Incredibly beautiful spiritual site, highly recommended visiting if you’re in the area and can easily make a day trip out of it from Sofia! So much history in this site, the Monastery is free to enter but I would recommend a guided tour for a rich experience.

Beautiful Monastery and beautiful surrounding. The road from Rila to Monastery was magical as forest around this Autumn was like fairy tale. It was on and off rain so not many tourists came (perfect!). You are not allowed to take photos inside the church and walk into the residential area. Entry is free (not sure about museum as I didn’t get in)

Stunning monastery, surrounded by picture-perfect mountains. We took a tour from Sofia, which I'd recommend as the guide was able to explain the history and cultural importance. Go out of the back entrance and taste the fresh mekitsa too! (The two small windows nearest, not the cafe a bit further down the road)

You don't need to buy a ticket to see inside the monastery and church. The paid bit is the museum. The parking out the front it also paid, but 200m down the road are other parking options for free. You need to cover shoulders and knees to enter. No pictures inside the church part. The autumn colours are stunning! There are some trails starting from the car park. It was a cool thing to wander around and see. So big and detailed!

The Rila Monastery is one of Bulgaria's most breathtaking landmarks, a masterpiece of Orthodox architecture nestled in the Rila Mountains. Surrounded by forests and fresh mountain air, it offers a sense of peace and spirituality that's hard to find elsewhere. The colorful frescoes, detailed wood carvings, and the stone courtyard are simply stunning. An absolutely must-visit if you want to experience the heart of Bulgarian culture and history.

Very beautiful place. Both the monastery and the stunning nature. There was a very long but quick line for the church food kiosk. The other food places were very busy and could not cope with the load. Dirty toilets and paid. We arrived on a Sunday, probably because it was very busy.

It’s a must visit place for every Bulgarian person. Picturesque and peaceful place surrounded by beautiful forests and wonderful stream runs along with the borders of the Temple.

Cool place to buy Bulgarian wines that are cheap and of excellent quality. The attendant didn't speak any English, but we were able to communicate using Google Translator.

We had a tour in the cellar end that tasted a wine Also have an opportunity to buy from the shop, But they don't have bags...

Really nice place. New winery with very good quality wines.

Came here on 4th September - the front desk lady tried her best to explain to us that it’s currently closed under renovation and only the shop is open which was totally ok , not an issue. She then kindly called someone else to speak to us in English to explain better however this second lady was so rude and unkind - felt like she checked us out and decided we were not worth her time so couldn’t be bothered to explain more when we asked just one more question about the wine which left a bad taste we ended up leaving without purchasing any. Perhaps this place is more suitable for local instead of non Bulgarian speaking folks / tourists ? Or they only entertain tours groups so don’t bother going on your own. Two stars only cause the front desk lady tried her best else would have given just 1 star. Not worth the time

Good quality wines and modern winery. We stopped in our way to Sofia while driving and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of wines and service. Remember to book any tours at this winery in advance as the winery doesn’t do them spontaneously and requires reservations.

Stopped by randomly after several locals recommended this winery. I checked they were open and saw that their website offered tours and tastings. I decided to drive 1.5 hours to check it out. However, when I got there, they did not offer any tastings even though they had a beautiful tasting room all nicely set up. I was a little perplexed and translated the question a few times to make sure they were not misunderstanding me. I'm not sure why they would advertise all these services on such a nice, but deceiving website. I'm assuming this service may only be for large tour groups or exclusive parties. Either way, if they want people to buy their product, they should at least be able to taste it, so you may decide what you would like to purchase. In the end, I purchased 5 wines anyway, so the trip was not a total loss. I'm assuming they taste good, but solely based on the recommendations from locals.

Stopped by this winery on the way to the Rila Monastery, they wouldn't let us taste anything at all before buying. Staff were rude. I'm not complaining there was no English spoken, but if someone is trying to buy your products, maybe be polite enough to say hello in your native language and look up from your phone once in a while. Bought three different bottles, have very little idea what they will be like. I suggest you try other wineries for a positive experience. Maybe the quality of the wine and the scenery will be worth it after we finally get to try their wine.

Incredible. Hike is difficult so be prepared, so worth it. A bit slippery down, walking sticks would have been nice

Rila National Park and Musala Peak represent a perfect combination of natural beauty, biodiversity and mountain challenge. For nature lovers it offers peace and endless expanses of greenery and glacial lakes; for climbers, the highest peak of the Balkans as a prestigious achievement. This park is a destination that remained in my memory as a journey to the peak of Balkan nature.

282 species of mosses made me come here and I'm not disappointed. The skilift makes it way easier, but it is also possible to walk up yourself. (And it will safe you the money and the waiting) Still worth it to take the ski lift option. It's easy to find parking spots. There are some food and drinking options "upstairs". Good amount of high quality information in different parts of the hike. For me one of the high lights of Bulgaria!

The park is very beautiful especially if you go for a hike during the autumn. Fresh air, stunning views on the way and bright colors all around!

It's the most beautiful place in Bulgaria. LOCAL GUIDE IMPORTANT TIPS: 1. Don't go without warm clothes. It is mountain (2000 m altitude) and the weather changes very fast even if it's looks warm and nice. 2. Take cash money to pay the lift ticket. Tehy don't have card payment 3. You can't see the lakes from the hut. After you take the lift, you have to walk up at least 40 min to see the first three lakes. 4. The sixth and seventh lakes can be seen from the end of June to December. In other months it is dangerous to go there without special equipment. 5. In winter, you can't see the lakes because they're covered with meters of snow. 6. Go there only with trekking shoes. Don't go there with flip flops, sandals, and moccasin. 7. Check the weather before you go!!! 8. Don't go there in August it is crowded.

Absolutely beautiful national park. Worth the visit. If the lift is not working it's even better because it's not as crowded. Around 1h 40 mins walk if the lift is not working to the hut. Then around 50 mins more to walk around the lakes. One of the best mountain views you can get in Europe.

Beautiful Rila always exciting!!!

The hotel is located in Rila mountains area, close to the Rila Monastery and the cave of St Ivan. Family who run the place are extremely pleasant people, every day started and ended with a smile. I enjoyed every moment spent there, felt right at home, and ate amazingly delicious and home-cooked food. Everything was communicated transparently and on-time, super helpful during my arrival. My room was clean and looked exactly as was shown in the photos, with everything necessary for one’s travels. The experience of being there is only positive, I could go on and on. Nothing bad to say whatsoever, I hope I will have the opportunity to come back and stay there again, the area has such peaceful and serene energy, it was a pleasure and blessing to stay at this hotel.

The restorant was absolutely amazing. ALL food which we order was delicious for a reasonable price. VEry nice atmosphere inside and lovely garden outside.For years that is my favourite stop to eat after a trip to Rila monastery

We had lunch in the restaurant after a visit to Rila - the food, the ambience and the service were all excellent. The buffalo milk dessert - you could really feel the flavor of buffalo milk in it. Service was pretty quick, overall we had a good experience, and planning to take a detour to stop at this place for lunch!

A perfect stop in the mountains, cosy warm rooms and a view of the hills, faint sound of bells ringing from animals in the hills. Traditional Bulgarian style and we enjoyed drinking mountain tea with the home made honey in the morning :)

Spacious room, amazing food and very friendly staff! Especially the garden is really beautiful. Would definitely recommend you to spend the night here.

Stayed two nights to visit Rila Monastery and attend services. Initial impression: basic amenities, minimal facilities, nothing fancy. Reality after a few hours: you've accidentally joined someone's family. **The transformation:** What starts as "budget accommodation" evolves into genuine hospitality. The restaurant serves excellent fresh food prepared by a skilled cook, and owner Veleslav speaks fluent Russian while radiating that rare combination of friendliness and competence. **Service that matters:** Veleslav reopened the restaurant after closing time just to feed us late arrivals. This isn't scripted customer service - it's actual human kindness that you remember long after checkout. **Location advantage:** Three minutes to Rila Monastery makes this perfect for spiritual visits without the tourist bus chaos. **Bottom line:** Don't expect luxury amenities. Do expect to feel genuinely welcomed and well-fed in an atmosphere that makes you want to return. Sometimes simple human warmth trumps fancy facilities. Best for: Monastery visitors, travelers seeking authentic Bulgarian hospitality, anyone tired of impersonal hotels.

We stop here to eat. Nice food. Good prices.

Very nice and cozy place. Staff is helpful, dishes are simple and delicious. Draft wine 250 ml for 4 lv. is also a strong advantage ;)

Very nice restaurant on the way to Rila Monastery. The service is kind, they serve delicious coffee and local food for reasonable price. The toilets (2men,2women) are clean. Good stop before heading the mountain.

We found this excellent restaurant in our way back from Rila's Monastery. The food was great and delicious. We had the trout, the sheppard's salade, the tripes soup, the chicken with mushrooms and the cheese with corn flakes (breaded cheeseballs). All the products are fresh with a special Bulgarian taste. Everything was excellent and the portions were more than satisfying. Our host even share some homemade Kravai with us. This was a great culinary experience maybe the best we had in our travel to Bulgaria. No need to tell you that the prices are also great.

Nice place for a stop on your way to the Monastery of Rila. They have a Bulgarian and Spanish flag hanged outside and speak Bulgarian, English and a perfect Spanish. Great customer service and Bulgarian food.

Amazing Bulgarian restaurant in this area! Extremely fresh food and wonderful service.

great local food.

Amazing place to grab lunch/dinner, close to the Rila Monastery. Skip the over-priced restaurants near the Monastery, and enjoy a proper Bulgarian meal for local prices! A 3 person lunch ran us about 10€, you can't go wrong! :) P.S: The host is very very pleasant, made us feel even more at home!