9 Days Bulgaria Uncovered

Your journey begins in Sofia, where your guide meets you at the airport and transfers you to your centrally located hotel.

Later, discover Bulgaria’s capital on a guided city tour that reveals layers of history woven into everyday life. Walk along the famous yellow-cobbled streets and explore Roman ruins and thermal springs that still steam beneath the city centre. You will see the elegant Ivan Vazov National Theatre, Sofia University, the Mosque and Synagogue standing side by side, and the remarkable 4th-century Round Church of St George. The visit to the National Archaeological Museum introduces Bulgaria’s ancient past, including one of the country’s most celebrated Thracian gold treasures, dating back to the 4th century BC.

In the evening, gather for a welcome dinner – your first taste of Bulgarian hospitality.

After breakfast, leave Sofia behind and travel into the mountains to visit the Rila Monastery, Bulgaria’s most important spiritual site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in the 10th century, it has long been a place of pilgrimage and reflection.

Before entering the monastery complex, you visit the cave where St Ivan of Rila once lived, followed by a gentle forest walk through centuries-old beech trees that leads directly to the monastery gates. Inside, explore the richly decorated courtyards and church buildings that have shaped Bulgaria’s spiritual identity for over a thousand years.

Lunch is enjoyed at a local restaurant, where grilled trout is the regional speciality.

In the afternoon, continue south to Bansko, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Pirin Mountains. The day concludes with a short drive to the village of Gorno Draglishte, where you join a local family to learn how to prepare banitsa , Bulgaria’s traditional breakfast pastry, before sharing dinner together, a warm and memorable introduction to rural life.

This morning, travel to Melnik, Bulgaria’s smallest town, nestled among striking sand pyramids at the foot of the southern Pirin Mountains. The region is renowned for its wine-making traditions, shaped by both climate and history.

Visit the impressive Kordopulova House, the largest preserved Renaissance house in the Balkans, built specifically for the production, storage and trade of wine. Here, you will learn about the unique Shiroka Melnishka grape. Then you will visit the tranquil and picturesque Rozhen Monastery, set above the surrounding countryside.

On the return journey to Bansko, stop at Orbelus Winery for a tasting of five selected wines, featuring both international grape varieties and the traditional Early Melnik grape.

In the evening, enjoy dinner, which will be served in a traditional restaurant in Bansko.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the highest railway station in the Balkans at a height of 1,267 metres. From here, enjoy a scenic journey on the narrow-gauge railway, winding through mountain landscapes on the way to Kostandovo.

In Kostandovo, visit a rug factory where traditional hand-woven carpets are still produced. These distinctive textiles are internationally recognised and have been made for prestigious locations, including British royal residences and historic European palaces.

Later, continue to Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second largest city and European Capital of Culture in 2019. Dinner is enjoyed at a local restaurant.

Today is dedicated to exploring Plovdiv, widely regarded as Bulgaria’s most beautiful city. A guided walking tour reveals its Old Town, officially recognised as an open-air museum.

Highlights include the Roman amphitheatre and stadium, the Eastern Gate from the 4th century, the Ethnographical Museum, the 14th-century Djumaya Mosque, and elegant 18th and 19th-century mansions lining cobbled streets. The city’s layers of Roman, Ottoman and Bulgarian Revival history are visible at every turn.

In the afternoon, travel to Bachkovo Monastery, the second-largest monastery in Bulgaria, founded by two brothers from Georgia.

Leaving Plovdiv, travel into the heart of the Rose Valley to Kazanlak, its cultural centre and home of the famous Rose Festival. Visit a rose-oil distillery to learn about the traditional production process behind one of Bulgaria’s most celebrated exports. During May and June, the valley is covered with blooming roses.

You also visit the replica of the Kazanlak Thracian Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating to the late 4th and early 3rd century BC, offering insight into the burial rituals and artistry of ancient Thrace.

In the afternoon, continue north to Veliko Tarnovo, the medieval capital of Bulgaria.

Dinner tonight is served at your hotel.

After breakfast, explore Veliko Tarnovo on a guided tour. Visit Tsarevets Hill, once the political and spiritual heart of medieval Bulgaria and home to the royal palaces of the Bulgarian tsars.

Stroll through the Old Town, where 19th-century houses cling to steep hillsides above the river, and browse small craft shops along the cobbled streets.

In the afternoon, travel to the nearby village of Arbanassi to visit the Church of the Nativity of Christ. Its remarkably preserved murals depict more than 2,000 scenes from the Old and New Testaments, making it one of Bulgaria’s most impressive religious interiors.

After breakfast, travel to Troyan Monastery, the third largest monastery in Bulgaria. Founded in the early 17th century, it is renowned for the miracle-working icon of the Holy Virgin Troerouchitsa . Explore the monastery complex before continuing to the nearby village of Oreshak, known for its strong traditions in arts and crafts.

Later, return to Sofia for a farewell dinner, marking the end of your Bulgarian journey.

After breakfast, transfer to Sofia Airport for your onward flight.