Itinerary

Day 1 Sofia
Upon arrival you will be met and taken to your centrally located hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure to begin your exploration of the Bulgarian capital.

Day 2 Sofia
Breakfast. Tour starts at Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan. First of all, you will be given a summary of the history of the city of Sofia and then will learn about the history of the following monuments and sights of interest on your walking tour: St. Nedelia church, St. Sofia statue, St. Petka Samardjiiska church, the Synagogue, the Central Market, St. George Rotanda, the Houses of President, Battenberg Square, National Art Gallery, National Theater “Ivan Vazov”, Russian church, Monument of the Unknown soldiers, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Parliament, the Monument of King Liberator, St. Sofia church, and the Alexander Nevski Cathedral and Crypt. Transfer by bus passing by the National Library, University of Sofia, Monument of the Soviet Army, Boris Garden, the old Television tower, the National Palace of Culture and ending with the visit of the National History Museum where the famous Panagyurishte Gold treasure is on display. Entrance fees to the Crypt and National History museum included. Overnight in Sofia.

Day 3 Sofia
After breakfast day at leisure. You can take one of the optional tours on offer or spend the day visiting the city on your own. overnight in Sofia.

Day 4 Sofia-End of Tour
After breakfast you will be taken to thew airport. You can extend your stay in historic Sofia or continue to more of Bulgaria or Romania.

Additional nights available

Optional Tours-Must be prebooked:

Rila Monastery OR Koprivstisa “Museum Town” tours-full day tours including lunch-drinks not included- $279 per person for 2 people in the car and $399 for 1 person.

Rila Monastery-One day trip to the 10th century AD Rila Monastery, the biggest and most spectacular in Bulgaria, one of Europe’s oldest and included in UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List. Rila monastery is a place for massive pilgrimage for people coming from all over the world, a place of great activity, an outstanding and vivid spiritual, cultural and religious center with cultural, historic, architectural and artistic values of world significance. One of the most interesting items in the Monastery is the Icon of the Holy mother of Odyghitria, wonder working, divided into 32 sections in the form of a quadrangle, every one containing the relics of a Saint. Another treasure of major importance is the Monastery’s library. Entrance fees to the Museum at Rila monastery included.

Koprivshtitsa-One day trip to the unique Architectural and ethnographic museum town of Koprivshtitsa. Sightseeing tour including the beautiful museum houses featuring the romantic atmosphere of the 19th century National Revival period; The houses there are built on steep slopes, shaping terraces, with roof-shelters that are covering the large balconies, all this surrounded by high stone fences with large and high wooded doors. Looked at from outside, the houses are lavishly decorated, with many windows and bow windows, the majority painted in blue, yellow or red. Entrance fees to the Museum houses complex included.

Plovdiv and the Bachkovo Monastery-Full day tour including lunch-Drinks not included-$289 per person if 2 people in car and $399 if 1 person in car-One day trip to Plovdiv, the Bulgarian second largest city and one of oldest in Europe dating back to 5th c.BC and reaching apogees during the reign of Philip II of Macedonia. Plovdiv is unique with its picturesque and well-conserved houses of the National Revival Period of 18- 19th centuries AD. See the Old Quarter with its 2nd century AD Roman Amphitheater, the 4th century AD St.Constantine & Helena church, the ethnographic museum, Lamartine’s House and Jumaya Mosque. Entrance fees to Ethnographic museum, Roman Theater and St.Constantine & Helena church and the Bachkovo Monastery included. Afternoon visit of the 11th century AD Bachkovo Monastery, 2nd largest in Bulgaria with original architecture and icons; Batchkovo Monastery which posses and keeps some priceless monuments of architecture and art, is considered to be of major importance for the culture of Orthodox Christianity. The holiest thing in the monastery is the Icon of the Holy Mother, which is believed to be a wonder working icon.

Troyan Monastery and Oreshaka-Full day tour with Lunch-drinks not included- $299 per person with 2 people in car and $399 with 1 person in car. The Monastery of the Assumption of the Holy Mother, also known as the Troyan Monastery (16th c.AD) is the 3rd largest in Bulgaria. The Troyan monastery is and one of the most beautiful in the country with frescoes painted by Zahari Zograf (one of the most renowned Bulgarian artists who completed his studies in the Samokov School of Arts and Iconography). In the central church of the monastery the you will see one of the oldest and most venerated icons the Miraculous Three-handed Mother of God. Afternoon visit of Oreshaka village where a fine collection of Traditional Bulgarian Art and Crafts items is on display. Entrance fees to Troyan Monastery and Oreshaka village included.

Veliko Turnovo and Arbanassi-Full day tour with lunch-drinks not included- $299 per person with 2 people in car and $499 with 1 person in car- Early morning departure to Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria’s Medieval capital. The old city was situated on three hills, Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora. Tsarevets housed the palaces of the BulgarianEmperors and the Patriarchate, as well as a number of administrative and residential edifices surrounded by thick walls. In the Middle Ages the city of Veliko Turnovo was the third most important city in Europe after Rome and Constantinople. Sightseeing tour includes a visit to Tsarevets Holy Hill and Samovodska Charshia, the ancient Arts and Crafts Street in Veliko Tarnovo. Afternoon visit to the museum village of Arbanassi whose monumental houses and churches are generously ornamented with wood-carvings and wall paintings. One of the most lovable places to visit there is the Church of Nativity (16-17th c. AD), its Iconostasis being one of the oldest creations of the woodcarving art. Entrance fees to Tsarevets Holy Hill and Nativity Church included.

Kazanlak and Valley of the Roses-Full day tour with lunch-drinks not included-$359 per person with 2 people in car and $499 with 1 person n car. Morning departure to Kazanlak situated in the middle of the Valley of Roses. Visit the 4th century BC Thracian Tomb included in UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List and famous for its beautiful and extremely valuable murals; Goliamata Kosmatka tomb dating back toto 5-4th centuries BC belonging to the Thracian King Seuthes III; Ethnographic complex Kulata with typical Bulgarian Renaissance architecture and atmosphere (trying Rose jam and liqueur included) and Rose Museum where you will learn about the traditional rose-oil production in Bulgaria, and all developments that have taken place in the industry since 1660. Also see the Russian Memorial Cathedral of Shipka. Entrance fees to Thracian Tomb, Rose museum and Goliamata Kosmatka;

Melink and the Rozhen Monastery-Full day tour with lunch-drinks not included-$369 per person with 2 people in car and $499 with 1person in car-Early morning departure to Melnik, the smallest town in Bulgaria, declared a historical and cultural reserve and museum-town. En route visit the 9th century AD Rozhen Monastery. Proceed to Meknik and visit the Kordopoulova House with its impressive architecture and unique wine cellars carved into stone. Up to 300 tons of wine have been preserved in those cellars forming a tunnel of great length in the basement of the house. A glass of wine is ncluded in the visit to the Kordopoulova House.Entrance fees to the Kordopoulova House and wine tasting included.

Kystendil and Zemen Monastery Tour-Full day tour with lunch-drinks not included-$289 per person with 2 people in car and $499 with 1 person in car-Kystendil is a small Bulgarian town whose proximity to the border with Macedonia affected its economical life. Trade and light manufacturing are the main livelihoods of the population. Visit the regional historical museum with an interesting exposition of archaeology, ethnography, numismatics and more. Proceed to the Zemen Monastery. Though today it is not a big monastery it is of great importance. Its church dates back to the 11th c. and is one of the few monuments preserved in Bulgaria from early Medieval architecture. In the afternoon drive back to Sofia.