Bansko Ski Pass Prices 2024 – The Ultimate Guide

**This blog was updated on 8 January 2024 for the 2023-24 season**

There is a broad range of Bansko ski pass options to suit all visitors to Bansko for the winter season. In fact, there are so many options that I have decided to put this blog post together to help you decide which of the Bansko ski passes you will need when skiing in Bansko and how to buy it!

The prices in this blog post for the Bansko ski passes are quoted in Bulgarian Lev, which is represented by the letters BGN.  1 BGN = €0.50 euros or around £0.43.

Put another way, if you halve the price in Bulgarian lev then you get the price in euros, and then remember that £1 is slightly less than €1 so take ‘a bit’ off to get from euros to pounds!  Not quite as scientific, but I find it useful!

Anyway, with the maths lesson over, let’s take a look at prices for the Bansko Ski Pass in 2023-2024!

Bansko Ski Pass 2023/24 – Early Bird

If you are heading to Bansko for the whole season, then there are some good early bird prices for full season ski passes.

In order to take advantage of these prices, you need to buy your Bansko ski pass (in person) before 15 December 2023.

If you do this, you will essentially get the full season Bansko ski pass at the 2022 price:

Seasonal Family Prices

• A Seasonal family lift pass for two adults and one child (up to 11) is BGN 3420
• A seasonal family lift pass for two adults and two children (up to 11) is BGN 4140.
• A seasonal family lift pass for two adults and three children (up to 11) is BGN 4860.

These early bird Bansko ski passes can be bought from the ticket desk, at the bottom gondola station in Bankso, every day between 8am and 5pm.

They can also be purchased from MaxSport Bansko every day between 10am and 6pm.

Bansko Ski Pass Prices 2023/24

The Bansko ski pass prices for 2022/23 were announced at the start of the ski season in December 2022. Those prices are set out below. I will update this when the 23/24 prices are confirmed.

You’ll also find plenty of information below about what each of the passes includes. I also have lots more posts about making the most of your time in Bansko!

As you can see, there are various Bansko Ski Pass options. So let’s have a look at those options in a bit more detail!

Bansko Ski Pass: The Gondola Lift

The most basic Bansko ski pass is the Gondola Lift (round trip).  This ticket gets you access to the main Gondola in Bansko town up to the ski resort, and back again.  It does not give you access to any of the ski lifts when you reach the ski resort. 

At the top of the Gondola there are a number of bars and restaurants and so this Bansko ski pass is useful for pedestrians who want to head up the mountain to see the slopes or meet people up the mountains.

It is not suitable for skiers or snowboarders as you will not be able to access any of the chair lifts or button lifts.

It permits you one round trip on the Gondola per day. Or alternatively, one trip in each direction on different days. So, if you go up on the Gondola on day 1, you can use the same pass on day 2, but only to come down.

Click here to go back to the prices table above.

Bansko Ski Pass: The half-day pass

The half-day Bansko ski pass does exactly what it says on the tin.

It can only be purchased on the day you intend to use the ski pass.  It can be purchased any time after 12 pm, but will only become active from 12.30 pm that day.

It provides access to the Gondola and all chair lifts within the resort from 12.30pm on the day of purchase until the last lift on that same day.

Click here to go back to the prices table above.

Bansko Ski Pass: Day passes

The various day passes, from 1 day to 13 days, are as described and are activated for consecutive days. So, the 9-day Bansko ski pass will be valid for the 9 days from the date of purchase.  No unused days can be carried over.

Click here to go back to the prices table above.

Bansko Ski Pass: Bansko Twenty

Then there is the popular Bansko Twenty option.  This Bansko ski pass is valid for any 20 days within the ski season. The days do not have to be consecutive. So this is a very flexible option for anyone skiing in Bansko who may also be working (like us!).

Click here to go back to the prices table above.

Bansko Ski Pass: Full Season Lift Pass

Finally, there is the full-season Bansko lift pass which, as the name suggests, provides for unlimited access to the Bansko ski resort throughout the whole season.   

Broadly speaking, if you are going to ski more than 30 days within a season, then the full ski pass provides the best value for money in the resort. 

Click here to go back to the prices table above.

Bansko Ski Pass: Fine Print

There are various terms and conditions attached to the Bansko Ski passes.  These are not particularly onerous or surprising, but they are worth considering when deciding which Bansko ski pass suits you or your group/family.

In addition to the prices quoted below, there is a 5BGN deposit for the physical Bansko Ski Pass.  This deposit is refunded when the card is returned or, alternatively, the card can be kept for the following season.

If you keep it, no deposit is paid the following year.  It also means you can then top up your card online without having to visit the ticket office, which means you can load your card in advance to save time next year.

Student ID is required when purchasing a student Bansko ski pass.

The children’s ski passes (up to 7 years old), can only be purchased with an adult Bansko ski pass and one adult can buy a maximum of 2 children’s ski passes.

Your Bansko ski pass includes mountain insurance (on piste).  This, in effect, covers your transfer from any of the Bansko pistes to the medical centre as well as an initial review of your injuries.

It will not cover any subsequent treatment that may be required, and so make sure you have your own medical insurance when you ski!

The 2022/23 ski season will run from 17 December 2022 until 17 April 2023.

Want to know more about Bansko? Check out my other blogs:

• My Guide to Bansko Nightlife
• The Best Bansko Ski Rental
• The Best Bansko Hotels
• My Complete Guide to Skiing in Bansko
• The Best Bansko Christmas and New Year Hot Spots

Where to buy your Ski Pass

Hopefully, that has narrowed down which of the various Bansko Ski Pass options is right for you, and so now you are ready to buy!

There are some hotels in Bansko that arrange Bansko ski passes for their guests.  If you are staying in a hotel, check whether your hotel offers this service, as it will save you time when you arrive in Bansko.

If this is not an option for you, then you will need to buy your Bansko ski pass in person at the cash desk.  There are two desks, one located at the bottom of the Gondola in Bansko town and one located at the top of the Gondola at the ski resort.

Some of you may be thinking, what is the point of having a ticket office at the top of the Gondola if I need a Bansko ski pass to ride the Gondola?!  Well, hold on, I am coming to that!

Generally, there are no large queues for the cash desk itself, but I would always recommend buying your Bansko lift passes the night before your first day of skiing in Bansko if possible. 

The cash desks are open 8.30 am to 4.30 pm from Sunday to Wednesday, and then from 8.30 am to 11 pm from Thursday to Saturday.

Buying a Ski Pass from the Top Station

If you need to buy your Bansko ski pass on your first day, and you are too eager to get on the slopes to wait in the queue at the ticket office only to join the Gondola queue once you have your lift pass, then you can either drive or take a taxi from Bansko town to the top of the Gondola lift. 

The Bansko gondola parking price is 12BGN for the day, or a taxi is 10BGN per person (shared) or 40BGN per taxi (private).  This can save you time in queuing for the Gondola and there will be no queue at the ticket office at the top of the Gondola.  See, I told you I was coming to it!

You will need to take along your passport or some photo ID when you buy your ticket, and the cash desk will accept cash or card for payment.

Buying your Bansko Ski Pass online

If you have your Bansko ski pass 2022 lying around, or in fact any used plastic Bansko ski pass, then you can reload your card online without having to visit the ticket desk. 

This is not only for visitors who have attended previous seasons, but could also be used during the same trip. 

For example, if you buy a two-day ski pass at the start of your trip, then take a few days off skiing in Bansko to recover or visit the surrounding area, and then wish to buy a second two-day ski pass, you can buy that second pass by topping up online.

Visit SkiPoint to top up your Bansko ski pass.  If you do not have a plastic Bansko ski pass, then you will need to buy your Bansko ski pass at the ticket office.

VIP/Fast Lane Access

If you are staying in one of the premium hotels in Bansko such as the Kempinski, Premier, Regnum or the Grand Hotel then you can purchase a Bansko VIP ski pass. 

Equally, some of these hotels (for example the Regnum) will sell these to you even if you are not staying with them.  The VIP day pass in 2021/22 was 115BGN from the Regnum (compared to 79BGN for a regular day pass).

This VIP/fast lane pass will skip the Gondola queue and give you access to the fast lane access at the back of the Gondola station.  With the Gondola queue reaching up to 2 hours in the mornings, this can be a great purchase, although the passes do not come cheap. 

Check with your hotel when booking to see whether they can offer a VIP pass, and if so at what price.

Equally, if you buy the full season lift pass, then you automatically get VIP/fast lane access at no extra cost. 

If you do not wish to spend that money on the VIP pass, then read on for my tips on how to beat the Gondola queues if you come during peak times. 

Alternative ways to get to the Bansko Ski Resort

The queue for the Gondola in Bansko town can be pretty overwhelming first thing in the morning if you come skiing in Bansko in peak season, particularly in February.

You can expect to queue for up to 2 hours at its peak.  The good thing is that once you are up the Gondola, you are very unlikely to queue for any chairlifts for the rest of the day, but that may not help your mood when you arrive on your first day to be confronted with this monster queue!

The best way to beat the queue is to arrive early.  If you are keen to maximise your skiing time then arrive at the Gondola at around 7.45 am (yes, before the Gondola opens!) to get yourself towards the front of that queue and be one of the first on the slopes.

Taxi or Minivan

If getting up that early doesn’t work for you, then I would recommend booking a shared or private taxi which can drive you from Bansko town up to the top of the Gondola.  

A shared minivan/taxi will cost 10BGN per person and a private taxi will cost 40BGN (for the taxi, not per person).

I would certainly suggest booking the taxi in advance, such as the night before. 

Alternatively, Tsakiris Ski Snowboard, our favourite Bansko Ski Rental option, can arrange a transfer for you up the slopes to pick you up from their ski shop.  If you are renting elsewhere, ask your ski rental shop or your hotel, if they can arrange transfers.

As I mention, once you are in the resort, the queues for chairlifts are usually non-existent.  Equally, when coming back down to Bansko at the end of the day, you can either ski all the way into town on the ski road or take the Gondola back down; neither of which involves any queues.

Ski Pass Discounts

There are some discounts available on the Bansko ski lift pass prices if you rent your ski equipment or take ski/snowboard lessons with certain operators.

Discounts with Ski Equipment Hire

For example, take a look at BanskoSki which offers a 10% discount off the lift pass price when renting full ski equipment (poles, boots and skis or boots and snowboard) and a 15% discount if you take the full package of renting your ski/snowboard equipment and taking lessons with their ski school.

Discounts with Ski Lessons

If you are planning to head over for some Bansko ski lessons then again, check if your chosen ski or snowboard school offers a discount on Bansko ski passes when you book a package with that ski centre. 

Equally, always check with your hotel or tour operator first to see if they offer any incentives or discounts when booking ski packages through them.

Now time to ski!

I hope this helps break down the various options for your Bansko ski passes for the 2022/23 season.

If you need any help or have any queries then let me know in the comments below, or get in touch via social media, and I will be happy to help where I can.

Check out my other blogs on Bansko below including my favourite Restaurants in Bansko, my ultimate guide to the Bansko Ski Map, my recommended Bansko Ski Rental options and other tips when Skiing in Bansko. 

Disclaimer:  My blog contains affiliate links.  If you buy something through these, I get a small commission at no additional cost to you.  Thank you x