Balkan Rides - Bulgaria

Céleste (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Truly amazing | If you want to be treated like royalty, this is the tour to book along with Kingdom of the Thracians! The guides and supporting staff have truly exceptional service - I wasn't even allowed to carry my own luggage! The food is sublime. Whether it be lunch or dinner, a hot meal is always served!

You can expect to have lunch with a table while the horses graze beside you. The staff were all entertaining and easy to talk to. Unfortunately due to the wet weather, we weren't able to do all the gallops that were promised but the team was quick to offer us different options. The team did everything in their power for us to enjoy ourselves.

Side note: most of the guests were in their 20's so being fit is a must if you want to keep up! Would highly recommend brushing up on lessons before heading out on this tour to enjoy the most out of it.

Do you have any comments about the accommodation and food?

The accommodations were always great. The restaurants were all very tasty and accommodated the vegetarian guests. If you're a vegan: every meal in Bulgaria has at least one type of cheese and many animal products. I can't understate how wonderful the food was, especially after a long day of riding. Contrary to other tours, ALL wine/beer drinks are included in the price.

How could we improve the quality of pre-holiday information that we send?

Shipping to Canada was very long: I received my information package AFTER I had left for the tour. I booked my tour for May in February.

How could we improve the way we handled your booking and payment?

Payment for the tour as a Canadian was challenging and I ended up having to spend over $100 in banking fees to send my payments. The online credit card payment platform didn't accept my card.

[In The Saddle: we are sorry that you had trouble making your payments.]

Do you have any other feedback for us?

I would highly recommend for those looking for a warm welcome to Bulgaria and picturesque vistas. The hills were void of humans and the horses are very healthy, responsive, and forward.