Compare Bulgaria: Realm of the Brown Bear by Exodus Travels vs Conquer the highest peak between the Alps and the Caucasus by Hiking the Balkans
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
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5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 2,550 | $ 1,115 |
| Price Per Day | $ 319 | $ 139 |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
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| Flights & Transport | No | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | Hotel Yagodina is renowned for its delicious traditional local cuisine, offering generous servings of hearty, healthy food, much of it made from home-produced or locally sourced products. Typical meals in the mountains will comprise of: Breakfast: Tea, coffee and milk, with bread, jam, honey and cheese, supplemented in Yagodina by fresh home-made yoghurt and traditional local specialities such as katmi (thick pancakes) and rodopski klin (a rice-based dish). Lunch: Picnic lunches in the mountains typically include bread, cheese, salami, salad, a chocolate bar and fruit. Many guests also like to bring an extra portion of the local speciality served at breakfast. Dinner: Will be in the hotel restaurant, and will normally include three courses comprising either a salad or vegetarian soup, followed by a main course, and a dessert of fruit, ice cream, or cake/pudding. The cuisine reflects a mixture of Bulgarian, Greek, Turkish and Slavonic influences. We sample many traditional local specialities including smilyanski fasul (a delicious bean soup) and patatnik (made with grated potatoes, onions and cheese, then seasoned with mint and other herbs). Jugs of tap water will be provided on the table with the evening meal. Bottled mineral water, soft drinks and alcohol are not included but can be purchased. There are several Bulgarian wines you may wish to try, including an excellent red Mavrud from vineyards on the northern slopes of the Rodopi Mountains. Vegetarians and vegans: Bulgaria produces excellent fresh vegetables and fruit, so vegetarians are usually well catered for, although in the mountains the variety may by limited to what is seasonally available. Eggs and dairy produce, especially cheese, form the staple part of the diet in the Rodopi region, and are included in most traditional meals, so vegans may find their daily menu more restricted and less varied. Likewise special gluten-free products are not available, so clients with a wheat/gluten intolerance should, if needed, bring something to replace the local bread and pastries that make up the breakfasts and picnic lunches. |
Breakfast and lunch packs only |
| Description |
Join European brown bear expert Julian Perry for a wildlife-watching adventure in the mystical mountains of Bulgaria. We’ll go on daily hikes, recording tracks, scats and other signs of bear activity as part of vital conservation work by local NGO, Wild Rodopi. On two evenings, we visit a bear-watching hide for a good chance to see the animals we have been monitoring. We will also be collecting images from several camera traps set up in the forests. By the end of this trip, we hope you will have seen wild brown bears and gained an understanding and appreciation of these mysterious, often misunderstood, animals.Scour the remote Rodopi Mountains for wild ‘ursus arctos’ |
How about climbing the highest peak between the Alps and the Caucasus? We are going to climb Musala, which at 2925 meters (9596 feet) is the highest peak in the Balkans. Late summer is the perfect time to do it, as the snow has melted and the mountain is most accessible and welcoming, so if this is your idea of a well-spent holiday in mid-September, then join the event now. |
Day 1 Start Sofia Airport; transfer to the village of Yagodina in the remote Rodopi Mountains
Setting off from Sofia Airport, we begin an interesting four-hour transfer to the Rodopi Mountains. Our destination is the remote mountain village of Yagodina, our home for the next six nights. During dinner, our leader will give a welcome briefing about the week ahead and the work of Wild Rodopi, whose brown bear research and conservation project you will be assisting. Accommodation: Hotel Yagodina (or similar)
Day 2 Introductory bear tracking walk in the forests above Yagodina; evening visit to bear hide
After breakfast, we set off on our first bear tracking walk, which will lead us into the surrounding forests searching for, recording and interpreting evidence of Brown bear activity such as scats, prints and various feeding signs. During the walk, there will be an introduction to safe bear/human interaction and behaviour. In the evening, half the group will have their first visit to the bear hide. Visiting the hide usually necessitates having an early dinner so that we can be in position before darkness falls. Bears are attracted to the hide by the presence of corn but are not dependent on this for their diet. Depending on the amount of activity in the clearing we may stay until around 11 pm, or with permission of the group earlier or later. Accommodation: Hotel Yagodina (or similar)
Day 3 Bear tracking in the border zone; evening visit bear hide
After breakfast, we drive to a neighbouring village, where we set off on foot through the border zone. Access to this region was once tightly restricted, and the border itself closed off with a barb-wire fence that was impenetrable to wildlife. With the fencing now removed, this border area is now freely roamed by wolves and bears, allowing Greek and Bulgarian populations of these species to intermix, thereby enhancing gene flow and their long-term health and viability. After returning to the hotel, and dinner, the second half of the group will have its first visit to the bear hide. Accommodation: Hotel Yagodina (or similar)
Day 4 Exploring where carnivores roam; evening visit bear hide
Today we make an exciting exploration of a core region for brown bear and grey wolf. Red fox, European badger, pine marten, stone marten and European wildcat are also common here, and recently, during his research, the tour leader Julian has also discovered the presence of golden jackal. Following on the trail of these animals through hauntingly beautiful and remote landscapes, we cross streams, butterfly-filled meadows and peaceful forests, before finally plunging down into the depths of a gorge. This evening, after dinner, the first half of the group will have their second visit to the bear hide. Accommodation: Hotel Yagodina (or similar)
Day 5 Panoramic walk in rugged and rocky karst terrain, home to Balkan chamois
Setting off on foot from our hotel, we make a steep, steady climb up the stony flank of the mountain ridge above the village. Here in spring and early summer, there are several interesting species of orchid to be found, as well as numerous butterflies. On reaching the ridgeback, we follow an eroded track to a wonderful cliff-top viewpoint. The rocks here are home to several typical cliff-dwelling species of bird including the beautiful wallcreeper, peregrine falcon, rock thrush, crag martin and alpine swift. At certain times of year, it is also possible to spot other raptors gliding over, such as golden eagle, short-toed eagle, booted eagle, long-legged buzzard, Eurasian hobby and common kestrel. The wonderful views remain with us throughout the day as we continue our walk, zig-zagging steeply down into the depths of the Buynovsko Gorge on a rough and stony path that leads through a favoured feeding region for both brown bear and Balkan chamois. This evening, the second half of the group will have their second visit to the bear hide. Accommodation: Hotel Yagodina (or similar)
Day 6 Circular bear tracking walk through remote carnivore habitat
After breakfast we set off from the hotel on foot, beginning a long and strenuous, but highly rewarding bear tracking adventure. Having left the village pastures behind, we begin a long steep climb that sees us enter a forested region that is regularly patrolled by brown bears and grey wolf. Especially exciting is the fact that Balkan lynx, a species considered extinct in Bulgaria for almost a century, has very recently been recorded here again! The forests here also harbour many secretive birds such as hazel grouse, black woodpecker and crested tit. The midpoint of our trail leads us out onto a spectacular rocky crest, from where there are stunning views towards Greece, across waves of forested ridges that make a perfect trans-border corridor by which the large carnivore populations of Bulgaria and Greece can intermix. Having traversed the crest, our descent then leads us steeply down through more silent forest, and finally back out into the meadows and cultivations above Yagodina. Accommodation: Hotel Yagodina (or similar)
Day 7 Forest and riverside walks in search of orchids, butterflies, reptiles and amphibians; transfer to Sofia
Leaving Yagodina on foot, we start the day with a short walk along a beautiful forest path, which in spring and early summer sprouts an exceptional variety of orchids. An ancient Thracian packhorse route, this path is often used by bears feeding in the surrounding forests on beech mast and ants. After meeting our bus, a 45-minute drive brings us to the beautiful valley of the Devinska Reka, where we spend a couple of hours walking a delightful riverside trail. As well as being home to Eurasian otters and a variety of riverine birds, such as dipper and grey wagtails, the valley also forms the heart of a specially designated Prime Butterfly Area and provides the perfect habitat for many rare and beautiful butterfly species. Having enjoyed a picnic lunch beside the river, we then complete the transfer (3hr 30min) back to Sofia. Accommodation: Boutique Hotel Crystal Palace (or similar)
Day 8 End Sofia
This trip draws to a close after breakfast. If you want to spend a bit more time in the city after our wild adventures, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.
Day 1
We will meet in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, at midday. Following lunch, we will take a tour of the city centre. We will visit the Alexandar Nevski cathedral, one of the most recognizable Sofia landmarks, and we will then head straight for the mountains. We will arrive at the resort of Panichishte, where, time permitting, we can visit the gorgeous 70m (230ft) Skakavitsa Waterfall before supper.
Day 2
We will go by cable car to the foot of the Seven Rila Lakes Cirque and will then trek past the lakes (each named after their most characteristic feature, e.g. the Kidney Lake, the Twin Lake and the Trefoil Lake).
Passing the Malyovitsa Summit 2729m (8953ft), we descend into the valley of the same name and settle into a family hotel at the village of Govedartsi. 6-7hrs of walking, climbing 800m (2625ft) and descending 1000m (3281ft).
Day 3
Today we climb the Balkans’ highest summit: Musala, a unique experience as we ascend up stone rivers and past glacier lakes and alpine huts. We plan to stay in the Everest mountain hut for the evening at 2725m (8940ft), following our descent from Musala. Expect to do at least 7-8 hours of effective walking during this day.
Day 4
After descending to Borovetz, we will be transferred to Bansko at the foot of the Pirin Mountains, where we will have a well-deserved break from hiking before exploring the mountains the next day. In the afternoon we can take a cable car to view the terrain for our hikes over the next two days.
Day 5
In the morning we visit one of the most picturesque parts of the Pirin: the Banderishki Lakes Cirque. We pass some of the 16 glacial lakes, which reveal themselves one by one as we climb the terraces. We will walk through the Todorina Porta (Todora’s Gate), which takes us directly to the Yulen Nature Reserve, from where, by way of the Todorini Ochi (Todora’s Eyes) Lakes, we descend through virgin fir groves to the Demyanitsa Hut. From here, we will follow the Demyanitsa River downstream. Expect 6-8hrs of effective walking, climbing 800m (2625ft) and descending 900m (2953ft).
Day 6
We’ll start early as we attempt to climb Vihren: Bulgaria’s second-highest and the Pirin’s highest summit. Breathtaking views offer themselves to us as we climb through the Golem Kazan (Giant Cauldron) area, bounded by the 400m-tall (1312ft) northern face of Vihren. Today you will explore the Karst zones of Pirin, which are home to the endangered Edelweiss, the elusive Wallcreeper and the shy Balkan Chamois (wild goats). 6-7hrs of walking, climbing and descending 1000m.
In the evening we will have a well-deserved dinner and share the stories of our adventure. After dinner we have an hour-and-a-half transfer to Sandanski, a town with thermal spas. We will stay in a hotel with its own thermal spa pools, where we can recuperate from the previous day’s strenuous hiking.
Day 7
Today is a leisure and rest day, and we are staying in a hotel with thermal spa facilities. We will have a full day to enjoy the waters, whose temperature ranges from 42°C to 81°C. Optional short hikes are possible, as the town of Sandanski is located near beautiful forests. Bulgarian cuisine is an inventive mix of Mediterranean, Slavic and Oriental influences.
Day 8
In the morning we will head towards Melnik, a town which has preserved its 19th century architecture and is located in the middle of a wine region. There are natural pyramid-like formations with hiking trails, which we could visit. Alternatively, we could have a wine-tasting stop before heading to Thessaloniki in Greece to catch the 10:40pm flight to London. You can also choose to extend your stay for 9 more days and join the trip to Mount Olympus and Lake Ohrid, which starts on 22 September.
