Seven Rila Lakes hike: the lakes, the chairlift and the route

The Seven Rila Lakes are seven glacial lakes stacked one above another in a cirque in the north-west of the Rila Mountains, between about 2,100 and 2,535 m. Small streams and cascades link them, so a walk up the cirque is a sequence of new lakes appearing over each rise (Wikipedia). It is a busy, popular walk, and with a chairlift doing the first climb it is within reach of anyone used to a few hours of steady uphill walking.

The seven lakes, from bottom to top#

All figures are from Rila National Park.

The meadow east of Kidney Lake is where followers of the Bulgarian spiritual teacher Peter Deunov gather in summer to dance the Paneurhythmy, so you may find it busy on those days (park description).

How the hike works#

With the chairlift#

The usual start is the chairlift from Panichishte, a small resort at 1,350 m about 10 km by road from Sapareva Banya. The lift was built in 2009 to bypass a steep section of the old path, and the ride takes about 16 minutes (Wikipedia). It drops you near Rila Lakes hut, at the foot of the cirque.

From the hut, a marked path climbs to Seven Lakes hut beside Fish Lake and continues past Trefoil and Twin to the junction at Kidney Lake. From there the path steepens to the Eye and finally the Tear. Between Fish Lake and the Tear you climb roughly 350 m. Most walkers return the same way to catch the lift down.

On foot from Panichishte#

Without the lift, the park's marked route climbs from Panichishte via Zeleni Preslap to Rila Lakes hut (main routes). It adds a substantial forest and meadow climb before the lakes even begin, so start early and treat it as a full mountain day.

Longer connections#

Kidney Lake is the hub of the area's path network: branches lead to Skakavitsa, Rila Lakes, Seven Lakes and Ivan Vazov huts, and the park's route list also links Rila Lakes hut over Razdela to Malyovitsa hut. These make the lakes part of a multi-day traverse rather than a there-and-back walk.

Suggested plans#

Short outing: lift up, walk to Fish Lake and Seven Lakes hut, and look up the cirque to Trefoil and Twin. Good with children or in uncertain weather.

The classic day: lift up, climb to Kidney Lake, then the Eye and the Tear, and return the same way. From the higher ground around the Tear you look down on the lower lakes stepped one below another. Allow most of the day for the round trip with stops, and keep an eye on the time of the last lift down.

Full walk: Panichishte on foot via Zeleni Preslap, up to the Tear and back. A long day for fit hikers.

When to go#

July and August are the main season, with temperatures above 10°C and a lower risk of sudden storms. The lakes usually freeze in October and do not thaw before June; the ice can reach 2 m thick (Wikipedia). Visits in June and from late September onward mean snow patches, cold wind and a much shorter day. Sudden storms are possible even in high summer, so an early start pays off.

Why the park asks you to stay on the path#

The lakes are changing. According to the park, intensive tourism has produced a web of unofficial paths across the meadows, and erosion and organic pollution are silting up the lakes and feeding vegetation that turns them into marsh. The worst affected are not the most visited lakes but the lower Twin, Trefoil and Fish, because the paths to Kidney, the Eye and the Tear run through their catchment (park description).

The national park rules apply everywhere in the cirque: walk only on marked trails, do not enter or swim in lakes and rivers, camp only at designated sites, light no open fires, keep dogs on a lead and take all rubbish away. Fishing is allowed only at signed places, and Fish Lake is not one of them. Fines run from 500 to 5,000 leva for individuals (park rules). Park rangers can be reached on 0884 111 400; for a mountain emergency, call 112.

Practical details#

Checked on 8 October 2026. The chairlift is closed from Monday 5 October 2026 for its half-yearly inspection, and the operator has not announced a reopening date (maintenance notice). Until it reopens, the walk from Panichishte is the only way up.

Fares and hours are from the operator's published schedule. Rila Lakes hut is run by the Rila Lakes tourist society of Dupnitsa and Seven Lakes hut by the Rilski Turist society of Samokov (park hut list); book directly if you want to stay overnight in the cirque. Check the operator's site and the mountain forecast on the morning you go.