Top Sofia Day Trips - page 3

Very reliable agency! Skopje is a city of contrasts that surprises us from the very first walk. On one side are the monumental statues and neoclassical facades in the center, and on the other is the old charm of the Old Bazaar. The stone bridge connects these two worlds. After lunch, we visited the exceptionally beautiful Matka Canyon—a boat trip through the canyon reveals rocks, rich flora and caves.

Our tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. She spoke perfect English and showed us everything a foreign tourist would want to experience when they are in Sofia and Bulgaria in general for the first time. We were very satisfied and would recommend this tour 100% to anyone who wants to learn some of the Bulgarian history and culture when they are in the country for the first time.

You join other people in a bus to visit the monastery. Yet you are still given enough free time so you do not feel like you are a part of a packaged tour, with a tight schedule on hand. Definitely recommended to do this tour, if you do not want to drive to the location by yourself, or figure out ways to get there by other means, which will cost you quite sometime for sure!

Must see excursion while in Sofia. Monastery is magical and the lakes are the perfect nature hike. We got lucky with amazing weather. Apostolos was our guide, nice roomie Van, good driver, provided a lot of free time to see what we needed and provided guidance for anything we wanted, great for independent travelers. Oh and such cute dogs that love him when we arrived at the Rila lakes ski lift.

Our tour guide, Hristo was very knowledgeable about the history of this area of the world. He filled in gaps I had been unclear about in the religious history of Bulgaria. He spoke clearly and loudly in his excellent English, making it easy to understand all he said. He was personable, helpful and excellent at pointing out local architecture and how it related to the history and religion of Plovdiv. I highly recommend a tour with Hristo. In fact, we booked another tour with him for next week. Our bus driver was a safe driver and I'm always appreciative of that. I highly recommend.

We had a wonderful day with our guide Theodore, he was knowledgeable, attentive and great to get along with. Even though there were some surprises he made it a very memorable experience. Due to road construction (no one’s fault!) we could not see the fortress or monastery, which although disappointing, was a hidden blessing, as instead we visited Koprivshtitsa. Theodore provided an insightful view into the history of Bulgaria, and walking around the streets was memorable - we were actually glad the normal tour itinerary did not work out so that we could have this unique experience! Also, the theatre in Plovdiv was not accessible due to preparation for a concert that evening (again, no one’s fault) but we were still able to view it from the perimeter and that was good enough. Plovdiv overall was amazing, we are so glad we went. The tour was a full 11 hours and worth it, we thoroughly enjoyed it and really appreciated having Theodore as our guide.

I had such a great experience with the Rila Lakes + Monastery trip! Our driver was great and made the ride smooth and comfortable (you book spots for the day and then you are with a group of other travelers on a bus). Prior to departing, Phillip gave us tips on the best routes to take for the hike, which made all the difference. His advice helped me enjoy the lakes at my own pace while still catching the highlights. The hike itself was self-guided, but having those pointers made it feel stress-free. He also regularly checked in with the group via WhatsApp to keep us on schedule and give more information. Highly recommend this for anyone who wants the flexibility of hiking independently while still getting expert guidance at the start.

Plovdiv is absolutely stunning! Our tour guide, Tuni, was fantastic - he really went above and beyond to make sure everyone was comfortable. He managed the pace perfectly, including bathroom breaks, and did a brilliant job of showing us all the amazing sights and sharing the city's rich history. He even gave us some great lunch recommendations! We had a small group, which made the whole experience really nice and personal. The only suggestion l'd offer is to try and go when the weather's a bit cooler. Honestly, it was scorching hot while we were there - so hot that it was hard to fully appreciate how beautiful Plovdiv is when you're hot drenched in sweat! Just a heads-up: like most walking tours, there's a fair bit of walking on uneven and sometimes steep paths. Definitely wear comfortable shoes and light, breathable clothing (linen's a great choice!), hat, sunnies, sunscreen plus an umbrella. Oh water as well! Even with that, the heat was intense! FYI-We were on a small van- even with the air conditioning on, it was very warm for everyone on the way back home.