Highlights of Bulgaria by train

Day 1 Sofia

Arrival Sofia Airport and private transfer to your hotel.

Based on the time of arrival – walking city tour of Sofia – the capital city of Bulgaria, which Constantine the Great once called “My Rome”. You will see Alexander Nevski Memorial Cathedral, St. Sofia 6th c basilica, the Parliament Square, the National Theatre and the Old City Garden, St. George 4th c Rotunda, the Presidency, the ruins of Ancient Serdica.

Dinner and overnight.

Day 2 Sofia – Veliko Turnovo

Breakfast. Free time or morning departure by train to Central Bulgaria and Veliko Turnovo.

There is 1 change of trains at Gorna Oriahovitsa train station and the total duration of the travel is some 4 – 4.5 h. During the travel, the train will cross the Balkan mountains and you will enjoy wonderful views of valleys, mountain peaks and Iskar river gorge.

Arrival in Veliko Turnovo, check in at your hotel.

Day 3 Veliko Turnovo

Day in Veliko Turnovo – the medeieval capital city of Bulgaria, picturesquely located on 4 hills above Yantra river. Your private guide will wait you at the lobby of the hotel and will show you the Old Veliko Turnovo with its cobble-stone streets, Tsarevets Royal Hill with the fortress, Baldwin ower and the Patriah`s complex, Samovodska Charshia – the old marketplace, here you will taste some local wines.

Free time for own discoveries. Overnight at your hotel.

Day 4 Veliko Turnovo – Tryavna – Veliko Turnovo

Breakfast . Take the train to Tryavna museum town, climbing towards Stara Planina ( the Balkan mountains ), Arrival after 1 h and spend the day in Tryavna – the main centre of icon painting and woodcarving in Bulgaria. You can visit the Old Tryavna architectural complex with the Clock tower, the Old school, St. Archangel Michail Church ( 1192 ), etc., Daskalov House ( museum of woodcarving ), the many small galleries and workshops. Afternoon return with a train to Veliko Turnovo. Overnight at your hotel.

Day 5 Veliko Turnovo – Stara Zagora

Breakfast. Free time in Veliko Turnovo or morning departure to Stara Zagora by train. The duration of travel is around 3 h.

Stara Zagora is located in Thrace and is considered a “time machine”, which can allow you to travel in time without moving. It had 8 names, and is famous as well as the city of linden trees.

Every year from the end of May to the middle of July, there are city festivals dedicated to the flowering of linden trees.

Check in at your hotel and rest.

Day 6 Stara Zagora

Day to explore Stara Zagora, which history goes way back in time to 8 000 years ago.The Regional History Museum tells the entire story of these mystical lands stretching over thousands of years. The Museum was built on the remains of the main street of the ancient Roman city Augusta Traiana from 1st century A.D. and visitors can stroll down the well-preserved ancient road and feel the atmosphere of Ancient Rome.

The Neolithic dwellings are one of the mandatory stops for tourists in Stara Zagora. The museum takes its visitors back in time more than eight thousand years. It tells stories and shows artifacts related to the daily life and the faith of the local prehistoric settlers.

Situated in the center of modern-day Stara Zagora, is a unique museum called The Museum of Religions. It houses the remains of a cult pit from the Early Iron Age (10th − 9th century B.C.), a pagan sanctuary dedicated to the Thracian horseman (2nd − 3rd century A.D.), a medieval Christian cemetery church (end of 10th − 13th century A.D.) and a Muslim temple (15th − 20th century A.D.), all in the same location.It is unlikely that such a place exists elsewhere, with such a rare continuity of religious practices and different faiths throughout the centuries.

Day 7 Stara Zagora – Plovdiv

Departure by train from Stara Zagora to Plovdiv. The train travel will take some 2 h 15 min.

Arrival in Plovdiv, check in at your hotel.

Plovdiv is the 2nd largest Bulgarian city, considered the oldest continuously inhibited city in Europe. European capital of culture in 2019.

Meet your private guide at your hotel in Plovdiv. Walking tour to see the central part of the town and the Old Plovdiv – an architecture reserve, awarded golden medal by UNESCO with the National revival houses, St. St. Constantine and Helena Church, the Ancient Theatre. Along the longest pedestrian street of the world, see remains of the Roman forum, Stadium, Djumaya Mosque Square, etc.

Day 8 Plovdiv

Free day in Plovdiv for own discoveries. The city proposes a lot of opportunities for sightseeing, visit of museums, galleries, small workshops, traditional restaurants, etc. We recommend a visit to Kapana – the artistic neighbourhood of Plovdiv.

Overnight at the same hotel.

Day 9 Plovdiv – Septemvri – Bansko

Enjoy a full day train ride from Plovdiv to Bansko museum town. At Septemvri railway station, you will change the train to the narrow-gauge line, the only one existing in Bulgaria.

The line was built in the period 1921-1945 and the journey takes some 4 hours, passing  through valleys and gorges, linking the western part of the Upper Thracian Plain with the Western Rhodopes, Rila and Pirin mountains.

Due to the characteristics of the route through the mountains, the narrow gauge line is also known as the Alpine railway in the Balkans.

Avramovo station, situated at 1267 meters above the sea, is the highest station in the Balkans.  Along the route there are 35 tunnels, 11 stations and 10 stops.

Arrival in Bansko, located at the foothills of Pirin mountain ( National Park, UNESCO site ). Check in at your hotel in the old part of the town.

Day 10 Bansko

Day dedicated to Bansko and Pirin mountain. The entire territory of the park is included in the European Union network of nature protection areas Natura 2000.

Many opportunities for sightseeing, walking, hiking or trekking in the area exist.

Bansko is considered the perfect starting point for hiking, trekking and walking for all levels. The stunningly beautiful mountain offers many marked eco trails, a perfect blend of dense pine and fir forests, peaks, century-old trees, glacial lakes, small rivers, flowers, views and scenery of unparalleled beauty as well as seat lifts, chalets and huts.

Popular landmarks in Bansko are St. Trinity Church ( 19th c, one of the symbols of the town ), Museum- House of Velyan, House-Museum Neofit Rilski, etc.

Day 11 Bansko – Rila Monastery – Sofia

Private transfer by car to Sofia. En route, we will stop at Rila Monastery UNESCO site – the largest monastery in Bulgaria, located 1100 m above sea level in Rila Mountain National Park.

Free time to visit the monastery: admire wooden balconies, colourful murals and a fantastic panorama of mountain peaks.

Afternoon arrival to Sofia.

Check in at your hotel and relax.

Day 12 Sofia

Free time for own discoveries or shopping before departing from Sofia

Price includes:

Accommodation:

Selected 3 and 4 star hotels

Guides:

Private licenced tour guides: Sofia, Plovdiv and Veliko Turnovo

Meals:

Breakfast in all hotels

Dinner in Sofia upon arrival ( 3-course menu, mineral water )

Lunch at a family-run restaurant near Rila Monastery

This tour offers Vegetarian and Vegan food options on request. Simply let us know the food option that you prefer.

Additional Services:

Wine tasting in Veliko Turnovo

Entrances: Tsarevets Citadel, Ethnographic museum – Old Plovdiv

Transport:

Train tickets, reserved seats, 1st or 2nd class based on schedules and routes:

– Sofia – Gorna Oriahovitsa – Veliko Turnovo ( or coach ticket Sofia – Veliko Turnovo )

– Veliko Turnovo – Tryavna – Veliko Turnovo

– Veliko Turnovo – Stara Zagora

– Stara Zagora – Plovdiv

– Plovdiv – Septemvri

– Septemvri – Bansko ( narrow gauge train )

Car/ minivan transport:

– Arrival transfer Sofia Airport – Hotel in Sofia

– Bansko – Rila Monastery – Sofia