14-Day Sustainable self-drive in Bulgaria

Private arrival transfer Sofia Airport. Walking city tour in the central part of Sofia with a local guide (using the Metro of Sofia) – Alexander Nevski Memorial Cathedral, St. Sofia 6th c basilica, Parliament Square, National Theatre, former Royal Palace, the Old City Garden, the Presidency, St. George Rotunda ( 4th c, the oldest building preserved in Sofia ), the ruins of Ancient Serdica. Welcome dinner at a traditional restaurant within walking distance from your hotel. 

Departure south to Rila Monastery UNESCO site - the largest monastery in Bulgaria, founded at the beginning of the 10th c, UNESCO site. The monastery is located less than 2 h drive from Sofia, in one of the most beautiful parts of Rila Mountain National Park, at an altitude of 1100 m above sea level. Independent visit of the monastery complex – the yard and the main church. Possible visit to the museums of the monastery.

Departure further south along Struma river valley towards the Greek border. En route, you will see Sandanski town, Melnik and arrive in Rojen village. Both Melnik and Rojen village are picturesquely located at the foothills of sandstone pyramids, in which wine cellars are dug. 

Check in at your hotel. Wine tasting is organized at a local winery, not far from the hotel.

Morning dedicated to Melnik museum town – the smallest town in Bulgaria. Possible visit to Kordopulov House - the largest residential building on the Balkans from its period (built in 1754) and its wine cellar.

Departure east towards the Rhodope mountains. Along the way, you can stop at typical Bulgarian villages, preserving their authenticity and architecture – Dolen, Kovachevitsa, Leshten, walk in the region of the villages and taste traditional Bulgarian cuisine.

Kovachevitsa is regarded as a hidden pearl of the mountains, established high in the Western Rhodopes in the end of the 14th c, despite the fact that remains of settlements from the 1st millennium BC have been unearthed here. 

Arrival in Teshel village in the late afternoon. Check in at your hotel. Dinner with traditional dishes of the region included.

Private jeep tour along Trigrad gorge and Orlovo Oko observation platform for a panoramic view. The platform is built on the edge of a rock, at 1563 m above sea level and gives picturesque view of Buinovo gorge, the villages of Buinovo, Chala, Yagodina, Rila, and Pirin mountains and further – the mountains in Greece.

Lunch at a family-run restaurant in Yagodina village and try home-made specialties of the region

Possible visits to 2 of the most famous caves in the Rhodopes: Devil`s Throat cave - the cave’s entrance resembles a devil’s head, and down its throat rushes a massive waterfall that from ancient times has captivated imaginations and given birth to numerous legends.

Yagodina cave - the third-longest in Bulgaria and the longest in the Rhodopes. The natural entrance leads to the uppermost level, where an ancient dwelling dated to the 4th millennium BC was discovered.

The mountain road passes near some of the most beautiful water reserves of the Rhodope mountains. We suggest you stop at least at Vucha Dam to enjoy the view and the nature or take a boat tour.

Continue further north to Plovdiv – the 2nd largest city in Bulgaria, once capital city of Philip the 2nd of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great. Plovdiv was the European capital of culture in 2019 and is considered the oldest continuously inhibited city in Europe, contemporary of Troy and much older than Athens and Rome. Check at your hotel in the Old Plovdiv architecture reserve.

Meet your local guide for a walking tour to see the National-revival houses complex, the Ancient Amphitheatre (from outside), St. Constantine, and Helena Church. the Ethnographic Museum (the so called Royal House), the Roman Stadium.

Free day in Plovdiv for own discoveries. Overnight at the same hotel.

Before departing to the Black Sea coast, you can spend some time in Kapana – the artistic neighborhood of Plovdiv, as well as walk along the longest pedestrian street in the world with Roman ruins, remains, many small cafes, restaurants, and shops. Proceed towards the town of Pomorie. It was established on a small peninsula in the 5th c BC and is famous for its curative mud and salt production.

We suggest you visit the nearby UNESCO town Nessebur. According to Strabo, the town was named Messambria, after the legendary founder – a Thracian by the name of Melsa and the Thracian name for city “bria”. It exists since the 2nd millennium BC, the Hellenic colony on this site was founded in 510 BC by Dorian settlers. 

Day to relax on the beach, and enjoy the sea and the sand.

Today is another free day at the Black Sea. You can visit Burgas, Sozopol museum town, or in the vicinity of Pomorie and Nesebur. 

Stop en route to Kazanluk – the centre of the Valley of Roses, known as well as the Valley of the Thracian kings. Visit Kazanluk Thracian Tomb (UNESCO site, copy) and lunch at a local family in a village nearby. Afternoon visit of Damascena distillery for rose and lavender products and taste rose jam and rose liquor. Cross the Central Balkan range via Shipka Mountain pass, possible pictures at the church of Shipka. Arrive in Veliko Turnovo – the medieval capital city of Bulgaria, picturesquely located on 4 hills above the Yantra river. Check in at your hotel. Overnight in your hotel

Meet your private guide for a walking tour of Veliko Turnovo old town: Tsarevets Royal Hill with the medieval fortress, Patriarh`s complex and Baldwin tower ( the leader of the 4th Crusade was imprisoned there ), Samovodsla Charshia ( the old marketplace ) – now a street with many small workshops, souvenir shops and houses with traditional architecture. Wine tasting. Free afternoon for own discoveries.

Free day for own discoveries in Veliko Turnovo and its surroundings.

Free morning in Veliko Turnovo and its region. Possible visit of Transfiguration monastery nearby. Before departure to Sofia, we suggest you spend 1-2 h in Arbanassi museum village, located on a hill above Veliko Turnovo, just 10 km away. The village is mentioned for the first time in documents from 1538. The village was so scenic that Greek bishops from Mount Athos and from as far as Jerusalem journeyed to spend the summer. Depart to Sofia.

Today, your trip comes to an end. We wish you a safe journey home!