We offer you an authentic journey through Bulgaria, filled with folklore. You will visit the most beautiful Bulgarian villages, experience unforgettable human relations, and enjoy traditional and cozy accommodations, including several overnight stays in monasteries, where you can feel the Orthodox spirit of this authentic and unique country. This is a journey filled with sites to visit, emotions, and deep immersion into a world of traditions and spirituality, so rich, yet so far from the hustle of everyday life.
The route, despite its short duration will allow you to visit numerous sites, such as:
- The Bulgarian capital of Sofia and its architectural and historical wealth (Boyana Church – UNESCO site)
- The picturesque village Koprivshtitsa and its many house museums
- Troyan and Glozhene Monasteries
- The previous capital Veliko Tarnovo and the Tsarevets Fortress, the architectural reserve village of Arbanasi, and the Transfiguration Monastery
- The Dryanovo Monastery, village of Bozhentsi and Etar Open Air Museum
- Sokolovo Monastery
- Tryavna, Kilifarevo Monastery, and the town of Elena
- Kotel, and the Revival village of Zheravna
- Kazanlak and the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (UNESCO site), located in the Valley of the Thracian Kings and the Valley of the Roses
- Kalofer, at the foot of the Balkan Mountains
- Plovdiv, with its Old Quarters, antiquities and ancient sites
- Bachkovo Monastery
- Bansko, the village of Dobarsko, and an optional visit to the Park of the Dancing Bears
- Melnik and its stunning surroundings
- Rila Monastery (UNESCO site)
- You will cross the main mountain ranges of Bulgaria – the Balkans, Rhodopes, Rila and Pirin (part of which are protected by UNESCO) – and discover bizarre natural phenomena
- Accomodations in local guest houses, family hotels, and monasteries for more authenticity and proximity to the local population
The route can be changed according to places of your interest and the time you wish to spend there. You will no doubt be surprised by the wealth of the country and the diversity of cultural and natural sites. For more information, take a look at the destinations listed below. You can also download and print a detailed program of the trip by clicking on the Download button.
We remind you that the proposed trips are created by our team. Feel free to contact us if you wish to make corrections to either the route or its duration. We are at your disposal to answer all your questions about the trip or any possible changes (if you want to make changes to the trip, please fill out the Tailor-Made Request form).
Thoughts from Balkania Tour:
A lot of the inquiries we receive ask about the cultural heritage of Bulgaria, and we have put focus into this. This is the reason that we decided to create this tour in addition to the Voyage with a taste of Bulgarian traditions, but it can be said that this theme is covered more extensively in this trip. This trip will give you more ideas and direction for your Tailor-Made Request inquires. Needless to say, you can see how numerous and varied the sites that away you in this journey are, which you will probably need to choose from to balance out the days. We recommend an additional two days in the Rhodope Mountains.
The accommodations are one of the strengths of this trip, with its selection of guest houses, family hotels and monasteries, allowing you to get closer to the native population. This, we believe, is without a doubt the best way to explore Bulgaria for more contact and proximity to the warm and hospitable locals.
Have a nice trip through Bulgaria in the lines that follow!
Period | per person in double room | per person in single room |
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from 01 April from 30 June | 490 € | 720 € |
from 01 July from 31 August | 540 € | 790 € |
from 01 September from 31 October | 490 € | 720 € |
No maximum number of participants. For groups larger than 6 people, please send us an inquiry to make you a custom offer for your group. If you do not use the designated hotels in the program, there will be no compensation and hotels will be at your expense.
Rental car
A depost of 100 € to 300 € must be paid upon delivery of the car, depending on the category of the car. It will be refunded upon return of the vehicle, if there are no damages to it.
Rental car with a driver or with a driver/guide
In the case of traveling with a driver/guide, they are responsible for the vehicle, and no deposit is required.
Tour with rental car with driver
Driver services are limited according to the instructions previously specified by Balkania Tour and the customer. Drivers speak the language of the destination and English.
Tour with rental car with driver/guide
In addition to driving throughout the journey, the guide will provide you with information on the different aspects of life in the destination you are interested in, and provide you with tips for a more rational and succesful trip.
GPS
IMPORTANT: In the event of a failure or problem with a GPS during the journey, Balkania Tour does not replace the faulty unit with a new one.
Hotels
The proposed hotels can be replaced with others of the same category.
Route
The proposed route may be changed without notice in the event of unforseen circumstances, bad weather conditions, or local circumstances. During national or religious holidays, some visits may be limited or eliminated, and will not be eligible for compensation.
# | Payments | Buyer | Paid on | Form of payment | Next payment amount |
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You will be greeted at the airport by the car rental company for the delivery of the rental vehicle.
After you arrive, on your first day you will be able to explore the capital of Sofia. You can go on a panoramic walking tour and see the main sights and most beautiful historic buldings of the city.
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The first wall was made of brick and sits on a 2 meter foundation of stone. It stood at a height of around 8 or 9 meters, with a width of 2.2 meters. About 50-60 meters distance from each other, towers built for defensive purposes rise 2-3 meters above the wall. The remains of the first wall were then replaced by a new second wall in during the 4th century. The construction of this second wall utilized an ancient Roman building technique called “opus mixtum”, with 4 rows alternating between brick and stone. The new walls follow the form of the original, with the addition of stairs which enhance the thickness of the walls. In some places there were also added side exits called posterns.
During the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-566), construction of the existing wall was set in motion. This wall was surrounded with yet another barrier with a width of 1.8 meters. New triangular towers were placed between the existing ones. These triangular towers were located near the three main pentagonal entrances. Around this was built a third wall 2 meters thick with a distance of 20m from the main rampart.
Part of this wall, which was situated on the eastern border of the ancient city, was discovered under Alexander Dondukov Boulevard. They were found under the Presidential office and the Ministry building. Some reconstruction work was carried out in 1997-1999 in order to allow visitors to see the fragments of the past that are buried underneath the capital.
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The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Church in Koprivshtitsa was built in 1817, on the location of a previous church that was burned by Kurdzhali (generally deserters from the Ottoman army who benefitted from the lack of government power and preformed attacks against the Christian population).
Local guilds received permission from the Sultan to construct the church. Architecturally, it is a basilica. The building is low, dimly lit, and painted like an ordinary house, so as to not attract attention during this tumultuous time. The iconastasis is the work of one of the greatest craftsmen of Bulgaria, Georgi Hadji of Vidin, a representative of the school of Tryavna. The church has preserved icons of great artistic value.
In the churchyard, there were once housed two convents of the Hilandar and Rila Monasteries. The followers created the first monastery schools in Koprivshtitsa.
The belfry was placed later in 1896, thanks to donations from the illustrious merchant Hadji Nencho Palaveyev, the richest Bulgarian of all time. He financed the construction of many public buildings in Koprivshtitsa and created a guaranteed fund to ensure the development of the city in the future. In 1980, the communist leaders declared that the money had run out. Nencho Palaveyev was buried in the churchyard in 1936. According to legend, his restless soul wanders the streets of Koprivshtitsa, unhappy at the loss of his fortune, which he bequeathed to the city.
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