Category Tours

Bulgaria · TOURS

The 15 Best Tours & Days Out in Bulgaria

78 reviewed

Everything with a guide and a start time, from a two-hour walk round central Sofia to a full day across the Rila valleys. These 15 come first, with prices, durations and the practical detail that decides which one you actually book.

Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Full-Day Tour

Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Full-Day Tour - Meeting point at Vasil Levski Monument, then out of town

1.Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 918 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $24Our pick

See Rila Monastery and Boyana Church from Sofia in one full day, with guided fresco stories, Rila free time, and quick Boyana entry.

“Very poorly organized. For some reason, a few of us got put in an Italian tour and the guide Karolina, although knowing perfectly how to speak English, didn't explain to us about basic logistics of ticket purchasing and later told us: "you are not in a guided tour so I shouldn't be even talking to you in English at all". Incredible. The monastery was beautiful but the stop was too long and we were all freezing.”

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From Sofia: Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour

From Sofia: Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour - The day at a glance: meet, ride, and how the timing feels

2.From Sofia: Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 866 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $24

Sofia day trip to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church, with a comfy bus, English-speaking guide, and time to explore your way.

“We enjoyed our trip to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church. Our guide Lubo was very nice and friendly. He was super enthusiastic and eager to teach us about Bulgaria. Both Rila Monastery and Boyana Church were really beautiful. The visit to Boyana Church was a bit short and rushed- we were split into 3 groups and each group had only 10 minutes inside to look around. We were at the Rila Monastery for 3 hours and 2.5 hours of that was free time, which felt like a bit too much time there in the pouring rain. We ended up booking the combination ticket at the museum, which was a good…”

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Communist Walking Tour of Sofia

Communist Walking Tour of Sofia - Meeting point details so you don’t waste time finding the group

3.Communist Walking Tour of Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 690 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $21Top rated

3-hour Sofia communist walk with English guides, 9 landmark stops, free site access, and Cold War stories ending by a Berlin Wall.

“Really really good. The guide, Stefan, was knowledgeable and entertaining. We enjoyed it, and it's a pleasure to see passion.”

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Sofia Highlights 2 Hour Sightseeing Walking Tour

Sofia Highlights 2 Hour Sightseeing Walking Tour - Saint Nikolas Russian Church and a wish-based myth lesson

4.Sofia Highlights 2 Hour Sightseeing Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 442 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $19

A 2-hour English walking tour of Sofia’s top sights, from Alexander Nevsky Cathedral to ancient Serdica, guided locally for $19.35.

“This tour was a fantastic way to discover Sofia’s most important landmarks. What made it really special was our guide, Nikola — knowledgeable, friendly, and someone who made me feel completely at ease from the start. He shared fascinating insights into Bulgaria’s history and took the time to answer all my questions thoroughly. It felt more like exploring the city with a local friend than a typical tour. Highly recommended!”

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Day tour to Skopje, North Macedonia – Small Group

Day tour to Skopje, North Macedonia - Small Group - Sofia to Skopje: why the drive feels like part of the experience

Sofia Pub Crawl Tour of The Hidden Unique Bars

Sofia Pub Crawl Tour of The Hidden Unique Bars - Meeting point and pacing: the 9:00 pm timing works

6.Sofia Pub Crawl Tour of The Hidden Unique Bars

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 284 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $24

A guided Sofia pub crawl with free rakia, multiple bars, and weekend club entry. English-led, 4 to 5 hours, great for meeting people.

“The tour start with maybe the most quiet pub and as we move forward the pub it was more discotheque. The environment is so great because you make friends there. Everybody is happy and kind”

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Plovdiv Small Group Full Day Guided Tour from Sofia

Plovdiv Small Group Full Day Guided Tour from Sofia - Old Town Plovdiv walk: where the stories actually stick

7.Plovdiv Small Group Full Day Guided Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 235 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $22

Plovdiv day trip from Sofia with a guided Old Town walk, optional Roman sites, and free time on Glavnata and Kapana.

“Convenient tour, well organized. Downside is making a detour to pick up passengers at the airport and the traffic backup that significantly impacts the time one has in Plovdiv. If one is interested in spending time at a museum, don't go on Monday - they are all closed and one does have a little time to visit a museum on this tour.”

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Tour to Lovech, Devetaki cave & Krushuna waterfalls

Tour to Lovech, Devetaki cave & Krushuna waterfalls - Getting From Sofia Without Waste: Pickup, Timing, and Comfort

8.Tour to Lovech, Devetaki cave & Krushuna waterfalls

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 167 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $114

A 10-hour Sofia day trip to Devetaki Cave, Krushuna Waterfalls, and Lovech, with hotel pickup, guided history, and included admissions.

“We had a wonderful guide Michael who took us to the caves, waterfalls and the town of Lovech. Our guide was superb and. So was the tour, highly recommended it!”

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7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Tour

7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Tour - Seven Rila Lakes: lift up, then climb, then choose how many

9.7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 165 reviews · 10 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $71

A full day from Sofia to Rila Monastery and the Seven Rila Lakes, with air-conditioned comfort, free monastery entry, and lift access.

“It was amazing! Love the nature and all beautiful places around I’ve seen during this trip! Guide is the best!”

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Small group tour to Plovdiv, Asen’s Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery

Small group tour to Plovdiv, Asen's Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery - Plovdiv Old Town: Roman Theatre, Roman Stadium, and Revival Streets

10.Small group tour to Plovdiv, Asen’s Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 164 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $90

Small-group day trip from Sofia to Plovdiv, Asen's Fortress, and Bachkovo Monastery with hotel pickup, expert guide, and Roman sights.

“Daniel was a superb guide. He explained so much of the history and he drove many miles to get us to the wonderful places that were on the tour. I can’t praise him enough for the experience. Incredible tour of Plovdiv. The fortress was phenomenal and he took fantastic photos of us. The monastery was inspirational. So much to see and learn about. Very inspiring. Highly recommend this to everyone!!”

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Guided Walking Tour of Sofia

Guided Walking Tour of Sofia - More Orthodox Icons: Russian Revival St Nicholas and Sveta Nedelya

11.Guided Walking Tour of Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 143 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $48

A 2-hour small-group walking tour of Sofia with expert English guidance, free entry stops, and stories from Roman, Orthodox, Ottoman, and Soviet eras.

“Petar was a great guide. It was a very relaxed walk while finding out about the amazing history of Sofia. He was very knowledgeable and happy to answer all questions. We had a quick coffee midway through, which is a must for me! We learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed it. Well worth booking.”

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Private city walking tour of Sofia

Private city walking tour of Sofia - Saint Nedelia, Palace of Justice, and the faith history you can actually see

12.Private city walking tour of Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 141 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $183

A 2-hour private walking tour of Sofia that strings together centuries of faith, power, and everyday life, with a local guide in English.

“We recently enjoyed a 2-hour city center tour of Sofia with Vasil, and it was a highlight of our stay. Although we had been exploring the city center on our own for the past two days, Vasil brought the history and culture of Sofia to life in a way we hadn’t experienced. His deep knowledge, backed by his academic background in tourism, made the tour both informative and engaging. Vasil was exceptionally friendly and enthusiastic, and his passion for the city was contagious. My wife and I learned so much during our time with him. We highly recommend Vasil for anyone looking to explore and truly understand the majestic city…”

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Day Tour to Nis, Serbia – Small group

Day Tour to Nis, Serbia - Small group - From Sofia to Medijana: the Roman start, even if the site is closed

13.Day Tour to Nis, Serbia – Small group

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 130 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $60

Small-group day trip from Sofia to Niš, Serbia with pickup, guided history, Skull Tower, preserved camp, Niš Fortress, and free time.

“This was the perfect itinerary on a cloudy and rainy day. Our guide Ivan handled the border crossings efficiently and provided a wealth of information with regards to the history of the region from the Romans in 50 AD to the Soviets in 1945 AD.”

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Sofia Walking Private City Tour

Sofia Walking Private City Tour - Stop 1: St. Sofia Church and the Underground “Sofia” Story

14.Sofia Walking Private City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 127 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $84

Private 2 to 3 hour walk through Sofia’s churches, Roman ruins, mosques and markets, led in English with pickup.

“Venni was very knowledgeable, friendly and flexible to accommodate our schedule. Thank you so much Venni.”

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Full-day Nis and Serbian History Tour from Sofia

Full-day Nis and Serbian History Tour from Sofia - Mediana Roman Estate: mosaics, baths, and everyday Roman life

15.Full-day Nis and Serbian History Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 90 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $83

Full-day Niš tour from Sofia with Roman mosaics at Mediana, the Skull Tower, and a WWII camp visit. Small groups, big emotions.

“We had a great time with our guide Filip. He was very knowledgeable, friendly and ensured we felt at ease throughout the trip. I would recommend this tour to anybody interested in the complet history of the Balkans”

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