“Ride to the Dancing Bears Sanctuary of Belitsa”
5 Day Riding Adventure with Dancing Bears Sanctuary, Quad Bikes, and Fun Park in Bulgaria
Adventure House Rusaliite, Bachevo, Razlog Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province, Bulgaria
Horse Riding Tour Bulgaria
This is a great holiday for adventure seekers and nature enthusiasts! Visit the great Dancing Bears Sanctuary, created by Four Paws and the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, where the rescued brown bears of Europe are finally living the life they deserve.
Key Information
- Rider Weight Limit: 176 pounds / 80 kilograms
- Horse Height Range: 14.27 to 17.22 hands
- Tack Type: English and Western
- Horse Breed: Arab, English-Arab, Bulgarian Sport horse, Karakachan, and Paint
Meet the instructors
Nadia & Philip
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Highlights
- 3 days of horse riding
- Approximate daily riding time: 5 to 8 hours
- Ride through hills, villages, Rila Fun Park, and Bear Sanctuary
- Campfire in the evening
- English-speaking guides and private vehicle
- 4 nights accommodation
- Daily meals
Skill level
- Advanced
Styles
3 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Bulgarian, Russian
Group size: 2-5 participants
Airport transfer available:
Sofia Airport (US$ 121 per person)
Sofia Airport (US$ 121 per person)
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
14:00
Check-out Time:
12:00
On the day of your arrival, you will be accommodated in a single room at Rusaliite Hotel which is a part of the Adventure House Rusaliite resort. It is situated in the midst of three mountains and two national parks, Rila, Pirin, and Rhodope, on a territory of 1.2 hectares, close to a crystal-clear mountain stream where it starts a trail to Rusaliite peak. On the second night, you will stay in single or shared rooms in a local hotel in Belitsa. Your horses will remain at the nearby farm. On the third night, you will spend in a cozy local guest house in single or shared rooms with the other riders.
The house is located right next to your endpoint - the Bears Sanctuary. Your horse will sleep in the garden next to the house. At the end of the trip, you will return back to base camp - Rusaliite Hotel where you will spend your last night of the trip. Upon request, you may spend the night camping in a tent under the stars if you wish to stay close to your horse. Rusaliite provides all of the camping gear with no additional charges.
Program
On the first day, you will arrive and check in at Rusaliite Resort. You will have free time to explore, meet your horse, and have dinner with your guide and fellow riders. On day two, you will wake up early for breakfast and get going for the first part of the ride. It will cross through several hills and a couple of villages with multiple stops for a break, including a lunch break. You will arrive at a forest farm where you will either spend the night camping near your horse (an additional request), or you will leave for a close-by hotel.
On day three, you will get back on the saddle for a shorter ride to reach an exotic local restaurant for lunch. In the afternoon, your horse will bring you to Rila Fun Park, where you will get to drive a quad bike and take a ride on the forest chair train. And last but not least, you will visit the Bear Sanctuary. A local guide will take you and tell you all about the rescued Brown Bears of Europe.
You will spend the night in a local cozy guest house right next to the bears (or camping again if you wish). The last day with an early morning will be the most challenging as you will return all the way back to Rusaliite resort with a few changed routes to shorten the trip. On your last morning, after a well-deserved sleep-in, you will have free time to relax before your departure.
Instructors
Nadia Popova
Nadia is born and raised in Sofia. Did a lot of hiking and tourism in Bulgarian nature while growing up. Studied fine arts and English, and later Graphic design at university. Work with horses and riding tourism for 15 years, certified riding instructor, and an FEI Endurance judge. Experienced riding racehorses in the UK. Her biggest passion is animals and nature, also interested in sports - fencing, swimming, rock climbing, mountain biking, etc., and traveling around the world.
Philip Popov
Born in Bachevo, studied in Technical univercity of Sofia. Certified horse riding instructor and judge, professional climber, ski instructor. Has 30 years of equestrian experience. Interested in exotic birds, hiking and camping - traveled in all Bulgarian mountains. Inherited the love for animals from his mother, who is a zoo technician.
Location
This horse riding tour will start at Hotel Rusaliite near Bachevo Village in Bulgaria. This is a horse riding club, located at the altitude of 1100 meters, that offers riding trips across Rila National Park and other parts of the mountain. Dancing Bears Park Belitsa is located on Rila Mountain at about 180 kilometres south of Sofia, 12 kilometers from Belitsa town, and about 35 kilometers from Bansko.
The whole area of the sanctuary comprises 120,000 square meters, divided into seven open-air natural enclosures for the rescued bears. All enclosures have forest, meadow, lake, and a man-made winter burrow, although many of the bears choose to dig one themselves. Rila Fun Park is located in the area "Dedovo", one and a half kilometers away from the Dancing Bears Park. It offers a forest train ride, quad bikes ride, and other fun activities.
Features
Activities
- Hiking
- Horse riding
- Mountain walking
General
- Barbeque facilities
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Restaurant
Services
- Conference room
- Free parking
- Tour assistance
- Wireless internet
Food
Meals are predetermined, considered with your dietary restrictions and food allergies, and will include traditional Bulgarian meals, prepacked with snacks and at exotic local restaurants on the way.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soda
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
- Archery lessons (from a horse if you dare)
- Extra attractions at Rila Fun Park
- Massages upon request in advance
- Souvenirs
- Yoga class upon request
What's included
- 3 days of horse riding in the mountain with an English or Russian-speaking guide
- Guided tour in Belitsa Dancing Bears Park
- 4 nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner with drinks (prepacked and in local restaurants)
- Helmet
What's not included
- Airport transfers
- Additional attractions on the way
- Insurances - travel and medical support
- Alcoholic beverages
How to get there
Recommended Airports
SOF
Sofia Airport
84 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 121 per person
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Sofia Airport (SOF). Transfer from and to this airport is available upon request.
- One or two passengers: 110 EUR
- Three to four passengers: 150 EUR
- Five to eight passengers: 300 EUR
The prices are per direction.
Arrival by bus
From Sofia Airport (SOF), you can take a bus to reach the location.
Airport: Sofia Airport
Airport transfer available:
Sofia Airport (US$ 121 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. All major credit cards supported.
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