Skiing in Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s popularity as a ski holiday destination has surged in recent years, as Brits seek out more budget-friendly resorts that don’t sacrifice on snow conditions and atmosphere.
Bulgaria has both in spades, as well as generally less-crowded slopes and great value lift passes, ski hire, and lessons. This makes it a great place for beginners, but intermediates will also find plenty of more challenging skiing to keep them occupied.
What about food and nightlife? Well, if you’ve never sampled Bulgarian cuisine you’re in for a treat. Alongside the familiar ski fuel you’d find anywhere (burgers, chips, pizzas), make sure to tuck into the country’s more traditional dishes like clay pot stews, grilled and slow cooked meats, and flaky cheese filled pastries. You’ll also discover that Bulgarian après is just as buzzing as its Alpine equivalent.
Find a great deal and book your Bulgarian ski trip now via one of our friendly ski experts. Enquire today!
Skiing in Bansko
Bulgaria Ski Resort Advice
First time skiing in Bulgaria? Here’s where you should head to discover the best the country has to offer.
As it’s grown in popularity, the quality of Bulgaria’s pistes and infrastructure has come on in leaps and bounds thanks to some serious financial investment.
Bansko and Borovets are the country’s biggest resorts, with 70km and 60km of pistes respectively and plenty of variety to suit skiers of all abilities. Its third and arguably lesser known resort, Pamporovo, high up in the Rhodopi mountains, offers sunshine and snow surety throughout the season.
Below we go into more detail about which resorts are best for families, beginners, party animals and more.
Where to go in Bulgaria for snow surety
Bansko is the most snow-sure resort in Bulgaria.
Its highest lift goes up to 2,560m, and its pistes are generally north facing, meaning they maintain good snow quality even when the sun is high. Plus, the resort has a good supply of snow cannons to top up the pistes when natural snow is thin on the ground.
All of this ensures Bansko can open its slopes in December and stay open right through to April and sometimes even May.
Where to go in Bulgaria for a family ski holiday
Bansko and Borovets are the most family-friendly resorts in Bulgaria.
A high proportion of the pistes in both are nursery or green slopes, and they’re relatively uncrowded, giving children a safe environment to learn in.
Both also have decent ski schools for kids, as well as very affordable ski hire, and a variety of hotels and family-sized self-catering apartments.
Pamporovo does have a couple of winding greens and blues for beginners and is quieter and more low key than Bansko and Borovets, however it's longer transfer time from Sofia (around 2 hours 45 minutes) may make it less attractive to families.
Which resort is best for beginners?
Thanks to their excellent ski schools and gentle tree-lined runs, Bulgaria’s resorts are known for being fantastic for beginners skiers, but which is best?
Really any of Bulgaria’s three main resorts are perfect for learners. All have gentle tree-lined green and blue runs, and expert, English-speaking instructors. The supply of advanced slopes is limited to a few kilometres in Borovets, Bansko and Pamporovo, so there’s very little chance of you accidentally straying onto a black.
Where to go for partying in Bulgaria
If it’s lively après you’re after, Borovets is the place to go.
The resort is popular with a younger crowd, as well as stag and hen dos, who descend upon its many pubs and bars after the lifts have closed to drink cheap local beer and rakia, a kind of potent fruit-based brandy that’s sure to warm you up.
If it’s happy hour cocktails and an all night party you’re after, head to BJ’s, which is open 24/7. White Magic and Bobby’s Bar are also good fun. To really sample all Borovets nightlife has to offer, join one of its boisterous bar crawls.
Where to go for a group ski holiday
Again, Borovets is great for groups.
As well as the aforementioned nightlife, the resort has a good range of accommodation that’s suitable for large groups and varied enough skiing for both beginners and more advanced skiers to have a great trip.
While Bulgaria as a whole isn’t great for experts, there's some challenging terrain and off piste at the Markudjik ski centre. There are also plenty of good restaurants and activities for any non-skiers in your group, including snowmobile rental, and day trips to Sofia or the ancient Rila monastery.
Where to go for a cheap ski holiday
Value for money is par for the course in Bulgaria, so wherever you go you can have a cheap ski holiday.
Pamporovo is probably the most consistently cheap resort. It’s a bit of a trek (3 and a half hour transfer from Sofia, 1 and a half hours from Plovdiv), but there you’ll find wonderful accommodation, drinks, food, lessons, and rental gear for a fraction of the price you would in the Alps, and even compared to Bansko and Borovets.
The biggest ski areas in Bulgaria
While they’re less than half the size of their Alpine rivals, for fans of Bulgarian ski resorts, their compact nature is part of the charm.
This makes it easy for beginners to find their feet, and for large groups to find each other, whether on the slopes or for a cheap round of drinks at the bar.
Which ski area is biggest - Bansko or Borovets?
There’s not much in it but Bansko is slightly bigger than Borovets, with around 75km of pistes in the former and 60km in the latter.
This means that Bansko also has more lifts (24) and a larger variety of runs than Borovets. It’s also home to the longest run in Bulgaria, the 16km descent from Todorka peak.
Beautiful scenery in Borovets
Snow conditions in Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s top resorts see enough snowfall to typically stay open from December to April.
Both Bansko and Borovets have lifts going up above 2,500m, and Pamporovo has a pretty high resort range (between 1,650m and 1,926m). All three also benefit from a northerly aspect to their pistes, which keeps the snow in good condition even on warmer days. Together these factors make Bulgaria a largely snow sure skiing destination.
What's the ski accommodation like?
Skiing accommodation in Bulgaria is all about big hotels and self-catered apartments.
While there are chalets, they aren't as plentiful as they are in France and Austria. We have loads of fantastic last minute accommodation deals for this season, in addition to soon-to-be-snapped up deals for next season, bookable online.
While there are loads of cheaper options for budget-conscious travellers, there are also some really luxurious hotels with spa facilities that are a lot more affordable than they would be in the Alps. Prices for a four star hotel start from as little as £350 per person for seven nights. For an equivalent hotel in France or Switzerland you’re looking at £1,000 for the week at least.
Check out our selection of three to five star hotels in Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo. We also have deals available for self-catered and half-board apartments, running from just £300 to just over £1,000 per person for seven nights.
Transfer times to resorts in Bulgaria
Borovets (1 hour 30 min), Pamporovo (3 hours 30 min) and Bankso (3 hours) are all easily accessible from Sofia Airport.
Bulgaria ski holidays FAQs
Below are some of the most common questions our ski specialists get asked about Bulgaria skiing.
Is Bulgaria good for skiing?
Bulgaria is great for skiing, especially for beginners, who will love the gentle, quiet slopes, excellent English-speaking instructors and affordable lift passes.
What are the best months for skiing in Bulgaria?
The best months for skiing in Bulgaria are between December and March, with the season stretching into April in some places. While it can’t rival the sometimes year-round seasons offered by some Alpine resorts, Bulgaria is generally much quieter, meaning you can go at popular times like over Christmas and New Year without worrying about busy slopes or queuing for lifts.
Is Bulgaria expensive for skiing?
Bulgaria is not expensive for skiing. On every metric, Bulgaria trumps most European ski resorts for cost-effectiveness. You can even stay at fancy hotels and eat out at nice restaurants at a much lower cost than you would in the Alps.
Is Bulgaria cheap for skiing?
Bulgarian ski resorts have consistently topped rankings as the cheapest in Europe. You’ll be spending less than half of what you would in France or Switzerland on your accommodation, which means you can splash out elsewhere. Not that you’ll need to: a six day lift pass in Borovets is just £170, compared to £300+ in most of the Alps, and dining out and après won’t cost you the earth.
Where do you fly into for skiing in Bulgaria?
You’ll find loads of flights from the UK to Sofia Airport in the Bulgarian capital, which is 1 hour 30 minutes from Borovets, 3 hours from Bansko, and 3 hours 30 minutes from Pamporovo.
If you’re staying in Pamporovo, you might be better off flying to Plovdiv, which cuts your transfer time down to an hour and a half. It’s also closer to Borovets (2 hours) and Bansko (2 hours 30 minutes).
How much is a pint in Bulgaria's ski resorts?
You can buy a pint of beer in Borovets for as little as £1.17. The resort tends to attract a lot of stag and hen dos, as well as younger ski groups, and as a result there are near constant drinks deals and happy hours on offer. If you’re after a slightly less hedonistic ski trip, head to Bansko or Pamporovo, where you’re still only going to spend in the £2 to £3 range for your post-ski pint.