The top of the highest summits of the Balkan Peninsula is led by Musala (2925m), followed closely by Myticas (2918m) and Vihren (2914m). All three are located in Bulgaria and Greece; the main objective of our expedition is reaching all of them.

The alpine ascents are not technical, but the traverse between Skala and Myticas Summits can be considered a little bit tricky and we’ll pay some extra-attention to it.

Between the ascents we’ll have a day off that we’ll use for transfers and for sightseeing visits. The prize will be, definitely, the visit of Meteora: the 24 monasteries emerged on the countless summits of the rocks from the 14th until the 16th century, 6 of them remaining to be explored and admired by all.

Overview

Itinerary

Cost Details

Overview

This itinerary and the duration of the activities are subject to change due to group abilities and preferences, and weather conditions and forecasts.

KEY INFORMATION:

Group Size: 5-8 people
Specialty Category: Hiking&Trekking, Cultural Experiences
Difficulty (for the alpine ascents): Difficult Trail
Tour Customizable: No (Yes, for groups of minimum 5 persons)
The cost mentioned (620€) is calculated for a group of 8 persons.

Day 1 :

Brasov-Bucharest-Borovets

We will start our trip to Bulgaria and Greece with a transfer by car on route Brasov – Bucharest – Ruse – Borovets (distance – 635 km). Accommodation provided in Borovets mountain resort. Located in Rila National Park, at an altitude of 1350m, it offers excellent options for accommodation and walking up in the mountains.

Day 2 :

Ascent on Musala Summit (2925m).

After breakfast, we’ll get the gondola to Yastrebets (the higher station of the gondola is located at an altitude of 2369m), and from here we’ll follow the classic route to the summit (via Musala hut – 2389m). It is the route that will lead us in the proximity of a chain of beautiful lakes and Everest shelter: the scenery is fabulos. If the team will be at the right level of training, we can descend via Malka Musala summit. The total lenght of the route is about 17km, gaining an altitude of 600m. Accommodation provided in Borovets.

Day 3 :

Transfer by car on route Borovets – Rila monastery – Bansko ( distance – 200 km).

Being a “recovery” day, on route we’ll have a short stop for visiting Rila Orthodox Monastery, the biggest and the most popular one in Bulgaria. It is traditionally thought that the monastery was founded by the hermit St. Ivan of Rila, whose name it bears, during the rule of Tsar Peter I (927-968). The monastery complex, regarded as one of the foremost masterpieces of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, was declared a national historical monument in 1976 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Accommodation provided in Bansko mountain resort.

Day 4 :

Ascent on Vihren Summit (2914m).

Vihren is the highest peak of Bulgaria's Pirin Mountains. Reaching 2,914 metres (9,560 ft), it is Bulgaria's second and the Balkans' third highest, after Musala and Mount Olympus. Until 1942 Vihren was known as Eltepe (peak of storms); it was also called Buren (stormy) and Malnienosets (lightning-bringer). In the morning we'll drive for 16km, to reach Vihren hut (1950m). From here, we'll hike to the summit along its southwest slopes, where the main tourist trail is traced ( it requires about 2,5 hours hard work, gaining about 1000m to the top). For the way back, we'll follow the route via Premkata saddle. Accommodation in Bansko.

Day 5 :

Transfer by car on route Bansko – Litochoro – Prionia (distance – 320 km).

After reaching Prionia, we’ll hike for about 3 hours to Refuge A (Spilios Agapitos). Accommodation provided at the refuge.

Day 6 :

Ascent on Myticas Summit (2918m).

Early in the morning, we’ll start our hike (with the right pace) to Skala Summit (2866m). From here, after enjoying all around views, we’ll have the pretty difficult traverse to Myticas Summit. In the afternoon, we’ll descend back to Prionia and further, by car, to Litochoro where we’ll have provided the accommodation.

Day 7 :

Sightseeing in Meteora

After breakfast, we’ll drive to Meteora for visiting its famous monasteries. The six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains. It will be an amazing exploring day; at its end, we’ll drive back to Litochoro for some more “decompression”.

Day 8 :

Returning back to Romania

Today we have quite a long drive on route Litochoro-Bucharest-Brasov (around 950 km), so, we'll leave Greece early in the morning. As we all know, all good things come to an end.