Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Varna or Bourgas
After landing at Varna or Bourgas Airport, you'll transfer to your hotel and meet your guide. The rest of the day is yours to explore at your own pace. Walk through the pedestrian center, check out the Sea gardens, pop into museums, or just relax on the beach depending on what appeals to you.
Optional Activities
- Walk through pedestrian center
- Explore Sea gardens
- Visit museums
- Swim or relax on the beach
Landmarks/POIs Sea Gardens (Sea Park) - Day 2
Kazanlak - Plovdiv
Following breakfast, head out to the Old Town of Nessebar where you'll walk through 13th-century churches and ancient ruins. The Church of St. Stephen is a must-see stop. Then you'll drive through the countryside toward Kazanlak, visiting the UNESCO Thracian Tomb replica and the Rose Museum. By evening you'll reach Plovdiv for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Old Town of Nessebar guided tour
- Church of St. Stephen
- UNESCO Thracian Tomb (replica) visit
- Rose Museum visit
Landmarks/POIs Old Town of Nessebar Church of St. Stephen Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak Rose Museum (Kazanlak) - Day 3
Bansko
After breakfast, spend your morning wandering through Plovdiv's Old Town with its winding streets and historical buildings. Stop at the Ethnographic Museum and the Roman Amphitheater, which dates back to the 2nd century AD. You'll grab lunch at a traditional restaurant before driving through the Youndola pass and past Avramovo (the highest train station on the Balkan Peninsula). Later, you'll reach Bansko and walk around the old town to see Revival-period fortified houses.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Typical restaurant in the Old town of Plovdiv)
Included Activities
- Old Town of Plovdiv guided stroll
- Ethnographic Museum (Hindliyan House)
- Roman Amphitheater visit
Optional Activities
- Explore taverns in Bansko for dinner
Landmarks/POIs Old Town of Plovdiv Ethnographic Museum (Hindliyan House) Roman Amphitheater (Plovdiv) Bansko Old Town Avramovo Train Station - Day 4
Dobarsko - Rila - Sofia
In the mountain air after breakfast, you'll drive to Dobarsko village and see the Church of St. Theodor Tiron and St. Theodor Stratilat, built in 1614 and covered with exceptional frescoes. From there, continue to the UNESCO-designated Rila Monastery deep in the mountains, where you'll find Renaissance architecture and historical frescoes throughout the complex. You'll arrive in Sofia by evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Church of St. Theodor Tiron and St. Theodor Stratilat (Dobarsko) visit
- Rila Monastery visit
Landmarks/POIs Church of St. Theodor Tiron and St. Theodor Stratilat Rila Monastery - Day 5
Sofia
Starting with breakfast, explore Sofia's city center on foot. You'll visit St. Alexander Nevski, Bulgaria's largest Orthodox Cathedral with its gold-plated cupola, then move on to St. George Rotonda, the Russian Church St. Nikolay, and the National Theatre. Lunch happens at a restaurant featuring folklore traditions. In the afternoon, head to the UNESCO Boyana Church to see early Renaissance frescoes. You'll have free time after, or can visit the National History Museum if you prefer.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Modern restaurant preserving folklore traditions)
Included Activities
- City center walking tour
- St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral visit
- St. George Rotonda visit
- Russian Church St. Nikolay visit
- National Theatre Ivan Vazov visit
- Boyana Church visit
Optional Activities
- National History Museum visit
- Dinner with Folklore and Nestinari Dances
Landmarks/POIs St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral St. George Rotonda Russian Church St. Nikolay National Theatre Ivan Vazov Boyana Church National History Museum (Sofia) - Day 6
Veliko Tarnovo - Arbanassi
After breakfast, drive through the Balkan Mountains to Etara, an open-air museum where you can watch traditional crafts being made in water-powered workshops. Continue to medieval Veliko Tarnovo and walk through the old part of town, seeing the Tzarevetz fortress from different angles. You'll check out the crafts street called Samovodska Charshia. By evening, transfer to nearby Arbanassi for dinner at a traditional mehana restaurant.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Typical mehana restaurant in Arbanassi)
Included Activities
- Etara open-air museum visit
Optional Activities
- Old Crafts Demonstration (pottery workshop or wood-carving presentation) at Samovodska Charshia Street
Landmarks/POIs Etara Open-Air Museum Tzarevetz Fortress Samovodska Charshia (Crafts Street) Arbanassi Village - Day 7
Madara - Varna or Bourgas
After a leisurely breakfast and checkout, you'll drive through countryside toward the Black Sea coast. Stop in Arbanassi to visit the Nativity Church, known for its 17th-century murals. Next, continue to the UNESCO Madara Rider relief, carved high into the rocks on the Shumen plateau. Then head to the seaside and arrive in Varna or Bourgas for a walking tour of the pedestrian center. You'll finish with a farewell dinner at a nice restaurant or at your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Nativity Church (Arbanassi) visit
- Madara Rider UNESCO site visit
- Pedestrian center walking tour
Optional Activities
- Farewell dinner at fancy restaurant
Landmarks/POIs Nativity Church (Arbanassi) Madara Rider - Day 8
Departure from Varna or Bourgas
You'll have breakfast before checking out from the hotel and transferring to the airport for your return flight home.
- Meals
- Breakfast
