Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Sofia
Stop At: Vitosha Boulevard, bul. "Vitosha", Sofia, Bulgaria
Arrival of the group at Sofia Airport.
Greetings by tour guides and transfer to a 4-star hotel in Sofia.
Check-in and rest after the journey.
Short evening walking tour in central Sofia area – Vitoshka street, National Palace of Culture, National Theatre garden – places for people of Sofia to walk.
Duration: 5 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight stay.
Day 2: Sofia – Boyana Church – Vitosha Mountain (approx. 50 km)
Stop At: Boyana Church, 3 Boyansko Ezero Str., Sofia 1616 Bulgaria
Breakfast at the hotel.
After breakfast - Departure for Boyana church, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Located on the outskirts of Sofia, Boyana Church consists of three buildings. The eastern church was built in the 10th century, then enlarged at the beginning of the 13th century by Sebastocrator Kaloyan, who ordered a second two-storey building to be erected next to it. The frescoes in this second church, painted in 1259, make it one of the most important collections of medieval paintings. The ensemble is completed by a third church, built at the beginning of the 19th century. This site is one of the most complete and perfectly preserved monuments of East European medieval art.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Vitosha Mountain, Sofia Bulgaria
Drive to “Kopitoto”- A location on the Vitosha mountain, at 1345 m above sea level, from which a magnificent panoramic view of Sofia opens.
Next - a panoramic tour of Sofia. Spare time for holiday and shopping.
Here the group will be taken to one of the Shopping Malls of Sofia and after 5 hours will be transferred back to their hotel.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
•
Accommodation included: Overnight stay.
Day 3: Sofia – Rila Monastery – Sofia (approx. 250 km)
Stop At: Rila Monastery, Rila 2643 Bulgaria
Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure for Rila Monastery.
Guided tour of the Rila Monastery complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Rila Monastery is one of the symbols of Bulgaria. Founded in the 10th century by the monk Ivan Rilski, today it attracts visitors from all over the world with its unique architecture and miraculous power. It is located in the heart of the Rila mountain, 20 km from the city of Rila. It is reached by an asphalted road. The Rila Monastery will charm you from its doorstep. The numerous murals adorning its facade will make your heart pound with pride and admiration. The sight of all this beauty against the backdrop of the majestic mountain is indescribable.
Departure for Sofia.
Free time for exploring the city center.
Duration: 6 hours
Meals included:
•
Accommodation included: Overnight stay.
Day 4: Sofia - Plovdiv (approx. 150 km)
Stop At: Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Plovdiv Province
Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out and departure for Plovdiv city.
Check-in at a 4-star hotel in Plovdiv.
Guided city tour of Plovdiv, including the Old Town, Ancient Theatre, and Ethnographic Museum.
Along the stone streets of the Plovdiv Old Town, where time seems to have stopped and there is magic like nowhere else, you will find more than just beautiful architecture and history. You will find joy! The architectural reserve carries the ancient spirit of the past, where not one and two shared their last morsel, created and loved…
Time for lunch at a local restaurant.
Spare time for holiday or shopping.
Duration: 6 hours
Meals included:
•
Accommodation included: Overnight stay.
Day 5: Plovdiv – Hisarya – Starosel - Plovdiv (approx. 120 km)
Stop At: Hissarya, Hissarya, Plovdiv Province
Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure for Hisarya.
The name Hisarya derives from the Arabic word “Hisar” which means fortress. The Archaeological Museum in the town displays finds discovered during archaeological excavations carried out in Hisarya, as well as models of the amphitheater, a residential building, an early Christian basilica, and the Camel southern gate.
The town is famous for its beautiful, cool parks. They spread out over an area of 700 decares and include more than 160 decorative tree species.
The Hisarya Region abounds in archaeological monuments from the Thracian period. The biggest Thracian religious complex in Bulgaria dated from the 6th – 5th centuries BC is located near Starosel Village (Old Village). The residence of a Thracian ruler is situated 22 km north of it, below Kozi grama di Peak (Goat Masses Peak), where research is in progress. A Thracian trade center located near Krashtevich Village dating back to the 6th – 4th centuries BC is also being researched.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Starosel, Starosel, Plovdiv Province
Drive to Starosel.
The Thracian Temple Complex in the Chetinyovata Mogila, at a distance of 4km from the village of Starosel, was founded in 2000. It has a statute of a group archaeological monument of culture, declared by letter No 1480 of 04.06.2001. This is the oldest ever found royal Thracian complex with a mausoleum. It dates back to the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 4th century BC.
The Thracian Temple Complex at Starosel covers six underhill temples, four of which are unique, as well as a few royal burials. The large temple at Chetinyova Mogila and the Horizon temple are open for tourist visits.
The entire hill is surrounded by a wall made of processed granite blocks. Its length is 241 meters and its height reaches 3.5 meters. The wall is called krepis and outlines a circle which according to the Thracian religious beliefs symbolizes the Sun. The entrance of the temple has a parade staircase and two pedestals, on which statues of lions were sitting.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
•
Accommodation included: Overnight stay.
Day 6: Plovdiv - Kazanlak - Veliko Tarnovo (approx. 250 km)
Stop At: Kazanlak, Kazanlak, Stara Zagora Province
Breakfast at the hotel.
Check-out and departure for Kazanlak – The Thracian Kings Valley.
Visit the Regional Historical Museum.
Visit Rose Oil Distillery
Time for lunch in a local restaurant.
Visit the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak - a UNESCO World Heritage object.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Veliko Tarnovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Veliko Tarnovo Province
Departure for Veliko Tarnovo.
Arrival in Veliko Tarnovo and check-in at the hotel.
Spare time.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
•
Accommodation included: Overnight stay.
Day 7: Veliko Tarnovo - Arbanassi (approx. 40 km)
Stop At: Veliko Tarnovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Veliko Tarnovo Province
Breakfast at the hotel.
Guided tour of Veliko Tarnovo, including Tsarevets Fortress and Samovodska Charshia. Visit Arbanassi village.
Veliko Tarnovo is a beautiful and lively city that has preserved the atmosphere of one of the greatest cities in Bulgaria. Medieval capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Arbanasi, Bulgaria
Arbanassi village. It is known for the rich history and large number of historical monuments, such as 17th- and 18th-century churches and examples of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, which have turned it into a popular tourist destination.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
•
Accommodation included: Overnight stay.
Day 8: Veliko Tarnovo - Sofia (approx. 240 km)
Stop At: Sofia, Sofia, Sofia Region
Breakfast at the hotel at Veliko Tarnovo.
Check-out and departure for Sofia airport.
The duration of the trip is about 3 hours.
End of experience.
Duration: 5 hours
Meals included:
•
No accommodation included on this day.