13-Day Bulgaria Discovery Tour – From Sofia to the Black Sea

DAY 1 | Sunday – Depart for Bulgaria

Start your Balkan adventure with a flight to Sofia, Bulgaria’s vibrant capital. Prepare to uncover ancient history, stunning architecture, and rich culture.

DAY 2 | Monday – Arrive in Sofia

Arrive in Sofia and transfer to your hotel. Spend the day at leisure, exploring nearby cafés or strolling along the charming streets. Meet your Tour Manager in the evening for an orientation meeting, followed by a welcome dinner.

Overnight: Sofia | Meals: Dinner

DAY 3 | Tuesday – Sofia City Tour

Explore Sofia’s historic treasures:

• National History Museum, showcasing 8,000 years of Bulgarian history, including Thracian gold and silver artifacts

• St. Sofia Church, dating to the 4th century

• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a neo-Byzantine masterpiece and one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the world

Afternoon at leisure – enjoy a café along Oborishte Street or stroll the vibrant city lanes.

Overnight: Sofia | Meals: Breakfast

DAY 4 | Wednesday – Rila Monastery & Travel to Bansko

Drive south to Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Bulgaria’s spiritual heart. Explore the frescoed church and museum, and learn about its role in preserving Bulgarian culture and literacy. Continue to Bansko, a resort town nestled at the foot of the Pirin Mountains. Check into your hotel and enjoy dinner.

Overnight: Bansko | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 5 | Thursday – Wine Tasting & Vineyard Lunch

Enjoy a scenic drive through Bulgaria’s southwestern wine region. Visit a winery to learn about Thracian winemaking traditions dating back to 4000 B.C. Sample wines in a guided tasting and savor a specially arranged vineyard lunch. Return to Bansko for leisure in the evening.

Overnight: Bansko | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 6 | Friday – Bansko & Plovdiv Ethnographic Museum

Stroll the cobbled streets of Bansko, admiring traditional Bulgarian wooden houses. Travel to Plovdiv and visit the Ethnographic Museum, housed in a Bulgarian Revival home showcasing textiles, carpets, rugs, and folk crafts. Check into your hotel for overnight.

Overnight: Plovdiv | Meals: Breakfast

DAY 7 | Saturday – Plovdiv City Tour

Tour Plovdiv Old Town, restored to its 19th-century appearance with Thracian, Roman, Byzantine, and Bulgarian antiquities. Visit the Ancient Theater of Philippopolis, one of the best-preserved Roman theaters in the world. In the evening, enjoy a traditional dinner with a local family.

Overnight: Plovdiv | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 8 | Sunday – Thracian Tomb, Rose Distillery & Burgas

Travel to Kazanluk to see the Thracian Tomb (4th century B.C.), famous for its Hellenistic murals. Continue to Damascena to tour a rose distillery and enjoy lunch, before arriving in Burgas for overnight.

Overnight: Burgas | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 9 | Monday – Chengene Skele & St. Anastasia Island

Drive to Chengene Skele, a coastal village with streets named after John Steinbeck. Visit a traditional fisherman’s house, then cruise by catamaran to St. Anastasia Island. Tour the museum and monastery, enjoy a seafood lunch, and explore before returning to Burgas. Dinner at your hotel.

Overnight: Burgas | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 10 | Tuesday – Nessebar & Dryanovo Monastery

Tour Nessebar, the UNESCO-listed Pearl of the Black Sea, with ancient walls, churches, and archaeological treasures. Then visit Dryanovo Monastery (12th century) and its historic Church of the Assumption. Continue to Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria’s medieval capital. Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Veliko Tarnovo | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 11 | Wednesday – Veliko Tarnovo & Cooking Class

Explore Veliko Tarnovo, the “City of the Tsars,” with cliffside houses overlooking the Yantra River. Tour Tsarevets Fortress and its medieval ruins. Later, enjoy a Bulgarian pie-making demonstration and lunch. Afternoon at leisure.

Overnight: Veliko Tarnovo | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 12 | Thursday – Museum of Traditional Crafts & Prohodna Cave

Visit Troyan’s Museum of Traditional Crafts and Applied Arts, featuring pottery, textiles, woodcarving, and musical instruments. Explore Prohodna Cave, famous for its “God’s eyes” openings in the ceiling. Return to Sofia for a farewell dinner.

Overnight: Sofia | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 13 | Friday – Depart Bulgaria

Transfer to the airport for your return flight, concluding your immersive journey through Bulgaria.

Meals: Breakfast

Tour Highlights

• Small group size (max 22 travelers) for personalized experiences

• Explore Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Rila Monastery

• Bulgarian wine tasting and vineyard lunch

• Visit Bansko, Plovdiv, and Veliko Tarnovo, cities rich in history and culture

• Discover the Thracian Tomb and rose oil traditions in Kazanluk

• Catamaran excursion to St. Anastasia Island

• Explore Nessebar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Hands-on cooking experiences in Veliko Tarnovo

• Adventure at Prohodna Cave with its “God’s eyes” rock formations

Package Includes

• Round-trip flights: New York–Sofia / Sofia–New York (other departure cities available)

• 12 nights First-Class accommodations: Sofia, Bansko, Plovdiv, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo

• 21 meals: 11 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 6 dinners

• English-speaking tour manager and local guides

• Air-conditioned transport and entrance fees per itinerary

• Wireless earphones for enhanced touring

• Small group size ensures in-depth cultural experiences

Not Included

• Gratuities (unless otherwise specified)

• Optional excursions