Must-See Plovdiv Day Tour from Sofia
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Sofia, Bulgaria
- 9 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Getting an in-depth experience of Plovdiv from Sofia in a day is tricky, but on this full-day tour, explore Bulgaria’s second city with a guide. Travel in a shuttle bus from Sofia and learn about the history of Plovdiv on a sightseeing tour through the city with your guide. Afterwards, take time to explore independently before returning to Sofia.
- Travel comfortably in a shuttle bus from Sofia
- Learn about Plovdiv from your guide
- Take time to explore the city independently
- Stroll through Plovdiv’s historical center
What's Included
- Group tour
- Transportation
- Guided sightseeing tour in the heart of Plovdiv (if option booked)
- English - speaking driver or guide, depending on the booked option.
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Sofia Center, bul. "Yanko Sakazov" 7, 1527 Sofia, Bulgaria
The meeting point for the tour is Vasil Levski Monument, Yanko Sakuzov Blvd 7 Ask for travel agency City Tour. Please be there at 8:15am. The bus departs at 08:30 am and will not wait for you if you are late.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Vasil Levski Monument
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Plovdiv Old Town
5 hours • Admission Ticket Free
3
Vasil Levski Monument
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Rough terrain- please wear comfortable walking shoes
- Please warn us if you have a 0-2 years old baby when you make the reservation so that we can prepare a special seat for them
- For the safety and enjoyment of all guests, anyone who appears intoxicated or behaves in a way that makes guides uncomfortable may be removed from the tour. No refunds will be issued in such cases.
- The expected departure from Plovdiv to Sofia is 3:30 pm. The expected return in Sofia is at 5:20 - 6:00 pm.
- In rare cases, if fewer than 3 participants select the same guided language (English, Italian, or Spanish), the tour will be conducted with an audio guide or smart guide instead of a live guide. This will not affect the price or the overall tour itinerary as described in your reservation.
- Guides are not obligated to provide guided commentary while inside the bus. Explanations and guided tours typically take place at designated stops and attractions rather than during transit.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
travel_a
We had a lovely trip with Iva. The tour was punctual and the bus to Plovdiv was comfortable. There was a bakery near the starting location which made it easy to grab something to eat before the trip started. There was a bathroom break around 10 minutes before we reached Plovdiv. We had a nice guided tour in Plovdiv, where Iva explained the history behind each of the attractions. After the guided tour, we had some time to explore the city on our own and grab lunch. Iva also gave us restaurant recommendations. The return trip also started on time. All in all, it was a great tour and Iva was a lovely guide. Plovdiv is an amazing city with a lot of interesting historical attractions, which can easily be explored for a day or two. Can totally recommend this tour for people who only have limited time to explore the city.
Reviews
4.5
based on 344 reviews
Saju_V, May 2026
Excellent trip. Everything was well organized . The guides for the day Ornella and Martin both were fantastic with excellent knowledge of the city, its history and made the trip very interesting and versatile and we had a deep dive into history.
SHORT DAY TRIP FROM SOFIA. Would highly recommend for international travellers to the second largest city in Bulgaria.
Sunita_R, May 2026
The guided tour takes a bit too long. The 30 minutes of history at beginning could have been shared on the bus trip to save time.
Transport was organized and punctual.
Plovdiv is an interesting city and well worth seeing.
Diana_L, Apr 2026
Tour was very informative and gave us plenty of free time to explore on our own. It was on time and helped make sure the meeting points were clear on Google maps so you don't get lost!
Alise_R, Apr 2026
Take comfortable shoes for walking. Very nice views and historical places. Different and lively architecture in the old town.
Sara_A, Apr 2026
This was a well-organized tour that shuttles you from Sofia to Plovdiv. The bus was well-marked at the meeting point, and the instructions sent prior to the tour were very clear. You can opt to include a guided tour of the city, which I highly recommend. Maria was a knowledgeable guide who explained the history and culture of the city in an engaging way. She took us to see multiple places but never did I feel rushed. We were then offered some free time for lunch and continued exploring. The price was very reasonable for the transport and guided tour. Very memorable!
Sarah_H, Apr 2026
Great tour! Well organized and comfortable bus. Good balance of time. Pablo was very attentive making sure everyone was comfortable. Would recommend.
Claire_M, Apr 2026
On time, amazing tour, provided recommendations where to eat and where public bathrooms were located. Would highly recommend to a friend. Very happy with tour, thank you.
Spela_S, Apr 2026
We had nice and relaxed tour with Ina (or was it Iva - can't remember the name) to Plovdiv. We visited most important sights. In The city has a lot of ancient remains which is amazing. I explored those in free time that we had for ourselfs.
travel_a, Mar 2026
We had a lovely trip with Iva. The tour was punctual and the bus to Plovdiv was comfortable. There was a bakery near the starting location which made it easy to grab something to eat before the trip started. There was a bathroom break around 10 minutes before we reached Plovdiv. We had a nice guided tour in Plovdiv, where Iva explained the history behind each of the attractions. After the guided tour, we had some time to explore the city on our own and grab lunch. Iva also gave us restaurant recommendations. The return trip also started on time. All in all, it was a great tour and Iva was a lovely guide. Plovdiv is an amazing city with a lot of interesting historical attractions, which can easily be explored for a day or two. Can totally recommend this tour for people who only have limited time to explore the city.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're delighted Iva's lovely guidance, punctual schedule, comfortable bus, thoughtful stops, and restaurant tips made your Plovdiv day trip—exploring its amazing history—perfect for limited time.
Hope to welcome you back soon!
City Tour Team
Jun_Z, Mar 2026
Went in a light rain. The old town looks ok. The old houses are similar in style. It is a place worth visiting. The guide Pavel did a good job, bringing us to many sites and explained some histories.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the great feedback! Pavel's good job guiding you through many sites and sharing histories made your old town visit worthwhile, even in light rain.
Hope to welcome you back soon!
City Tour Team
Ruth_B, Mar 2026
Alrxander was fantastic and very patient. Very knowledgeable too, we learned loads of interesting facts
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the fantastic feedback! Alexander's patience and wealth of interesting facts made your tour truly enriching.
Hope to welcome you back soon!
City Tour Team
Sandy_C, Feb 2026
it was a very lovely trip, I enjoyed the city itself. Very peaceful and cute town. Our guide is Caroline, and she explained many histories of the city, which is amazing. I fully fell in love with the city
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! Caroline will be delighted by your praise for her city history insights and how Plovdiv's peaceful, cute charm won you over.
Hope to roll out more like it for you!
City Tour Team
Walter_S, Feb 2026
Great day excurtion to Plovdiv, on time,informative guide, very interesting historical place to visit.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! Our guide will be delighted by your praise for the on-time excursion, informative insights, and Plovdiv's fascinating history.
Hope to roll out more like it for you!
City Tour Team
Srishti_M, Feb 2026
Tuni was a great guide, giving a lot of information and helpful tips! The tour started on time and since we were only 7 people, the guide took a small traveller van and was flexible with the plan.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! Tuni will be delighted by your praise for his info, tips, punctuality, and flexible small-van approach with just 7 guests.
Hope to roll out more like it for you!
City Tour Team
Julianna_C, Jan 2026
Very informative tour! Sonya was very kind and knowledgable as she is a Plodviv local. We had a great time walking around the city, getting the best views, and having free time to explore.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for the fantastic review! Sonya, our Plovdiv local, will love hearing how her kindness and knowledge made your walking tour, views, and free time so enjoyable.
Hope to see you for more Bulgarian gems soon!
City Tour Team
Richard_G, Dec 2025
Seamless operation. The local guide is bit shy. Free time is adequate for a quick bite plus a visit to the ancient theatre.
Tanny_L, Dec 2025
The city is beautiful with rich history lists of sites, beautiful and festive blvd. But the guiide was very tired. 2 hrs on the bus he did nothing. We were bored. I would recommed this tur with another guide.
Anonymous, Dec 2025
It was an interesting day out, the guide was very knowledgeable, good amount of time to go out and explore + shop on your own! overall great value for money
Jonathan_G, Dec 2025
This trip is fine if you have echausted Sofia (we we think we did in a pretty full day) and could a day of relative down time. There is 4 hours of travelling (tbh we appreciated the chance to catch up on sleep) and, be warned, much walking up/down steepish roads and quite tricky/slippy pathways. Beyond the initial Roman ruins and some moderately elegant Bulgarian Renaissance buildings (we were listening Maria!) the sights were a bit sparse. Found it difficult to fill the 2.5 hours of free time even with the need to get lunch. Call out to Maria who - as most tour leaders - did a grand job of injecting energy and commentary and couldn't be faulted. I guess this a comment on what there is to see in Plovdiv than on the management of the tour.
Clarisa_Y, Nov 2025
I think it was good to have someone explain Plodviv who actually lives there. I also liked having some free time to explore the city on our own.
Gisele_L, Nov 2025
This was great. They were on time, we had a nice tour and I just loved the city. I wish I could have stayed one night there, as I discovered Plovdiv is a very nice town.
michael_m, Nov 2025
Plovdiv is an amazing city and it was a great tour. The tour guide was very informative and seemed okay but I was on crutches as I had a knee injury and he didn’t really wait for me when moving from one site to the next. There’s a lot of walking to do and it was all done too fast.
phillip_m, Nov 2025
Good trip well worth a visit, the bus journey was 2hr and the guide informative...had plenty of time to explore the city after the tour by ourselves.
Tamas_S, Oct 2025
Departure was on time, Diana, the tour guide was really nice and helpful. On the way back, already close to the capital city, water started dripping over the front seats, then it splashed on some of the passengers. Fortunately, there were still unoccupied rear seats, so they could manage to move to the back of the coach.
CHAIM_S, Oct 2025
The day of the trip was rainy, but despite everything, the guide was excellent and explained the history of the city to us well.
Karen_S, Sep 2025
Really good. Excellent guide. Safe driver. Interesting commentary. Steady pace and just enough free time to explore
Nathan_A, Sep 2025
We took one look at the tiny van for the tour and left. Tour’s from Sofia require long trips - 1.5 to 2 hours each way. Naturally the tour operator wants to “pack ‘em’ in”. The prospect of a long trip in the middle seat of a small car was not acceptable.
Luis_M, Aug 2025
Plovdiv is a great historic place. We used almost the full day, and visit is quite well organized. On top of this, the guidance of María was great, very friendly and professional.
Thomas_G, Aug 2025
Very good, Tuni was very knowledgeable. Plovdiv has a lovely old town, with plenty of historical buildings.
Marianna_O, Jul 2025
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.
From $22.47
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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