Top Sofia Day Trips

Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Full-Day Tour

8 hoursFree Cancellation

Must-See Plovdiv Day Tour from Sofia

Day Tour to Nis, Serbia - Small group with pick-up and tickets

This day tour of Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa from Sophia saves you the headache of renting a car and navigating Bulgaria’s roads on your own. Your transportation and itinerary are taken care of, and you'll discover the highlights of both cities. Discover the influences of the Romans, Thracians, and Byzantines as you walk through Plovdiv, and see the homes of some of Koprivshtitsa's most famous residents.

Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa Full-Day Trip

11 hoursFree Cancellation

Rila Monastery & Thermae Full-Day Tour from Sofia

Appreciating the diversity of Balkan culture can be difficult, especially with limited time in the region. Explore Macedonian culture on a day tour to Skopje from Sofia, and tick off another Balkan capital in just one day. Travel the distance with ease in a small group, and discover landmarks including the Skopje Fortress, Memorial House of Mother Teresa, and Old Bazaar, with insights provided by your guide.

Day tour to Skopje, North Macedonia - Small Group

12 hoursFree Cancellation

From Sofia Rila Monastery with Boyana Church or St. Ivan’s Cave

If you're interested in visiting the centuries-old Belogradchik Fortress from Sofia, you likely need to rent a car, pay for gas, and navigate yourself on the drive. Visit this top Bulgarian cultural sight—without the hassle and expense of renting a car—with this private tour. Along the way, enjoy a stop at the bizarre geologic formation known as the Belogradchik Rocks, spend two hours at the fortress—with entry at your own expense—and admire the landscape as you sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride from Sofia.

Special Offer

Belogradchik fortress and Belogradchik rocks tour

9 to 10 hoursFree Cancellation

Traverse millennia of history on a seamless day trip from Sofia. Traveling by air-conditioned coach, explore ancient Plovdiv, the mystical Starosel Thracian Temple, and the open-air street art village of Staro Zhelezare. - Plovdiv Old Town: Walk through historic cobblestone streets and major Roman ruins. - Lunch & Walk: Enjoy local food along Europe's longest pedestrian zone. - Starosel Temple: Discover an ancient 4th-century BC Thracian site. - Staro Zhelezare: Capture vibrant street art in a unique rural village. - Scenic Drive: Relax through the scenic Thracian Valley. Important Details This tour operates as a large group tour. Transport is provided by large 45 to 65-seater tourist coaches (not small minibuses). You will share the vehicle with other travelers and multi-language guided groups Passengers with different options may share transport; add-ons may require vehicle/guide changes. Closed-toe walking shoes are strictly required for uneven cobblestone streets.

From Sofia: Plovdiv, Starosel Temple and an Art Village

Escape the hassle of planning and enjoy a seamless full-day adventure from Sofia to Bulgaria’s cultural gem, Plovdiv. Travel comfortably in an air-conditioned vehicle and explore one of Europe’s oldest cities without worrying about transport, navigation, or tickets. Choose to explore only Plovdiv, either with a guided walking tour or a comprehensive audio guide, or upgrade to include a visit to the National Revival town of Koprivshtitsa.

Plovdiv Small Group Full Day Guided Tour from Sofia

12 hoursFree Cancellation

Experience old-time Bulgaria on this small-group tour of Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi from Sofia. Travel by air-conditioned minivan to Tarnovo, a one-time medieval craft center and capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Stroll the cobbled streets, discover the craft shops, explore Tsarevets Fortress, once a stronghold of Bulgaria’s tsars, and visit nearby Arbanassi village, famous for its well-preserved stone houses and church frescoes. Central Sofia pickup and drop-off included, with entrance fees at own expense.

Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi Small-Group Day Trip from Sofia

11 hoursFree Cancellation

Travel with a small group to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church, two UNESCO World Heritage sites. An informative guide points out 19th-century paintings depicting the Bulgarian Renaissance at the country’s largest monastery, set against the beauty of the Rila mountains. In the afternoon, visit Boyana Church to view its medieval frescoes. You’ll travel round-trip by air-conditioned minivan from Sofia’s Alexander Nevski Square.

Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Shuttle Tour

8 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Rila Monastery and 7 Rila Lakes Self-Guided Shared Trip from Sofia

13 hoursFree Cancellation

The mountains are one of Bulgaria’s great joys—especially for hikers—but can be hard to reach independently. Tailor-made for lovers of both walking and history, this action-packed day features a hike around the beautiful Seven Rila Lakes and a tour of the Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Opt for self-guided tour, book an audio guide, or explore with a live guide: All packages exclude entrance fees and chairlift tickets.

The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery

12 hoursFree Cancellation

Bulgaria has been making wine for around 5,000 years and boasts a wealth of delicious varietals—many of them found nowhere else in the world and hardly ever exported. Savor the unique flavors of five Bulgarian grapes—misket, Melnik, mavrud, gamza, and rubin—on a tasting led by a local expert in one of Sofia's best boutique wine merchants. Pair their fine flavors with local cheese and artisan breads.

Wine Tasting in Heart of Sofia

1 hourFree Cancellation

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rila Monastery is a must-visit for many travelers to Sofia. Pair it with one of the country’s most sacred sites, the Cave of St. John of Rila, who founded the monastery, on this fascinating day trip. The entry level package includes an online, app-based guide: Upgrade for a physical audio guide or a live guide in your chosen language. All options exclude entrance fees.

Rila Monastery and St. Ivan Cave History & Nature Trip from Sofia

Hike through rugged terrain to the Seven Rila Lakes on a full-day tour from Sophia, and discover the remarkable scenery of the Rila Mountains. Take a chairlift to a high-mountain hut and continue on foot along the jeweled string of lakes. Follow your guide through alpine passes into remote valleys, then rest in the shade of hikers’ shelters; take in sweeping views of the Bulgarian landscape and enjoy the crisp, clear air of the Balkans’ highest mountain range.

The Seven Rila Lakes Day Tour From Sofia

Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanasi day tour from Sofia with pickup

10 to 11 hoursFree Cancellation

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of Sofia on a day tour to Lovech, Devetàshka cave, and Krushuna Falls, and explore with a professional guide for intimate insight into the rural region’s landscape, history, and culture. Take advantage of round-trip transfer from your hotel via air-conditioned vehicle for a hassle-free experience, and benefit from the more personalized service of a small-group tour.

Tour to Lovech, Devetaki cave & Krushuna waterfalls

Visit one of Buglaria's must-see UNESCO World Heritage Sites, without planning a thing, on this hassle-free tour to Boyana Church. After an easy ride to the outskirts of Sofia, you can pay your entry fee and enter this stunning medieval religious space. See the church's three distinct parts—built in the 11th, 13th, and 19th centuries—and admire the renowned frescoes dating back over 1,000 years.

Special Offer

Rila Monastery Morning Half Day tour

4 to 5 hoursFree Cancellation

Full-Day Belogradchik Rocks and Belogradchik Fortress from Sofia

10 to 11 hoursFree Cancellation

Hassle-free transfer from the Sofia airport to your hotel. Book your transfer in advance and enjoy an impeccable service. No taxis, no stress, no unexpected payments. With our transfer service your arrival in Sofia will be smooth and pleasant. We will wait for you at the Arrivals hall and will transfer you to any part of Sofia. You can use our service for your transfer upon departure from your hotel / address to the Sofia airport or for other logistic needs in Sofia and entire Bulgaria including sightseeing tours and travel service. We also provide transfers to Bansko, Borovets, Pamporovo, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, Varna, Burgas, the Black sea coast and any other point of Bulgaria or on the Balkans (Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Albania, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosna and Herzegovina , Kosovo).

Transfer from the Sofia airport to your hotel in Sofia OR vice versa

30 minutes to 1 hourFree Cancellation

Explore the 8000-year history of Plovdiv with ruins from the Roman times, beautiful Revival architecture and cozy restaurants in Kapana district. Enjoy breathtaking views from Asen’s Fortress, perched on top of a hill in the beautiful Rhodope Mountains. Visit the second largest monastery in Bulgaria and see the miraculous icon of Virgin Mary. Take the advantage of this small-group tour with free hotel pickup.

Plovdiv, Asen's Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery small group tour with pickup

Plovdiv, Asen's Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery small group tour with pickup

9 to 10 hoursFree Cancellation

Combine two UNESCO World Heritage Sites into a spectacular day of exploring on a full-day tour from Sofia to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church. Round-trip transport by climate-controlled vehicle ensures a comfortable day on the road, as onboard Wi-Fi keeps you connected. Free time to check out Rila Monastery and Boyana Church give you the flexibility to explore on your own pace, without the fixed itinerary of a guided tour.

Special Offer

Rila Monastery Afternoon Half Day tour

4 to 5 hoursFree Cancellation

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Must-Dos in Sofia

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What are people saying about Sofia

Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Full-Day Tour

CARMELA_Z, Nov 2026

Rila Monastery and Boyana Church

We visited the Rila Monastery and the Boyana Church with our Italian-speaking guide Ornella, who, with her professionalism and preparation, made us relive the history of these two wonderful sites. Ornella is more than a guide; she is a pleasant, very kind, and helpful person. I recommend the tour because it is very interesting, and above all, I recommend Ornella as a guide.

From Sofia Rila Monastery with Boyana Church or St. Ivan’s Cave

francescamE7587TM, Oct 2026

Very good

Our guide Pietro (name translated into Italian) was kind in giving me extra information on what I could do on my own during my free time, and very knowledgeable about the history and culture of Sofia. We left on time and returned just as punctually. What I liked least about this excursion was the Boyana Church, even though I didn't go inside, but the beauty of the Rila Monastery left me speechless. Fully satisfied with this excursion, including the quality/price ratio.

Plovdiv Small Group Full Day Guided Tour from Sofia

ambervM7660LH, Oct 2026

Fantastic hike of over 15.5KM

It was a fantastic experience, our guide Ravi (I'm not sure if I have his name right) was super. Told in advance what we could expect and what we had to take into account. He was very pleasant to be around and put everyone at ease. He was also very flexible in what was possible.

Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa Full-Day Trip

angelomicheles361, Oct 2026

Wonderful organized trip to Plovdiv

Fantastic experience! The guide was phenomenal, he immediately put us at ease with fantastic humor and energy; furthermore, his historical knowledge of the sites visited, added to their beauty, was what made me smile the most during the day. Very low price for the experience and for the top-level service.

Day tour to Skopje, North Macedonia - Small Group

Tyler_M, Oct 2026

Long day, but worth it!

Daniel was an excellent tour guide in Bulgaria! He is super knowledgeable and friendly. The walking tour in Skopje was cut short for an unknown reason, and I provided that feedback to Daniel. The drive is a bit long, so bring something to do. There is a break each way. The pictures on this posting dont do it justice, it looks better in person. Get money at local ATM in North Macedonia.

Rila Monastery & Thermae Full-Day Tour from Sofia

Justin_H, Oct 2026

Great day out

Fantastic full day out. Mila our tour guide was amazing. First stop Monastery. Fascinating place. Lovely buildings with tremendous history. Mila was fantastic in explaining the drawings on the walls and learnt alot. Second stop Thermal Spa. Well worth the entry fee. Great choice of both hot and cold pools. Very relaxing with a lovely steam room and sauna. Lovely chill time.

Communist Walking Tour of Sofia

Bogdan_D, Sep 2026

Awesome tour about Bulgaria and communism

The rour lasts 3 hours. We don’t enter the buildings but we learn a lot (and insanely interesting facts) about Bulgaria. Our guide, Yoan also shared some personal stories and I learnt a lot in this tour, about Bulgaria of course but also communism. I recommand this tour to any history buff or even someone who wants to really learn about Bulgarian 20th century history and about communism. Thanks Yoan for the tour!

The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery

Pavel_S, Aug 2026

Perfect day out from Sofia

The Rila lakes are extremely popular, especially on the weekends. The crowds were unimaginable. The chair lift process is a bit disorganized, the line-up took over an hour to clear. Wish the guides had a way to reserve lift tickets in advance. Nevertheless, the views up above by the lakes were totally worth the wait. We took a guide option and perhaps we should have opted out to a self-guided option as it the pace was a bit high. However, the guide was instrumental in reaching the sixth lake (and potentially the seventh) on time and getting back to the bus. The hike took about 3 hours and the length was about 8 km with the elevation gain of 400m. First, you climb a steep incline to the right of the chalet, then it is a walk on a fairly flat surface until you reach the last big incline to the sixth and seventh lakes. Overall, depending on your ambitions, you may want to spend longer up by the lakes depending on your overall fitness (unless you need to be on-time for the return bus!). There are some food and drinks on both sides of the chair lift. The chalet up top has a small restaurant with sitting outside. We got lucky with no rain as the chairs are open but sure do check the forecast so you come on a clear day. The monastery on the way back was a perfect icing on a cake and a relaxing stop after the mountain hike. Overall, this is probably the best tour we took from Sofia. Very long day but totally worth it.

Day Tour to Nis, Serbia - Small group with pick-up and tickets

Eliana_S, Jun 2026

Great opportunity to see something different

This was a great day trip and definitely worth doing if you want to get out of Sofia and see something completely different. Our day started with a bit of unexpected circumstances when our driver had a medical emergency. Thankfully, the company handled the situation incredibly well. They made sure their driver received the help he needed and quickly arranged another driver so our trip could continue with very little delay. We really appreciated how professional and caring they were. Once we arrived, everything was exactly as described. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and did a great job explaining the history and interesting facts along the way. He even gave us recommendations for places to eat, which was a nice bonus. It's a long day, but the scenery and experience make it absolutely worth it. We'd definitely recommend this tour to anyone wanting to get a taste of Serbia while in Sofia!