Bulgaria Highlights Tour 7 days

Day 1 Sofia

Arrival at Sofia Airport. Our English speaking driver meets you at the airport and escorts you to your deluxe and centrally located hotel. The remainder of the day will be at leisure.

Overnight in Sofia.

Day 2 Sofia

In the morning your guide will take you for a walking city tour. The first stop of our city tour is the St. Aleksander Nevski Cathedral - the cathedral church of the Bulgarian Patriarch and apart from being one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, it is one of the symbols of Sofia. The Church of St Sofia is a definite must-see sight. The capital is named after the patron saint in 14th century.

Our journey through time will take us to the ruins of the Roman fortress Serdika and the Rotunda Church that bears the name of martyr St George the Conqueror. We pass by the National Theatre (a magnificent Neoclassical building constructed by Austrian and German architects), the Central Mineral Baths (former Turkish baths from the early 20th century), the Banya Bashi Mosque - a remnant of the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria - a period that lasted nearly five centuries. The mosque is built by the greatest Ottoman architect and civil engineer Mimar Sinan.

Overnight in Sofia.

Day 3 Sofia - Rila Monastery - Plovdiv

We leave Sofia towards the gorgeous Rila Mountain towering to the sky with the highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula Musala. After a scenic drive we reach the emblematic Rila Monastery, a UNESCO Heritage Site. Having survived the times and the complicated history of our country, it still fascinates the visitor with the pure and harmonious line of the buildings' exquisite colonnades, arches richly decorated with murals and fretwork. Some of the best Bulgarian artists have created their masterpieces here: the golden iconostasis of the monastery church; the double-sided cross, carved by the monk Raphael; the Hrelyo Tower.

For lunch we can enjoy specialties of the local cuisine, the mountain trout, served in one of the many small restaurants in the surrounding area. In the afternoon we are travelling to the town of Plovdiv - a city of ancient glory, culture and arts, picturesquely situated on seven hills. Considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe and the world along with Rome, Athens, Carthage and Constantinople, Plovdiv generously invites the visitor to raise the curtain of history and explore an abundance of multicultural layers left here by the Thracians, Macedon, Romans, Byzantines, Bulgarians and Ottoman Turks.

Overnight in Plovdiv.

Day 4 Plovdiv - Bachkovo Monastery - Plovdiv

Today we will have the morning to explore Plovdiv’s historic sights and surroundings with the guide. We are proud to mention that Plovdiv has been chosen a European capital of culture 2019! We will get acquainted with the Ethnographical Museum, St Constantine & Helena Church and trace the history of Plovdiv along the Roman path which passes by a few highlights from antiquity, today a part of the contemporary city centre: the Roman Theatre, built in the 2nd century AD by Emperor Trajan, serves as an imposing décor of open-air opera performances and classical concerts during summer; the Roman Stadium which had hosted more than 30 000 spectators in the ancient past, the Forum where social life thrived; the Odeon (“Bouleuterion”) - the seat of the city council (“Boule”) and the Archaeological underpass that represents a well preserved Roman street leading into a Roman mansion decorated with marvellous mosaics with the face of Goddess Eirene among the various depictions.

In the afternoon we will have a short and scenic trip to the Bachkovo Monastery - the second in size and importance monastery in Bulgaria founded during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom and impressive with its picturesque location and extensive icon collections. Back to Plovdiv.

Overnight in Plovdiv.

Day 5 Plovdiv - Damascena - Kazanluk - Shipka Memorial Church - Veliko Turnovo

After breakfast we will have time to explore Plovdiv on our own, then we will continue towards Kazanluk - the town of the Bulgarian Rose Damascene and the Capital of the Valley of the Thracian Kings.

We have a lunch break by the village of Skobelevo in complex Damascena, situated within 20 km from Kazanluk. Next we will visit a rose-distillery where a rose expert will introduce us to the ancient technique of extracting the oil from the roses and we will have the chance to taste some delicious raised liqueur and rose jam.

In our next stop we will explore the ancient Thracian Tomb near the town of Kazanluk which is included in the UNESCO heritage list, there we will have the opportunity to see some beautiful samples of Thracian art and learn more about their fascinating culture.

Today we will travel to the beautiful city of Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1185-1396). En route we stop to admire the Shipka Memorial Church with its shining golden domes, built in the end of 19th century in the seventeenth-century Muscovite style to commemorate the Russian soldiers and Bulgarian volunteers who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, known in Bulgaria as the Liberation War.

We will set off for a scenic trip in the heart of the Balkan Mountain. After arrival in Veliko Tarnovo, we are going to stroll down the former medieval market street, known as “Samovodska Charshia” where ancestral craftsmen in numerous authentic workshops are demonstrating ancient Bulgarian craft techniques. We will also spend some time enjoying a cup of sweet-scented coffee served in a traditional manner.

Overnight in Veliko Tarnovo.

Day 6 Veliko Turnovo - Arbanassi - Veliko Turnovo

After breakfast we return back to medieval times with a visit to the emblematic Church of St. Peter and Paul, the well preserved Tsarevets Fortress, the Baldwin's Tower, the "execution rock" and the Holy Ascension Patriarchal Church.

We are going on a short trip to the village of Arbanassi which was once among the most important trade and cultural centres during the Bulgarian Revival period. Today the settlement is popular for the original architecture and the magnificent frescoes shining on the walls of the small churches spread all over the village. Arbanassi is known worldwide with the Rojdestvo Christovo Church (Church of the Nativity of Christ), with the frescoes from 16th and 17th century. The Konstantsalieva House is an example of a fortified mansion from the Bulgarian Revival period which we will visit. Back to Veliko Turnovo.

Overnight in Veliko Tarnovo.

Day 7 Veliko Turnovo - Nicopolis Ad Istrum - Ivanovo Rock Monastery - Russe - Bucharest

After breakfast we will take a short drive (ca. 30 km/ 30 min) to Nikopolis ad Istrum, an ancient Roman city, built in the beginning of the 2nd century AD by the Emperor Trajan. Thanks to the archaeological excavations today we can see the fortified walls of the city, the main streets, numerous public buildings and dwellings.

After the visit of Nicopolis ad Istrum we head to Russe. Our second stop today will be The Ivanovo Rock Monastery which consists of a network of small churches, chapels and cells hewn into the rocks of the picturesque Rusenski Lom river canyon, at a height of 32 meters above the ground. We will have an opportunity for a nice walk in the city center of Russe and time at leisure for lunch or refreshment. In the afternoon we will travel to Bucharest and say “Goodbye” to Bulgaria with a promise to keep the colorful memories that we have created together!