An nice experience in Rila - Enjoyable despite rainy weather, the driver Apostolos went out of his way to make sure all those on board enjoyed the experience

Pick the baths over the hike! - Apostolos was an excellent guide. A very good driver, kind and personable. We had a lovely drive to Rila Monastery and then spent the afternoon at the mineral baths. You’ll need a swimsuit and flip flops for the baths. Highly recommend!

Excellent day with Apostolos - Trip Advisor cancelled my original trip but this trip was offered instead. Apostolos gave us all so much useful information that helped us to make informed decisions and have a great day. The drive was comfortable and safe. He made sure we understood where to go and what to look for. Apostolos had excellent communication throughout the entire day. He was on time and made sure everything went smoothly. He was very nice! Highly recommend any tour with Apostolos. 5 stars for sure.

Highly recommended - Great driver - very informative and lovely scenic drive. Monastery is breathtaking - a must see. Would have liked longer at the monastery compared to spa. Spa was good although nothing historic or amazing (eg compared to roman baths in Bath) but clean, good value and with lots of space and loungers,

Great trip - The monastery in the mountains was amazing to see; definitely worth the visit. The thermal spa was fine, although one of the pools was closed when we visited. The town has some lovely restaurants. Our driver was knowledgeable and safe.

Full-day escape to Rila was great - Our driver/tour guide Apostolos was terrific! There were 8 of us on the bus, although we broke into two groups after the monastery. (Most went to the Rila seven lakes, but my daughter and I went to the thermal spa town, Sapareva Banya.) Rila Monastery is lovely, and in an alpine setting. We spent about fifty minutes there. In Sapareva Banya, we had an excellent lunch at Golden Chicken, followed by several hours enjoying the baths at Five Elements Hotel. An all- inclusive day pass (indoor and outdoor pools, several hot pools, cold plunge, saunas, steam rooms, flavored water, robe and towels) is 70 BGN per person. Don't forget swimsuits and flip flops.

Fun day - Our guide apostolos was amazing. He was well informed, polite, professional and personable. The ride was very comfortable and his play list was fantastic. At the Rila monastery, we had free time to explore and it is so worth to explore every nook and cranny. After that we headed to the town where the mi wrap water are located and we eat a one of Apostolos recommend restaurants. Then headed for the bath. My groups involved several ages and nationalities. Everyone had an amazing time. I totally recommend this excursion.

Fun day - Our guide apostolos was amazing. He was well informed, polite, professional and personable. The ride was very comfortable and his play list was fantastic. At the Rila monastery, we had free time to explore and it is so worth to explore every nook and cranny. After that we headed to the town where the mi wrap water are located and we eat a one of Apostolos recommend restaurants. Then headed for the bath. My groups involved several ages and nationalities. Everyone had an amazing time. I totally recommend this excursion.

It deserves! Our guide... - It deserves! Our guide Apostolos was a very nice and positive person! He informed us for everything! Thank you very much!

Loved the monastery—the rest, not so much - If I had to rate just the monastery without everything that it took to get there and back, I would give this a five, because it is definitely worth taking the time to see. It is spectacular. Here are the reasons why I give this tour a two. First, it was a group of six, two couples and two solos, and about a two hour drive to the monastery. I wasn’t told that after seeing the monastery, I would be dropped off at a spa and the other five would continue on to a hiking tour that was to last five hours. This would have been ok, except that the tour company had not been advised that the spa was closed for the month of July—so the door was locked, and I used Google Translate to read the sign on the door. Since the spa was a self-pay venue, I could have looked around town for another spa not associated with this tour, but I was a bit nervous about that, so I decided to have an extended lunch and read a book in a nearby park. The hikers were late coming back to their meeting point, so I ended up waiting close to six hours to be picked up. In the meantime, I was in touch with the driver, so at least I knew what to expect next. When I say “driver”, that’s basically all he did. He was a Greek fellow who has only been in Bulgaria for less than a year, so he didn’t really know how to present cultural information as a native Bulgarian would do. He pointed out an electrical plant along the way and gave us a couple of tidbits at the monastery that were evident anyway. I would have preferred a Bulgarian guide.