Bulgaria travel guide

Overview

Most first trips start with two or three days in Sofia, including a day at Rila Monastery, about 2 hours by road. Plovdiv is about 1.5 hours from Sofia, and Veliko Tarnovo is about 3 hours beyond it, so a week fits Sofia, Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo, with Bachkovo Monastery and the Arbanasi churches as short side trips.

Late spring and early autumn are the easiest months for sightseeing. Summer is warm and busy, and winters are cold. Fortress and church hours shorten from October, and several Plovdiv museums close on Mondays.

When to go

BestGo with a plan

janColdfebColdmarColdaprMildmayBestjunBestjulHotaugHotsepBestoctMildnovColddecCold

Tsarevets Fortress is open from 8 AM to 8 PM between April and September, and Rila Monastery's museums stay open until 7:30 PM from 1 June to 30 September.

Every month in detail: weather and recent fares

Itineraries

[Photo: Plovdiv]

Plovdiv in 2 daysRoman Stadium, Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis, Hindliyan House, Kapana, Regional Ethnographic Museum, Bachkovo Monastery, Old Plovdiv, Dzhumaya MosqueBalanced pace

[Photo: Sofia]

Sofia in 2 daysAlexander Nevsky Cathedral, National Archaeological Museum, Ancient Serdica, Central Market Hall, Banya Bashi Mosque, Rila Monastery, Boyana Church, Vitosha BoulevardBalanced pace

[Photo: Bulgaria]

Bulgaria in 7 daysAlexander Nevsky Cathedral, Ancient Serdica, Rila Monastery, Boyana Church, Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis, Kapana, Bachkovo Monastery, Tsarevets Fortress, Arbanasi churchesBalanced pace

Where to stay

PlovdivKapana for cafés and the main pedestrian street; the Old Town hill for Roman and Revival sights; the area by the Central Station for trains and coaches.Best areas to stay in Plovdiv Hotels in Plovdiv

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SofiaAround Alexander Nevsky for the cathedral, museum and Roman ruins on foot; Vitosha Boulevard for restaurants and evening walks; the Central Market Hall and Banya Bashi for food and the train station.Best areas to stay in Sofia Hotels in Sofia

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Veliko TarnovoNear Samovodska Charshia for the craft lanes and the Asenevtsi monument; near Tsarevgrad Turnov for the fortress; Arbanasi for a quiet village base with painted churches.Best areas to stay in Veliko Tarnovo Hotels in Veliko Tarnovo

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Getting around

Between cities: Sofia to Plovdiv is about 1.5 hours by road, Plovdiv to Veliko Tarnovo about 3 hours and Sofia to Rila Monastery about 2 hours.
Day trips: Bachkovo Monastery is about 40 min by road from Plovdiv, and the Arbanasi churches are about 10 min by car from Veliko Tarnovo.
In Plovdiv: Cars are restricted on the Old Town hill, so you walk its cobbled lanes; Kapana, the stadium and the theater are within about 10 min on foot.
At Boyana Church: Boyana lets in 9 visitors at a time for 10 minutes each, so arrive for a time slot and keep the visit short.

Before you go

Travel insuranceHealth insurance from home often doesn't cover care abroad. Check what your plan includes, then compare travel cover for your dates.

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Phone dataMobile data helps with Boyana time slots, seasonal opening hours and the drives between Sofia, Rila, Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo.How a travel eSIM works

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