Enduro Tour PRO

Five nights at Banya near Bansko, guided, with four full days of off-road riding across three mountain ranges, and no motorcycle licence required.

Four consecutive riding days is what the PRO in the name refers to, and it is a real commitment: enduro riding is physically demanding and the fourth day is where the fitness shows.

Sofia airport opens it, with a transfer of about two and a half hours to the Aquilon Spa Hotel at Banya, a briefing with the crew and a meal. The four riding days follow, each starting with breakfast and a short run to the club base for kit, with lunch at a village tavern and a different route home each afternoon. The routes range from forest tracks climbing to around 2,400 metres below the Rila ridges to rocky Pirin trails heading towards the mountain lakes, with the Rhodopes for variety, and the evenings are spent in the hotel’s mineral pools.

The GasGas enduro, the guide and technical support, the riding gear, the fuel, round-the-clock Sofia transfers, a double room at the Aquilon and full board including alcoholic drinks are all included; flights, travel insurance and spa treatments are not, and supplements are published for a single room, late check-out, an extra night and a private transfer. Since the riding is off-road throughout, no licence is needed. Spring and autumn suit the trail conditions best. Six days and four riding days at this price is the best value in the operator’s range for anyone who simply wants to ride.