Day 1: Sofia Arrival
Arrive in Sofia and transfer to your hotel. Afternoon free to begin exploring the city at your own pace — the pedestrian Vitosha Boulevard with its outdoor cafes, the tree-lined Borisova Gradina park, or the mineral water fountains that flow freely throughout this ancient spa city (Sofia is built over 30 thermal springs). Evening meet your tour leader and fellow travelers for a welcome briefing followed by an optional group dinner at a traditional Bulgarian mehana. Overnight in Sofia.
Day 2: Sofia City Tour & Bachkovo Monastery
Morning guided tour of Sofia. Visit Alexander Nevsky Cathedral — one of the world’s largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals with capacity for 5,000 worshippers and space for 86 icons on its gold-draped iconostasis. Walk to the 4th-century Rotunda of St. George, hidden in a courtyard behind the Presidency, still bearing traces of five layers of frescoes from the Roman through Ottoman periods. See the Roman ruins of ancient Serdica in the Largo archaeological complex and the 16th-century Banya Bashi Mosque. Afternoon drive to Bachkovo Monastery (founded 1083), Bulgaria’s second-largest monastery in the Rhodope foothills. Marvel at the 17th-century frescoes, the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, and the two-story 14th-century ossuary. Continue to Plovdiv. Overnight in Plovdiv.
Day 3: Plovdiv — Europe’s Oldest Living City
Full day exploring Plovdiv, continuously inhabited for over 8,000 years and European Capital of Culture 2019. Morning walking tour of the Roman Forum of Philippopolis, the magnificent 2nd-century Roman Amphitheater (still hosting performances 1,900 years later), and the Roman Stadium that seated 30,000 spectators. Ascend into the Old Town’s cobblestone lanes lined with 19th-century Revival mansions in Bulgarian, Greek, and Ottoman styles. Visit the Ethnographic Museum in the Kuyumdzhioglu House, a masterpiece of symmetrical Baroque-influenced architecture. Afternoon free to explore the Kapana creative district with its galleries, craft shops, and hip cafes. Sunset at Nebet Tepe, the highest of Plovdiv’s seven hills and the site of the original Neolithic settlement from 6,000 BC. Overnight in Plovdiv.
Day 4: Sozopol & the Southern Black Sea Coast
Journey east across the Thracian plain to the Black Sea coast. Arrive at Sozopol, Bulgaria’s oldest town and one of the most charming fishing villages on the Black Sea. Founded by Greek colonists from Miletus in 610 BC as Apollonia Pontica, the town is now a maze of 19th-century wooden houses with stone ground floors and overhanging upper stories, narrow winding lanes, and fig trees growing in every courtyard. Visit the Archaeological Museum with its collection of ancient anchors and amphorae recovered from the Black Sea. Afternoon free to swim at one of Sozopol’s sandy coves, sample freshly caught Black Sea mussels and rakiya at a seaside tavern, and explore the artist galleries in the Old Town. Overnight in Sozopol.
Day 5: Nessebar UNESCO & Burgas
Morning drive to Nessebar, the Pearl of the Black Sea. This UNESCO World Heritage peninsula is one of the world’s most concentrated historical sites: over 40 medieval churches on a rocky outcrop just 850 meters long and 350 meters wide, layered atop Thracian fortifications, Greek temples, and Roman baths. Visit the 5th-century Old Metropolitan Church (St. Sophia), the 11th-century Church of St. Stephen with its fully preserved 16th-century frescoes depicting 258 biblical scenes and over 1,000 characters, and the 14th-century Church of Christ Pantocrator with its exquisite ceramic decorative work. Walk the wooden pier between traditional fishermen’s houses for postcard views. Afternoon visit to Burgas, Bulgaria’s largest port city, for a stroll through the Sea Garden and a visit to the Burgas Salt Pans (Atanasovsko Lake), a major migratory bird sanctuary. Overnight in Burgas or Nessebar.
Day 6: Varna & Balchik Palace
Travel north along the coast to Varna. Visit the Varna Archaeological Museum to witness the Varna Gold Treasure — the oldest processed gold in human history (4,600-4,200 BC), with over 3,000 gold artifacts weighing more than 6 kilograms, excavated from a Chalcolithic necropolis. Walk the Roman Thermae, the largest Roman bath complex in the Balkans (7,000 square meters), built in the 2nd century AD. Continue to Balchik, on a limestone terrace above the Black Sea, to visit the Balchik Palace — Queen Marie of Romania’s summer residence built in 1926. Explore the palace with its unique blend of Oriental, Gothic, and Balkan architectural styles, and the magnificent terraced Botanical Garden with over 3,000 plant species including Europe’s second-largest cactus collection. Overnight in Varna.
Day 7: Madara Rider UNESCO & Return to Sofia
Morning visit to the Madara Rider, a UNESCO World Heritage rock relief carved 23 meters up a vertical cliff face in the early 8th century. The monumental carving depicts a horseman, a lion, and a dog, representing the triumph of Khan Tervel and the power of the First Bulgarian Empire. It is the only rock relief of its kind in Europe and appears on Bulgarian coins to this day. Walk to the Madara Fortress ruins atop the plateau for panoramic views. Continue the drive back across Bulgaria, passing through the Balkan Mountains. Arrive in Sofia in the evening. Farewell dinner at a traditional mehana in Sofia’s Old Town with live Bulgarian folk music — gaida (bagpipes), kaval (shepherd’s flute), and the distinctive asymmetrical rhythms that define Bulgarian dance music. Overnight in Sofia.
Day 8: Sofia Departure
Free morning for last-minute exploration in Sofia — perhaps the Central Mineral Baths building with its Secessionist facade, the Women’s Market for Bulgarian rose oil and local spices, or a final shopska salad at a Vitosha Boulevard cafe. Transfer to Sofia Airport for departure. Dovizhdane! (Goodbye in Bulgarian.) End of tour.
