Description
Day 1: Sofia, arrival at the airport. Check in at your hotel.
Day 2: Sofia – day to explore the capital city of Bulgaria. Your private local tour guide will meet you at the lobby of the hotel for a walking tour of the central part of Sofia. Free afternoon for own discoveries.
Day 3: Sofia – Gorna Oriahovitsa – Veliko Turnovo
Train travel from Sofia to central Bulgaria, reaching Veliko Turnovo – the medieval capital city of Bulgaria, picturesquely located on 4 hills above Yantra river. Check in at a small privately-run guesthouse.
Day 4 – 5: Veliko Turnovo
Time to enjoy Veliko Turnovo and its surroundings. Explore the small cobble-stone streets of the old town with many museums, workshops of local masters, the old marketplace, taste traditional cuisine at some of the family-run restaurants or try some local wines. In the surroundings of Veliko Turnovo, you can visit Arbanassi museum village, Transfiguration Monastery, Petropavlovski Monastery etc.
Day 6: Veliko Turnovo – Triavna
Train travel from Veliko Turnovo to Triavna museum town – main centre of woodcarving and icon-painting in Bulgaria. Explore the old town with the clock tower, the old school, the medieval churches, Daskalov`s house – museum of woodcarving, etc.
Day 7: Triavna – Plovdiv
Continue with a train to Plovdiv – the 2nd largest city in Bulgaria, as well as the oldest continuously inhibited city in Europe. Plovdiv was European capital of culture in 2019.
Your local guide will be happy to show you the Old Plovdiv architecture reserve with the Ancient Theatre, the Ethnographic museum, St. St. Constantine and Helena Church, the longest pedestrian street in the world, the Roman stadium, etc.
Day 8: Plovdiv – day to explore the town with its many museums, galleries, the artistic neighbourhood Kapana, etc.
Day 9: Plovdiv – Septemvri – Bansko
Train travel from Plovdiv to Bansko museum town. From Septemvri to Bansko you will travel along the only narrow-gauge train line in Bulgaria. Arrival in Bansko museum town, located at the foothills of Pirin mountain National Park ( UNESCO site )
Day 10: Bansko – half day walking tour with local guide. Upon the clim ate conditions and your interest, we can propose different tours, one of the best, of course, is the one to the glacial lakes region.
Day 11: Bansko – Rila Monastery – S0fia
In the morning you will be picked with a private car and guide for a transfer to Sofia. En route you will visit Rila Monastery UNESCO site, the largest monastery in Bulgaria, picturesquely located 1100 m above sea level in Rila Mountain. Arrival in Sofia and check in at your hotel.
Day 12: Sofia – free time and departure to the airport.
