Wellness Escape: Yoga and Mountain Hiking in Bulgaria's Rila National Park

This retreat is run by Green Valleys, a Bulgarian tour operator that focuses on small-group, eco-friendly trips. They've designed this week to blend outdoor activities with different styles of yoga and wellness practices. It's a practical, nature-led approach: the mountains are the backdrop and the yoga helps you make the most of being in them.

Your guide and yoga teacher is Biliana, who has over 17 years of experience teaching Hatha, Ashtanga, Nidra, and Restorative yoga. She's also a certified physiotherapist and an experienced mountain guide. That combination matters here - she can adapt the yoga to your body's needs and also lead you safely into the hills. Reviews from past guests mention her ability to cater to different fitness levels and that she's a great cheerleader on the trails.

The location is a big part of the appeal. Borovets is a proper resort town in the Rila Mountains, which means you have the facilities - hotel, restaurants, ski lifts in winter - but step outside and you're in a national park. Rila National Park is the largest in Bulgaria, home to the highest peak in the Balkans, Mount Musala. There are thousand-year-old forests, glacial lakes, and mineral-rich thermal pools. The hotel itself is comfortable and modern, with rooms that have balconies facing the mountains, a pool, sauna, and a restaurant.

Each day has a simple structure: morning yoga, daytime activities, evening restorative yoga. But the afternoons are open. There's a list of optional adventures you can add to your week - all the way from a gentle horse ride to a tandem delta glide flight. The retreat also includes airport pickup from Sofia or Plovdiv, so travel logistics are handled. This is a week where you can be as active or as relaxed as you want, and the yoga is there to support you either way.

What's included

- Airport pickup & drop-off - 7 nights accommodation - 3 daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Water, tea, and coffee served throughout the day - Welcome drink - Daily yoga classes - Nature hikes with a trusted guide - Pre- and post-retreat support from our team - Transportation during the retreat - Luggage storage - Parking - Wi-Fi connection

What's not included

- Flight costs - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Additional activities not included in the itinerary