Borovets Day Trip from Sofia: Snow and Hot Springs

Prices are in euros, as Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026. Our tour and transfer prices were read from our booking system on 18 October 2026 and can change; the price shown when you book is the one that counts. Gondola and pool prices come from the operators' own websites, and where a figure is from last season, we say so.

A realistic timeline for a snow day from Sofia

This is how the day usually runs, based on our tour's schedule and the drive times our transfer system calculates. Times are approximate and shift with the weather and traffic.

Why this order? Because it gets dark early. In Borovets the sun sets just before 17:00 in December, around 17:20 in mid January and around 18:00 in mid February. Play in the snow while it is light and save the warm water for when the cold sets in. One habit worth picking up: the resort's official slopes status page is updated every morning at 8:20 and shows the snow depth and what is open, so check it before you set off.

Things to do in Borovets without skiing

Borovets is a small resort set in pine forest and built around skiing. Non-skiers will not find a street full of attractions, but for half a day in the snow it has exactly what you need. For skiing, lift passes and hotels, see our complete Borovets guide.

Sledging: there is a marked zone

The official slopes status page lists a sledges zone on the lower part of the Cherveno Zname run, graded for beginners and opened with the season like the pistes. Sledge there rather than on the ski runs, where skiers come down fast. We found no official price list for sledge hire in the resort, so ask your guide or hotel in advance how to get a sledge for the day.

The Yastrebets gondola, only if it is running

The gondola climbs from the resort to Yastrebets at 2,369 m in about 25 minutes. Last winter's price list included a return ticket for non-skiers: 21 euros for adults and 11 euros for children aged 7 to 13, with children under 7 free when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. Prices for 2026/27 have not been published yet. It only runs when the season is open, so check the official lift status page in the morning. It is much colder and windier at the top than in the resort, and on a foggy day there is no view, so on those days give the time to the sledge instead.

A walk in the snowy forest

The simplest option is often the best: walk the resort's streets and the forest roads around the base, under pines heavy with snow. Stick to paths and roads and stay off the ski runs. Above the resort stands Tsarska Bistritsa, the hunting lodge of Tsar Ferdinand and his son Boris III, built between 1898 and 1914. It opens to visitors on some days of the week only, and the hours we found disagree with each other, so if you want to see it, check the day before.

Horses, quad bikes and snowmobiles

The resort's official website offers horse riding with an instructor, at about 36 euros an hour on its price list, plus snowmobile rides along the forest trails at 110 euros for a single snowmobile and 132 euros for a double. The site gives no season for these prices and no length for the ride, so ask before you book. We found no official source for horse drawn sleigh rides, so do not build the day around one. If you want an engine, book a private quad bike ride with a local guide in Borovets: one hour, 129 euros per person, from age 8. In winter, confirm it runs on your date. None of these activities is included in our day trip; you pay for them on the spot.

Hot springs near Borovets on the way back

Our day trip ends at hot mineral pools, but the listing does not name the complex and the entry fee is not included. Ask the host when you book where you will go and what entry costs. If you are travelling on your own, these are the two usual choices:

Belchinski Bani: almost on the way

The spa village of Belchinski Bani is about 14 km from Samokov. Our transfer system's route calculation puts Borovets to Sofia via Belchinski Bani at about 75 km and an hour and a half of driving, against about 70 km and an hour and a quarter on the direct road, so the detour costs 10 to 15 minutes. The best known place there is the Belchin Garden spa hotel, which publishes a spa reception price list valid until 31 March 2027: 40 euros for a single spa visit for adults, less for children. The spring water comes out at 41°C. The outdoor pools are seasonal and described as summer pools; in winter you get the indoor mineral pool at up to 31°C, the Roman bath at up to 39°C, a sauna and a steam room. The site does not say outright that day visitors are admitted every day, publishes no opening hours and does not say whether you need to book, so do not treat it as a sure stop: call the hotel the day before to check they can take day visitors, and keep Sapareva Banya as the safe option.

Sapareva Banya: the geyser, half an hour further

The region's most famous hot springs are in Sapareva Banya, with its geyser and outdoor mineral pools. At the Kotvata complex, which sells day tickets to the public, weekday entry is 15 euros for adults, 10 euros after 15:00, and 20 euros at weekends, and from October to June two of its three large pools are open. By our route calculation, returning from Borovets to Sofia via Sapareva Banya adds 45 to 50 km and roughly half an hour of driving. The town, its pools and how they compare are covered in our guide to hot springs in Bulgaria.

Pack a swimsuit, towel and flip flops, and in winter a wool hat for the short walk from the pool to the changing room. If you would rather spend a longer day in the water, with Bansko's old town and the Pulse spa in Banya, see our Bansko spa day from Sofia.

How to get from Sofia to Borovets for the day

Our day trip

The easiest option, because someone else drives in the snow. It costs 85 euros per adult and 45 euros per child aged 3 to 12, with toddlers up to 2 free, for groups of 2 to 8. It leaves at 9:00 and gets back to Sofia between 16:00 and 17:00. Private bookings are picked up from your hotel lobby; on group dates the meeting point is in front of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The host lists English and Bulgarian among the tour's languages, so confirm yours when you book. A guide and a comfortable car are included; pool entry, meals and snow activities are not. You pay 20% online and the rest in cash to the host after the trip, cancellation is free up to 24 hours before, and the trip depends on the weather.

Private transfer from Sofia to Borovets

To plan the day yourself, book a private transfer from Sofia to Borovets: from your hotel in Sofia city it starts at 77 euros per car for up to four passengers (per car, not per person), or 115 euros for a van for up to eight. That is the city price; from Sofia Airport the transfer to Borovets starts at 72 euros per car. A snow day needs two legs, so from 154 euros per car there and back. The most flexible way is two one way bookings: up to Borovets in the morning, back to Sofia in the afternoon. You can add a stop with waiting time, at the hot springs for example, and the fare is calculated for the exact route before you pay. Drive times and airport pickups are on our Sofia to Borovets transfer page.

Rental car: winter tyres and snow chains

A rental car gives you the most freedom, but know the rules. According to Bulgaria's Ministry of Interior, from 15 November to 1 March tyres must be suitable for winter conditions or have at least 4 mm of tread, and the ministry advises carrying snow chains in the boot. Studded tyres are banned, chains are used only when road conditions require them, and drivers who do not comply face a fine of about 25 euros. Ask the rental company to confirm winter tyres and chains in writing, practise fitting the chains before you need them, and plan to be off the mountain before dark. Over Bulgaria's long Christmas weekend, 24 to 28 December, expect more traffic heading for the mountains.

Bus

Possible, but the clumsiest option. Buses run from Sofia to Samokov, and from there it is about 10 km up to Borovets by taxi or local bus. Check the timetable on the day, as it changes with the season. With children, gear and short daylight, this is the option where you are most likely to get stuck, especially on the way back after dark.

When is there snow in Borovets?

Last season Borovets opened for skiing on 27 December 2025. There is no official opening date for 2026/27 yet: on 18 October the official site showed 0 cm of snow and every lift closed, and international forecast sites estimate an opening between 19 and 26 December 2026. That is an estimate, not a promise. Your best chance of proper snow in the resort runs from late December to early March, and our guide to snow in Bulgaria goes through it month by month. In early December a snow day in Borovets is a gamble: check the snow depth on the official page two days before you book.

What to wear for snow and hot pools

The day swings from a few degrees below zero outside to a hot pool and back to the car, so the challenge is staying dry:

• From the ground up: waterproof boots with a sole that grips snow, ski trousers or trousers that will not soak through, and three layers on top. Yastrebets is much colder than the resort below.
• Hands and head: gloves, a wool hat and a scarf, plus a spare pair of gloves for every child. After an hour on a sledge the first pair is wet.
• Eyes and skin: sunglasses and sunscreen, because snow reflects the sun even on a cold day.
• Pool bag: swimsuit, towel and flip flops, as our tour page recommends.
• For the ride home: a dry set of clothes, clean socks and a bag for the wet things. Do not go out into the cold with wet hair; give it a few minutes to dry.

A snow day from Sofia with kids

With children, the day works when it is short on snow and long on breaks. A few things worth knowing:

• The drive: an hour and a quarter each way, with a mountain road at the end, so bring snacks and something to keep them busy. When you book a transfer you can request child seats, with each child's age and height, so the driver arrives ready.
• The snow: the marked sledging zone is the place for little ones, away from the skiers. Start in the morning and stop for a hot drink before anyone starts crying from the cold.
• Children's prices: on our tour, 45 euros for ages 3 to 12 and toddlers free. On the gondola last season, children under 7 rode free. At Kotvata, children from 3 years up to 120 cm tall pay 8 euros on weekdays, but the children's pools there only open from June to October, so in winter little ones share the big pools with you.
• The water: small children tire quickly in hot water, so an hour in the pool is plenty, with lots to drink.

Weighing up where to spend a whole ski week with the kids? We compare the two resorts in Bansko or Borovets with kids.

No snow? Vitosha, lakes and hot pools

If Borovets is still green, or you want more water and less snow, there is a day trip to Vitosha, lakes and hot mineral pools: a stop at the Golden Bridges stone river on Vitosha, a view over Sofia, lakes on the way to the rocks of Rila and about two hours in hot mineral pools. The listing does not name the pool complex, so ask the host when you book. It costs 96 euros per person for the first two guests and 50 euros for each additional guest, whatever their age, leaves in the morning and returns around 17:00 to 17:30; pool entry and lunch are not included. Snow on Vitosha is not guaranteed, but the hot water works in any weather. For more ideas that do not depend on snow, browse all our day trips from Sofia.

The bottom line

A snow day from Sofia works best with snow in the morning and hot water in the afternoon: Borovets an hour and a quarter away, sledging and a forest walk, the gondola if it runs, and a soak on the way back. From late December to early March your odds of snow are best; in early December, check the snow depth before you book. And if you end up wanting a night in the mountains after all, we also have hotels in Borovets.