Hike To Vihren Peak For Sunrise (July Morning Tradition!)

Vihren Peak is one of the highest peaks in Bulgaria, so it’s definitely on the bucket list for many hikers. I have done this hike dozens of times, but I love the hike to Vihren Peak for the sunrise the most. Most people do this night hike for July Morning. So far I have done the night hike to Vihren Peak to see the sunrise 3 times, and it was every single time a beautiful experience. In this article you will find everything you need to know to hike to the Vihren Peak for sunrise.

Last updates & prices in the article are from May 2025.

Also read: Hike To The Mighty Todorka Peak – 3 Different Routes To Get There

Practical info for the hike to Vihren Peak (for the sunrise)

Starting point for the hike: Vihren Hut in Pirin National Park. You can park close to this mountain hut or take a taxi/shuttle up to the hut from Bansko. These are the Google Maps coordinates for Vihren Hut.

Total kilometers: 7 kilometers (3,5km one way)

Elevation: 950 meters up and down

Hiking time: 5-7 hours in total

Type of hike: point-to-point. You usually go back the same way you went up to Vihren Peak

Dog friendly: my dog Bella has joined this hike 2 times. She is very active, but I even have seen smaller dogs climbing up to the Vihren Peak. No lift or ladders involved. Usually you won’t encounter any shepherds with their cattle, so no sheep dogs that can bother your dog either.

Hiking trail: you can open the Vihren hike on Mapy.cz via this link

Hike To The Vihren Peak For Sunrise: Everything You Need To Know

1. How high is Vihren Peak?

Vihren Peak is situated in Pirin National Park in Bulgaria. The closest place is the mountain resort Bansko. Musala Peak (2925m) in Rila is the highest peak in Bulgaria, and then Vihren Peak follows with 2914m for a second place.

With a height of 2914m Vihren is one of the peaks above 2500m in Pirin National Park. James from Coliving Avalon created a nice challenge called The Davies. During this challenge you hike in Pirin National Park and tick off all these peaks above 2500m: 90 in total! You can ask for a map and more info via Coliving Avalon.

2. What does Vihren mean in Bulgarian?

In Bulgarian, Vihren (Вихрен) comes from the word “вихър” (vihǎr), which means storm or whirlwind. The name fits this peak perfectly: it has a rough and wild appearance as the highest peak in Pirin National Park. I have been at least 5 times on the Vihren Peak and somehow it’s ALWAYS WINDY at the peak.

3. What is July Morning in Bulgaria?

Some people in Bansko – including me – love to hike during July Morning to the Vihren Peak for the sunrise.

July Morning is an annual Bulgarian tradition. People stay awake for the entire night, they go somewhere and celebrate together the beginning of summer. This all happens during the night before and on the day itself (1st of July). In Bansko people love to hike up in the middle of the night to the Vihren Peak and enjoy the sunrise together in the morning.

A lot of people go to the Bulgarian coast for July Morning, but in Bansko it’s common to hike up to one of the peaks in Pirin National Park. Especially Vihren Peak is a favourite!

4. How do you get to the starting point of this hike?

This hike to Vihren Peak starts at the Vihren Hut in Pirin National Park. There are several ways to get from Bansko to the Vihren Hut:

• The easiest way to go to the Vihren Hut for the hike to Vihren Peak for the sunrise is with a car. You leave in the middle of the night. I would suggest 4-5 hours before the sunrise time you’ll leave Bansko. This gives you enough time to drive up (25-30 minutes) and hike up to the peak before the sunrise starts. Parking at the Vihren Hut is free.
• In case you can’t drive up yourself, it’s sometimes possible to take a taxi to the hut. I have not done this myself, but I have heard people taking taxi’s for 40-50 leva (€20-25) per car. At daytime this should not be an issue, but for the night hike you have to arrange something beforehand.
• Some fanatics hike up the day before from Bansko to the Vihren Hut. This hike to the Vihren Hut mainly goes up via the ski road. It’s a very gradual walk, but it’s still a good hike with more than 1000 meters elevation. You can stay in the Vihren Hut – or at least have a good meal before you start to hike up to the peak.

If you would like to do the Vihren hike at daytime there are a few extra options:

• It’s possible in the summer months to take a shuttle bus up from Bansko to the Vihren Hut. The first shuttle bus goes up at 8.30 starting at the Train Station. Another place to get into the shuttle bus is Hotel Kempinski in the gondola area. Check the shuttle bus times here. A bus ticket is 12 leva (€6) per person.
• You can also take the gondola up to the upper station, Banderiska Polyana. From here you walk in about 1 hour to the Vihren Hut. The elevation of this part is about 350 meters.

5. What is the best time to do the hike to Vihren?

Technically you can do the hike to Vihren Peak all year round, but the best time is between early June and late October. Between November and May there is usually still snow in the mountains. Not only is it more dangerous with a chance of avalanches, but the snow will slow you down a lot as well. Only experienced hikers with equipment should do this in winter.

In my opinion June and September are the best months, since it is less busy in the mountains. In June and September the weather is good and you have enough daylight to make this hike in a comfortable way. Vihren Peak is one of the most popular hikes in Pirin National Park, so expect a few other hikers in the summer months.

6. What should you bring for this hike?

If you do the hike to Vihren Peak for the sunrise you should come prepared. Even if it’s 30 degrees in summer in Bansko, it can be freezing cold at the Vihren Peak. Keep in mind that Bansko is 2000 meters lower than this peak!

I would recommend to bring multiple layers of clothes for this hike. During the night it’s quite cold, while it can be quite warm once the sun is out and you’re heading down. I have done this hike for the sunrise multiple times and every single time I am surprised HOW COLD AND WINDY it is on the peak. Especially the wind makes you want to wrap yourself in multiple layers as much as possible.

I would recommend bringing the following for your hike:

• Water bottle or Camelbak to drink enough water
• Thermal bottle with something hot like tea or coffee (you’re gonna thank me for this tip while you wait for the sunrise!)
• Snacks and lunch: there is the Vihren Hut at the beginning/end where you can buy food and drinks. But the rest of the hike you won’t have the option to buy anything, so bring enough snacks.
• Multiple layers of clothes, preferably at least a water- and windproof jacket
• Hiking shoes or comfortable shoes to walk
• Hiking poles to stabilize yourself on the big rocks (not necessary, but some people love it)
• Headlamp or extra light to see where you’re going at night (you can use your phone as well, but it’s less comfortable walking up while holding it for hours)
• Beanie/winter hat to keep your head warm
• Scarf/neckie to keep your neck and face warm
• Gloves to keep your hands warm (trust me, you want to bring these!)
• Hand warmers to warm up
• Sunglasses once the sun is out
• Sunscreen, since the sun can be quite intense in the mountains while you’re hiking down
• First Aid Kit, because you never know when you need it
• Camera gear, since I always regret it when I don’t bring any gear with me during any hikes. Although good phone camera can capture some nice shots as well!

7. How much time do you need for this hike?

If you do the hike to Vihren Peak for the sunrise I would calculate a bit more than than when you do this as a day hike. In the dark it simply takes more time to see where you’re going and to check if you’re still on the trail.

If you’re an experienced hiker I would say you can go up in 2 to 3 hours. If you’re a beginner I would recommend 4 hours to go up.

For the sunrise part I would say 30 to 60 minutes. It’s quite windy and cold at the peak, so usually people don’t hang around for hours. Make sure to bring something hot like a coffee or a tea to warm up a bit while you’re waiting for the first sun rays!

Finally you go down, which will take you 1,5 to 2,5 hours. Most people take the same way back. It’s fun to see the surroundings at daytime on your way down. Do keep in mind that your muscles might feel a bit like spaghetti at the end: you just hiked 1000 meters up and down in a few hours. Give your legs some rest the rest of the day. 🙂

In total I would say you need 4 to 7 hours to finish this entire hike, depending on your speed, hiking experience and level of fitness. At daytime I would say most people will finish the hike to Vihren peak and back in 6 hours, with a break at the peak.

8. Accommodation for this hike

Stay in a mountain hut

It is possible to sleep in the Vihren Hut, at the start of the hike to Vihren Peak. This is great if you don’t have your own transportation and you want to start the trip a bit more relaxed. Sleeping in the Vihren Hut is about 25 leva (€13) per person.

Wild camping & camping

There is a designated camping area called Banderitsa Camping. The camping area is half way between Banderishka Polyana and Vihren Hut. You can camp here (or stay with a camper van). There are toilets, but no bathrooms. As far as I know there is no electricity, so make sure you bring a powerbank.

Although wild camping is not allowed in Pirin (since it’s a national park), I have seen numerous people camping on the flat plateau before reaching Vihren Peak. Always make sure you leave the place exactly how it is and bring your trash with you.

Staying in Bansko

Of course you can stay in Bansko if you want to hike in Pirin National Park. A few recommendations when you want to stay in Bansko (accommodations that are open all year, not only in the winter season):

• Belvedere Holiday Club: nice hotel with spa facilities and a pool. I have seen multiple apartments in this complex and it always looks nice and clean. Just a few minutes walk to the gondola.
• Parklands Hotel & Pool: great value for money in this hotel in the gondola area. It has a good location and it has facilities like an indoor swimming pool, a sauna and a fitness area.
• Kempinski Hotel: if you want to splurge and indulge in some luxury, you should go for Kempinski, right next to the gondola. Most rooms have a lovely view on the ski road and the mountains. The shuttle bus to Vihren Hut stops right in front of the hotel and the spa facilities are amazing – great after a long day of hiking!

9. How difficult is the hike to Vihren Peak?

I would consider the hike from Vihren Hut to Vihren Peak a medium to hard hike.

You need some level of fitness, since you climb almost 1000 meters up and down. But if you go via the southern route there are no technical parts. It’s just going up all the time. There are no technical parts. The last part from the plateau to the peak is more like a big boulder field, so watch your step while climbing up. And remember: just keep breathing and go at your own pace. The last part can be more challenging since you’re almost at 3000 meters elevation and

The northern route is more technical (think via ferrata), so I would not recommend to do that part in the dark or when you’re not an experienced hiker.

The hiking-through-the-night-aspect definitely makes it a bit more adventurous and I can imagine that people with less experience with hiking don’t want to do this by themselves. Calculate some extra time for your hike, since you sometimes have to search for the trail. Definitely bring an extra (head) lamp so you can see where you go. It’s difficult to get lost on this trail, but in the dark everything is possible.

It is possible that you experience some breathing issues during the hike, especially close to the peak. Usually the oxycin levels drop a bit after 2500m. On the Vihren Peak there you’ll experience about 70% of normal oxycin levels. Nothing to be worried about for most hikers, but just slow down if you notice that breathing is more difficult than usual. It definitely helps to drink enough water and stay hydrated during the hike.

10. What to expect: my experience with the hike to Vihren Peak

I love the Vihren Peak – and I love the hike to Vihren Peak for the sunrise even more. I live in Bansko since 2021 and I am enthusiastic about the July Morning tradition. I also have done the hike a few times at day time, but it has something magical to hike up at night and see the world waking up.

The chance of spotting mountain goats is also better in the early morning. Every sunrise hike to Vihren I have seen mountain goats!

The nice thing about doing the night hike to Vihren Peak is that there will be parking spots at the Vihren Hut when you arrive. We usually drive up around 2am. From the hut you will follow a trail up until you encounter some water/a small waterfall. It’s quite You have to cross it, make sure you keep your shoes dry when crossing.

Southern route versus northern route to Vihren Peak

After crossing that water you kinda want to stay on the left side of the trail, to take the southern route (the northern route is more challenging and I wouldn’t recommend to go there in the dark). I usually just check Mapy.cz to double check if I’m going via the right trail.

The northern more challenging route is marked with the word седло, which means mountain saddle. It indicates the pass in between the 2 peaks Vihren and Kutelo. I have seen it definitely marked on a rock, but I believe you will see more marks like that along the way.

Just keep going up, keep breathing

I don’t think this part of the hike is difficult, it’s just consistantly going up – and that demotivates people sometimes. I believe it’s better to slowly keep moving, rather than having a lot of breaks and rest, since you want to keep your heart rate consistent when you’re hiking up.

Usually most snow is melted around this time of the year, but during one of my sunrise hikes for July Morning there was actually a huge part covered in snow just before we reached the plateau. So be prepared to still see some snow in July!

Sunrise at the Vihren Peak

Once you go around the corner you will see a flat plateau – and then the last climb to the peak of Vihren. The last part is a bit more tricky: more steep and the trail mainly goes via big rocks and boulders.

It will probably still be dark once you reach the top and it will be cold. Guaranteed. But once you see the first sun rays it looks like the entire sky is on fire. The colours in the sky are so vibrant and strong!

I have definitely brought people to the Vihren Peak that cursed me along the way. But in the end they make it for the sunrise and once they are back at the Vihren Hut they realize how amazing the hike was and forget about the difficulties. Or that realization happens a few days later, when the muscle pain is over. 😉

Also read: Picturesque Hike To Muratov Peak (& Muratov Lake) In Pirin

This is everything you need to know about the hike to Vihren for the sunrise. Are you excited about this hike, but are you still missing essential information? Please let us know via the comments below or by emailing jessica@explorebulgarianow.com.

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