Bansko Reviews & Ratings

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.

Really good affordable place only problem is the gondala line we just got taxis or busses up
Lovely spot for beginners or intermediate skiers with a few good blacks

Just got back from a 4 day trip to Bansko, I absolutely loved the town and how buzzing it was with lots of places to eat and drink. We had the best time on the slopes, they weren’t as well groomed as my partner was used to from mostly skiing previously in the alps, but definitely good fun for a 3 day ski trip. The views are lovely and it’s really nice to be able to ski through the trees on different runs/off piste. Gondola queues in the morning do let it down, if you’re there over a weekend/busy period. Expect to queue for at least an hour, we queued for 2hrs 20 minutes on the Saturday. (Only benefit to that is we met some great people in the line that we spent the day with) overall had an amazing time and would definitely be back, but likely to be more mid week than peak weekend times.

Great trip! Very cheap. Gondola queue too long to wait. Busy blue slopes. Bansko was super cheap with lots of bars and food options. Ski hire from Cool ski was great. Ski school average.

Good value for money, but only one gondola from the town into the ski area which can result in over 2 hour queues in the morning.

The slopes weren't groomed very well , the hotels you couldn't ski to door and the main lift up the hill was always a massive qué so it was easier to get a taxi up to the top instead

Decent slopes but extremely overcrowded. 4+ hour queues for the gondola all day. Have to pay for a taxi to take you to where the gondola would instead - busy days have hours long queues to even get a taxi. Bansko should not be selling as many ski passes as they do as they don’t have the infrastructure to support that many skiers. Apres bar wooden patios not gritted - extremely dangerous, my girlfriend slipped on the ungritted wood and cracked her rib after landing on a stool

3 hour wait for gondola, 2 hours for a taxi up the mountain. Oversold lift passes. People skiing without Helmets crashing everywhere. Would not reccomend. Great spas though

Great apres ski and a good amount of slopes which are well groomed. Generally busy and long waits for lifts are standard.

Pros: pretty old town. Easy and pretty long "ski road" blue/green level, couple of green slopes with drag lift or magic carpet. Nice blue slope accessed by chairlift, great scenery.
Cons: very crowded so even on easy runs it was frightening having tons of people whizzing close by. Many near misses where i almost got hit, and a couple of times people actually crashed into me but i managed to right myself. Gondola up to the slopes from town is crazy busy. We queued an hour on the friday and 2 hours on the saturday. Legs tired before we even got to the slopes! Town is now over-run with tacky ugly modern bars and fast food. Everything is expensive since the resort became popular. Won't be going again!