Best of Bulgaria in 12 Days Tour
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Overview
Highlights
- Visit the Alexander Nevsky Memorial Cathedral, famous for its gilded domes and masterful mosaics,
- Drive through the scenic Rilska Valley, passing traditional villages en route to our destination high in the mountains
- Enjoy the structures that Plovdiv is proudest of the old town's unique collection of elegant, pastel-pretty "Bulgarian Renaissance"
- Visit the remote village of Glogovo — a community that converted to Islam under the Ottoman Turks.
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Max Group Size
Trip includes
- A small, friendly group of 24–28 people — half the size of most tour groups
- Full-time services of a professional Rick Steves guide and local experts who will make the fascinating history, art, and culture of Bulgaria come alive for you
- All tours and admissions — at no extra cost — covering at least 17 group sightseeing events, Sofia walking tour, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral tour, Meet with government official, Roma village visit, Rila Monastery tour, Winery visit and tasting, Plovdiv walking tour, including Roman Theater, Dzhumaya Mosque visit, Cultural performance, Kazanlak Thracian Tomb, Nesebar walking tour Varna Archaeological Museum tour, Madara horseman visit, Arbanasi visit, Veliko Tarnovo walking tour, Tsarevets Citadel in Veliko Tarnovo, Traditional village visit…and more
- All group transportation from Sofia to Sofia
- 11 nights' accommodations in memorable, centrally located hotels
- All breakfasts and half your dinners
- All tips for guides and driver
- Rick Steves Travel Store credit to use toward guidebooks for your trip
- Guaranteed tour price, locked in the moment you make your deposit
- Optional single supplements — this tour has a limited number of private rooms for solo travelers for an additional fee
- Tour alum discount of $50 for each tour you've taken prior to 2017
- 50% discount on a consulting appointment with our in-house experts to assist with your pre- or post-tour travel plans
- Flexibility should you need to transfer, or cancel/interrupt your tour
- Fine print: You are responsible for the cost of your drinks and free-time sightseeing
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Itinerary
Join your guide and group at 4 p.m. today in our Sofia hotel for a "Welcome to Bulgaria" get-together. We'll take a neighborhood stroll, and then enjoy our first taste of Bulgaria's rich cuisine over dinner together. Sleep in Sofia (2 nights). No bus. Walking: light.
Today we'll take a walking tour to uncover Sofia's intriguing past and present. We'll visit the President's Building, where we'll stop for the changing of the guard, as well as the Sofia Synagogue. We'll also tour the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, famous for its gilded ...
We dive headfirst into Bulgarian culture today with a visit to a Roma (gypsy) village, where we'll be welcomed by these fascinating people, visit kids at a local school, and learn about their history and culture. Later, we'll drive through the scenic Rilska Valley, pa...
You'll have time to appreciate the tranquility of Rila Monastery (even attend an early prayer service) this morning before we take a walking tour of this 14th-century architectural treasure and its fabulous frescoes. We'll leave at noon for the city of Plovdiv stoppin...
Once the capital city of ancient Thrace, Plovdiv is actually older than Athens and Rome, with archaeological relics dating back 7,000 years. We'll start our day with a walking tour of Plovdiv's old town, including Trajan's 2nd-century Roman theater and its commanding ...
We'll drive to the Black Sea today, stopping in Kazanlak en route to visit some of the greatest examples of early Hellenistic art: a 4th-century B.C. Thracian tomb covered with magnificent murals, and another packed with beautifully preserved gold and bronze artifacts...
This morning we'll take a time-tripping walk through Nesebar, learning about its important Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Bulgarian and Turkish past — a lot happened in this tiny place! The rest of the day is yours to relax on the beach, stroll around town, take a boat ride on the Black Sea or sample the local catch direct from the fishermen. No bus. Walking: moderate.
We'll drive along the Black Sea coast to the resort city of Varna where we'll stop to tour the Varna Archaeological Museum and marvel at the oldest gold jewelry ever discovered. We'll get oriented to the bustling town of Varna and settle into our hotel. The rest of th...
Today we'll drive up and over the green Balkan Range to one of Europe's most dramatically situated towns: Bulgaria's medieval capital of Veliko Tarnovo. En route we'll see the Madara Horseman, carved high into a rock cliff 13 centuries ago, and stop to tour the stuck-...
We'll walk from one hill to the next, learning about Veliko Tarnovo's role in the medieval birth of the Bulgarian Kingdom, its 14th-century fall to the Ottoman Turks, and the 19th-century uprising that led to the end of Bulgaria's Ottoman occupation. As the story unfo...
This morning we'll visit the remote village of Glogovo — a community that converted to Islam under the Ottoman Turks, and has kept that faith ever since. We'll have lots of opportunities to interact with local school kids and adults. In fact, the villagers are prepari...
Breakfast is provided, but there are no group activities today. Bulgaria's international airport is just outside of Sofia, or you can hop a nearby train to other European cities. Your guide will help get you pointed in the right direction. Radvayte se na pytuvaneto!
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Rick Steves.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
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Cancellations and refunds: Your tour deposit is 100% refundable for 30 days from the date it is received, unless noted otherwise below. After 30 days your deposit becomes nonrefundable, and will be forfeited should you decide to cancel your reservation. Deposits made 60–90 days before a tour departs become nonrefundable on the final payment due date. If you book a tour less than 60 days before its departure date, the entire tour cost becomes non-refundable after 7 days.
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