- Explore stunning mountain landscapes with deep gorges, ancient forests and flowering meadows
- See unique flora, including many orchids and endemic species
- Look out for brown bears, wallcreepers and a variety of rare butterflies
- Experience daily life in a traditional Bulgarian village
- Enjoy delicious home-produced local cuisine
![Bulgaria: Rodopi Mountains](https://res.cloudinary.com/enchanting/q_80,f_auto,c_lfill,x_w_mul_0.54,y_h_mul_0.57,g_xy_center,w_360,h_270/exodus-web/2014/10/AdobeStock_115482347.jpeg)
Bulgaria: Rodopi Mountains
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- Bulgaria: Rodopi Mountains
Reviews
Add your own reviewMountains and meadows, raptors and bears and legend.
Walking in the peace of thick pine forested mountains and grassy meadows, with cool crystal clear streams, but in the domain of wild brown bears and raptors. The legend of Orpheus never far away. Meticulously kept hotel, with good food.
Most Inspirational Moment
Finding clear sign of wild brown bears - scat, overturned stones and a bear paw print set INTO the tyre tread of a jeep - which had passed us on the forest track only five minutes previously! Seeing raptors flying, possibly peregrine or maybe a saker falcon.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Svetoslava was an excellent guide. She was organised and fully explained each day's activities including timings etc. She is also qualified in bear studies.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The hotel is meticulously kept by the family owners, who clearly take pride in their hotel. For example, every morning over an early coffee I saw even the patio being swept clean. Every day. The food is prepared with fresh produce and is very good. The bathroom is a wet room (without a separate shower enclosure) and there is a plastic bowel for washing shirt and smalls if you wish. (Take half a dozen pegs). The mountain tracks can be a little stony in places, a good boot with ankle support is useful on those days. There are some short but steep ascents to be prepared for, but the views are well worth it. The hotel's tap water is quite safe to drink and there are also mountain streams and these have a tap dispense in places for bottle re-filling, but in hot months one or two may be dry - the guide will inform you. Carrying two litres of water is sensible. Take a wetproof top though - just in case of rain even if it looks like it won't, and a plastic sealed container for the lunch sandwich. The trails were not heavily used and there was a sense of having the place to ourselves. The forest tracks open into wide meadows, here the air shimmers with the beating wings of butterflies. Look above for birds, buzzards and raptors were frequently seen. The wall creeper eluded us this time though. Snakes? Never saw any, as they was well gone, alerted by the vibration of our footfall, or else our scent. You are in the realm of wildlife. Chamois were seen as were the signs of wild boar. You are also in bear country. We saw bear droppings and overturned stones where they had been looking for food under. We saw a tree with bear fur trapped in the bark where they had rubbed their backs, and then the bear paw print noted above. It's important to remember though that there is little risk here. Svetoslava explained that any bear would have heard us through our normal walking noise or the inevitable chit-chat amongst the group and would have moved off, or like the snakes detected our smell with the same result. So although it is exciting to know these animals are present, it is equally reassuring to know there is little risk either. I carried a small pair of 8 x 32 binoculars. The border "dead zone" (in communist times) is an interesting day, perhaps take a torch that day to go into the interior troops' bunker, and there are also T72 or PT76 pits each with a concrete shelter for its crew to have a look at. Peace, quiet, thick forests, open meadows with beautiful vistas, cool crystal clear streams, beautiful butterflies and raptors. But it is the presence of the brown bears which sets this trip apart. Like Orpheus you will always want to look back, but in your case with a much happier outcome than his!
Stunning landscape, fascinating guide
An under-appreciated gem. The mountains are stunning, the walking is moderate and achievable in breathtaking scenery, and we saw very few other people on any of the walks. Lots of additional interest in terms of flora and fauna, and the tour guide (Svetla) was extremely knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects, patient and had a great sense of humour.
Everything that was promised by the trip notes and earlier reviews
A lovely week in an undisturbed mountain environment. We hardly saw anyone else on our walks, and Yagodina village is completely calm. It feels such a healthy week – unspoilt and wholesome.
Most Inspirational Moment
Probably when our tour leader confided that he is housing in his roof both a large colony of horseshoe bats AND stone martens (which I had never heard of before). Talk about walking the walk as a conservationist..
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent. As a walking leader, Julian had put great thought into a lovely variety of walks; his relationship with the people in Yagodina and the hotel is deeply impressive and it felt as though we got special treatment because of him; and his knowledge of the wildlife is HUGE. An expert on bears, but so much more besides. And he is good company
Advice for Potential Travellers
Trip notes are very good, so nothing to add there. I thought that it was worth spending an extra day at the end to visit Sofia, especially as I was able to get a more convenient flight home that way
Walking in the Rodopi Mountains
Great week walking in the environs of Yagodina, an isolated village in the Rodopi mountains. Super hotel, serving wonderful traditional food.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent. A very Knowledgeable individual with extensive knowledge of the mountains and the flora and fauna. Keen to share his expertise.
A fascinating visit to a beautiful and remote area of Bulgaria
Just returned from an excellent week in the Rodopi mountains. Faultless organisation throughout, from the warm hospitality of the Family Hotel Yagodina, its excellent and plentiful local food, to varied walks through deep forests, sunlit meadows, mountain tops. The leader’s knowledge of the area is second to none and he is generous with his knowledge of the wildlife you may encounter and sharing his understanding of this mysterious landscape, its history and myths, its people and way of life. One of the best Exodus trips I’ve ever been on, highly recommended. Thank you.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent throughout
Wonderful time in the beautiful mountains
We had a great group and superb leader. I echo everything that Susanne has written. Rodopi is just a magical place – it is lush and full of nature: insects, particularly butterflies, wild flowers, lichen and signs of bigger animals who were no doubt watching us. I felt extremely comfortable, more knowledgable and much more aware of my surroundings by the end of the week. The walks are varied and a good length; no rush in the morning and back in time to have a couple of quiet hours in the evening. Five days in a row is reasonably challenging, but it is also possible to miss the odd day; a couple of our group found plenty to do – maybe a short walk, glass of wine with lunch and then wander in the village. Yagodina Hotel is perfect for the trip – very friendly and comfortable, we had wonderful home cooked food – recipes local to the region, Maria could not do enough to help I have been on several Exodus Trips and this is my favourite so far.
Most Inspirational Moment
Loved the information about the bears - I felt very privileged to be able share their territory.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Julian is an excellent leader. He is friendly and unbelievably knowledgable, calm and organised with an enormous passion and respect for the Rodopi Mountains.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Book now if you love being immersed in nature.
Unspoilt beautiful mountains & meadows!
This trip far exceeded our expectations in many ways! The area is unspoilt & very quiet-we only saw one other group of hikers during our week in the mountains! Every day was filled with lovely walks through stunning scenery & we enjoyed discovering all of the flora & fauna in the area as well as spotting traces of bears! The Family Hotel Yagodina was spotlessly clean with decent size rooms & the food was amazing-all locally sourced & freshly made! Nothing was too much trouble for Maria & her team & we felt truly spoilt!
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking through the meadows seeing all of the varieties of wild flowers, including many orchids as well as moths & butterflies, many that we have not seen before!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Julian stepped in at the last minute to lead our group & he was just brilliant! He has lived & studied brown bears in the region for many years & was eager to pass his knowledge on to us! It's fair to say that his enthusiasm was infectious so by the 2nd day we were all spotting signs of bear activity including scat! He allowed people to take the walk at their own pace & was happy to educate us on the massive variety of flora & fauna we saw along the way! The weather was often rainy in the afternoons so Julian swapped walks around so that we remained safe & avoided most of the bad weather!
Advice for Potential Travellers
The weather in the mountains can change very quickly so defiantly take waterproof jackets & leggings that you can put on easily! Be flexible! Again, the weather means that walks were changed or moved days but this is to ensure that you are safe & can enjoy spectacular views on the higher walks on the better days!
Great trip
New to Bulgaria, great week discovering the landscape, flora & fauna and culture of this unique region.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking the plank at the Eagle's eye
Thoughts on Group Leader
Fantastic and inspirational. Passionate and happy to share his extensive knowledge of the country and region. Excellent walk leader - pace and support for strugglers.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take a microfibre cloth to dry the bathroom floor. Take tea bags - although the herbal tea is fine, really missed a good cuppa. Consider adding an extra day or two at the end to explore Sofia.
First Ones Back
I am ashamed to say that until we started looking for our next trip I had never heard of the Rodopi Mountains. They are a wonderful place, spectacular scenery with vistas of ridge after ridge, after ridge, a week isn’t really long enough, maybe we will have to return.
The walking was very enjoyable and the accommodation just what you want on a trip like this; clean and comfortable with a happy, relaxed atmosphere, a good shower, lovely staff and well cooked, tasty, locally sourced food .
There is an abundance of wildlife in the mountains, but it is just that, wild, so don’t expect to see it all. I have come to the conclusion that the wall creeper is a mythical bird!
We were the first group in after two and a half years and everything worked really well. If you haven’t been you are missing out on a treat.
Most Inspirational Moment
This isn't the sort of trip that has one stand out moment, the experience and enjoyment builds through the week to give you a really satisfying glow at the end.
Thoughts on Group Leader
We were lucky, we had two, both of whom were excellent, on the top of their game, and with a great sense of humour. Svetla was always cheerful, knowledgeable and helpful. Here unusual academic background in anthropology and a host of other subjects meant that she could impart a lot of very interesting insights into the social as well as natural environment. Julian has an encyclopedic knowledge of the area and years spent in bear research which gave us the bonus of having his enthusiasm and expertise, as a result of which I can now identify a worrying number of species by their poo! They were both great fun to be with and I would very happily sign up for a trip knowing they were the leader.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Come and enjoy it! Make sure you have a reasonable level of fitness, bring a plug for the wash basin and think about doing an extra couple of days in Sofi,a either at the start or the end of the trip, it would be time well spent. Mountain weather can be variable, so come prepared.
Walking in wonderful Rodopi mountains
A memorable walking holiday. The walks were through forests, gorges and beautiful wildflower meadows. Lovely views! A very pastoral feel to the whole holiday – and very relaxing. Yagodina is a small friendly village in a peaceful location. The hotel was clean and comfortable. Food was good – lots of local produce was used.
Most Inspirational Moment
Everyone mentions the lunch stops - but it was so lovely looking at the wildflowers, the birds and the views. There are not many places left in Europe that are so unspoilt. We rarely saw other people when we were out walking. Finding bear paw prints on a walk through some woods was unexpected!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Nelly was excellent. One of the best guides I have encountered on a holiday. She spoke English fluently and was a good communicator with the group. Her knowledge of the local flora and fauna was extensive. She gave us a lot of background on the history and culture of Bulgaria. She was very helpful and attentive to the needs of the group.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I spent an extra day in Sofia and I can recommend this. There is a lot to see in the city centre. The Metro system is easy to use and cheap. Be prepared for showers when out walking and take lots of sunscreen.
Start
Finish
Availability
Land Only Trip Price
Optional Single Supplement
Saturday Saturday
28 Sep 2024 28 Sep 2024
Saturday Saturday
05 Oct 2024 05 Oct 2024
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Guaranteed (On Request)
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,100
Optional Single Supplement +USD 353
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This departure is guaranteed to go ahead and can be booked, although some components will need to be requested. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
24 May 2025 24 May 2025
Saturday Saturday
31 May 2025 31 May 2025
Availability
Guaranteed (Available)
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,145 Book with USD 536 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 390
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
07 Jun 2025 07 Jun 2025
Saturday Saturday
14 Jun 2025 14 Jun 2025
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,145 Book with USD 536 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 390
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
28 Jun 2025 28 Jun 2025
Saturday Saturday
05 Jul 2025 05 Jul 2025
Availability
Guaranteed (Available)
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,145 Book with USD 536 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 390
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
12 Jul 2025 12 Jul 2025
Saturday Saturday
19 Jul 2025 19 Jul 2025
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,145 Book with USD 536 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 390
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
06 Sep 2025 06 Sep 2025
Saturday Saturday
13 Sep 2025 13 Sep 2025
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,145 Book with USD 536 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 390
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
27 Sep 2025 27 Sep 2025
Saturday Saturday
04 Oct 2025 04 Oct 2025
Availability
Guaranteed (Available)
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,145 Book with USD 536 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 390
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
02 May 2026 02 May 2026
Saturday Saturday
09 May 2026 09 May 2026
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,325 Book with USD 581 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 428
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
23 May 2026 23 May 2026
Saturday Saturday
30 May 2026 30 May 2026
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,325 Book with USD 581 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 428
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
06 Jun 2026 06 Jun 2026
Saturday Saturday
13 Jun 2026 13 Jun 2026
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,325 Book with USD 581 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 428
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
27 Jun 2026 27 Jun 2026
Saturday Saturday
04 Jul 2026 04 Jul 2026
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,325 Book with USD 581 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 428
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
11 Jul 2026 11 Jul 2026
Saturday Saturday
18 Jul 2026 18 Jul 2026
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,325 Book with USD 581 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 428
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
05 Sep 2026 05 Sep 2026
Saturday Saturday
12 Sep 2026 12 Sep 2026
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,325 Book with USD 581 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 428
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
19 Sep 2026 19 Sep 2026
Saturday Saturday
26 Sep 2026 26 Sep 2026
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 2,325 Book with USD 581 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 428
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesWould you like to include flights with your booking?
- ATOL protected
- Competitive flight prices
- Full refunds in the event of FCDO cancellations or major disruption at your UK departure airport
- Specialist support to rearrange flights and transfers
- Regional flights available from many UK airports
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