Rila Monastery Tours and Tickets - page 2
What are people saying about Rila Monastery
Becky_C, Aug 2026
Enjoyable tour
This was a well organised tour and a friendly helpful guide. Good communication prior to the tour and a clear outline of what was going to happen throughout. You can go for either Boyana church or hike, for Boyana church you need to book in advance. The hike could be added on and paid for as extra on the day. I did not choose the hike addition but stayed and had longer in Rila Monastery, which I really enjoyed. I am glad I booked it and enjoyed hearing about Bulgaria's history.
AndreClaude_W, Aug 2026
Rila Monastery and Boyana Church
It was a beautiful day trip from Sofia to visit the Rila Monastery and the Boyana Church, I can recommend this tour
Jas, Jul 2026
Absolute Hidden Gem of a Tour
Amazing Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Private Tour!
Wow, what a fantastic private tour! We were picked up right from our hotel and taken straight to our first stop, Boyana Church, where our guide clearly explained everything from what to expect to how the tickets work.
On the way to Rila Monastery, our guide took us to a total hidden gem: incredible restaurant by the river with fresh fish on the menu (easily the best meal of our trip!).
I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting!
Jane_S, Jun 2026
Great day. We went to...
Great day. We went to Boyana Church and Rila Monastery, both of which were beautiful. I definitely recommend bringing snacks or a meal with you, as there was not an opportunity to buy food until after 3 pm, though the bakery was delicious once we got there. Hristo was a great tour guide.
Marcelo_C, Jun 2026
Amazing Tour!
The tour is really good, Rila Monastery is incredible and worth checking. The Spa trip is also great. The tour guide Georgi Ivanov was great too, he taught a lot about the history of Rila. I highly recommend the visit.
Zekiye_S, May 2026
Brillant day
Excellent day trip. Rila monastery was incredible. The guide Hristo was great amd knowledgable and shared many good stories.
Julie_B, Aug 2026
Wonderful day out to into mountains
Fabulous day out!
Rila Monastery was beautiful and Maria bought it to life with intersting stories and information.
Boyana Church was amazing but very limited time inside (church rules, not fault of tour). Nevertheless a wonderful day out and Maria was a great host!
John_M, Apr 2026
Truly excellent and great value for money
Great self-guided tour to Rila monastery. Totally satisfied with the e-guide and the audio guide with all the indepth information.
Worth taking this activity to save money and to have everything.
mohammad_o, Aug 2026
Perfect
Was a good driver + good tour guide magi , they were awesome 10/10 , the tours attractions was way more better than what I thought
Kelly_L, Aug 2026
Special thanks to Iva the tour guide who made our tour!
10/10 experience! Tour guide Iva and the Bus Driver were awesome! Iva was amazing and patient when explaining, she always went the extra mile to make sure we understood every aspect of the history of the sites we saw! After the tour ended she even patiently took the time to answer any additional questions we had about Sofia to make sure our experience in Sofia was a great one. Would recommend this tour with Iva to anyone!
Donna_P, Jul 2026
Amazing tour outside of the city amidst the beautiful forests and mountains of Bulgaria.
It is a medium to hard hike depending on your experience. Just take your time and go with a guide. They will choose the best trails and know when to turn back to make the bus schedule on time. Plus they are knowledgeable about any questions you may have.
Alexandre_F, Jul 2026
A must if you go to Sofia
It was a great surprise to visit Rila while staying in Sofia. The 7 lakes are by far the best part of this plan, the landscapes are breathtaking and the walk can be easily self guided.
Rila Monastery
5.0
(3,291)
Know before you go
Ways to explore
How to get there
When to visit

Prebook tickets to the monastery to skip the line and enjoy more time inside.
Visitors must wear clothing that covers shoulders, knees, and elbows to tour the grounds.
A traditional bakery behind the monastery serves homemade mekitsi (dough fritters), while several nearby restaurants specialize in Bulgarian food; trout is a specialty.
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