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6-Hour Sofia & Rila Sightseeing Tour

  • Tour Category

    Private Tour

  • Tour Types

    Architecture, History, Sightseeing

  • Duration

    6 Hours

  • Activity Level

    Easy

  • Language

    English

Description

During this 6-hour tour, explore the Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, the most magnificent church in Bulgaria and a UNESCO site renowned for its wall paintings both on the interiors and exteriors. 

Highlights
  • Visit the Rila Monastery 

  • See the Virgin Mary Church, the most magnificent church in Bulgaria

  • Opt for a tour of the Retro Museum 
  • Visit various attractions in Sofia and Rila expand_more

    • Meet your tour guide at a predecided location. Be picked up in the morning from your accommodation in Sofia and drive to Rila Monastery. 

    • Visit Rila Monastery and the Virgin Mary Church.

    • Enjoy free time for photos. Optional visit to the monastery museums.
      • Optional lunch in the area of the monastery.
      • Optional visit to a second site: hike to Stob Pyramids, the Retro Museum or Boyana Church under UNESCO protection in Sofia.

    • Head back to Sofia. Be dropped off at your accommodation in Sofia.

What's Included

  • English-speaking Bulgarian tour guide

  • Transport by AC car and parking fees

  • Driver

  • Pick up and drop off from/to your accommodation in Sofia

  • Photos from the tour

  • Mineral water 0.5l per person

What's Excluded

  • Optional lunch in the area of Rila monastery: about BGN 20 per person

Entrance fees for the museums:

  • Rila monastery

    • History museum: BGN 8 per person, a special item is the wooden Rafail cross

    • Helio defence tower: BGN 5 per person

    • The old monastery kitchen and farming museum: BGN 5 per person

An optional second visit to:

  • A short hike of 15-20 min one way to the cave of St Ivan of Rila. The terrain is stony, so please come in suitable shoes. At the cave, there is a rock hole. It believed that when you pass through it out, all bad thoughts and emotions stay behind.

  • Stob Pyramids: entrance fee of BGN 2 per person. Not suitable for the winter season

  • Retro Museum: for 25 years now a local guy has collected items from the communism time in his private yard and storage place. There is no entrance fee, if you decide, you can support the place by donating some money

  • Boyana Church in Sofia, under UNESCO protection: BGN 10 per person

  • Visit and Wine tasting at a local winery upon request

Know before you go
  • The time is flexible if you want to stay longer at some museum or at lunch

  • In order to enter the yard and the main church, there are clothing restrictions. *NB: According to religious rules, you need to cover your shoulders and knees. Otherwise, the priests will consider it disrespectful and will make you leave. When you enter the church take off your hat, sunglasses and please do not hold your hands in your pockets. This makes priests upset

Cancellation Policy

For cancellations upto 2 days before the tour -

Refund of 80% of the tour price.
Price Details
The group size and price
1 To 4USD 280 Per Group

This is a private tour
Starting From

Fromss

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USD 280 / group