Private Day Trip to Boyana Church and Rila Monastery

Recommended by 95% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Sofia, Bulgaria

8 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Save time but preserve the benefits of independence on this private tour that checks off not one but two UNESCO World Heritage sites in just one day. Traveling with your private driver/guide, see the 10th-century Boyana Church with its medieval frescoes, followed by the Rila Monastery with its 14th-century tower. Tour includes door-to-door transport but excludes entrance fees.

Marvel at the beautifully preserved medieval frescoes of Boyana Church
Explore the Rila Monastery, Bulgaria’s largest monastery
Enjoy the flexibility and personal attention of a private driver/guide
Travel door-to-door in climate-controlled comfort, complete with free Wi-Fi

What's Included

Private driver- guide
Hotel pick up and drop off
Transportation by an A/C car
A trip to Boyana Church and Rila Monastery

Boyana Church – Adults 6.14 EUR. Children over 7 years and students - 1.53 EUR
Rila Monastery museum & monk room entrance ticket- 4 EUR
Food & personal expenses
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Hotel/ adress pick up at 9;00 am.- please indicate it.

Operating hours
.9:00 am

Itinerary

Rila Monastery

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Boyana Church

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infant seats available

Most travelers can participate
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
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8

based on 108 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Sort by: Most insightful

Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, one day!

AmySH, Nov 2025

Wow! Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in one day! So much history and color! Had a great guide, knowledgeable not only Bulgarian history, but also the Balkan countries! Highly recommend this tour when in Sofia.

Rila Monastery is the most beautiful monastery I ever visited

CHARLES_D, May 2025

This day trip is a must for all travelers who visit Bulgaria. Rila Monastery is the most impressive monastery in this beautiful and friendly country. I was very fortunate to have Alexander as my private tour guide and driver. I learned a lot about the history, religion, art and music in Bulgaria because Alexander is a professor in these topics. I have found that the most beautiful monasteries in the entire Balkan countries are in Bulgaria. I also enjoyed immensely the conversations I had with Alexander.

Julian was our guide for...

Barbara_C, Oct 2024

Julian was our guide for the day. He was very informative and brought his own story to the places we visited. Beautiful day. Highly recommend.

BEWARE- it’s a scam! Never pay for this “private” tour.

Adam_M, Aug 2024

We signed up for a private tour. When the van arrived to our hotel, the driver got out and told us that he had a private tour with people scheduled for the day prior but the van broke down so they were added to our tour. We had no say. We later found out that it was a lie. The people did not have plans the day prior for the tour but they were booked on our tour. The “tour guide” knew nothing. The employee who was inside the Boyana Church corrected him multiple times when he was attempting to tell us about the church to us.

An explosion of beauty

Andrew_M, Jun 2024

The monastery is spectacular and the Boyana church was an interesting short stop. Our guide was knowledgeable and very friendly, and our driver was professional and friendly too.

Response from Host, Jun 2024

Thank you for giving us such a high rate. We really appreciate it. We're also glad to hear you had a great time with our tour guide. We will be happy if you recommend our service to all your friends coming to Sofia. :) Best regards

Fabulous experience with an awesome guide!

SuYin_L, Dec 2023

We had a wonderful time with Maria, our guide. She is such a cheerful, delightful person, very knowledgeable and passionate about history and Bulgaria. Her backpack is full of pamphlets, maps, alphabet and little things about Bulgaria. At Boyana Church and Rila Monastery, she took the time to explain everything about the places and even took us to try Mekitza, at the original bakery in front of the monastery. Lunch was also fabulous, in a small locally run restaurant. Overall, we are grateful to meet Maria, and highly recommend this experience!

Amazing tour!

Angel_R, Aug 2023

Fantastic tour!!! Very professional, knowledgeable, and pleasant tour guide. And the sites, especially the Rila Monastery, are gorgeous and a must-see! Highly recommend it!!!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for the positive feedback! We really appreciate it. Please feel free to recommend our service to all your friends coming to Sofia. :) Best regards,

A beautiful and informative and enjoyable day out.

Anandhi_I, May 2023

This was a great day out to the mountains and the monastery. The countryside and mountains were very beautiful and the monastery was rich and full of beautiful frescoes. Our guide Nikola kept us engaged and entertained with his enthusiastic recounting of history and anecdotes. We didn’t notice the time go by during the journey to the monastery and back and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to all the places. I would definitely recommend this trip!

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you for giving us such a high rate! We really appreciate it. We are also glad to hear our guide team was a remembering part of your journey! Please feel free to recommend our service to all your friends coming to Sofia. :) Best regards,

Great trip to Rila Monastery

Stan_H, Apr 2023

Learning about the history of the area and people. The Driver was very personable and was familiar with the people and are.

Perfect day of memories

David_R, Dec 2022

I was lucky enough to get Marie on my private tour. She made the day come to life with her perspective and the knowledge she continued to share throughout the day. The sites were nice, but Marie made the day of great memories. Request Marie and your experience will be pleasant, informative, and relaxing.

Outstanding

Anton_A, Apr 2022

The guide was great and passionate about the places visited. The boss, however, needs to stop calling every five minutes and micromanaging the guide and experience.

Beautiful Rila Monastery

Christa_E, Sep 2021

First we visited the Boyana Church with the beautiful paintings. Then we went to the beautiful Rila Monastery, a real highlight of our holidays. Our guide gave us so much interesting informations and so it was a perfect day.

Unser Guide Iwan war...

Christiane_S, Jun 2023

Unser Guide Iwan war pünktlich und uns von Anfang an sympathisch. Er hat uns gut und umfassend über die Geschichte Bulgariens und die Sehenswürdigkeiten an unserem Ausflugstag informiert und wir hatten ausreichend Zeit uns alles anzusehen. Wir haben an diesem Tag viel über das Land und auch seine aktuelle Situation erfahren und eine rundum schöne Zeit gehabt.