6 Day Trips from Sofia That Earn the Day

1.Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 866 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $24Our pick

Travel by air-conditioned minibus from central Sofia to Boyana Church and Rila Monastery. Expect English guiding, free time at Rila, optional audio commentary, and extra fees for both interiors. Guides such as Lubo and Liubomir are often praised for clear historical explanations, though the Boyana visit can feel brief.

“This was worth every penny of the fee we were picked up and left on time from the centre of Sophia. Our tour guide had great English and was very knowledgeable and had some really interesting facts about the history of Bulgaria and Sophia. We stopped off at the Boya church which was well worth the extra for Les to pay to get into again our tour guide took us through and gave us an excellent summary of the history of the church which has the most amazing frescoes inside we had a beautiful hour and a half drive up the mountain and the further up we got the more…”

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2.Rila Monastery and Plovdiv Town Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 382 reviews · 13 hours · from $78

Travel from Sofia by air-conditioned minibus to Plovdiv and Rila Monastery, with free time to explore both independently. An English-speaking host such as Philip or Bobby provides maps, practical tips, history, and meeting instructions. Expect a full 13-hour day with several hours on the road.

“I really appreciated the day spent with Bobby, our tour leader, visiting all these special places. It was the perfect combination of what you can find in Bulgaria: the spiritual side (Rila), the historical side (Bansko old town), the green side (Bears sanctuary). For me the bears sanctuary was the highlight, and the right conclusion of the tour. Organization, timing and customer care were perfect too. Highly recommended!”

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3.Plovdiv – Group Day Trip from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 304 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $22Best value

Travel from Sofia to Plovdiv by shared shuttle, take a guided walk through the Roman Theater, Roman Stadium, pedestrian center, and colorful Revival-era Old Town, then explore independently. English is offered, with live, audio, or smart guiding depending on group size. Expect about four hours on the road and uneven walking paths.

“I think it was good to have someone explain Plodviv who actually lives there. I also liked having some free time to explore the city on our own.”

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4.Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 177 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $24

Spend about 11 hours visiting two very different Bulgarian towns with an English-speaking driver-guide. Walk Plovdiv’s Roman sites and old town, then explore Koprivshtitsa’s mountain streets and liberation-era history. Transport, guiding, and optional multilingual audio are included, while meals and about €9 in entrance fees are extra.

“The tour guide Martin was very engaging and fun, and took us on a detailed guided tour through both Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa, providing lots of useful information. Driver was on time and safe. Plovdiv is stunning, with a great vibe and Roman ruins, and definitely worth a visit, and Koprivshtitsa is a small city in the mountains with a lot of history, that feels like going back in time a hundred years. Highly recommend this tour.”

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5.Nis City Tour: Full-Day Trip from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 174 reviews · 9h 30m · from $81

Travel from Sofia to Nis with an English-speaking guide such as Philip, Ivan, or Michael. See Skull Tower, Roman remains at Medijana, Nis Fortress, and the Red Cross Concentration Camp, then enjoy free time for Serbian grill and shopping. Expect about five hours of driving, border checks, and around 2.5 hours on foot.

“Still in shock with our tour to the concentration camp. Have not fully recovered with last time in Krakow. Yet, its adding insult to injury. Otherwise, the tour guide is awesome and very nice. Glad to have him as our guide for that day.”

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6.Seven Rila Lakes Day Trip from Sofia Guided Hike Lunch & Spa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 8 hours · from $116Top rated

Join Simeon or Vera from Sofia for a small-group hike to the Seven Rila Lakes, with chairlift access, winter gear when needed, a traditional mountain lunch, and a stop at Sapareva Banya’s 103°C geyser. The optional spa session adds thermal pools and sauna time before your evening return.

“Semplicemente un posto meraviglioso. Le due guide super gentili e disponibili. Attrezzatura ottima, cibo delizioso . La Spa una vera chicca , super rilassante dopo una giornata in montagna .”

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