PRIVATE - Bulgaria and Birds - CUSTOM
Sofia & Rodopi Mountains, Bulgaria
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Custom Trip/Private Group - Bulgaria's Mountains and Monasteries with Birding Extension
Highlights
- Hiking beautiful mountain landscapes with deep gorges, spectacular caves, ancient forests, and flower-filled meadows
- Birdwatching and exploring in the Eastern Rodopi Mountains
- Experiencing the culture and cuisine of a little-known region of Eastern Europe
- Visiting the Bachkovo, Rozhen, and Rila Monasteries
- Observing life in traditional Bulgarian villages and traditional vernacular architecture
- Touring Sofia, Bulgaria's capital city, and Plovdiv, the oldest city in Europe
Inclusions
- A driver and all transfers and transport from pick up in Sofia Day 1 until drop off in Sofia on Day 12
- A local guide and an AGC guide
- 13 nights B&B accommodation in twin rooms with private bathrooms
- 13 breakfasts; 10 lunches; 13 dinners
Whats Not Included: Travel to and from Bulgaria, airport transfers, alcoholic beverages, snacks, guide gratuities, and travel insurance
Trip Info
On this trip we combine hiking with cultural exploration, including visiting some of the major monasteries, learning about the culture of Bulgarian Muslim women, eating traditional Bulgarian food, touring its two largest cities, visiting limestone caves, and listening to Bulgarian music. Following traditional shepherds' paths, forest tracks, and ancient Roman roads, we hike in the Rhodope, Pirin and Rila mountains between 1-5 hours per day, with time to stop for photographs, look at nature, and talk to local people. Our daily hikes will take us through a mixture of silent forests and open meadows, as well as over some rough and rocky terrain with occasional steep ascents and descents.
In Sofia we will be staying at one of the nicest hotels in the city. Other than that we'll stay in comfortable tourist-class hotels, often family-owned, that are classified two to three star by the Bulgarian classification system. These hotels offer twin rooms with private facilities. Where possible, we try to use smaller more atmospheric hotels.
Trip Resources
Below is the proposed itinerary for the trip. As is true on any adventure travel trip, plans for any specific day may be modified due to weather considerations, unforeseen circumstances, new opportunities, and group interests.
Morning: Set off from Sofia to Eastern Rodopi stopping en route at the 'Zlato Pole' Important
Bird Area. This is located along the banks of the river Maritsa, and includes riverine
vegetation and fish farms. Afternoon: Transfer via the 'Sakar' Important Bird Area (the most
important region in Bulgaria for Eastern Imperial Eagle and Lesser Kestrel) and 'Ivaylovgrad
Reservoir' Important Bird Area (the most important region in Bulgaria for White-tailed Eagle and Osprey), to reach the small town of Ivaylovgrad. [Accommodation: Ivaylovgrad]
Hiking: 3.2 miles, 100 feet elevation gain
Morning & Afternoon: Birdwatching in the 'Byala Reka' Important Bird Area (great region for
Black Vulture, Booted Eagle and Isabelline Wheatear); also during the day a chance to visit thearchaeological site 'Armira' with remains of a Roman villa, and to enjoy unique architecture of some tiny remote and almost abandoned villages right beside the Greek border. [Accommodation: Ivaylovgrad]
Hiking: 3.8 miles, 200 feet elevation gain/loss.
Morning: transfer to the 'Madzharovo' Important Bird Area where we will spend most of the day birdwatching on foot in the region of the Kovankaya and Patronkaya Protected Territories (the most important site in the region for Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Long-legged Buzzard, Black Kite, Black Stork; plus many other birds); Afternoon: transfer via the 'Studen Kladenets' Important Bird Area and "Arda Bridge" Important Bird Area (both fantastic sites for vultures and birds of prey). [Accommodation: Isolated hotel on the bank of the river Arda; its located beneath a spectacular rock outcrop which is itself home to black storks and birds of prey, and the riverside also has great birds; there are also interesting ancient Thracian archaeological remains close to the hotel].
Hiking: 2 miles, 65 feet elevation gain/loss; 2 miles, 32 feet elevation gain/loss.
Morning & Afternoon: full day birdwatching in the 'Krumovitsa' Important Bird Area (along one
small section of valley there is probably the greatest variety of bird species found anywhere in
Bulgaria!) [Accommodation: Kardzhali; this is the largest town in the Eastern Rodopi, yet home to a heronry that is an important site for several species of herons and egrets)]
Hiking: 3 miles, 65 feet elevation gain/loss
Morning: birdwatching along the valley of the Borovitsa river, a remote and picturesque valley
which marks the Eastern border of the 'Dobrostan' Important Bird Area; Afternoon:
transfer to Plovdiv; meet up with non-birding party [Accommodation: Plovdiv]
Hiking: 2.5 miles, 65 feet elevation gain/loss
Morning: Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second major city. Plovdiv is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe, with a history going back over 8000 years.; Afternoon: Bachkovo Monastery, the second largest in Bulgaria. Founded in 1083, the monastery is known for the unique
combination of Byzantine, Caucasian, and Bulgarian culture, united by the common faith. Its
most remarkable feature is the frescoes that are seen everywhere. As well as looking around
the monastery, we will also walk in the beautiful valley behind it. At the edge of a botanic
reserve, there are several interesting chapels tucked away in the forest. Transfer to Yagodina
[Accommodation: Yagodina]
Hiking: 3.75 miles, 689 feet elevation gain/loss
Morning: Trigrad Gorge to observe Wallcreeper & visit Devil's Throat Cave which takes the form
of an enormous cavern into which drops a thundering waterfall. It is here that the legendary
Thracian musician Orpheus is said to have emerged from the Underworld after a failed attempt
to rescue his wife Eurydice; Afternoon: After we emerge from the cave, we'll hike back to
Yagodina through the beautiful karst limestone region, famed for its amazingly rich flora that
include many endemic species. Birding en route; this region is designated as the
'Trigrad-Mursalitsa' Important Bird Area [Accommodation: Yagodina]
Hiking: 4.35 miles, 492 feet elevation gain, 820 feet elevation loss
Morning & Afternoon: Circular hike to climb a sacred peak on which the ancient Thracians used to have a sanctuary and oracle, and which according to legend is where Orpheus was killed. The route goes through a very peaceful region that is home to bears and wolves, and is very good for some elusive forest birds such as Hazel Grouse and Black Woodpecker. [Accommodation: Yagodina]
Hiking: 8.7 miles, 2300 feet elevation gain/loss
Morning: Leave Yagodina on foot, walking a beautiful forest trail famed for its orchids to reach the Yagodina Cave; Afternoon: drive on west through the Rodopi Mountains to Leshten. After checking into the hotel, explore the nearby village of Kovachevitsa to enjoy the ambience and architecture. [Accommodation: Leshten]
Hiking: 2 miles, 330 feet elevation gain, 690 feet elevation loss
Morning: Drive from Leshten across the Pirin Mountains to Zlatolist, visit the beautiful church
connected with the life of a blind prophetess. Walk through the sandstone landscape to
Melnik; Afternoon: Visit Rozhen Monastery, one of the most picturesque and tranquil in
Bulgaria and one of the few Bulgarian monasteries from the Middle Ages which has survived
relatively intact up to present days. [Accommodation: Melnik]
Hiking: 3.1 miles, 650 feet elevation gain, 490 feet elevation loss
Morning: Early morning hike & birding on Sveti Nikola elevation in the 'Melnik Pyramids'
Important Bird Area; Transfer to Rila Monastery; Nature Reserve walk; Afternoon: Visit the Rila Monastery and hermitage of Saint John of Rila. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is beautifully located beneath the Rila Mountains highest peaks. Aside from the sheer beauty of the many icons, Rila's importance stems from its role as a repository of Bulgarian culture during the different periods that Bulgaria has been dominated by other countries. Transfer to Sofia [Accommodation: Sofia]
Hiking: 2.5 miles, 490 feet elevation gain/loss; 2.5 miles, 330 feet elevation gain, 820 loss
Morning & Afternoon: Full day circular hike in Vitosha Mountains, designated as the 'Vitosha'
Important Bird Area, ascending Mt. Cherni Vrah/Black Peak (2292 meters) which offers
incredible views of the Sofia Valley, the Balkan and Rila Mountains. The wet meadows and the century-old woods are home to a number of rare and endemic plant and animal species.
[Accommodation: Sofia]
Hiking: 7.5 miles, 1640 feet elevation gain/loss
Morning: Explore the rich history and vibrant culture of Sofia, Builgaria, on a gudied walking tour through its charming streets; Afternoon: Free time for sightseeing and shopping in Sofia; Evening farewell meal [Accommodation: Sofia]
Sighteeing Walk: 3 miles
Morning: Our time together ends and we say farewell after breakfast.
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