Best of Bulgaria

Today, we will discover Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded by Bulgaria’s 10th-century patron saint, it is considered one of the country’s holiest sites. This architectural masterpiece played an essential role in Bulgarian cultural preservation throughout the Middle Ages and well into the 19th century, when exquisite restoration work produced frescoes and icons by prominent masters.

In the afternoon, continue your day with a visit to the breathtaking Boyana Church (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site), located on Sofia’s outskirts. Built over more than six centuries, the church is famous for its well-preserved, realistic Byzantine-style frescoes.

Return to Sofia Old Town in the afternoon, and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

After breakfast, depart Sofia for Veliko Tarnovo, medieval “City of the Tsars.” Take a leisurely walking tour of the Old Town, where you’ll find delightful shops filled with traditional arts and crafts. You’ll learn all about icon painting, woodcarving, textiles, and metalworking.

In the afternoon, continue to the village of Arbanassi, which features rare architectural treasures of the 17th and 18th centuries. Arbanassi enjoyed the patronage of an Ottoman sultan, thereby emerging as a residential center for wealthy merchants. At the Konstantsalieva house, you’ll have the chance to observe, in fine detail, exactly how the elite class lived during the 18th century.

Next, discover the Nativity Church in Arbanassi, built during the Ottoman occupation according to the strict codes and tenets enforced during that epoch.

Today, you’ll have the rare opportunity to travel to three separate outdoor UNESCO World Heritage sites.

You’ll start the day at the Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo, an extraordinary medieval religious complex carved into solid rock.

Next, move on to the 3rd-century B.C. Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari, renowned for its unusual half-plant, half-human caryatids and extensive murals.

Round out the day at the UNESCO World Heritage Madara Horseman, an ancient landmark and popular Bulgaria symbol. This massive early-medieval relief, cut into a high cliff, may represent a bygone military triumph or Thracian deity.

Arrive in Varna in the late afternoon.

This morning, stroll along the sweeping Sea Garden in the Black Sea resort of Varna, passing by the Roman Baths. Visit the Archaeological Museum to view the Gold of Varna, the oldest gold treasure ever discovered, with priceless items dating to 4000 B.C.

Spend the afternoon on your own, relaxing on the beach, or tour the lovely Balchik Palace with its botanical gardens and the Aladzha Monastery, a cave structure beautifully painted with bright exterior frescoes.

Morning brings a journey to Nessebar, a beautiful 9000-year-old town built on a former island (now a beautiful peninsula). Nessebar is known for its picturesque churches and houses, and the settlement still supports a vibrant fishing culture. Find a table at one of the delightful restaurants overlooking the sea, and fill your lungs with the refreshing salt air.

Next, stop at Kazanlak, an area renowned for its rose harvest. Here, you’ll visit the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Thracian Tomb. This astounding complex, discovered in 1944, encompasses a vast Thracian necropolis featuring a massive array of murals. It represents Bulgaria’s only collection of Hellenistic masterpieces still in their original state.

Arrive in Plovdiv in the late afternoon.

Today, explore Plovdiv, one of the most historically diverse cities in all of Europe. Founded by the Thracians, Plovdiv later became a strategic Greek and Roman center. The city is known for its lively arts scene and bohemian atmosphere featuring an abundance of galleries and cafés. With your guide, visit the ancient Roman theater of Philippopolis and the preeminent Ethnographic Museum, situated in one of the oldest houses in Plovdiv.

Next, journey to the Chepelare River to tour the vast Bachkovo Monastery, founded in 1083; enjoy the amazing view at the imposing Asenovgrad Fortress, built on a strategic high point inhabited since the Thracian and Roman eras.

Today, you’ll explore the delightful village of Koprivshitsa. On your guided walking tour, wind your way along narrow cobblestoned streets to view the abundance of 19th-century architecture: over 400 of Bulgaria’s best-preserved National Revival houses can be found here.

Travel through the beautiful countryside to Starosel, the site of the largest known Thracian complex in Bulgaria. The mausoleum, comprised of six underground temples, dates to the 6th century B.C. Tour the Chetinyova Mogila temple, the only one of the existing sites open to the public.

Continue to Sofia; arrive in the late afternoon or evening.