The Skiers' Guide to Bansko

Cheap. Lovely staff in restaurants and hotels. Great conditions. Only one bubble up the mountain though with queues in excess of 2.5 hours! We were fortunate to get a fast pass(red tape on the lift pass) which meant us and several hundred other people could bypass the queue! So horrendous that for day 1, partner completely missed ski school. Don't go February half term! Otherwise, well worth going to.

Absolutely love the location, the only let down was the lift up, it was awful so we opted for a taxi most days. Apre is really good, family friendly and some really good food/resturants! If they sort out another main lift and get another good season we will def go back again as value for money its brilliant.

Great value for money resort. Only downside is the amount of ski runs with only 26 runs. Resort is beautiful and town is lovely with some of the most incredible food I’ve eaten.

Amazing resort for beginners like myself. My partner had been snowboarding before but still classed a beginner.
Perfect for us both, wasn’t too busy where you felt you were in the way of the regulars. Our instructor Marto was patient, brilliant, and incredibly knowledgable.
By lesson 3 we’re at the top of the piste boarding down to the bottom.
Plenty of lovely restaurants and bars near the ski lifts and main strip. Make sure you check out the old town for some amazing Bulgarian cuisine and architecture.

Bansko was a cheap break away skiing.
The main drawback was there was only one main gondola lift to get skiers up the slopes. The minimum queue time was 30 minutes, often much longer like one hour thirty.
However there were lots of friendly minibus drivers that would drive skiers to the midstation for a fee.
I paid it every day. Then when the English half-term started, they happily doubled their rates..
My hotel and others were kept to a high standard, decent food, spa etc. Although most do not have ski rooms, so equipment has to be stored in your bedrooms.
There are many, many restaurants in Bansko, all take pride in quality food and hospitality.
There are also a number of bars/clubs that have great bands and excellent DJs.
There are also a number ofvbars that have great apres ski.
Bansko is not short on shops too. In particular it has a number of shops that sell hand-crafted goods at very reasonable prices.
Shops and bars prefer cash.
Transfers from Sophia airport can range is price a lot.
My return journey was €200, though I met others who got it for €80. Shop around.
Skiing is decent, it's not a massive resort. But in my opinion offers a bit more than Borovets.
Once on the mountain, lifts move fairly steadily and if you choose carefully you can ski on quieter slopes.
My only safety suggestion is avoid the black slope in the afternoons as it is in the shade and is simply ice. Snow does not really get to soften on it. That can be very attritional and dangerous for all but expect skiers. I certainly wouldn't want a snowboarding friend to ski it late in the day.
Mountain restaurants are good too, offering a varied menu all at reasonable prices.
So in summary a good affordable place to ski, with a bit of off-pieste, good apres-ski, restaurants and hotels.

Bansko is great resort for beginers and intermediate riders with a great range of runs for mixed abilities with plenty of entertainment, food, drink and factilities along the way. Base camp has everything for Apres Ski, rental needs, wind down, food, shopping, spa facilities and nightlife and it's relatively cheap.

Great cheap ski get away, limited but enough runs to keep you busy for 5 days. Gondola gets incredibly busy if you arrive in peak time and can take over an hour which can really impact mornings.

I really liked Bansko. t was fantastic value for money, with lots of bars and restaurants at the base of the lifts and a fair few up on the slopes. Snow cover down at town and on the snow road was poor but we were also quite early in the season, I think you have to balance out the value difference to the alps. Once you were up on the slopes there was compacted snow and a few mogul fields, but this didn't dampen the enjoyment. A good range of runs throughout the area and then getting back down to the town was a lovely gondola ride. I'm definitely thinking about going again here as it was such good value.

Bansko. When it's good, it's very good. Ignoring the issue with queues for the gondola from town, (top tip, avoid holidays, school and European) once you're up on the mountain its pretty smooth flowing everywhere. Small resort, do advanced skiers will want more, but beginners to intermediate will be fine. Be aware that in general the runs are underscored, so blues here could easily be reds in other resorts, and reds blacks.

it was a really good experience. could include more slopes but very fun and when some off the black runs are ungroomed it is better.

We enjoyed our trip to Bansko but sadly will not return, the queues for the gondola lift in the morning are ridiculous. Luckily our chalet included a minibus up to the top of the mountain but meant we had to get up at 7am every day to get the bus before they closed the road at around 9am. The alternative was to queue in the freezing cold for 1 hour + for the gondola. Food and drink on the mountain rivals French prices without any of the infrastructure to support it. Apres ski poor with only 1 of 2 very expensive bars at the bottom of the slopes to choose from.

The resort had very good snow when I visited. It is also relatively cheap and is good location for friends. Defiantly will come back again

Most of the blue runs were quite choppy. Quite a challenging resort for a beginner. Apres bar difficult to access without some level of ability on blues

If you’re looking for a ski destination that delivers good runs, great snowboarding vibes, and unforgettable food, Bansko in Bulgaria ticks all the boxes. Nestled in the Pirin Mountains, the resort boasts around 75 km of marked slopes with a good mix for beginners and intermediates, and just enough challenge for experienced riders who enjoy varied terrain and fun descents.

As a snowboarder, you’ll find Bansko surprisingly enjoyable. There are wide, flowing blue and red runs that let you open out and link turns in style, and a terrain park and fun zones where you can play around with jumps and features if that’s your thing. The layout means you rarely feel stuck on steep, technical pistes unless that’s exactly what you’re after, making it an especially welcoming resort for intermediate riders who want lots of fun laps rather than brutal vertical.

What really sets Bansko apart and might even steal the show is the food scene. While on-mountain dining options are a bit basic compared with the slopes themselves, the town’s restaurants more than make up for it. You’ll find hearty Bulgarian classics like moussaka, kavarma, shopska salad and local meze, plus plenty of international choices and cozy taverns (known as mehanas) serving up meals you’ll remember long after your trip. Many guests rave about the quality and value of the food here it’s part of why so many visitors get hooked on the place.

In summary, Bansko is a great choice if you want:

Incredible resort if your new to snowboarding or skiing. Extremely good value for money. Beautiful views at the top of the mountain!

Very beginner friendly lots of blue and red runs. Good vibe in the town. Can get to the slopes by gondola or for about £10 by taxi

Not as cheap as it was but still, for a beginner and awesome place.
Head down to the old town for a decent and cheap meal along with some decent craft beer.
A wait for the initial gondola, but then once past that an efficient and well maintained ski area.

The lift pass price is quite high (€60 for a day) considering resort size and popularity. This is evened out by the cheap and variety of accommodation options.

For intermediates, I think this resort if very good provided you do not get bored of doing the same runs. There are a few off piste options and trees if you know where to look! Certain runs have a lot of side hits too which are fun.

The ski park only opened late January. It is small and only has 1 (?) box but a lot of rails, so not park-beginner friendly.

The gondola queue in the morning is very long and can take up to 2 hours to get on. The gondola’s are old (2002) and slow. Many people take taxi’s up but a major refactor is needed to accommodate for high demands. If I bought a lift pass, I should not have to pay for VIP or taxi/shuttle to get up!

Food on mountain is expensive as expected but the quality is not as good as other resorts I have been to.

Amazing place, friendly atmosphere, very tasty food,all the runs are in perfect condition,the prices are very affordable.

Love the resort. The queue for the lift to get up to the all the chair lifts can be huge if you go on the weekends or school holidays so it’s the best to avoid then. It’s not a vast resort so good for beginners and families, but it’s a cheap option if you’re on a budget and a great place to be.