Skiing in Bansko

Bansko has the largest ski center in the Balkans, but how does it work? If you're planning your ski vacation in Bansko read here to get all the details

Equipment rental

There are plenty of schools and equipment rentals around the gondola that offer guides and equipment. We went without a guide, and the internet is full of references for the best guides. As for the rental, we chose Snowflake Ski School, the equipment was in decent condition and the people were very nice

Gondola

The main way to get up to the mountain. You can buy a ski pass next to the gondola, either at the machines or at the cashier, or even online.

The best times to use the gondola are before 9am or after 12pm. If you arrive around 8:20 you should be fine. The closer to 9am you arrive the longer the queue will be, and you will waste a lot of time just standing.

If you arrive after 9am and the line is already long, our advice is to get a ride to the parking halfway up the mountain and salvage your morning with skiing half of the mountain instead of standing in line.

Slopes

I could go on about all the ski slopes but an image is worth a thousand words.

Season

The winter season starts in December and goes until mid April. The condition of the snow and the exact dates could be found on the official website of Bansko. If you arrive in the offseason most of the things will be closed, including the gondola

Prices

At the time of writing of these lines the price for a day pass for the gondola for an adult is 96BGN (about 48EUR).

The ride to the parking up the mountain costs 10BGN per person (about 5EUR)

Best ways to spend your time

On the mountain itself there are a few beer stops. Look for the yellow tents as they are cheaper than the restaurants. Once you get down the slope there are plenty of food places and bars that start early and keep going until the small hour of the night. If you would like to explore the town outside of the touristy area check out our posts about where to eat, what to do, and general information

More information

If you want more information, or footage from the mountain cameras check out the ski site's official website

Final thoughts

Bansko is considered by many as the low cost European ski resort. It does not offer the same quality of snow or apres ski as the alps, but it is a fun place to be at and the skiing experience is decent, especially if you are a beginner or you have a family. As you can see the arrangements are quite straightforward. So go to Bansko and ski! And if we made you do it, tell us about it!