The southern slope of the Stara Planina is a four-hundred-kilometre wall above the plain. The contrast between the cold northern and the hot southern side of the range spins up a powerful circulation, and the thermals stand right below launch.

Ask about dates Format and price All destinations

May–Sep

trip window

€760

Guiding format, from

1 : 4

one guide per four pilots

EN-B / EN-C

pilot requirements

SkyAtlantida › XC trips worldwide › Bulgaria

Site

Sopot: numbers, not impressions

Launch

about 1370 m

a grass slope with room for more than 50 gliders

Landing

about 540 m

roughly 850 m of vertical

Cloudbase

about 2300 m

climbs 5–6 m/s, window from 11:00 to 18:00

Lift up

chairlift

launch by the middle station

Duration

9 days

Trip window

May–September

Meeting hub

Sopot or Bansko

the country's hub, not a fixed launch — we pick the valley from the forecast about a week before departure

Level

XC / thermal

Photo gallery

What it looks like

Photos from our XC trips · 2 pictures

Why fly here

What this place gives you

Strengths

80–90 % of days in the season are flyable — by local statistics
Sunlit and shaded sides of the spurs trigger many thermals; there are “house” thermals right below launch
The daily cycle is predictable: east-south-east in the morning, south at noon, south-west in the afternoon
If Sopot is switched off, alternative sites are one to two hours' drive away

What is dangerous here

A northerly wind rules flying out — you cannot fly
There can be strong valley wind along the range
A military airfield 40 km away; the airspace is periodically closed
Some of the landing fields are off-limits

Routes

What people fly here

Along the range east and west, crossing gorges and passes. Hundred-kilometre triangles and out-and-returns are flown regularly. The region has more serious benchmarks: 205 km open distance to the Black Sea, 200 km FAI triangles.

Competitions. The FAI Paragliding World Championship was held here in July 2013 — 147 pilots from 37 countries. A round of the Bulgarian Paragliding Cup is held every year.

Format

Dates, price and what is included

Guiding

€760per pilot, EUR

Guiding + stay

€1 090twin/shared for the whole trip

Group

4–8 pilotsratio 1 guide : 4 pilots; a second guide joins the larger groups

Deposit

30 %non-refundable — except when the group does not form and we cannot run the tour

The Guiding format includes: a guide on site for the whole trip, weather briefing and the task of the day, shuttle to launch, retrieve from the landing, radio guidance and live tracking, track debrief every evening. Accommodation and meals are yours.
Guiding + stay: twin or shared for the whole trip, price in the table above.
Not included: flights, insurance, personal equipment, visa fees, local site fees — cable cars, launch fees, forest and park fees.
Booking and invoicing are handled by the manager. This is a partner site, so the final price and deposit are confirmed by the manager — the price in the table is valid at the time of publication.

Groups of 4–8 pilots; a trip runs from four. Dates inside the window are adjusted to the group that forms — tell us the month and we will schedule the trip. The 30 % deposit per pilot secures your place and is non-refundable, except when the group does not form and we cannot run the tour. What to bring — on the pilot requirements page, full rules — in the XC booking terms.

Preparation

Visa, weather and non-flying days

Visa

Bulgaria has been in Schengen since 1 January 2025. Ukraine and Georgia — visa-free 90/180. Russia and Kazakhstan need a Schengen visa.

Rules change — check the primary source before buying tickets. If you need help with documents, write to us.

Weather in the window

April 19 °C, May 24, June 29, July and August 31. Wettest in May and June, driest in August.

If we are not flying

Karlovo 5 km away, Plovdiv with its Roman theatre, the Valley of the Roses.

Read before the deposit

Insurance, documents and rules

Insurance that covers paragliding is mandatory — at least €100 000, with search and rescue, helicopter evacuation and repatriation. Before the trip every participant signs the participant document and sends it to us together with a photo of their passport and licence.

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Pilot requirementsLevel, equipment, radio, insurance, emergency procedure

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XC booking termsVersion 1.3 of 21 Aug 2026, 23 sections

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Safety briefing“You are the pilot in command”, weather, radio

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Participant document (RU)PDF · filled in and signed once before the trip

Where else

Other destinations

There is a flying destination in every month of the year. If your dates do not match this window, look at the neighbouring ones.

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We will answer straight: whether you are ready for this destination now or should first take a step down. In Russian and English.

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