Rila Monastery Bike Tour from Sofia

Orlin and the Bike company did a great job on this tour. He picked us up at our hotel at 8:30 a.m. and then we drove about an hour or so to a spot at the base of the Rila Mountains. He had nice mountain bikes and helmets and we were on our way. The first part was rolling and often flat as we made our way to the small town of Rila. We biked through town and then it was mostly uphill from there. But, Orlin gave all of us the option of riding in the van if the biking got too tough. We biked up to Rila Monastery, which is fantastic. Then Orlin drove us a short way down and we had lunch at a nice Bulgarian trout restaurant. Then we got on our bikes and it was all downhill from there! An added bonus was we stopped at a winery for a wine tasting. This wasn't on the official itinerary but Orlin was flexible and included it. If you enjoy biking and incredible views, you can't go wrong with this tour and this company.

We really enjoyed the bike trip. We had a group of 4 people. The driver picks you up in the morning then you drive about 1 hr to the drop off location. Bring water and sunblock. The driver/guide was excellent and friendly. He always was watching out for us and making sure we were safe. He does not ride with you as he was driving the van to show us were to go and be ready if we needed anything or decided to stop. He let us bike as long as we wanted. We decided to bike all the way to the Rila Monastery which was more than the trip advertised. At the normal stopping point, it would be about a 1:15-1:30 bike ride with easy rolling biking, then you would load the bikes in the van and drive to the monastery. Then you bike down the mountain which is awesome and about 20 km of downhill. For the normal route only basic to medium fitness is required. To bike all the way to the top requires medium fitness because as you get closer to the top the steeper it gets. Also its a long gradual climb which after 3 hrs is tiring. One team member decide to stop with about 10 km left to the top. The driver was always there for us if we ever wanted to get in the van. This really is one of the best parts of the trip because each biker can bike the distance they want to. The bikes were in good condition and we had no bike maintenance issues. We loved being able to drink the mountain water. The bike all the way up to the top took about 3-330 hr with stops. We ate at the monastery and they had very good food selection. The ride down was a lot of fun and was a great reward after biking all the way up. The 1st 45 minutes are really fun because there is no car traffic and is very scenic. The 2nd part as you climb up to the monastery is very beautiful but has traffic on the road. The car traffic was friendly and made an effort to give us space but its good to know ahead of time so your mentally ready for it.