Thrill season• Himalayan passes, snow treks and open water Find your next one

Best months: Sep – Nov
Where?
When?
2

Bulgaria — light

4.3(20 reviews)5 daysStart and end in
2 photos
Old Mule Routes
Runs this trip
5 Days · 4 Nights
Fully planned multi-day journey
Accommodation
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Fully guided
A guide travels with the group for the whole trip.
Trekking
Five days of monasteries, lakes and old capitals
Moderate Intensity
Travelers can expect 4-6 hours of daily trail walking
Group Size 1 - 22
1 guide per 15 ratio
Ages 14+ Welcome
The operator's minimum age for this trip is 14
2,500 m at the highest point

Where this operator goes

5 days · 11 stops

Itinerary

5 days, planned by Old Mule Routes

Pickup point

Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026

Meet atSofiaSofia Airport (SOF), Bulgaria
Reporting time00:00 - 23:59
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What the price covers

Included in the price

You arrange yourself

Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.

Where you'll stay

Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.

Sofia Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 1

Rila Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 2

Plovdiv Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 3

Veliko Tarnovo Camp

Hostel, homestay or tent, shared

Night 4

What you'll eat

4 breakfasts and 3 dinners across 5 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 5.

  • DinnerServed on days 1, 2, 4
  • BreakfastServed on days 2–5

7 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking

One other operator runs this trailThe same trail, at their own price, group size and refund window.Cypress & Stone₹1,17,999See all 2
BEFORE YOU GO · CAUTIONARY DETAILS
Break the boots in before you come
The single most common reason a trek stops being enjoyable. New boots on day one means blisters by day two and a descent on ruined feet by day four. Walk fifty kilometres in them at home first, on hills if you can find any.
Deal with a hot spot immediately
The moment something rubs, stop and tape it. Everyone on the trail will wait two minutes for that and nobody wants to wait an hour later while it is dressed properly.
The group moves at its slowest walker
That is not a courtesy, it is how groups stay together and how nobody ends up alone on a ridge in cloud. If that person is you on a given day, say so early rather than falling quietly behind.
Never leave the group to go ahead
Almost every serious incident on a marked Indian trail starts with somebody moving faster than the guide and taking a turning that looked obvious. Waiting at junctions is the whole discipline.
Treat your water
Streams above the villages look clean and mostly are; below them they are not, and giardia will ruin a week. Filter, boil, or use tablets — and drink more than you feel like.
Weather turns faster than you can descend
An afternoon build-up in the Himalaya arrives in under an hour. That is why days start early and why a guide who wants to turn back at eleven in the morning is not being cautious for the sake of it.
A stream is not the same in the afternoon
Snowmelt peaks with the day's heat, so a crossing that was ankle-deep at eight is thigh-deep at three. Cross early, unclip your waist belt, and face upstream.
Carry original photo ID
Forest and park entry in the Indian Himalaya is permitted through the district administration and checked at the gate against the permit your operator holds. A photocopy is not always accepted.
The medical certificate is not a formality
Several states now require a doctor-signed fitness certificate on higher and glacier-bound routes, and more ask for one over 55 or with a pre-existing condition. Get it early; it is a reason people are turned back at the road head.

Who runs this trip

Operated by
Old Mule RoutesVerified

“Self-guided European walking with route notes and luggage transfer”

Based in Porto Running treks since 2016
Rating
4.3(20 reviews)
Response time
—

About Old Mule Routes

Route notes, GPX and a van that moves your bag. No leader on the hill, which suits some people and not others.

View Operator Profile
Cancellation policy: Full refund up to 14 days before departure

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Customer reviews

Overall rating
4.3/5
Based on 20 reviews
Review summary
Food
4.1/5
Guide
4.2/5
Itinerary
4.3/5
Transport
4.2/5
Accommodation
4.5/5
Tour operator
4.0/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
D
Divya Reddy – Indore2026-06-25 · Verified booking

Rila & Thrace in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Camp was pitched and the kitchen going by the time we walked in each evening. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Worth every rupee.

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4
A
Aditi Rao – Bengaluru2026-06-25 · Verified booking

Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be.

Reply from Old Mule Routes

Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.

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5
A
Aditi Rao – Kolkata2026-06-25 · Verified booking

The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb. The campsites were well chosen — sheltered, and close enough to water. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones. Worth every rupee.

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4
M
Marc Dubois – Melbourne2026-06-25 · Verified booking

Rila & Thrace in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Good value for what's included.

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4
P
Priya Nair – Indore2026-04-08 · Verified booking

Rila & Thrace in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Solid operator.

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4
A
Aditi Rao – Chandigarh2026-04-08 · Verified booking

Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up.

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5
S
Sameer Khan – Lucknow2026-04-08 · Verified booking

Rila & Thrace in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Camp was pitched and the kitchen going by the time we walked in each evening. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it. Would book with them again.

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5
H
Hannah Lindqvist – Stockholm2026-04-08 · Verified booking

The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb. Tents were warmer than expected and the camp was set up before we arrived. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down.

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Questions people ask

Yes — the monastery rents simple cells to visitors, unheated and with a curfew. It is a genuine experience and both operators will arrange it in place of the guesthouse on request.

One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →