Compare Bulgaria: Realm of the Brown Bear by Exodus Travels vs Balkan Mountains Walk by World Expeditions
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 2,175 | $ 5,090 |
| Price Per Day | $ 319 | $ 636 |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Self-guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Basic |
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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. | N/A |
| 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’ |
A delightful walk to discover the traditional villages and timeless countryside of Bulgaria |
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 Arrive Sofia, transfer to hotel
On arrival at Sofia Airport you will be transferred to your guesthouse in the city centre. The remainder of the day is free to explore Bulgaria's capital.
meals : Array
Day 2 Transfer to Saeva Dupka cave, walk via Glozhene Monastery to Goliam Izvor (4-5hrs)
This morning you are transferred to Saeva Dupka (1.5 hours), considered one of the most beautiful caves in Bulgaria. Visit the caves before a further transfer takes you to the village of Glozhene. From here a short trek through beech woods leads you to Glozhene Monastery, with its 1000-year-old icon of St George. From the monastery you will come across a dirt road leading to the pass between Goliam Izvor village and Teteven, and then following the quiet road, you will reach Goliam Izvor. Stay overnight in Goliam Izvor village (450m/1476ft). Uphill: 400m/1312ft; downhill: 350m/1148ft
meals : B,D
Day 3 Pass by plum tree orchards en route to Brusen, visit Etropole Monastery (4hrs)
Today you will start walking directly from your guest house in the village center, pass through plum tree orchards and pine forests. After a gentle ascent to Mt Orlyak you will follow a dirt road to the small village of Brusen. In the afternoon you will be transferred to the Etropole Monastery and a nearby waterfall. Uphill: 600m/1969ft; downhill: 350m/1148ft
meals : B,D
Day 4 Walk through pine forests to the village of Cherni Vit (4hrs)
Today's trek is a wonderful introduction to the region's picturesque landscapes of vast meadows dotted with lots of old apple tree gardens and grazing sheep. The path will take you up hill and then along a ridge, before descending to Cherni Vit village, renowned for its great dancers and traditional singers. Uphill: 450m/1476ft; downhill: 300m/984ft
meals : B,D
Day 5 Transfer then walk through beech forests of Boatin Reserve to Ribaritsa (3-4hrs)
This morning, after a short transfer to Kordela hut, you embark on arguably the most adventurous part of the trip. The track passes through century-old beech forests in the Boatin Reserve (at 825m/2707ft), reaching a high point at 1080m/3543ft after an hour of gentle ascent. From there, the path descends the other side of the hill, reaching a forestry road that leads to the region of Kostina, where the Bulgarian revolutionary and national hero, Georgi Benkovski, was killed by the Ottomans. This is a good spot for lunch. From this point you walk 3km/1.9mi along a peaceful asphalt road amongst gardens, meadows, villas and houses, to the village of Ribaritsa, where you stay overnight (at 545m/1788ft). Uphill: 250m/820ft; downhill: 530m/1739ft
meals : B,D
Day 6 Ridge walk along 'Debeli Dial' above Ribaritsa and return to hotel (5hrs)
Today you walk a circuit route, along the Debeli Dial ridge surrounding Ribaritsa and climb to its peak (1150m/3773ft) for fine views of the Central Balkan Mountains. The path descends along the Osenovia Rat ridge towards the Vasiliov Hut. On the way back to your hotel, you can observe the local way of life and enjoy the atmosphere of a typical Balkan mountain village. Uphill: 400m/1312ft; downhill: 400m/1312ft
meals : B,D
Day 7 Transfer to Teteven, ascend Petrahilya Peak and return to Teteven (4hrs)
Today's walk is on the other side of Teteven, and the river. You'll follow a rocky but easy path through a beautiful forest with unusually shaped trees. Continue to Opasniya Zab ('The Dangerous Fang') Shelter for a panoramic view to Teteven and the surrounding area (1179m/3868ft). Next you'll ascend to Petrahilya Peak, which is the highest mountain in the surrounding area. After you've climbed the peak, you descend to Teteven via a different route, heading to southeast. Overnight in Teteven. Uphill: 810m/2657ft; downhill: 810m/2657ft
meals : B
Day 8 Transfer to Sofia airport, trip concludes
After breakfast, transfer to Sofia airport (1.5 hrs drive) where the trip concludes.
meals : B
