Exploring Bulgaria in 14 Days

After breakfast, participants depart for Rila Monastery, which is Bulgaria’s spiritual and cultural heart nestled in the Rila Mountains and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. After exploring its frescoed chapels and cloisters, enjoy lunch in a traditional restaurant before continuing on to Sandanski. Upon arrival, everyone checks in at the hotel and has free time to relax, followed by dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast, head to Rupite to visit the St. Petka of Bulgaria memorial temple, where Bulgarian medium Baba Vanga lived and is buried. From there, make a short drive to the Rozhen Monastery — the largest in the Pirin Mountains — before continuing on to the town of Melnik. Enjoy lunch in a traditional Melnik restaurant and spend the afternoon exploring its architectural and ethnographic sights, browsing for souvenirs, and sampling local wines. Finally, return to Sandanski for hotel check-in and dinner.

After breakfast, tourists depart for Velingrad in the Rhodope Mountains and board the historic Septemvri – Dobrinishte narrow-gauge railway, winding through valleys and gorges between Rila, Pirin, and the Rhodopes. Enjoy lunch in a traditional restaurant before transferring to Plovdiv for hotel check-in and dinner.

Following breakfast, discover Plovdiv — Europe’s second-oldest city — with a full sightseeing tour of the Ancient Forum and Odeon, Roman Stadium, Old Town archaeological complex, Ancient Theatre, Regional Ethnographic Museum, Nebet Tepe site (settlements since 4000 BC), and the vibrant Kapana Craft District. After lunch in a traditional restaurant, visit Asen’s Fortress in the Rhodope foothills, then the Bachkovo Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos to admire Zahari Zograf’s 19th-century murals. Finally, return to Plovdiv for dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, travelers depart for Haskovo to visit the 31 m Monument of the Holy Mother of God — Guinness-certified as the world’s tallest statue of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus. Next, they explore the IV century BC Alexandrovo Tomb and its Thracian art exhibits at the Museum Centre “Thracian Art of Eastern Rhodope.” After a leisurely lunch in a traditional restaurant, transfer to Sozopol for hotel check-in, free time, and dinner at the hotel.

Following breakfast, discover Sozopol — an ancient seaside town founded in the 7th century BC and today famed for its Apollonia arts and film festival. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before transferring to Pomorie for a brief visit to this historic coastal town. Continue on to Nesebar, check in at your hotel, and unwind over dinner.

After breakfast at the hotel, you depart for Nesebar — often called the “Pearl of the Black Sea”— and explore its ancient peninsula, where three millennia of history unfold among Byzantine churches and cobblestone streets. In the afternoon, you transfer to Varna for hotel check-in, free time to wander the waterfront, and dinner at the hotel.

You begin with breakfast, then discover Varna — the “Sea Capital” of Bulgaria — on a guided tour of its historic center, Roman baths, and lively promenade. After lunch in a traditional restaurant, you journey to the Madara Plateau to see the UNESCO-listed Madara Rider, then visit the Monument to 1,300 Years of Bulgaria near Shumen. Finally, you transfer to Kazanlak for check-in and dinner at the hotel.

Following breakfast, you explore Kazanlak in the heart of the Rose Valley, learning about its world-renowned rose oil industry before visiting the Thracian World Heritage site of the Kazanlashka Tomb and the tomb of Seuthes III. After lunch and a tasting at the Damascena Complex —where Orpheus’s legends come alive — you transfer to Veliko Tarnovo for check-in and dinner.

After breakfast, you explore Veliko Tarnovo’s medieval fortress of Tsarevets, where Bulgarian kings reigned for centuries, then visit nearby Arbanasi Village to admire its 17th–18th-century churches and National Revival architecture. You enjoy lunch in a traditional restaurant before transferring to Lovech, where you tour the Forebalkan town straddling the Osam River. In the evening, you check in at the hotel and relax over dinner.

Following breakfast, you depart for Troyan Monastery — the third-largest in Bulgaria — perched on the banks of the Cherni Osam near Oreshak. After exploring its frescoed chapels, you transfer to Koprivshtitsa for lunch in a local restaurant, then wander the 19th-century Revival town with its restored houses, museum collections, and the site of the April Uprising’s first shot. You return to Sofia for hotel check-in, free time, and dinner.

You begin with breakfast, then discover Sofia’s highlights: St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral guided by our storytelling expert, the 4th-century Rotunda of St George, and the Ancient Serdica complex beneath modern streets. After lunch in a restaurant, you explore the National Archaeology Institute’s millennia-old artifacts and visit the National History Museum. You return to the hotel for free time and dinner

After breakfast, you check out and transfer to the airport or your pre-arranged drop-off point with our booking team.