Rodopi MTB Explorer village to village

Type

MTB Holidays

Level

Novice - Intermediate

Location

Rodopi Mountains

Style

Cross Country

Best Period

May - October

Price

from 520 EU

ADVENTURE INFO

The largest and one of the oldest mountains in Bulgaria – Rodopi Mountain, homeland of the mythic hero Orpheus, boasts some of the country’s most attractive natural sights such as deep gorges, caves, big lakes and centuries old forests. Add to that the untouched mountain village life, culture and traditions of local people, rich folklore and you will get a colourful picture of a magic place that will enchant your minds forever. We put emphasis not only on biking alone but also on that unique feeling of exploring and learning about a new land, its people and culture and of course tasting local food specialties. On this trip we use mainly dirt and gravel roads among vast meadows and forests with few steeper and more technical sections, good for improving your riding skills.

Trip highlights

Trigrad gorge is the third longest and one of the deepest in Bulgaria with vertical rocks reaching 300m in height
Devil's throat cave with its huge cave gallery and underground river and waterfall
Chairski lakes is a group of seven natural lakes located at 1400m.a.s.l
The Wonderful bridges are two picturesque natural rock arches made by the river with maximum height of about 50m.
Plovdiv city is the second biggest city in Bulgaria and one of the oldest in Europe. It has many historic sights from past civilizations such as a Roman theatre and stadium, nineteen-century-old town and more.

Gallery

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival

Arrival in Sofia. Accommodation in the city centre. Info meeting and a welcome dinner.

Day 2 Rodopi lakes

Early transfer (2.30h) brings us to the blue waters of Beglika dam at 1500m. For a first day we take it easy and ride in coniferous forests along the lake shores of Beglika and Shiroka Poliana dams. We spend the night in nice villas on the lake shore.

Biking distance: 35km, ascend/descend: 400/300m

Day 3 Trigrad village

After breakfast the tour commences with a gradual descent on a dirt road to Zmeica village. On the way we can stop at an ancient 2nd century Roman bridge. The ride continues with uphill biking in a forested area which then goes through vast meadows and potato fields above Buinovo village- very near the Greek border, where we have lunch. In the afternoon we ride through another small village and then finish in Trigrad village, famous for its stunning gorges and the Devil’s throat cave located nearby. Here we stay in a family hotel overlooking the village and for dinner we enjoy a tasty grilled trout accompanied with traditional homemade brandy. Biking distance: 50km, ascend/descend:1100/1300m

Day 4 Chairski lakes and Gela village

One of the most scenic rides of the tour will first take us down through the majestic Trigrad gorge, with an option to visit The Devil’s throat cave. Afterwards we do a long climb in a valley which takes us to the picturesque area of the natural Chairski lakes. Here we will enjoy a tasty lunch in a mountain hut. The ride continues with some more climbing and a long descent to Mugla village, settled deep in the mountain. From there we do another scenic climb to Prevala pass and then descend to the picturesque and panoramic Gela village, where we spend the night. Biking distance: 42km, ascend/descend: 1000/1000m

Day 5 Panoramic road and Smolyan town

The day starts with a gradual climb above Gela to the so called “panoramic road” that traverses the highest parts of the Rodopi mountain and reveals stunning natural sights and panoramas. The ride ends with a thrilling descent all the way down to Smolyan town – the biggest town in the area, where we spend the night. We dine in a traditional Bulgarian restaurant.

Biking distance: 40 km, ascend/descend: 800/1300 m

Day 6 Smolyan villages loop

Loop ride among small villages and meadows in the area of Smolyan town. Second night in Smolyan town. Option for riding some cool single tracks in the area with shuttle support for the uphills. Biking distance: 30 km, ascend/descend: 800/800m

Day 7 The Wonderful Bridges and Old town Plovdiv

Last day ride starts from Pamporovo ski resort which is 15km away from Smolyan town.. Today we bike southward exploring the forests and ancient Roman roads of Chernatitsa ridge. We will also visit the stunning natural rock formations “The Wonderful Bridges”. The ride ends with a 12 km long descent down to the picturesque village of Orehovo.

Transfer to Plovdiv town. Accommodation in the old town. Farewell dinner in a restaurant with folklore show. Biking distance: 50 km, ascend/descend: 1100/1200 m

Day 8 Departure

Free time and transfer (1.30 min) to Sofia airport for departure.

Price details

Price/person
520 euro (min. 6 riders)

Included:
7 nights in 3 star Family hotels with in-suite facilities on BB, professional English speaking mountain bike guide, all ground transportation, driver

Not included: insurance, lunches and dinners

Supplements:
Lunch: 60 euro/person
Dinner: 90 euro/person
Skills coaching: 20 euro/person per day

Bike rental:
Full suspension – 40 euro/day
Hardtail – 20 euro/day

General info

ride map

Videos

Rentals

Past customers reviews

We were a group of nine people and two guides and we spent four days riding bikes in Rodopi mountain near Devin. It was the most exciting bike trip I've ever had. The guides are really professionals, prepared for everything and always ready to help and to give the best advice. They selected the best terrains for our level of experience and really good hotels to eat and sleep. I highly recommend Bike Ventures and the team of professionals who stands behind it. For sure I will come back as soon as possible to ride more trails in Bulgaria.