
- Day 1Rail from Sofia
- Day 1Old-town guesthouse
- Day 2All entries
- Day 2Guesthouse in Plovdiv
- Day 3Transport
- Day 3Village guesthouse
- Day 4Cave entry and guide
- Day 5Cave entry
- Day 5Guide
- Day 7Rail to Sofia
- Day 1 · 2 nightsPlovdiv Lodge
- Day 3 · 1 nightShiroka Laka Courtyard
- Day 4 · 1 nightTrigrad Residency
- Day 5 · 1 nightYagodina Inn
- Day 6 · 1 nightPlovdiv Lodge
- Day 1Plovdiv to PlovdivThe train from Sofia
- Day 2Plovdiv to Bachkovo2:30 PM — south to the monastery
- Day 3Plovdiv to Smolyan8:30 AM — south into the mountains
- Day 3Smolyan to Shiroka Laka1:00 PM — on to the village
- Day 4Shiroka Laka to Trigrad8:00 AM — west into the gorge
- Day 5Trigrad to Yagodina8:30 AM — over to the next valley
- Day 6Yagodina to Plovdiv9:00 AM — north to the plain
- Day 7Plovdiv to PlovdivThe morning train
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Shiroka Laka Courtyard
Hotel
Day 3
Trigrad Residency
Hotel
Day 4
Yagodina Inn
Hotel
Day 5
What you'll eat
6 breakfasts and 4 dinners across 7 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 7.
- DinnerServed on days 1, 3, 4, 5
- BreakfastServed on days 2–7
10 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.8/5
Based on 17 reviews
Review summary
Food4.5/5
Guide4.6/5
Itinerary4.4/5
Transport4.8/5
Accommodation4.5/5
Tour operator4.4/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
S
Sameer Khan – Kochi2026-04-14 · Verified booking
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.
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5
D
Daniel Okafor – Auckland2026-04-14 · Verified booking
Did this over 7 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. Worth every rupee.
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5
J
James Whelan – Auckland2026-04-14 · Verified booking
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.
Reply from Cypress & Stone
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
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5
A
Arjun Pillai – Delhi2026-04-14 · Verified booking
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.
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5
S
Sneha Kulkarni – Chennai2026-04-14 · Verified booking
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.
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5
K
Karan Shah – Mumbai2025-08-04 · Verified booking
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.
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5
R
Rohit Verma – Ahmedabad2025-08-04 · Verified booking
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.
Reply from Cypress & Stone
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
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5
C
Carla Mendes – Zurich2025-08-04 · Verified booking
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.
Reply from Cypress & Stone
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
Was this helpful?
Questions people ask
One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →