Sofia to saddle in under an hour / Closer than you think. Wilder than you'd guess
Day tours from Sofia - unlimited adventures
Some cities have day trips. Sofia has trails, summits, and horses waiting an hour from your hotel.
- Licensed tour operator
- Certified guides with years of experience.
37+ yearsin travel industry
Licensedtour operator
Unlimiteddaily adventures
Sofia is the startthe mountains are the day
Tours
The best way to see Bulgaria isn't from a bus window - it's from the saddle of a mountain horse.
Why to choose us?
S
Small groups, real attention
We cap every tour at a handful of guests, so the day moves at a human pace, not a bus pace. You get time to stop where the view is worth it, ask your guide the questions you actually have, and ride or walk without waiting in line behind thirty strangers.
L
Local guides who know the trails
Our guides are born-and-raised Bulgarians who grew up in these mountains - they speak fluent English, but more importantly, they know which ridge catches the best afternoon light, which monastery courtyard is worth lingering in, and which shepherd's path is older than the road that replaced it.
H
Hotel pickup in Sofia, hassle-free
We collect you from your hotel in the morning and bring you back the same evening. No rental cars, no figuring out rural bus schedules, no GPS dead zones - just a comfortable transfer there and back, with the day in between left to the mountains.
R
Real horses, real mountains, real Bulgaria
This isn't a pony ride around a paddock or a coach tour stopping for ten-minute photos. Mountain-trained horses on genuine Balkan trails, ancient monasteries built into cliffs, glacial lakes above the tree line - the Bulgaria most visitors fly over without ever seeing.
We run day tours from Sofia for travelers who want more than a city break - people who land in the Bulgarian capital and quickly realize that the real country starts where the tram lines end. Sofia is a fine city, but it sits at the foot of some of the most underrated mountains in Europe, and a single day is enough to get into them, breathe their air, and come back with a story worth telling.
Our focus is one-day horseriding tours through the Teteven Mountains, a wild stretch of the Balkan range about two hours northeast of Sofia. We chose horseriding as our main offering for a reason: it's the way these mountains were crossed for centuries before roads existed, and it's still the best way to reach the ridges, meadows, and cliff-hanging monasteries that buses can't get near. Our horses are mountain-trained, calm, and sure-footed - suitable for complete beginners as well as experienced riders. Every ride is led by a local guide who knows the trails the way most people know their neighborhood streets.
Alongside the horseriding, we offer two other day tours from Sofia for travelers who'd rather explore on foot or through history. The first is a one-day trek to the Seven Rila Lakes, a chain of glacial lakes scattered across the high alpine terrain of the Rila Mountains - one of the most photographed landscapes in the Balkans, and even more striking in person. The second is a cultural tour to Rila Monastery, the UNESCO-listed spiritual heart of Bulgaria, hidden deep in a mountain valley and covered in some of the country's most vivid frescoes. Three different days, three different ways to leave the city behind.
What ties everything together is the way we run our trips. We keep groups small, so the day moves at the pace of the people in it rather than a tour-bus schedule. We pick guests up directly from their Sofia hotel and bring them back the same evening, which means no rental cars, no rural bus timetables, and no missed connections. Our guides are Bulgarian, English-speaking, and genuinely from these regions - they ride, hike, and pray on these trails year-round, and the day they spend with you is built around what they actually love about them.
We started this company because we believe the best day trips from Sofia aren't the ones that tick a checklist of sights. They're the ones where you spend real time in a real place - in the saddle of a mountain horse, on a ridge above a glacial lake, or under the painted arches of a thousand-year-old monastery. If that's the kind of day you're looking for in Bulgaria, we'd be glad to plan it with you.
Reviews
Every tour ends differently, but the stories travelers bring back have a lot in common - here are a few of them.
★★★★★
We had three days in Sofia and almost skipped a day tour - glad we didn't. The horseriding day in Teteven was the highlight of our whole Bulgaria trip. I hadn't been on a horse in fifteen years and our guide spent the first half hour making sure I felt comfortable before we headed up. The trails were genuinely wild, the views were ridiculous, and the stop at Glozhene Monastery felt like something out of a film. Lunch in a small village on the way back was a lovely surprise too.
★★★★★
The Seven Rila Lakes hike was tougher than I expected but completely doable, and our guide Stoyan paced the group really well. He knew every lake by name, the history of the area, and pointed out plants and birds I'd never have noticed on my own. Pickup from our hotel was on time, the drive was comfortable, and we were back in Sofia by early evening with enough energy for dinner. Genuinely one of the best day trips I've done in Europe.
★★★★★
I'd seen photos of Rila Monastery for years and finally got to visit on this tour. What made the difference was having a guide who actually knew the history - the frescoes, the role of the monastery in Bulgarian culture, the story of St. Ivan. Without that context it would have just been a beautiful building; with it, the whole day made sense. Small group, easy logistics, and we had time to wander on our own too. Knocked off one star only because lunch felt a bit rushed.
★★★★★
Booked the horseriding tour for my wife's birthday and the experience started before we even arrived in Bulgaria - quick replies to every email, clear information about what to bring, no hidden costs. On the day itself, the team was punctual, the horses were calm and well cared for, and the whole thing felt personal rather than packaged. We'll be back for the Rila Lakes hike next time we're in Sofia.
Frequently Asked Questions
A few things travelers tend to ask us before they saddle up, lace their boots, or step into a monastery courtyard.
Do I need previous horseriding experience to join the Teteven ride tour?
No - our horseriding tour is suitable for complete beginners as well as experienced riders. Our horses are mountain-trained, calm, and used to guests of all levels, and your guide will spend time at the start of the day making sure you're comfortable in the saddle before heading onto the trails. If you've never ridden before, you'll be fine; if you ride regularly, there's plenty of terrain to enjoy at a faster pace. Children and guests with specific health concerns should contact us in advance so we can advise.
How do I get from Sofia to the tour, and how long is the day?
We pick you up directly from your hotel in Sofia in the morning and bring you back the same evening - no rental cars or rural buses required. Door-to-door, expect a full day: roughly 8-9 hours total, with ~4-5 hours in the saddle / on the trail / at the site and the rest split between the drive and breaks. Exact pickup times depend on the tour and the season, and we'll confirm everything by email once you book.
What's included in the price, and what should I bring?
Each tour price includes round-trip transport from Sofia, your English-speaking guide, all necessary equipment (helmets and saddles for the horseriding tour, for example), entry fees where applicable. You'll want to bring comfortable layered clothing, sturdy closed shoes (long trousers for the horseriding tour), sunscreen, water, and a small daypack. We'll send a full packing list with your booking confirmation.
What happens if the weather is bad?
The Bulgarian mountains have their own weather, and we keep a close eye on it. Light rain or cloud cover usually isn't a problem - the trails handle it and so do we. If conditions are genuinely unsafe (heavy storms, ice on the trails, etc.), we'll contact you the day before to either reschedule the tour to another date during your stay or offer a full refund. Your safety is the only thing we won't compromise on.
How big are the groups?
We keep groups small on purpose - usually no more than 7-8 guests per tour. This lets us match the pace to the people in the group, give everyone real attention from the guide, and keep the day from feeling like a coach trip. Private tours are also available for couples, families, or small groups who'd prefer to have the day to themselves; contact us for pricing.
Can I book more than one tour during my stay in Sofia?
Absolutely - quite a few of our guests do exactly that, especially travelers spending three or more days in Bulgaria. A common combination is the horseriding tour one day and the Seven Rila Lakes trek another, or a cultural day at Rila Monastery to balance out the more active trips. If you let us know which tours you're interested in, we can help you plan the order based on the weather forecast, your fitness, and your travel schedule.
Contact us
We are available on WhatsApp. You will get an answer as soon as possible.
Call us or drop us an email at info@daytoursfromsofia.com