Day 1. Sofia-Belmeken

From Sofia Airport, we will take a shuttle bus to the starting point of the cycling tour, the Belmeken Sports Complex in the Rila Mountains, famous for hosting many of the world’s top skiers and biathletes. We will stay overnight at the mountain base, in double rooms with amenities. In the evening, we will enjoy a walk in the picturesque surroundings of Belmeken. Dinner afterwards.

Day 2. Belmeken- Velingrad

After breakfast, we get on our bikes at around 9am and ride along the roads and trails of the Rila Highlands to the mineral water resort of Velingrad. Along the way, we’ll see picturesque panoramas of the Rila and Pyrenees mountains, and the route will be easy and mostly downhill. We will reach Velingrad at around 15:00 on fun trails. We will stay in a small hotel with a hot mineral water pool where we can refresh ourselves after the trip. Dinner there. Overnight in a double room with amenities.

We will cover a total of 47 km
Ascent: 500 m
Descent: 1,400 m
Technical difficulty: 3/5
Physical difficulty: 2/5

Day 3. Velingrad-Shiroka poliana

After breakfast, we will get on our bikes at around 9am and cycle from Velingrad to Lake Široka Poliana. Today we will leave the Rila Mountains and follow dirt and asphalt forest roads to reach the Rhodope Mountains, passing the spruce-covered Široka Poliana Lake, the Mantarica and Beglika Reserves, and the Lepenica Cave. Around 18:00 we will reach our accommodation for the night, staying in a picturesque location at the Široka Poliana resort, in four-person wooden
We will stay in four wooden houses with amenities. Dinner.

Total distance covered: 50 km
Ascent: 1,100 m
Descent: 350 m
Technical difficulty: 2/5
Physical difficulty: 3/5

Day 4. Shiroka poliana – Zmeica – Buinovo – Trigrad

Today, after breakfast, we will leave at around 9am and continue our tour of the Western Rhodopes. We will pass the villages of Zmejica and Buinov on pleasant forest roads, then continue along the Bulgarian-Greek border road. The final point of the route is the town of Trigrad, surrounded by rocks and gorges, which we will reach around 6 pm. We will stay in a guest house, in double rooms with amenities. A hearty dinner will be served there. In total, we will cover 55 km.

Ascent: 800 m
Descent: 1,000 m
Technical difficulty: 2/5
Physical difficulty: 3/5

Day 5. Rest day in Trigrad

Today is a rest day in Trigrad. You can take a walk in the mountainous surroundings and visit the famous Devil’s Throat Cave. There are also fun roads and singletracks for cyclists.

Day 6. Trigrad -Mugla-Shiroka Lyka

After breakfast, we will start the day at around 9.00 a.m. We will start by ascending the gorge to the Chairo Lakes area, then descend to the village of Mugla after crossing a pass. From Mugla, we will ascend again, then follow forest roads and tracks to the village of Gela and, accompanied by picturesque panoramas, descend at around 18.00 to the beautiful town of Shiroka Lyka, located in a forested valley, the place of accommodation for the day. We will stay in a guest house, in double rooms with amenities. Dinner will be served there. In total we will cover 45 km

Ascent: 1,300 m
Descent: 1,300 m
Technical difficulty: 3/5
Physical difficulty: 4/5

Day 7. Shiroka Lyka-Orechov

After breakfast, we will continue our journey at around 9am. We will follow the paths and trails of the Rhodope Forest up to the natural phenomenon of Čudnite Mostove. Afterwards, we will continue through scenic areas and descend to the village of Orechov. We will reach Orechov around 16.00. We will stay in a guest house, in double rooms with amenities. Dinner there. In total we will cover 43 km.

We will ascend 1,100 m
Descend 1,200 m
Technical difficulty: 2/5
Physical difficulty: 4/5

Day 8. Orechov -Sofia

We will have breakfast around 9 am and take a transfer to Sofia Airport.

We’ll cover the whole journey:

243 km

Ascent 5482 m

Descend 6447 m

The price includes:

• Transfer by minibus from Sofia Airport to Belmeken
• Transfer by minibus from Orekhovo to Sofia Airport
• Meals -1 day dinner, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 days breakfast – dinner, 8 days breakfast
• Accommodation in hotels, guesthouses, holiday homes -7 nights
• Accompanying transport and luggage transport
• Guide service
• Minor bicycle repairs
•  

Required equipment:

• • Mountain bike, roadworthy
  • Bicycle helmet
  • Cycling gloves
  • First aid kit
  • Small comfortable rucksack up to 30 litres, preferably with back ventilation and rain cover
  • Recommended manufacturers: Deuter, Osprey
  • Water bottle or hydration pack
  • Front and rear bike lights
  • Mobile phone (to call for help in emergencies)
  • Bike maintenance and spare parts: spare tube, rubber patches and glue, chain lubricant, chain cleaner, visqueen
  • Recommended equipment
  • Cycling shoes-comfortable for both riding and walking
  • Rain and windproof jacket
  • Warm jumper
  • Cycling shirt
  • Cycling shorts

Transporting a bike:

We usually carry mountain bikes in standard cardboard bike boxes when we fly. You can get them for free at any bike shop that sells new bikes. The dimensions of the boxes are in line with airline standards, so there are no problems when transporting your bike in a box. When placing the bike in the box, it is necessary to remove the wheels, deflate the tyres, remove the seat, turn the pedals, and unscrew the handlebar. The frame can be wrapped with packing film (bubble wrap) or foam to prevent scratching and impact. The box usually has space left over when the bike is stowed, so it can accommodate most of the following
of the rest of your luggage. We will leave the boxes in storage when we fly out and pack the bikes back in them when we fly out. Also you can use special boxes.