Day 1
Arrive in Sofia and then be transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay.
Day 2: Plovdiv - Galabovo
You will be transferred to your riding base in Galabovo at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains (a two-hour drive from Sofia), where you meet the horses. Today, you make a loop-like ride, passing along the small Kuklen Monastery. Overall, you will spend three hours of riding. A transfer takes you back to Plovdiv. After some rest, you make a short stroll in the old quarters of the town where you stay overnight at a hotel.
Day 3: Plovdiv - Galabovo - Vruhovruh
You start in Galabovo again, this time heading south and up in the mountains to reach Tsar Kaloyan village, Hrabrino, and then continue to the small resort of Vruhovruh where you stay overnight in a small mountain hotel. The total hour of riding is five hours.
Day 4 Vruhovruh - Persenk hut - Lyaskovo
You continue your ride, passing through several tiny villages, following Vruhovruh ridge with great panorama views to reach Persenk hut where you stop for lunch. Continue to the village of Lyaskovo where you stay overnight with a local family. The total riding hour is six.
Day 5: Lyaskovo - Zabardo
The ride today takes you to the village of Zabardo. There will be good possibilities for trot and canter. Overall, there will be six hours of riding.
Day 6: Zabardo - Chudnite Mostove - Orehovo
From Zabardo, you head up to Chudnite Mostove (Marvelous Bridges) - a unique rock formation. In the afternoon, the trek continues through pine forests and vast meadows to Orehovo, where you stay at a family-run hotel. You will spend five to six hours of riding.
Day 7: Orehovo - Galabovo - Plovdiv - Sofia
After breakfast, you head to Zdravets hut where you stop for lunch. You continue your ride and reach the meadows of Galabovo where you say goodbye to your horses and drive back to Sofia for the last night. The total hour of riding is six. You can enjoy an optional visit to Bachkovski Monastery in the afternoon. Bachkovo Monastery is established at the beginning of the 11th century and is the second largest Bulgarian monastery nowadays. Horse Riding Bulgaria suggests an early start of the day if Bachkovo Monastery will be visited.
Day 8: Departure
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Sofia Airport (SOF) for departure.
Tour difficulty
This ride is suitable for intermediate and experienced riders. You should be capable to ride at all paces and confident at a fast canter over rough terrain.
Horses
The horses are locally bred Karakachan along with East Bulgarian and Arab crosses. Their withers are between 1.4 meters and 1.6 meters, so all weights can find an adequate tour companion. The horses are strong, agile, and used to hard work. Their stamina and agility are outstanding. They are tough and extremely sure-footed over rocky, even snow-covered mountains.
Saddles
Western and English saddles are available. Helmets and saddlebags are provided upon request.
