Best of Bulgaria Tours

Breakfast. Tour of Veliko Tarnovo which is the Town of Great Bulgarian Tzars, Etar – the ethnographic museum. Transfer to Sofia. Overnight in Veliko Tarnovo. The Architectural and Ethnographic Complex Etar is situated on the outskirts of the town of Gabrovo. It is an open air museum. The Complex Etar was established in the year 1964 and was declared an architectural and ethnographic monument of national significance. The museum contains a total of 50 sites – houses with handcraft workshops, water installations and other buildings. The only collection in Bulgaria of technical installations driven by water – filling mills, water mills, grindstones, etc., are situated here. 16 houses can be seen on the handcrafts bazaar (the central commercial street) in the Etar, which are exact copies of buildings, existing in the past in Gabrovo and the region. On the handcrafts street the visitors can observe in real time the work of the craftsmen. Multiple handcrafts are presented – bell-making (manufacturing of wrought bells for animals), pottery-making, sugar-making (manufacturing of sugar articles), furriery, manufacturing of copper vessels, etc.

Veliko Tarnovo is one of the oldest towns in the country, as its history dates back to more than five thousand years ago, which is proven by the archaeological excavations made here. The upsurge of Veliko Tarnovo is related to the period of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185 – 1396). In 1185 the town was declared capital of the restored Bulgarian State by the brothers Asen and Petar, which marked the end of the Byzantine dominion that continued for 167 years. After its selection for a capital, the town developed fast, as within the period 12th – 14th century it was the most unconquerable Bulgarian fortress, as well as a cultural and intellectual center of Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula.

Breakfast in the hotel. First stop will be Arbanasi. After that you will visit famous Bulgarian capitals during the First and Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Overnight will be in Varna.

The village of Arbanasi is located on a high plateau 5 km from the city of Veliko Tarnovo. It is known that the village existed during the time of the Second Bulgarian State (1185 – 1393). At that time the Bolyari (nobles), living in the capital Tarnovo, used it as a summer residence. According to the legend, the Tsar of Tarnovo minted coins here.

Preslav was known as a spiritual and literature center, where the development of the Slavic written language and the Golden Age of Bulgaria during the rule of Tsar Simeon I (who reigned in the period 893 – 927) took place.

Pliska, which has incredible excavations and is also the oldest capital of Bulgaria, Madara Rider, UNESCO heritage listed site, which is located near Shumen and dates from the time of the Bulgarian Khans.

Breakfast in the hotel. First destination that you will visit is Balchik. After that you will visit Kaliakra fortress. On the way to Nesebar you will visit Aladja Monastery. Overnight in Nesebar.

The Palace in Balchik is the former summer residence of the Romanian Queen Maria Alexandrina Victoria de Edinburg (1875 – 1938). It is situated approximately 2 km south-west of Balchik in a beautiful locality between the Balchik rocks and the sea. The Palace is a designated archaeological and constructional monument of culture and a monument of the gardening and landscape art. Just next to the terraces is formed beautiful waterfall, with a height of 25 meters. Another smaller waterfall lours from “Allah’s garden” through thick wall to three-flow fountain into a deep stone pool.

Kaliakra – The Kaliakra Archaeological and Nature Reserve is located in Cape Kaliakra, about 12 km from the town of Kavarna. The ruins of a Thracian fortress wall and a bathhouse existed in the 4th century BC. Archaeological studies have also found traces of several medieval churches. Here are about 400 species of plants and 310 species of birds, with 100 of them taking special measures to protect them. The Reserve brings with it a centuries-old history and many legends. During the national holidays, the entire reserve is illuminated and becomes a fabulous place.

Aladzha Monastery is one of the few cave monasteries in Bulgaria, where the different premises and their functions are clearly distinguishable. The monastery premises are carved and arranged on two levels in a limestone rock that is almost 40 m high. There are no reliable historical records as to when the monastery was established, but there is evidence that it already existed in the 10th – 12th centuries.

Breakfast in the hotel. You will Nesebar – the town is part of the UNESCO’s World Treasures. Also you will visit the Museum of Salt, Reserve the Old Pomorie houses and the Pomorian lake. Overnight will be in Plovdiv.

Nesebar is one of the most ancient towns in Europe, founded 3200 years ago. During Antiquity the town was called Mesembria, in the middle Ages it was known as Mesemvria, and it was later renamed to Nesebar. Numerous archeological finds provide evidence of the centuries-old history of ancient Nesebar. Ever since it was founded, the town has always been surrounded by fortification walls, some remains of which have survived to this day.

Afterwards you will visit The Salt Museum. It was opened on 7 September 2002 in the town of Pomorie. It is the only specialized museum in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe to extract salt through the solar evaporation of sea water. The museum presents ancient anhial technology for salt production. There is an exposition hall and 20 decares of salt water. Salt production produces salt in the same way as it did in antiquity. Visitors can see the processes, all the technological operations and talk to the solariums

Breakfast in the hotel. Half day tour in Plovdiv, which is – known for its Old Town and the ancient theater. After that you will visit Asenova Fortress and Bachkovo monastery. The overnight will be in Sofia.

Plovdiv – the town of seven hills, is considered to be one of the oldest cities in Europe. Here you will see remains of a Thracian fortress (5th century BC) and well preserved remains from the Roman times to our days. The Old Town is a marvelous site, with its picturesque churches, the mosque and many houses with architecture, specific atmosphere and the spirit of Bulgarian Revival period. Your guide will show you the fabulous remains of the Ancient Roman Empire – the Roman Stadium, the Roman Forum, and the Amphitheater.

Asen’s Fortress is a medieval fortress in the Bulgarian Rhodope Mountains, 2 to 3 kilometres south of the town of Asenovgrad, on a high rocky ridge on the left bank of the Asenitsa River. Asen’s Fortress is 279 metres above sea level. Now it is in regular use as a Bulgarian Orthodox church.

The Bachkovo Monastery is a major Eastern Orthodox monastery in Southern Bulgaria. It is located on the right bank of the Chepelare River, 189 km from Sofia and 10 km south of Asenovgrad, and is directly subordinate to the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The monastery is known and appreciated for the unique combination of Byzantine, Georgian and Bulgarian culture, united by the common faith

Breakfast in the hotel. Half day tour in Sofia – the capital of Bulgaria, which combines the ancient and the modern city in one. Afterwards you will visit Rila monastery which is the biggest monastery in Bulgaria and the second largest on the Balkans, It is one of the best preserved UNESCO heritage sites in the Orthodox world. Overnight in Sofia.

Sofia – panoramic tour on foot, during which you will see the main sights – Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the Parliament, Banya Bashi Mosque, The Synagogue, the National Theatre.

Rila Monastery (UNESCO) was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity during the centuries of Ottoman occupation.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport