GRAN TOUR – BULGARIA IN 10 DAYS

Arrival in Sofia. Accommodation at a hotel in the city centre. A walking city tour during which you will see St. Alexander Nevsky’s Cathedral, St. Sophia’s Church that gave its name to the city, the Parliament, St. Nicholas’ Russian Church, St. George’s Rotunda, the Banya Bashi Mosque built in 16th century. Dinner at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant . Overnight in Sofia. Breakfast. A trip to the beautiful mountain town of Koprivshtitsa where the April uprising of 1876 took place, an important moment in the national struggle for liberation from Turkish rule. You will visit two traditional Bulgarian houses, great examples of the local architecture. Lunch. Leaving for the town of Troyan through the Troyan mountain pass, a road built by the Romans connecting Moesia with Thrace and the Aegean Sea and called Via Trayana. Troyan is a town built in early 15th century by settlers looking for a place high in the mountains inaccessible for the Turkish hordes. The town is famous for its wood carvers, as well as its architecture. A good example of the latter is the Troyan monastery, popular among tourists and locals alike. Dinner at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant. Overnight in Troyan. Breakfast. Leaving for Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of the Second Bulgarian kingdom, located on the Yantra river. Considered one of the most beautiful cities of the Balkans, it was destroyed in 1393. The Tsarevets fortress, seat of the Bulgarian king and power in medieval times, has been restored. Lunch. A visit to the fortress followed by a trip to the village of Arbanassi situated on a high plateau 4 km away, famous for its beautiful old houses richly decorated with wood carvings and other works of traditional crafts. A visit to the 18th-century Konstantsaliyata's House, a house owned by a rich local merchant that was restored in 1958. A visit to Nativity of Christ’s Church built in 15th century, the most interesting among the many village churches due to its murals created between 16th and 18th century and depicting over 3500 figures. Dinner and overnight in Veliko Tarnovo. Breakfast. A trip to Varna with stops along the way to see the ruins of the ancient Bulgarian capitals - Pliska and Preslav. Visit to the Madara Horseman, a 23 metre-tall figure carved on a rock, a UNESCO site, a symbol of the ancient Bulgarians. A further stop in Shumen to see the second largest mosque on the Balkans – the Tombul Mosque, named after the form of its 25-metre-high roof made in a style called Turkish baroque. Lunch . Leaving for the Black sea and the city of Varna. A visit to the local cathedral and the Archaeological Museum that contains some of the oldest golden artifacts in the world. A walk down the pedestrian street that connects the city centre with the beach. Dinner and overnight in Varna. A visit to the Aladzha Cave Monastery built around 12th century and listed as a national monument in 1906. Leaving for the southern coast and the town of Nessebar, a UNESCO site with unique architecture, many medieval churches and houses. It is called “the town of the 40 churches”. A visit to St. Stephen’s Church. Lunch, dinner and overnight in Nessebar. Breakfast. Leaving Nessebar for the Valley of the Thracian Kings. You will visit the Thracian tomb in the town of Kazanlak, a UNESCO site, as well as the Rose House to sample various products made of rose oil and rose water. Lunch (upon request). Lunch. A trip to Shipka where you shall visit the Shipka Monastery built in 1902 to commemorate the liberation after the Russian-Turkish war. A visit to Seuthes III tomb located in the Golyama Kosmatka mound. Dinner in Kazanlak . Overnight in Kazanlak. Breakfast. Leaving for Plovdiv, the second largest Bulgarian city, an important cultural and tourist centre located in the Thracian valley on the Maritsa river and built on 7 hills. A walking tour of the old part of the city with a visit to St. Constantine and Elena’s Church, the Ethnographic Museum, the Roman Amphitheatre, the Roman Stadium and the Djumaya Mosque. A walk down the pedestrian Alexander Battenberg street. Lunch . Free time. Dinner at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant with local music and dances . Overnight in Plovdiv. Breakfast. Leaving Plovdiv for the Rhodope and the Pirin mountains. Arrival in Bansko, one of the most popular ski resorts located in the Pirin mountains at 925 m. above sea level, a town with traditional 18th and 19th century houses made of stone and wooden logs. A visit to Velyan’s and Neophyte Rilski’s houses, good examples of the local architecture. Lunch. In the afternoon visit the famous Church of Theodore Tyro and Theodore Stratelates with original frescoes and icons, some of which are interpreted as portraying Jesus in a rocket. Dinner . Overnight in Bansko. Breakfast. Leaving for Sofia. A stop for a visit to the Rila monastery, the largest and the most important Bulgarian monastery situated on the Rilska river in the Rila National Park, a UNESCO site, very popular among tourists. It was founded in 930 by St. John of Rila, built, demolished and rebuilt many times throughout its history, famous for its murals, columns and wood carvings. Lunch at a restaurant by the river . A visit to the National History Museum housed in the former residence of the socialist leader Todor Zhivkov, or to the 12th-century Boyana Church. Dinner and overnight in Sofia. Breakfast. Free time and transfer to the airport. End of the tour.