Is it worth the trip?
79Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: Wind 4 kn gusting 14, Air 11 °C
Tue 3 · 73 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 15.1 mm
Wed 4 · 74 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 373, good
- Wed 474, good
- Thu 579, good
- Fri 677, good
- Sat 780, good
- Sun 880, good
- Mon 983, good
- Tue 1080, good
- Wed 1175, good
- Thu 1284, good
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 73, good | 4 kn | 13kn | 8°C | 15.1 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 74, good | 4 kn | 15kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 79, good | 3 kn | 13kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 77, good | 3 kn | 13kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 80, good | 3 kn | 11kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 80, good | 3 kn | 12kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 83, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 11°C | 0.9 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 80, good | 3 kn | 11kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 75, good | 5 kn | 16kn | 9°C | 2.7 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 84, good | 4 kn | 15kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov7of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Respect Rafting on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Respect Rafting
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. The town to stay in is Bansko.
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,230–US$2,370 each
about US$1,230–US$2,370 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to SOF, estimated from distance and season, changing at FRA, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$557–US$1,160 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$101–US$174 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$228–US$382 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$221–US$416 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$127–US$235 |
| Total | about US$1,230–US$2,370 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Bansko
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 50 min by car · 291 places to stay
About Bansko its beds, food and every spot near it
Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 20h 25m
About 20h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SOF, changing at Frankfurt Main Airport (FRA), then 2h 05m by road
Flights ORD → SOF on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Bansko · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Bansko · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.