Think Bulgaria-Balkans, think Odysseia-In
Odysseia-In was founded over 20 years ago and is the leading company in Bulgaria for active, eco & cultural tours. We specialize in off-the-beaten track experiences with unique itineraries throughout the country and the whole Balkan Peninsula.
We offer a varied range of tours: from hiking, biking, snowshoeing, ski mountaineering, through birds and bear-watching, monastery and pilgrimage tours, photography tours to the self-accomplishing traditional crafts and folklore, wine-tasting and local cuisine tours.
Odysseia-In is proud to work with a professional and addicted team who share a passion for travel and nature. We are known for the high quality, authenticity and diversity of the tours we have developed for most of the leading European adventure tour operators who have become long-term partners, and even dear friends.
Small group travel is our specialty
Small group travel is what we do best and with special care for the fragile local environment. In fact, it was Odysseia-In who pioneered responsible travel in Bulgaria. It is important for us to work with local businesses and to support them. That is why we sleep in small family-run guesthouses where Bulgarian hospitality will charm you with its exotic tastes and aromas. We do everything possible to minimize our impact on the environment and to preserve our unique natural & cultural heritage for the next generations.Our ‘green projects’ over the past years include: the “3 Euro for Bulgarian Nature” initiative launched in 2008 and supported by 10 European tour operators; financial support and voluntary work for the high-mountain lodge ‘Eho’; restoration of Saint Nicholas Monastery, a medieval masterpiece in Seslavtsi; and reforestation campaigns in Pirin and Vitosha Mountains. We are also partners of the PAN Parks, so working with us you will also contribute to the conservation of the last of Europe’s true wildernesses.
Why Bulgaria?
What makes Bulgaria attractive and exotic is the mix of cultures and religious beliefs and landscapes that you find in such a relatively small territory, from the Black Sea Coast to the high mountain ranges of Rila and Pirin National Parks.
You will be surprised by the number of remote villages, the monasteries & their amazing frescoes, the colorful arty crafts and the timeless legends that you will encounter in every corner of this charming old-world Europe. That spirit has more or less disappeared in the rest of Europe, but if you follow us we will bring you to the heart of the Balkans: where East and West merge into one; where real yoghurt comes from and where the oldest golden treasure is to be found.
We encourage you to:
- Climb the highest peak in South-eastern Europe
- Walk through the centuries-old beech forests of the Central Balkan PAN Park
- Feel the spiritual energy of the sacred Seven Rila Lakes
- Taste Bulgarian Mavrud Wine and home-made buffalo yogurt
- Listen to the legendary bagpipe music of Orpheus in Rhodopi Mountains
- Discover the civilization of the Thracian warriors
- Learn new skills: traditional pottery and woodcarving crafts
- Make a pilgrimage to the St. Ivan Rilski hermit’s cave at Rila Monastery
- Collect rose petals in one of the world’s biggest rose fields