Borovets: Ski Resort Guide and Day Trip from Sofia

Borovets is the big ski resort closest to Sofia, about 73 km south on the northern slopes of the Rila Mountains, and the oldest winter resort in Bulgaria. It is known for easy, tree-lined skiing, night skiing and a gondola toward Musala. This guide covers the three ski areas, the 2026/27 lift pass prices, the buses from Sofia, the summer trails and how it compares with Bansko.

Borovets at a glance

Borovets began in 1896 as a hunting retreat for Bulgaria's rulers. General Tantilov built the first villa, and Tsar Ferdinand I followed with a palace, Tsarska Bistritsa. Until the middle of the 20th century the place was called Chamkoria.

It grew into a ski resort over the next century and hosted Alpine Ski World Cup races in 1981 and 1984 and the Biathlon World Championships in 1993. Today it is a resort village of hotels in the forest, 10 km above the town of Samokov, with the lifts starting at the edge of the village.

Skiing in Borovets: the three ski areas

Borovets has 58 km of marked pistes on north-facing slopes, from the village at 1,350 m to about 2,540 m. The longest is a gentle 12 km run back to the resort along the maintenance road.

The skiing splits into three areas: Sitnyakovo and Martinovi Baraki next to the village, then Yastrebets and Markudjik up the gondola.

Sitnyakovo and Martinovi Baraki

These are the lower, tree-lined areas closest to the village. The beginners' area and the ski school sit by Hotel Rila, and the Sitnyakovo Express lift runs from here too.

Martinovi Baraki is floodlit for night skiing from 6:30 PM to 10 PM.

Yastrebets

A six-seat gondola, 4.8 km long, climbs from the village to Yastrebets at about 2,369 m, and the top is the start of Borovets' World Cup downhill course.

The Yastrebets Express, a high-speed quad, lets you lap the upper runs without going back down. The gondola itself is long and slow, so I'd ride it early and stay up high until the afternoon.

Markudjik

Markudjik is the highest area, topping out around 2,540 m, with open runs above the treeline. It holds the best snow late in the season, so I'd save it for March and April.

Borovets lift pass prices for 2026/27

These are the resort's own prices for winter 2026/27, sold from 1 November to 14 December at last season's rates. Each pass includes a €2.60 reloadable card, which you buy once.

Children under 7 ski free. Families of up to 2 adults and 3 children aged 7 to 13 get 20% off the adult price on half-day, 1-day, 2-day and 6-day passes, bought together at the ticket office. An adult season pass with night skiing costs €816 at the early price.

Non-skiers can ride up for the view. A two-way ticket on the Yastrebets gondola or the Sitnyakovo Express costs €21 for an adult and €11 for youths and children.

Ski school and rental in Borovets

The resort's ski school runs group lessons from Sunday to Friday, and on Saturdays only private lessons are available. Rental comes in the resort's all-in packages too: 6 days of ski rental, a lift pass and 6 days of 4-hour group lessons cost €474 for an adult and €327 for a child aged 7 to 13.

When to ski in Borovets

The season usually runs from mid-December to April, but opening day depends on the snow. January in Borovets has an average high of 0.6°C and an average low of -7.1°C, so the snow stays firm in midwinter.

I'd go in the second half of January or in early March: January for the snow, March for lower prices and quieter slopes.

Sofia in winter has about 9 hours of daylight, and I'd give one of those short January days to the Borovets slopes.

Getting to Borovets from Sofia

Borovets is the easiest big resort to reach from the capital. The road runs south through Samokov, and the last stretch climbs into the Rila forest.

The two morning buses from Yug bus station reach the stop by the Ela hotel in Borovets at 9:30 AM and noon, which leaves time to rent gear and ski the afternoon. Most long-distance buses for getting around Bulgaria leave from Sofia Central Bus Station, so check that your Borovets ticket says Yug.

From the airport, the evening bus is the simplest way to reach the resort on your first night. If you land earlier, metro Line 4 takes you from Sofia Airport to the city center in about 20 minutes for a night in Sofia and the morning bus.

Who Borovets suits

• Beginners. The nursery slopes by Hotel Rila and the greens and blues of Sitnyakovo let you learn away from steep terrain.
• Families. Children under 7 ski free, and family passes are 20% off.
• Intermediate skiers. The World Cup slopes off Yastrebets and the open runs on Markudjik give a week of variety.
• Night skiers. Floodlit runs on Martinovi Baraki stay open until 10 PM.
• A weekend from Sofia. At 1.5 hours by road, Borovets works for a Friday-to-Sunday trip.

Skip it if:

• You are an advanced skier. Less than 10% of the pistes are black, so a strong skier runs out of challenge within a day or two.
• You want a real town for the evenings. Borovets is a resort village of hotels, and Bansko has an old town with stone houses and taverns.

Borovets in summer

The resort stays open after the snow melts, for hiking in the Rila Mountains and cooler air than the city. Outside the ski season the gondola runs Wednesday to Sunday from 8:30 AM to 6 PM, and it is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Musala, the highest peak in the Balkans

Musala, at 2,925 m, is the highest peak in the Balkans, and the gondola from Borovets does most of the climbing for you. The gondola lifts you to 2,369 m at Yastrebets, which leaves 3 to 4 hours of walking to the summit.

Wear proper hiking boots for the rocky upper section, and take the first gondola so you are back down before the last one at 6 PM. It is one of the big day hikes near Sofia, and with a car and the first gondola you can be back in the city for dinner. For the other famous hike in the range, the Seven Rila Lakes start from a different lift, above Sapareva Banya.

Tsarska Bistritsa, the royal hunting lodge

Tsarska Bistritsa is the palace Tsar Ferdinand I built in Borovets when the place was still Chamkoria, a hunting ground for Bulgaria's rulers. It has a stone ground floor and long wooden balconies, and it stands among tall fir trees.

I'd walk out to it on a rest day from the slopes, for the history behind the resort.

A day trip or a weekend

Borovets works as a day trip from Sofia if you drive. Leave at 7 AM, and you can be on the gondola by 9 AM and back in the city in the evening. By bus, the first arrival is at 9:30 AM and the afternoon pass at €39.60 starts at noon, which still makes a good day.

For two or three days, stay in the resort. You get the first gondola of the morning, and you can add a night on the floodlit runs. Day trips from Sofia in winter include Plovdiv and Rila Monastery too, if somebody in your group does not ski.

Borovets or Bansko

Borovets wins on distance and beginner slopes, and it has night skiing until 10 PM. Bansko has a bit more terrain, a modern gondola from town and a real old town for the evenings. If you have one day, go to Borovets. If you have a week, I'd go to Bansko.

Where to stay in Borovets

Most Borovets hotels have a pool and a spa for the end of a ski day. Hotel Rila is the large hotel directly opposite the main slopes and the ski school, which makes it the easy choice with beginners.

If you would rather stay in the capital and come out for the day, the Hilton and the Crowne Plaza are the luxury hotels in Sofia I'd pick with a car, and the Crowne Plaza parks it for free. For a smaller hill above the city, Aleko on Vitosha Mountain has a few short runs at the end of a city bus line.