Overview
An eight day, small group holiday being guided around highlights of Bulgaria’s cultural heritage sites, in the heart of the Rhodope Mountains, as well as in the capital city of Sofia, with guided tours throughout. As Bulgaria has had so many cultural influences over the centuries, including Greek, Slavic and Ottoman, this makes for a fascinating tour through history. From magnificent monasteries such as Bachkovo and Rozhen to Roman ruins in Plovdiv, or the heritage village of Shiroka Laka and its surrounding mountainous influences, enjoy an in depth insight into Bulgaria’s past and present.
- Rila Monastery
- Wine tasting in Melnik
- Koprivshtitsa
- Thracian tomb of Kazanlak
- Shiroka Laka
- Ancient Roman amphitheatre and stadium in Plovdiv
- Ancient fortress ruins in Veliko Tarnovo
Click to view map
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Sofia
You are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel, followed by a sightseeing tour of the capital. Impressive sites include Alexander Nevski Memorial Church and the Crypt, the beautiful neoclassical building of The National Theatre, Saint Sofia Church and Saint George Rotunda, dating from the fourth century. Pass by the elegant striped facade and ceramic decorations of the mineral baths to reach Banya Basi Mosque and Sofia’s synagogue, designed in an ornate Moorish style by the Austrian architect Friedrich Gruenanger.
- Accommodation: Hotel Niky or similar
Day 2: Sofia – Rila Monastery – Melnik
After breakfast, you head to one of the most iconic symbols of Bulgaria, Rila Monastery. It was founded in the 10th century by a monk-hermit Saint John of Rila, and was the guardian of the Christian faith and Bulgarian culture through five centuries of Ottoman rule. Rila Monastery is the most important spiritual and literary centre of the Bulgarian National Revival, with an uninterrupted history until the present times. Within the monastery’s walls, four levels of colourful balconies surround the large courtyard, which houses the Church of the Nativity, Bulgaria’s grandest monastery, built between 1834 and 1837. Its outside walls are covered with vivid and detailed frescoes, created by one of the most prominent Bulgarian artists at the time. The museum houses sceptres, old manuscripts and printed books as well as the Rila Cross, a double-sided crucifix showing 104 religious scenes and 650 miniature figures, carved out of whole pieces of wood. After admiring the monastery and its surrounding hills continue to Melnik, tucked beneath sandstone cliffs. Here you can sample some of the country’s finest wines and stroll along the whitewashed Revival-era stone buildings.
- Driving: 240km
- Accommodation: Hotel Melnik or similar
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 3: Melnik – Rozhen Monastery – Dospat dam – Shiroka Laka
After a visit to the nearby Rozhen Monastery, continue to the forested hills of the Rhodope Mountains. On this journey you pass the blue waters of Dospat dam, and then come to at the village of Shiroka Laka. The day comes to a close with a walk across the village’s three arching bridges and through its cobbled lanes, before treating yourself to a spa at the hotel.
- Driving: 180km
- Accommodation: Shiroka Laka Spa Hotel or similar
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 4: Shiroka Laka – Wonderful Bridges – Bachkovo Monastery – Asen’s Fortress – Plovdiv
Continuing the scenic drive through the Rhodope Mountains, your first stop is the Wonderful Bridges, an impressive natural rock arch framing the surrounding spruce forests. Visit Bachkovo Monastery, founded in 1083, and Asen’s Fortress, which sits precariously on the edge of a cliff where you can, not surprisingly, get some superb views. In the afternoon, you arrive in Plovdiv, one of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Here you have free time to explore the winding cobblestone streets of the old town or take it easy at one of the bohemian cafes in the Kapana creative district.
- Driving: 130km
- Accommodation: 8 1/2 Art Guest House or similar
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 5: Plovdiv – Starosel – Koprivshtitsa
Start the day with a sightseeing tour of the old town of Plovdiv exploring the second-century Roman Amphitheatre, Roman Stadium and the Ethnography Museum. Continue on to the Thracian Cult Temple Starosel, followed by a visit to the colourful museum-village of Koprivshtitsa, with fine examples of Bulgarian National Revival architecture.
- Accommodation: Hotel Stoichkovata Kashta or similar
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 6: Koprivshtitsa – Kazanlak – Etara – Veliko Tarnovo
Today you head to the Valley of the Thracian Rulers, a name that gathered popularity in the 20th century due to the extremely high concentration and variety of monuments of the Thracian culture in the valley of Kazanlak. It houses the Thracian tomb of Kazanlak, dating back to the Hellenistic period in the late fourth century and early third century. Hidden underneath a grassy mound, this burial site unearthed the remains of a man and woman, along with the skeleton of a horse. It is believed that the buried were of high significance in a Thracian tribe, likely royalty. Proceeding on to Etara’s open-air ethnographic museum, visit bakers, leather workers, potters and weavers, perfect for souvenir shopping. The day ends in Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of medieval Bulgarian rulers.
- Driving: 210km
- Accommodation: Hotel Studio or similar
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 7: Veliko Tarnovo – Arbanasi – Transfiguration Monastery – Sofia
After breakfast, there’s a sightseeing tour of Veliko Tarnovo. Visit Tsarevets fortress and head to the historic monastery village of Arbanasi. Before leaving for Sofia, be sure to stop for a visit to Transfiguration Monastery to admire the fantastic views over the surrounding hills.
- Driving: 260km
- Accommodation: Hotel Niky or similar
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 8: Departure
Departure transfer to Sofia airport.
- Included meals: Breakfast
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in 3 and/or 4-star hotels. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms..
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Niky
- Hotel Melnik
- Shiroka Laka Spa Hotel
- Hotel Studio
- Hotel Stoichkovata Kashta
- 8 1/2 Art Guest House
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is always included. In towns, there are multiple restaurants where you can sample the incredible local cuisine.
Difficulty and terrain
When to go
This is an easy tour, accessible to all ages. (read more about difficulty grades).
In 2024 this trip is available from April to October, with five departures: 13 May, 10 Jun, 8 Jul, 9 Sep and 30 Sep. The maximum group size is 8 participants.
The climate is continental with hot dry summers and cold wet winters and an average of 200 days of sunshine a year. It is influenced both by the colder air coming from the north and by the warmer breeze from the Mediterranean. Depending on location and altitude, temperatures vary, but, in the June-September period, the daily averages are 20–30C. Spring and autumn are pleasant with cold nights and occasional rain and thunderstorms. High summer daytime temperatures are rarely too hot as even though temperatures can occasionally reach 30C, the mountains and forests remain cooler, dropping at night to 5-15C.
Getting there
Inclusions
Included
- 7 overnights in hand-picked 3 and 4-star hotels
- 7 breakfasts
- Wine tasting in Melnik on day 2
- English-speaking guide
- Airport transfers on day 1 and day 8 of the tour
- All ground transportation during the tour as described in the itinerary
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Entrance fees
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses such as phone calls, extra transfers, tips, etc.
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- Extra nights in Sofia before or after the tour
Gallery
