Tour of Bulgaria with Black Sea

You will be met by our tour guide at Sofia Airport. Depending on the flight schedule – together we will head towards the city centre of our welcoming capital, from where our walking tour begins. First of all, we are going to see “Sveta Nedelya” square and church. There is a place nearby from where you can see the domes of the orthodox church “Sveta Nedelya”, the Cathedral of Saint Joseph, the minarets of Banya Bashi Mosque, and in between the buildings – the domes of Sofia Synagogue, which is the biggest synagogue in the Balkans, the third largest in Europe, and the largest Sephardic synagogue on the continent. We will visit the “St. George’ Rotunda, which was built in the 4th century and is one of the most ancient churches in Sofia. Next stop is “The Largo” ( or, “Independence Square”), where the building of the Presidency and the Council of Ministers meet, together with the emblematic former Party House, today the seat of cabinets of the Parliament of Bulgaria. Across the entrance of the Presidency is the Archaeological Museum – which was once the building of the second largest mosque in Sofia. Our tour continues with The City Garden, where the magnificent building of the National Theatre stands since 1904. We will pass by the former Royal Palace and the Russian Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker, built in the typical architectural Kiev style after which, we will head toward the Alexander Nevski Square, where we will visit the Basilica of the Hagia Sofia, which gives our capital its current name. We will finish the tour by visiting the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the most emblematic Orthodox cathedral in the Balkans. / this is a walking tour with 4-hour duration/ Transfer to a hotel and accommodation. At 07.00 p.m., transfer to a typical Bulgarian restaurant, located at the foot of Vitosha Mountain, where you can taste national cuisine and will have the opportunity to enjoy the Bulgarian folklore and fire-dancing. Transfer to a hotel. Overnight in Sofia. Breakfast. At 08.30 a.m. – departure from the hotel to visit the National Museum of History, which is located at the foot of Vitosha Mountain. You will get the chance to see unique findings from the Thracian and Roman times, the Panagyurishte Treasure dating back to the 4th century BC, as well as icons and traditional folk costumes from different regions of the country. You will take a historical walk through the most important periods of Bulgaria`s development. Departing for Rila Monastery / approx. 120 km. on highway/ - Bulgaria`s largest religious structures. From 01.00 p.m. you will have free time for lunch. At 02.30 p.m. we will visit the Rila Monastery and the museum. The Rila Monastery was established in the 10th century by the first Bulgarian hermit John of Rila, declared a saint while he was still alive. Saint John of Rila lived between 876 – 946. The first monastery was several kilometres upper in the mountain, in the area where the hermit used to live and pray. It was a modest place, hosting the saint and his followers. The construction of the present structure of the monastery started around 13 – 14 century. The oldest building that survived today is a tower inside the monastery yard, known as Hrelyo’s tower. It was named after a local ruler who was in power when the construction of the monastery started. Nowadays you can climb the tower, see the old frescoes inside it and enjoy the view to the monastery yard and Rila mountains. The present look of Rila Monastery dates back to 19th century. The beautiful main church in the middle was erected in 1834 – 1838. The frescoes inside were created by the most famous and talented Bulgarian artists at the time. The museum of Rila Monastery is the place that keeps its 1000 years of history. While the oldest building were replaced with more solid ones, artefacts from the centuries were preserved in the monastery’s archives.Currently, the museum consists of 4 separate exhibitions – a historic museum, ethnographic museum, icons exhibition and resemblance of traditional Bulgarian room. The historic museum hosts the largest exposition. A central piece of it is the Rafail’s cross – a wooden carved cross with the finest carvings, resembling 36 religious scenes with 600 figures. It was created by a monk named Rafail in late 18th century. It took the monk 12 years to complete is and eventually he lost his sight. In the ethnographic exhibition, you will see traditional Bulgarian costumes from different parts of Bulgaria. Another important place is the icons exhibition, featuring some of the oldest icons of the monastery. After the visit we will head back to Sofia, where you will have dinner at the hotel and overnight in Sofia. Breakfast. At 09.00 a.m. – departure for Veliko Tarnovo / 225 km ~ 3 hours /. Arrival in Veliko Turnovo and accommodation at a hotel. Afterwards, we will take a walk on the pedestrian street “Samovodska Charshia” where you will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the life and crafts of the locals from the time of the Renaissance. You will have free time for lunch. Then, we will visit the most impressive fortress in Bulgaria - Tsarevets - a symbol of the unshakable Bulgarian state from the Middle Ages. Free time. Dinner. After dinner we will visit the Fortress Sound and Light Show. Overnight in Veliko Tarnovo. Breakfast. At 08.00 a.m. – departure for Varna /222 km ~ 3 hours/. Arrival at around 11.30 p.m. The tour begins with visiting The Assumption of Holy Mother Cathedral, after which we take a walk in the main pedestrian zone of the town, where you will see the large city garden, lined with fragrant flowers. You will have free time for lunch. Afterwards, we are going to visit the Archaeological Museum, where you will have the opportunity to see the oldest gold treasure in Europe, found in the necropolis of Varna, dating back to around 5,000 BC. You are going to learn about the Roman Settlement of Varna and visit the remains of the Roman Thermal Baths. Departure for Nessebar / 100 km/. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in Nessebar or Sunny Beach. Breakfast. At 09.00 a.m. we will visit Nessebar – one of the most important economic centers in the Hellenistic era and the most important Hellenistic center in Southeastern Bulgaria during the Middle Ages, known for its 40 churches. Sightseeing of the Old Town to discover the rich history and heritage of the town. Situated on a rocky peninsula on the Black Sea, the more than 3,000-year-old site of Nessebar was originally a Thracian settlement (Menebria). At the beginning of the 6th century BC, the city became a Greek colony. The city’s remains, which date mostly from the Hellenistic period, include the acropolis, a temple of Apollo, an agora and a wall from the Thracian fortifications. Among other monuments, the Stara Mitropolia Basilica and the fortress date from the Middle Ages, when this was one of the most important Byzantine towns on the west coast of the Black Sea. Wooden houses built in the 19th century are typical of the Black Sea architecture of the period. In 1983 it was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Monument. You will have free time to have lunch, take a walk in Nessebar`s city center, or go to the beach. Transfer, dinner and accommodation at a hotel in Nessebar or Sunny Beach. At 08.30 a.m. we will departure for Plovdiv - the second largest and significant city in Bulgaria and one of the most ancient and emblematic centers / 282 km ~ around 3 – 4 hours /. You will have free time for lunch. The city tour begins at 02.00 p.m. with the Old Town – visiting The Church of St Constantine and Helena. We continue to explore the amphitheatre, Dzhumaya Mosque, the Roman Stadium and the modern pedestrian zone of the town. Free time. Transfer to a hotel, accommodation, dinner and overnight in Plovdiv. Breakfast. Free time in accordance with the flight schedule. Transfer to the airport. / 2 hours/