Bansko Reviews & Ratings

As a new snowboarder and visiting Bansko being the first time riding outside of indoor slopes it was a great experience. The lifts were easy to get on and off as a beginner, mainly stuck to the blue runs but they were great a little bit icy in places but other than that the runs were great! Appears to be very family friendly, Bulgaria is quite a cheap country compared to others it was around £120 for a 3 day lift pass which I think is great value especially when my closest indoor slopes its about £35-40 for a 3 hour pass.

Good ski resort that continues to grow. Good option to visit with family with a great value for money

Sadly there was not as much snow so only a few rinds open with only one major beginner green - it was packed with too many inexperienced skiers who lost control and knocked so many people over. The lifts were busy but overall the skiing was good once you got past the people and the bars were great

Get to the bansko lift early if you're in holiday season as the queues can be long.
The gondola up to mid station is about 25/30 minutes long, but it's well worth it once your up there.

The mid station has plenty of facilities and as you creep into the afternoon it starts to go off!

The practice slope and the green just opposite the lifts are a good gateway for beginners, and with a family new to skiing, there were perfect to practice on. We hired a private tutor who was excellent and balanced our requirement and slope readiness as he saw the improvement in our skiing. The selection of blues is good and as they intersect it means that you can mix up your runs down to create variety and build your experience in whichever way you want. All the run end back at mid station so it's easy to navigate the pistes.

Getting back down to the bottom is a low blue/green run about 5km long. Most people will opt to do this rather than waiting for the lift back down. As you get towards the end it may involve a bit of poling so make sure you have them on you!

A couple of words or warning. Ski etiquette is not quite the same as if you're used to skiing in somewhere like France. Lots of new skiers/boarders due to the more affordable costs. It means you just need to be a bit more wary of slope users behind as well as Infront. Also, if you choose to ski down, try to avoid the end of the day as the post lunch party crowd tend to ski down then as well. Leave a little earlier to make it safer, esp if you have kids.

That said, we loved Bulgaria and definitely looking forward to going back.

bansko was a gem truly. we werent expecting much since the prices were so low but it can be compared to even some places in france. they had a variety of fixtures in the ski resort all at the same area. i went to spindleruv recently in czech and even though it is supposed to be the biggest ski resort in the area bansko was just something else. i had never really stepped foot in eastern europe before that but would definitely go again . though it cant compare with the scale of val thorens which may be available at a low cost in a big package (with lesser facilities), it certainly incorporates the best parts of any ski resort. they even have a regularly groomed snow park with a good amount of tricks!

Expect massive queues to get up the mountain in the morning, even if you arrive before the lift has opened. Expect cut up and slushy / icy patches by lunchtime as there are way too many tourists on the mountain.
This is a poorly managed resort with a very expensive lift pass.
Everything else about Bansko is great, the people, the nightlife, the restaurants etc... but the skiing and boarding has been spoiled by too many people on the mountain and too high prices there.

I recently visited Bansko Ski Resort in Bulgaria, and it was a fantastic time. As a 22-year-old British mechanical engineering student on a budget who loves hitting the slopes and enjoying a beer or two, I really appreciated the affordability of the resort. The modern lift systems and the variety of slopes, from beginner (like myself) to advanced, made skiing enjoyable.

However, be prepared for crowds, especially on weekends. Arriving early helps avoid long wait times. Some slopes rely on artificial snow, which can be inconsistent, but overall, the snow quality was decent.

The après scene in Bansko is vibrant, especially in the old town. I had some great nights out, enjoying local beers and unreal Bulgarian food. The atmosphere and friendly locals added to the fun.

If you go, explore the old town and consider getting a fast pass for the slopes. Bansko offers a wonderful blend of skiing, affordability, and lively nightlife. Perfect for a cheeky winter getaway!

Cheers to a wicked skiing holiday! ️

Bansko is a fantastic ski destination that offers great value for money. It has a lively atmosphere, plenty of accommodation options, and a good mix of slopes suitable for beginners and experienced skiers alike. The town itself is charming, with a variety of restaurants and bars to enjoy after a day on the slopes. However, it can get quite crowded during peak season, especially at the gondola. Overall, its a solid choice for an affordable ski holiday.

A very good value resort, with plenty of slopes for beginners and intermediate skiers/boarders. Less for advanced skiers, but if youre a group of friends with some for whom its their first ski trip, its a great choice! Eating out is good value, and a beer (even on the slopes) is not too expensive!

Its a fun place for sure, not the most snow-sure but great for a fun group that dont mind mixing nightlife and fun with time on the slopes. Value wise, its up there with the best in Europe. Would go again.

This was my first time visiting Bansko and we absolutely loved it. Our decision maker was purely due to the cost in comparison to some of the resorts in France and Austria. The apres ski was reasonably good with a few lively bars to choose from. The only couple of negatives from this resort was there were lengthy queues getting onto the main gondola every morning and the quality of snow was quite icy making it more difficult to ski on. Eating out was so cheap and lots of different restaurant and bars to choose from on an evening. Would definitely return due to it being such good value for a skiing holiday, we loved it!

Great for a couple of days but only that and if your a decent skier or boarder you could do the resort in a day, apres is good but limited. Food and drink is cheap compared to France etc. lift queue on good days is immense.

Its a good value for money resort that has plenty fun things to do good bars, good restaurants, good people and especially good slopes. The fun park is the best part if you know what your doing.

The resort was very cute! Much smaller in comparison to the alps but still very impressive considering the price. I took my boyfriend who was a first time skier and he absolutely loved it and doesnt understand how there are even bigger resorts! (Waiting to be able to take him to one haha).

We went in January and so were lucky with how busy it was (no more than 15 min wait for busy lifts). There was one day that was super windy so the main gondola was stopped for a couple hours in the morning however they arranged for mini buses to take everyone up- although this took a while to get onto a mini bus, it was definitely still appreciated and a better option than just waiting until later for the gondola to open.

There was a good range of different difficulty slopes.

Good amount of restaurants along the way in the resort to stop for a bit of food and to use the bathroom.

Overall a very positive and fun experience!

I went as a novice snowboarder and had a good time. There seemed to be runs for all abilities. I rate it as a cheap and convenient alternative to the Alps.

Very good value - especially if you book a private apartment in Bansko town. The town is at the bottom of the mountain so you need to take a fairly long gondola ride up, with a big queue in the morning. You can ski back down to town if there is enough snow.

Great hotels, but awful queues for the lift all morning and the slopes are very bare and way too crowded in Feb half term

Everythings at the top. If youre not up early expect a long gondola wait or a short taxi ride up.
Runs are more advanced than Borovets and youve got more choice.
They hold competitions there so there are some really fun runs for the more experienced riders.
Theres also a large kids area on the ski path. Boarders get some speed for the ski path, its flattens a bit too much.

Beautiful area, such lovely people!
Lots of accommodation and food choices around.
Other activities at the bottom of the mountain aswell as shops!
Lovely slopes, well maintained and not terribly crouded.
Only negative is the chaos in the morning to get onto the only gondola, it is crazy!
Overall love the area and the food!
Very affordable!

Great resort for beginners. Lots of easy runs. Loved my trip few season ago would highly recommend. Great places to eat and drink. The one slice of pizzas at the bottom was my fave!!

The mountain and runs are quite small, we were there for 4 days and you would find yourself repeating runs a lot. Mostly blue and red runs, however snow conditions were very good not icy at all, runs groomed well and even the small park at the top was more than good enough for entry level intro park. For the cost of this you honestly couldnt go wrong for a short ski trip.