Borovets Ski Resort
Borovets Ski Resort
4.5
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- МечокаSofia, Bulgaria60 contributionsBorovets is the most beautiful Bulgarian winter resort 🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🇬🇧 Borovets is the most beautiful Bulgarian winter resort, but also the most expensive. It is best to take the lift to the top. There are huge Pines. 🌲🌲🌲 Pizza 🍕 is best. Unlike Bansko, where you can sit and eat a local dish for hours, here in Borovets you do not have time and there are no such things.Visited December 2023Travelled soloWritten 7 December 2023
- Stevie Girasole2 contributions10/1010/10 must do. Everything was brilliant (we booked with Crystal Ski - would highly recommend). Good food and drinks all over the resort. Our instructor Geogie Minov from BoroSport was the highlight for our group, he was so kind and a very good teacher, always making sure everybody in the group was comfortable and confident before moving on to more difficult slopes. I would highly recommend this company for your ski lessons.Visited January 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 14 January 2024
- Richard WNewcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom13 contributionsGood resortFirst time to Borovets and have enjoyed skiing here. A small resort by a lot of European standards but with some good runs. Especially good for beginners but can get busy. The only downside is that both ski areas are not linked.Visited January 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 18 January 2024
- Barry DLimerick, Ireland313 contributionsAbsolutely perfect for young family & beginnersYoung family of 2 adults and two children, 4+8, visited for a week. The ski school staff were excellent and the lifts were very accessible with no long queues. The four year-old had ski kindergarten and the eight-year-old had ski lessons with beginner group and really progressed throughout the week. Would highly recommendthis resort for beginners as the value for money and the lack of crowds made it superb. 10 out of 10.Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 31 January 2024
- Birgit PTallinn, Estonia125 contributionsNice slopesAccomodation is a bit pricey and overall prices as well if you think about the bulgarian minimum and avarage. But the slopes are good, you have few different options with lifts and gondola. Nice views everywhere. Maybe too many beginners?Visited February 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 8 February 2024
- LittleMissK78Ticehurst, United Kingdom42 contributionsLovely, friendly ski resortWe had a wonderful time in this incredibly friendly ski resort. The snow was great, despite the weather not providing huge amounts but most of the runs were open as snow cannons had been working well to keep most of the runs covered in perfect conditions. Great choice of places to eat and drink. Really friendly people everywhere and an easy resort to find your way around.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 8 February 2024
- Rosemary RSt Austell, United Kingdom36 contributionsBrilliant for a family skiing holidayA great, family friendly resort. Would definitely recommend here for a family skiing trip. Bulgaria is much more reasonably priced than most countries for skiing. Loads of places to get lessons & hire ski equipment. A lovely atmosphereVisited February 2024Travelled with familyWritten 15 February 2024
- Lydia M115 contributionsGreat for families and snowAmazing for couples and families!! Very good snow level and great weather. Perfect conditions. Great lift and connections to mountains. Good for all levels. Lacking music and the party atmosphere thoughVisited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 23 February 2024
- Stuart MDublin, Ireland84 contributionsFantastic Long Weekend on the Piste!We had a great short family break. I thought the resort is fine for a few days, In my opinion is has become increasingly more expensive, the food and drink on offer is of average quality at inflated prices. The restaurants/ bars at the summit are well overpriced (to be expected) and the quality is poor, on our next visit I will be taking a few snacks up with me. Pistes were in good condition, in the afternoon the bottom slopes got slushy due to the warm weather. Used Chris Borovets for transfer from Sofia which was seamless and great value. The main drag in Borovets has some chancers hawking crap, my lads were approached on several occasions so just be mindful of this. We will be back but we will make better food choices on our next visit. Thank you Borovets we had a fantastic trip.Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 13 March 2024
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4.5
1,537 reviews
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carl s
Wakefield, UK34 contributions
Dec 2019
2nd time I have visited Borovets it was down to cost as I was paying for my family which consisted of 4 adults & 1 no 16 year old.
As it was for New Year I gambled on there being snow , I was very lucky as before the 24th December it was 14 C on the slopes but it suddenly dropped to -10 C and snowed for the next 5 days . The subsequent conditions were probably the best I have ever skied especially as 4 days of my 6 days skiing where under bright blue skies. I will be going away again for Next New Year however its unlikely to be Borovets and more likely to be in Andorra just due to it being more snow sure.
I would say that the resort has really progressed in the 7 years since my last visit . they have plenty of good quality lifts , well groomed runs , loads of snow cannons . I would however say that conditions are best Mid Jan - Mid March .
Again although I really enjoyed my visit I would say that its more for learners or Intermediates not advanced . There are a good number of reds and blacks however not enough in comparison to other resorts .
Pros
Great alpine feel , lots of tree lined runs
Good choice of hotels . If you want a top hotel then go to the Rila , if not then try the Samakov , bit rough and ready but generally ok.
Good chair lifts etc
Lots of snow cannons on the main slopes
Loads of good cheap bars and eateries ( BJ Bar, Black Tiger , Cool Runnings )
Short transfers ( 11/2 hrs)
Cons
Bit limited to the amount of runs. Would only visit again in years to come if they add more slopes or if I had grandkids and wanted them to learn how to ski.
As it was for New Year I gambled on there being snow , I was very lucky as before the 24th December it was 14 C on the slopes but it suddenly dropped to -10 C and snowed for the next 5 days . The subsequent conditions were probably the best I have ever skied especially as 4 days of my 6 days skiing where under bright blue skies. I will be going away again for Next New Year however its unlikely to be Borovets and more likely to be in Andorra just due to it being more snow sure.
I would say that the resort has really progressed in the 7 years since my last visit . they have plenty of good quality lifts , well groomed runs , loads of snow cannons . I would however say that conditions are best Mid Jan - Mid March .
Again although I really enjoyed my visit I would say that its more for learners or Intermediates not advanced . There are a good number of reds and blacks however not enough in comparison to other resorts .
Pros
Great alpine feel , lots of tree lined runs
Good choice of hotels . If you want a top hotel then go to the Rila , if not then try the Samakov , bit rough and ready but generally ok.
Good chair lifts etc
Lots of snow cannons on the main slopes
Loads of good cheap bars and eateries ( BJ Bar, Black Tiger , Cool Runnings )
Short transfers ( 11/2 hrs)
Cons
Bit limited to the amount of runs. Would only visit again in years to come if they add more slopes or if I had grandkids and wanted them to learn how to ski.
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LondonUKTraveller
West Yorkshire, UK76 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Borovets promotes itself as family friendly but is a bit of a lads' resort to be honest. That said there are a number of good ski Kindergartens where kids as young as 4 can learn to ski. It has its perks, accommodation is cheaper than traditional resorts, as is equipment hire, lift pass and tuition. Alcohol is quite cheap but food isn't as cheap as you think, expect to pay the same as you would pay in the UK although if you shop around you can get decent food at decent prices (try BJs). The resort has a number of chairlifts, 1 only a few years old, quite a lot of drag lifts and 1 gondola. The gondola is a relic but it works. It takes 25 minutes to get to the top and on busy days you could easily queue over 30 minutes to get on, that's an hour before you even get on your skis!! That said, once at the top the view is amazing and you can ski all day then ski down at the end of the day (red mostly). The resort is promoted as a good beginners resort, I think this is due to the number and quality of ski schools rather than ease of skiing. Much of the resort is red with some of the most challenging (and scenic) slopes being on the gondola side. We visited in the first week in February and the slopes were packed, uncomfortably so at times, and I don't even think that week is peak time!!! This may be as a result of the total area and number of lifts being smaller than other resorts. That said, there are enough runs to keep an improver interested for a week.
Written 8 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
andye30m3
East Peckham, UK48 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
We headed here for a long weekend skiing, ground of 12 guys, all in all the resort provided a good value, no frills ski trip.
We were lucky that there was significant snow fall on the day of our arrival so the slopes were generally good and all were open. Only down sides where that the queue for the gondola and one or 2 of the other lifts were very long and it was slightly annoying that the 2 ski areas weren’t linked so you ended up walking from one to another with all of your ski equipment.
Also there’s not a huge number of runs so the resort is probably more suited to a long weekend rather than a week.
We stayed in self catering apartments, which wasn’t a problem other than a lack of breakfast and most restaurants we found didn’t open until 9am when ideally we wanted to be on the lifts at 8.30
All in all though it can’t be ignored that the resort offered very affordable skiing option
I don’t think I’d discount going back to the resort in the future
We were lucky that there was significant snow fall on the day of our arrival so the slopes were generally good and all were open. Only down sides where that the queue for the gondola and one or 2 of the other lifts were very long and it was slightly annoying that the 2 ski areas weren’t linked so you ended up walking from one to another with all of your ski equipment.
Also there’s not a huge number of runs so the resort is probably more suited to a long weekend rather than a week.
We stayed in self catering apartments, which wasn’t a problem other than a lack of breakfast and most restaurants we found didn’t open until 9am when ideally we wanted to be on the lifts at 8.30
All in all though it can’t be ignored that the resort offered very affordable skiing option
I don’t think I’d discount going back to the resort in the future
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cdfhm2016
St. Albans, UK36 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
This was our 4th ski holiday (Mum and Dad) and 2nd ski holiday for the kids (aged 13 and 10). Borovets is a great choice for a good value ski holiday. We had 4 x 2hour private lessons which was enough to remind us of what we already knew, teach us a few new things and give us the confidence to ski on our own. We were happy to stick to the blue runs which did get very busy towards the end where several runs all converge. Pistes generally well groomed but got icy towards the end of the day. Not very many snowboarders which made a nice change. Night ski was a particular highlight - less busy and regroomed piste - although somewhat scary when the power cut off for 5 mins plunging the slopes into darkness. Fortunately everyone had the sense to stop skiing and stay where they were until the power was reconnected. Borovets itself is small and friendly and has everything you need. It is prettier and has more of an Alpine feel than the other main Bulgarian resort, Bansko, and we therefore preferred Borovets. We would return.
Written 4 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChrisMonaghan
Littlehampton, UK41 contributions
Dec 2019
Borovets is a smallish resort, and good value for money (Bulgaria is probably the cheapest place for skiing), ideal for first timers and families (good ski schools and some nice easy runs for beginners which lead all the way back down to the resort). I visited 28th Dec to 4th Jan and would not recommend such an early season visit to others as many of the pistes and lifts were not open. Probably best later in the season (e.g. February probably best). Loads of places to eat (all at very reasonable prices for a ski resort). For beginners, best area to stay is in or near the Rila Hotel.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Uljana D
1 contribution
Feb 2020 • Family
If you’re an experienced skier, this is the last place you want to go. The skiing area is not made to handle the crowds and you end up queuing at least 1h every morning to take up the only gondola that takes you to the slopes. The pistes are extremely crowded and don’t allow a good skiing experience. Given the amount of skiing you’ll be doing the prices of the skiing passes are definitely not worth it - better to spend 10€ more a day and go somewhere with better conditions.
Written 21 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elle8104
Neston, UK412 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Borovets might not be everyone’s cup of tea but it is ours. We have been coming here for over 10 years and still love it. It is no giant French or Swiss resort but it’s a fraction of the price at less than £30 per day for your pass and plenty of ski runs for all abilities.
The new lift speeds up the queues and gets it all moving.
Top of the gondola needs to be seen to be believed best view ever!
Try it u never know u just might like it!
The new lift speeds up the queues and gets it all moving.
Top of the gondola needs to be seen to be believed best view ever!
Try it u never know u just might like it!
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jed Taylor
Penicuik, UK33 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
I have visited borovets twice to ski, both times I have found it an enjoyable place to be. The resort has some very good instructors and is an ideal place to learn the basics at a decent price. I have used hunters and alpin for ski rental and both have been excellent and provided a professional service.
The restaurants in the resort serve a good mixture of cuisines at a reasonable cost. I found the overall mood of the resort to be positive and friendly. The only real downsides for me is the constant pestering from restaurants workers as you try to pass by, it's quite relentless. Also the overcrowding of some runs with children is quite a problem, with very bad que etiquette.
The restaurants in the resort serve a good mixture of cuisines at a reasonable cost. I found the overall mood of the resort to be positive and friendly. The only real downsides for me is the constant pestering from restaurants workers as you try to pass by, it's quite relentless. Also the overcrowding of some runs with children is quite a problem, with very bad que etiquette.
Written 16 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert M
Par, UK22 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
This is our 7th visit to Borovets,and it's nice to have seen some improvement over the last couple of years,with the new chair lift,and alterations to some of the slopes,in particular the corner on the Baraki run and widening the Rotata.I just wonder why it's taken so long.It would be better if the Yastrebets 1 run could be kept open more with the aid of snow making as it's a good run often closed.A few years ago the amount of wild dogs seemed to decrease,but now look like the numbers are rising,and they can be a nuisance barking at night.A local driver told us of a big change to the centre of the main area with redevelopment this summer, which may well lead to increased prices in the resort. Borovets runs get crowded,the area is not connected,so it can be hard work,but if you like Borovets like we do,you will always return.
Written 30 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
298spp
71 contributions
Feb 2022
We are beginner snowboarders with a young beginner skier. We have been to Switzerland and Austria skiing before and this was our first time in Borovets. The beginner slopes were terrible. People randomly standing about chatting in the middle of the slopes, sometimes walking straight up the middle getting in everyone's way. There were dogs running about on the slopes, sometimes defecating on them. People were pulling kids around on sledges - again getting in the way and creating a safety hazard. The slopes were crowded to the extent that it was almost impossible to practice. Some beginner areas had no way to get up the slope other than by walking. Many people also seemed to be from the less-desirable areas of the UK which really showed (the place is full of chavs). The drag lift operators were largely miserable, only some would help people. Lift passes were expensive given the standard of the slopes and the fact that it was often as fast or faster to walk up the slope than use the button lifts. Higher up the mountain things were definitely better. I tried to use the button lift at the Iglika blue run only to find the lift poles were completely straight and thus not useful for snowboarders. The lift operator just said go to a different lift run! This was not mentioned when I purchased my pass. All in all, I hate Borovets and will never return.
Written 15 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Does anyone know if the Yastrebets gondola is open from Nov. 28 to 30? Also, which huts are open around that time of the year? I was told Yastrebets hut will be closed during this time of the year. Thanks!
Written 22 September 2023
So with a week to go till we arrive at Borovets this is a roll call for anyone travelling in small groups who want to form one giant group with me and 3 others as we are all of fairly different abilities. My older brother is by far better at snowboarding than all of us and would benefit spending a bit more time with people of his level when on the mountain and then we can all go out for the evening shenanigans as a larger group. If you want to meet up feel free to comment here and look forward to seeing you all on the slopes!!! We arrive on the 29th in the evening and leave on the 7th in the evening. And we are staying at the samakov 👍.
Written 21 February 2020
I wish I had seen this a year ago
It's the toughest thing to find people to go skiing with. I'm forever nagging friends to go. So anyone who wants to get some numbers for a trip - or maybe just wants a mate for their solo trip - hit me up!
Written 2 September 2022
Looking for some information on ski lift/Gondola timing please:
As with most ski resorts there are good and bad times at the lift and gondola stations so any advice on times to avoid due to large queues?
Also any recommended areas on the mountain to focus on for an experienced snowboarder?
Thanks
Written 3 February 2020
Hey there. Today the weather was getting angry on the sunny days and is preparing to deliver some storm and snow for the next week's holiday.
Avoid peak hours around and between 9:30-10:30 in the morning and 12:00-12:15 in weekdays. And avoid the weekend in general.
Have a safe and enjoyable ride!
Written 4 February 2020
Hi all who have been to borovets.
A couple of questions:
Is it worth buying lift passes online prior to arrival, we have a whole day there before our first day on the slopes!
Any areas that are best for boarders? Any areas to avoid?
Look forward to your replies.
Written 24 January 2020
Just buy when you get there - no hassle and you get the liftcard. Areas depends of your niveau.
Written 25 January 2020
We are going to Borovets in the end of January. What is the best way to enroll to the ski school ? Is it better to book it online or we can book a place when we arrive ? Thank you 😊
Written 23 January 2020
Tel +359887365400 Albena
E-mail albenaski@abu.bg
Written 24 January 2020
We are travelling to Borovets in Feb 2020 and have read reports that it's better to take ££ and exchange to LEV in the resort. Is that still the case?
Written 21 January 2020
In Bulgaria exchange rates at not that good anyway . Since you are from GB you could take credit card and use bank ATM . Exchange rates are for sure better than any Exchange Office can offer . On the other hand beware that some ATM have DCC or additional commission . Use Fibank ATM next to ticket office in hotel Rila. It's inside the branch and it's not having any additional commission . I used Curve and Revolut for that matter . I recommend Curve as it does. It have cash withdrawal limit and has a good rate . Revolut , Curve they are best option for travelling abroad.
Written 22 January 2020
Would this resort be good for a group of 18/19 year olds? for a week?
Written 6 January 2020
Yes! Just make sure you own your own gear! They don’t rent clothing (pants/jackets/goggles).
Written 19 January 2020
hi, is it worth to come in the next several days to Borovets?
i am beginner level, but i see most of lifts are closed and not much snow
never been there before
tnx
Written 25 December 2019
Not been there so early so cannot help you. We go end of Jan. Plenty of snow then
Written 25 December 2019
If there's no snow in Borovets how much is it/is it possible to travel each day to Bankso or somewhere that has lifts open? What do people do if the resort is closed in terms of skiing. I don't want to do other things in Borovets, I know there's horse riding etc but I really want to ski. Any suggestions? Are there coaches put on etc?
Thanks!!
Written 20 December 2019
I am currently in borovets there is a very little snow on the bottom of the learner slopes which has been used every day for the last week. Update here is that they are opening one of the drag lift on Sunday. There is snow forecast for Xmas eve. Depending where you are staying hotel may have pool/Spa facilities be sure to pack swim wear and flip flops and you can fill your time relaxing.
Written 21 December 2019
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