Sofia

Museums & Exhibitions

Board the shuttle service behind St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia city center. Then, head to the medieval Rila Monastery in the spectacular Rila Mountains. Depending on the tour option selected: visit the UNESCO Boyana church and/or UNESCO Boyana church on the way to the Rila monastery. Get over 2 hours of free time to explore the complex, founded by the hermit monk Ivan Rilski in 927 AD. Marvel at the frescoes of the main church and visit the medieval tower independently. Wander down quiet outdoor corridors adorned with beautiful mosaics, and see gold-plated iconostasis and valuable icons from the 14th to 19th century. Learn more about the history of the site at the museum, where highlights include the double-sided crucifix of the Rila Cross. See the old bakery and other monuments, including the residential area of high stone walls and little windows. Board the minibus back to Sofia in the afternoon and get dropped off at the pick-up point on arrival.

Cross the border from Bulgaria and enjoy a day trip in Macedonia. Dive into the past as you explore Skopje's historic neighborhoods and see its attractions. Learn about the history of the Macedonians as you walk through the new part of the city, rebuilt during the Skopje 2013 project. After your visit to Skopje, head to Matka Canyon to take a break in nature. Your day trip begins with an 8:00 AM pickup from your accommodation in Sofia. Drive for approximately 3.5 hours and reach Skopje. During your drive learn about the history of the region from the Bulgarian point of view. Arrive in Skopje and have a 2-hour guided tour of the city from a local Macedonian guide. Learn about Yugoslavia and have the chance to compare the two historic perspectives of the region provided to you on this trip. During your guided tour of Skopje visit Skopje Fortress, Sultan Murat Mosque, and the Old Bazaar. Have the chance to see the caravanserais from the Ottoman period when Skopje was one of the main trade centers in the Balkans. Visit the new neo-classical Macedonia Square and be impressed by the statue of Alexander the Great and his father Phillip II. Continue on to the Mother Teresa Memorial House. In the house museum, learn about Mother Teresa's life story. Afterward, conclude your walking tour of Skopje at Macedonia Gate. Head to Matka Canyon where you will have approximately 1.5-hours to admire the beauty of nature. Have the chance to enjoy a boat trip inside the canyon and pass by one of the deepest underwater caves in the world. At about 4:00 PM, meet with the rest of the group and depart back to Sofia. On the drive back, discuss your day's impressions and ask your guide any remaining questions you may have. Unfortunately, the day trip's itinerary will not allow you to have free time for lunch in Skopje. It is recommended to take some fast food during the walking tour or bring some sandwiches with you. You can buy food from a petrol station before arriving in the city.

Start your tour with a pickup from your hotel. Jump in the car and enjoy the ride to the Museum of Socialist Art in Sofia. See over 70 monumental sculptures. Admire the large five-pointed star that sits on a special pedestal and once crowned the former Party House in the center of Sofia. Enjoy a 3-hour scenic drive as you continue your trip and head to the Buzludzha Monument, one of the most notable from the socialist period. This communist tour ends with a drop-off at your hotel.

At 9:00 AM you will be picked from your hotel/accommodation by your guide. After a short drive, you will reach Vitosha Mountain. Your destination is a meteorological tower, from which area you will have the chance to see the whole city from above. Your guide will give you a good overview of Sofia, its history and geography. Your next stop will be one of the most interesting and significant locations in Sofia – complex called “The Bells”. It is related to a Bulgarian initiative, which has started in 1979, called “The Flag of Peace”, gathering children from 135 countries, from both sides of “The Iron Curtain”. Each group had to put the unique bell from its country in this complex. After this experience, we will drive back to Sofia city center where you will start your walking tour. First stop is the National Archaeological Museum with its astonishing cultural treasures. On the way you will see the oldest building in Sofia – the Roman early Christian church St. George, dated in 4th-century. After the museum, you can have lunch in a restaurant situated in the same building, which was a Medieval mosque and enjoy the archaeological remains next to your table. Your next destination is the market area of Sofia, famous with the name “Ladies Market” where you will learn a lot for the epoch of the late 19th and early 20th century. You will pass next to a Synagogue, situated almost in front of an active mosque and Catholic Church, giving the name of the square – “The Square of tolerance. After you visit the Sofia History Museum you will walk by the Communist administrative center, St. Sofia church, Sofia University, and Alexander Nevski cathedral, where your tour ends. You can ask you guide some final question and if you need they can give you a ride back to your hotel, if it is far from the center.

The tour starts at 9:00 AM when you will be picked up by a private guide from your accommodation in Sofia. By car you will head to the outskirts of Sofia and Vitosha Mountain. The first stop is the National History Museum, the biggest museum in Bulgaria and one of the biggest in the Balkans. It has rich collections from antiquity to nowadays. The next stop is the remarkable Boyana Church, recognized by UNESCO because of its amazingly well-preserved frescoes from the 13th century. After exploring Boyana Church, head to the center of Sofia for a two-hour sightseeing tour. You will go around the most interesting buildings and places and learn their history from your guide. See sights such as Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Saint Sofia Basilica, Saint George Rotunda, the Parliament, the Presidency, the Roman Remains and others. The tour will finish at around 14:00 PM near the beginning of Vitosha street – the main street in Sofia.

Start the tour with the only UNESCO World Heritage monument in the vicinity of Sofia, Boyana Church. Small in size and only takes 30 minutes to visit, but its frescoes have made an enormous contribution to the world history of art. Then, you will visit the National History Museum, which will guide you through 14 centuries of a long history of Bulgaria. By this time, your hunger for knowledge and a local delicious meal will be strong enough for a visit to a little secret restaurant, established in 1927, where you will continue with pleasure and chat about the topics you are interested in - Communism Soviet era, Turkish occupation, participation of Bulgaria in World War 1 and 2 and many more. In the afternoon, park your vehicle up from Alexander Nevski Square for a visit of the largest church on the Balkans, followed by an underground tour of St. Sofia Church catacombs from Byzantine time. Continue with a stroll to the Russian Church, the National Theater and its garden, the Rotunda St. George (round church), the Roman remains and finish your walk by the Mosque Bania Bashi, where you will enter in the Museum of History of Sofia, the Hall's Market and the thermal springs nearby.

Start with pickup from your hotel in Sofia and travel to Vitosha Mountain you will begin the hiking portion of the tour. Discover one of the many scenic hiking routes of the Vitosha Nature Park, with some of the most beautiful views of the city of Sofia. After the scenic hike, head back to Sofia and learn more about the ancient and historical locations of the city. First, visit Boyana Church, a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox site situated on the outskirts of Sofia. In 1979, the building was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Then, make a stop at the National History Museum, the largest museum in the country. Discover a variety of objects related to Bulgarian archaeology, fine arts, history, ethnography.

Discover over 2000 years of history as you stroll around the streets of Sofia accompanied by a local guide and learn more about the influence of the Greeks, Romans, and Ottomans on the city. Learn more about how this mingling of cultures has made Sofia into the cultural gem that is today, with centuries-old churches that have spent most of their existence as mosques and silver and gold treasures lurking throughout the city. During the tour, learn more about Bulgaria's history as an empire, visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site church and admire the neoclassical style of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. Later, visit the Parliament buildings and the monument to the Russian Tsar Alexander II, National Theatre, the King's Palace which is now an ethnographic museum, a national bank, archaeological museum, and the Ancient Roman ruins of Serdica.

On the first day of your tour, you will explore Sofia and Plovdiv with your guide and learn about the history and culture of Bulgaria. Your tour will start once you are picked up in Sofia, and you will begin a 3-hour tour of Sofia. In Sofia, you will stop at the UNESCO site Boyana Church before heading towards the city center. Here you will visit several sites including the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, Saint Sofia Church, The National Theatre, St. George Rotunda, amongst several other sites.  From Sofia, you will travel to Plovdiv where you will check into your accommodations and have a lunch in a traditional Bulgarian restaurant before you start your tour of the city. Plovdiv has several sites that will be explored on your tour of the city. You will see the Roman Theatre and the Roman Stadium that remain in the city, and as you explore the Old Town you will walk along narrow cobblestone streets passing Revival Period houses. After touring through Plovdiv you will return to your hotel and end the first day of your tour.  On day two of your tour, you will depart Plovdiv after breakfast and travel to the Rose Valley, passing picturesque landscapes of the region along the way. After an hour and a half transfer, you will arrive in the town of Kazanlak not only famous for its rose oil production but as an important place for the mythical Thracians. Here you will visit the Thracian Tomb of Kazanluk a masterpiece of Thracian artwork and UNESCO world heritage site. You will also enjoy a visit to the History Museum of Kazanluk, and Shipka Memorial Church allowing you to learn and experience the history of the region. Before heading back to Sofia you will stop at Damascena, a private family distillery located in the heart of the Rose Valley. Here you will have lunch in a rose garden and afterward learn about the rose growing industry and production of Bulgarian rose oil. From here you will travel back to Sofia and your tour will end once you are dropped off at your accommodations.