Day 1 : Start of tour. Arrived in Sofia. Travelled by coach to Hotel Divite Petli, Gulechitsa, Govedartsi.
Day 2 : Travelled by coach to the north west of hotel into hills north of the Cherni Iskar River. Walked east through forest and alpine meadows to Govedartsi. Visited church. Took coach back to hotel.
Day 3 : Took coach south from hotel to Visitor Centre at entrance to Rila National Park.Walked south along Malovitsa valley to Second Terrace. Returned by same route to coach. Took coach to Samokov. Visited nunnery of Sveta Bogoroditsa. Took coach back to hotel.
Day 4 : Took coach to Borovets. Took cable car to Yastrovets Hut. Walked south to Musala Hut. Returned by same route to Borovets. Took coach back to hotel.
Day 5 : Transfer day. Took coach to about 3 kms east past Rila Monastery. Walked west through forest to John of Rila's church and grotto. Continued to walk west to Hermitage of St Luke. Continued past hermitage to road. Took coach to Bor Campsite for al fresco lunch. Walked alongside Rila river to Rila Monastery. Took coach to Bansko, to Hotel Olymp.
Day 6 : Took coach into Rila Mountains to junction of forest roads just west of Semkova. Walked south west through Rila Forest to forest road north of Dobarsko. Took coach to Dobarsko to visit church of Saints Theodor Tiron and Theodor Stratilates. Took coach back to hotel. Walked into Bansko for our evening meal in Bardarev House with a Bulgarian family.
Day 7 : Took coach to Rozhen Monastery. Had lunch in nearby mexana. Took coach into Melnik. Visited winery at Kordopoulos House. Visited Melnik. Took coach back to hotel.
Day 8 : Walked into Bansko for sight-seeing. Visited Church of The Holy Trinity. Visited Ethnological Museum and local shops. Walked back to hotel for lunch. Took coach south of Bansko to Banderista Glade. Walked back to hotel via forest trail and farm tracks, visiting Bulgaria's oldest tree, a macedonian pine. Had evening meal at mexana Molerova Kushta.
Day 9 : Took coach up the Banderitsa valley to the Vihren Hut. Climbed Mt Vihren(2914m) and had lunch. Descended by same route and walked back to Banderitsa Glade. Took coach back to hotel. Had evening meal at Mexana Baryakova.
Day 10 : Took coach to Dobrinishte then went south along a mountain road to the chair lift station at Gotse Delchev. Took chair lift to Bezbog Hut. Walked south to Popovo lake where we had lunch before returning by same route to Bezbog Hut. Took chair lift back to Gotse Delchev. Took coach back to hotel.
Day 11 : Transfer day. Walked into Bansko. Visited House of Neofit Rilski, a 18th century scholar. Visited the Icon Museum. Did some shopping before walking back to hotel. Took coach to Blagoevgrad where we had lunch at Planeta Italiana. Visited the Church of the Virgin. Took coach to Hotel Club Vladaya on the south eastern outskirts of Sofia.
Day 12 : Walked from hotel on a roughly circular walk in the woods and fields NE of the hotel, visiting the church of Saints Cyril and Methodius en-route. Had lunch on the terrace back at the hotel. Took coach to village of Vladaya and then walked up the Vladaya valley to the River of Stones. Returned by same route. Took coach back to hotel.
Day 13 : Took coach to the Bor Hut on the north slopes of Vitosha Mountain. Walked SE to the summit of Kamen Del. Walked south into the National Peat Reserve and then east through the chimneys (kominite) to Bay Christo cafe. Descended north on rough track following route of chair lift and then walked along a paved track to Vitosha Park Visitor Centre. Took coach to Boyana Church and then back to hotel.
Day 14 : Took coach to Alexander Nevski Square in Sofia. Went on short orientation tour of central Sofia and then spent the rest of the day exploring Sofia. Took coach back to hotel. Evening meal was accompanied by live entertainment from a traditional Bulgarian folk dance troupe
Day 15 : Departure day. Took coach to National History Museum in Sofia. Took coach to airport for departure to London and end of tour.
Last revised: January 22, 2004.
