Vitosha is a wonderful natural park right next to Sofia and offers great opportunities to refresh during the hot summer days or to ski and snowboard during the winter. It is a popular area for ski lessons and weekend treks for Sofia citizens or visitors. Despite its wonderful opportunities, Vitosha mountain infrastructure and access have been deliberately neglected by the local authorities and it is unbelievable that most ski lifts and huts are not operating. However, it remains our favorite mountain and we will be always happy to give you some tips and guidelines on how and where to go. There are a few ways to reach Vitosha mountain from Sofia.
1. Getting to Vitosha by own car, camper van or rent-a-car is the easiest way to reach the mountain. The two main places you can go are Aleko hut and Golden Bridges area (Zlatni Mostove). The first one is a local ski area and offers a quick access to some marvelous views over the city, several snacks, bars and cafes, quick access to Black peak (highest summit on Vitosha) is about 1.5h from there and also a beginning of many mountain trails. Zlatni Mostove is another popular area to reach by car where you can walk to many huts like Momina skala and Kamen Del (wonderful soups and grill), have a snack, reach Boyana waterfall or just roam around. Both roads are around 20km and take 45 min to reach your destination, however they are closed after 10:30 am on weekends and official holiday to avoid excessive traffic on the mountain.
2. Getting to Vitosha mountain by taxi. Taxis would usually charge around 10-15€ (20-30 BGN) to take you to Aleko or Zlatni Mostove. However, you may have to pay extra for the waiting time while you are visiting, plus you may not be able to find a car for your way back to Sofia. Sometimes taxi car conditions are not really recommended. They are a great option if you wish to make a loop trek or to join a group.
3. Getting to Aleko (Vitosha) by public transportation. Of course this is the least expensive alternative but only available on weekends and official holidays! There is direct bus line from Paradise Shopping Mall to Aleko (number 66) and bus number 63 will take you from Bulgaria Shopping Mall to Zlatni Mostove. The most eco and beautiful way to reach Aleko ski area is by Simeonovo Gondola which is also running only on weekends. Take bus 123 from G.M. Dimitrov Metro station and it will take you straight to Simeonovo base station. The price for a one way ticket is 12 BGN and 17 BGN for a return ticket per adult.
4. The most efficient way to visit Vitosha mountain is by taking a tour with V Travel Ltd. – licensed tour-operator. Our guides will take you directly from your hotel or accommodation in Sofia and currently we offer multiple activities on Vitosha mountain:
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- trekking to Vitosha peak in summer (https://vtravel.bg/2020/04/09/vitosha-walking-tour/) or in winter (with snowshoes – https://vtravel.bg/2020/04/02/vitosha-snowshoes-tour/);
- quick escape to Boyana waterfull with visit of Boyana church – https://vtravel.bg/2020/04/05/vitosha-half-day-excursion/
- ski lessons in English (January 0 March). For more details, please email us at: info@vtravel.bg
