The Pirin mountains rise dramatically immediately east of Sandanski, offering day hikes to viewpoints, forests, and mountain lakes without needing to travel to the main Pirin National Park resort area further north. The trails from Sandanski climb steeply through pine and beech forest and reach open ridges with wide views over the Struma valley and, on clear days, toward the Greek border and the Aegean.
For more serious hiking, the main Pirin National Park infrastructure is centred around Bansko and Dobrinishte, accessible from Sandanski by bus or car in about an hour. The park contains nearly 200 glacial lakes and Bulgaria's second highest peak, Vihren (2,914 m). Day trips from Sandanski to the upper park are entirely feasible in summer.