Last updated on August 31, 2026
Rilska Skakavitsa Waterfall – the highest waterfall in Rila
Rilska Skakavitsa Waterfall is a great idea for a day hike in Rila if you’re around Sofia, Dupnitsa, or Kyustendil. At 1,750 metres above sea level, it is the highest waterfall in the Rila Mountains, with water dropping 70 metres.
The waterfall can only be reached on foot, with the hike taking around 1,5 hours in each direction. So, if you’re not up for a slightly longer mountain walk, this waterfall probably isn’t for you.
If you’re a fan of hiking and looking for a beautiful, mostly forested route with a waterfall at the end, Skakavitsa Waterfall in Bulgaria is a great choice.
There’s also a bonus along the way. To reach the waterfall, you pass by Skakavitsa Hut, which, together with the Seven Rila Lakes, forms tourist site number 29 of Bulgaria’s 100 National Tourist Sites.
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Plan your Bulgaria trip without overthinking it:
- Flights: I usually compare prices on Kiwi, Skyscanner, and Omio – they often show different deals for the same routes.
- Accommodation: For apartments and hotels, Booking and HostelWorld cover pretty much every budget and city in Bulgaria.
- Tours & activities: If you don’t want to book on the spot, GetYourGuide and Viator are the easiest options.
- Transfers: For airport pickups and long-distance transfers, Welcome Pickups save time and negotiation.
- Car rental: I compare prices on DiscoverCars and LocalRent – especially useful outside Sofia.
- Mobile internet: For eSIMs, Saily is simple and cheaper than roaming.
- Travel insurance: I usually check HeyMondo (5% discount available) or SafetyWing, depending on trip length.
About Skakavitsa Waterfall (Rila)
Rilska Skakavitsa Waterfall is located in Rila National Park, within the Skakavitsa Reserve, at the foot of Kabul Peak. It is in Kyustendil Province, close to Panichishte and around 85 km from Sofia. The waterfall is a 30-minute walk from Skakavitsa Hut.
Here is a Skakavitsa Waterfall map.
The waterfall marks the beginning of the Skakavitsa River. Along the way, the river passes through several smaller drops, bouncing along and adding to the charm of the river valley.
Do not confuse Rilska Skakavitsa with Polska Skakavitsa Waterfall. Although both are located in Kyustendil Province, they are in completely different locations.
Rilska Skakavitsa is 70 metres high and sits at an altitude of 1,750 metres. This makes it the highest waterfall in the Rila Mountains.
The waterfall gets its water from Skakavishko Lake and the streams of Kabul Peak. This means that, unlike some other waterfalls, there is water here during summer too, although the flow can be reduced.
In winter, professional groups come to the waterfall for ice climbing.
You’ll often see people claiming that Rilska Skakavitsa is tourist site number 29 of Bulgaria’s 100 National Tourist Sites. This is not actually correct.
Tourist site number 29 is a combination of the Seven Rila Lakes and Skakavitsa Hut, which you pass on the way to the waterfall.
About the Skakavitsa Waterfall hike
- Starting point: Zeleni Preslap area
- Distance: 3.6 km one way
- Route type: Linear
- Trail: Mainly forest paths, mostly following the Skakavitsa River
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes one way, 3 hours total
- Elevation gain: 400 m
- Difficulty: 3 out of 6
- Waterfall height: 70 m
- Altitude: 1,750 m
- Parking area to Skakavitsa Hut: 1 hour
- Skakavitsa Hut to the waterfall: 30 minutes
Stage 1: Getting to Zeleni Preslap
You can reach Zeleni Preslap either by car or on foot. There is no public transport to the area, so by car, you’ll need to use your own vehicle or rent one.
Zeleni Preslap is around 15 km from Sapareva Banya, which takes about 30 minutes by car if you are staying there. You follow the only available road towards the area.
The road eventually takes you to the lower station of the Seven Rila Lakes lift. However, you don’t go all the way to the end. Instead, you turn right, where the road suddenly gets much worse and has plenty of potholes.
There is a designated parking area in front of the holiday facilities, with enough parking spaces.
Stef’s local tip:
If you’re renting a car for this trip, go for something with higher ground clearance. Lower cars can make it too, but you’ll need to drive very slowly and carefully. There’s no guarantee you won’t scrape the bottom.
Your second option is to walk to Zeleni Preslap. The marked trail starts at the Rila Nature Park Visitor Centre in Panichishte.
At first, you walk in the direction of Pionerska Hut. After around 45 minutes, the trail branches off and continues to Zeleni Preslap.
Once you reach Zeleni Preslap, you can refill your water if needed. The fountain is slightly hidden. Go through the wooden fence or gate and look to your left.
Stage 2: Zeleni Preslap – Skakavitsa Hut
From Zeleni Preslap, follow the trail and signs for Skakavitsa Hut. The route initially follows an old unpaved road that climbs towards Rila Lakes Hut.
After around 15 minutes, you’ll reach a clearly marked turnoff on the right. There are signs and trail markings, so it’s hard to miss – but don’t get too distracted along the way. Otherwise, you might walk straight past it and have to turn back.
The trail then suddenly enters a tall, shady coniferous forest, where Scots pine is the dominant tree. From this point, you’ll see red, green, and blue trail markings, along with plenty of signs. I didn’t see many markings on rocks or trees.
At first, the trail is very flat and pleasant. You might start thinking this hike is going to be a piece of cake.
Because the area is a bit marshy, you’ll cross wooden platforms and little bridges. These are particularly fun for children and add a bit of adventure to an otherwise easy section.
Keep an eye out for a small bridge with a tree next to it on the right. Water comes directly from the tree, and there’s a copper cup hanging there that you can use to fill up with the clean mountain water.
Then, quite suddenly, things change. You’ll notice the trail becoming much steeper as you start gaining elevation.
At the same time, the sound of running water gets louder and louder. That’s because there are two waterfalls very close to each other on your left, just a short detour from the trail.
Stef’s local tip:
When the sound of running water gets louder, turn left off the trail. You’ll find two waterfalls very close to each other, and it’s worth taking the detour to take some photos and have a rest.
The real climb is only just getting started, so this is a good place to take a break. Also, once you enter the forest and get closer to the waterfalls, there are quite a few mosquitoes. Spray yourself with repellent when you enter the forest.
After visiting the waterfalls, return to the main trail and continue with the more challenging climb. This section takes around 30-40 minutes, depending on your pace.
At some point, you’ll reach another trail junction. The blue marking to the right leads to Mount Kabul, but that’s not where you’re going today. Follow the red marking to the left towards Skakavitsa Hut.
Once you see the transformer station, you know you’re getting very close to the hut.
Stef’s local tip:
Once you arrive at Skakavitsa Hut, you can take a longer break and recharge before continuing. You can grab something to eat or drink from the hut, use the toilet, and enjoy the cooler mountain air.
Stage 3: Skakavitsa Hut – Rilska Skakavitsa Waterfall
After taking a good break at Skakavitsa Hut, it’s time to head towards the final point of the route – Rilska Skakavitsa Waterfall. Well, the final point in one direction. Let’s not forget that you still need to get back to Zeleni Preslap.
This part of the route is not particularly well defined. Some people say you need a special talent to get lost here. Turns out, we have that talent. And apparently, we’re not the only ones.
From the hut, follow the route towards the waterfall. You’ll walk underneath several large pine trees, with a beautiful view opening up from there.
After the trees, you’ll reach an open meadow with a very clearly worn trail.
At some point, the trail splits in two. Take the left path and cross over the stones of a small stream. After that, the trail continues normally and gradually heads downhill.
If you take the right path, you might think you’re going the right way for a while. There’s another waterfall on the rocks to the right, which can make the route look convincing.
But you’ll soon realise something isn’t quite right. The trail becomes increasingly difficult to follow and starts climbing uphill.
Stef’s local tip:
If you’ve taken the correct trail, this section towards Rilska Skakavitsa Waterfall overlaps with the Skakavitsa Botanical Trail.
Along the way, you’ll pass signs with information about different plant species and their habitats. I suggest taking a photo of the first sign and remembering to look out for it on the way back. There were tourists who had managed to get confused about the route on their return too.
This section takes around 30 minutes. You’ll walk through a mix of open areas and forest, following the river until you reach the end of the trail.
At this point, the forest path turns into scree, but you can continue all the way to the base of the waterfall.
Stef’s local tip:
Take another break here for some food and photos. And don’t fly your drone. The signal is very weak here, so there’s a very good chance your drone will take an unexpected trip downhill.
Extending your route and other nearby sites
If you want to extend your hike, the best options from Skakavitsa Hut are to continue towards the Seven Rila Lakes or climb from the hut to Kabul Peak and then descend from Kabul towards Zeleni Preslap.
There are several different routes from Skakavitsa Hut:
- Pionerska Hut – 1.5 hours
- Seven Rila Lakes via Babreka Lake – 1.5 hours
- Ivan Vazov Hut – 4 hours
- Seven Lakes Hut – 2 hours
- Rila Lakes Hut – 1.5 hours
- Lovna Hut – 2 hours
- Kabul Peak – 2 hours
- Otovishki Peak – 2.5 hours
- Vada Hut – 2.5 hours
- Malyovitsa Hut – 6 hours
- Rila Monastery – 7 hours
If you’d rather take it easy after the hike, you can stay in one of the nearby resorts, such as Panichishte or Sapareva Banya.
Or, if you prefer a more urban setting, why not head to Dupnitsa?
FAQs
Where can you park your car?
You can park your car in the Zeleni Preslap area. The parking is free of charge.
Is there water along the route to Skakavitsa Waterfall?
You can fill up your water at the fountain in Zeleni Preslap, at the fountain along the trail before the steep climb starts, or at Skakavitsa Hut.
Is the route to Skakavitsa Waterfall easy?
The route is not easy, as there is a steep section that can be tiring. However, it is manageable.
When should you visit Rilska Skakavitsa Waterfall?
If you want to see the waterfall at its fullest, visit in late spring when the snow is melting.
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Stefani Gospodinova
Founder and Content Creator
Stefani is a travel content creator born and raised in Bulgaria, and the founder of Kiss My Backpack. Having explored the country since childhood, she shares practical tips, local insights, and her own photography to help visitors plan their trip.
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