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
Marianna_O
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.
Reviews
4.6
based on 375 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Amy_M, Jul 2026
Great tour with Martin! He was very knowledgeable and interesting in sharing the history of this ancient city.
Sarah_P, Jul 2026
The guy in charge was polite, no complaints there. It's just that the city is so bland. I was really unimpressed. Even with the shorter schedule compared to other tour, it was way too much time. There's not much to do, eat, shop there, etc. Disappointed.
Andrew_C, Jul 2026
We met up with tour bus at 08:15 for the on time departure at 08:30. There were around 40-50 people in the fully packed bus. After around 2 hours we arrived in Plodiv and were divided into English, Spanish and Italian groups for the tour. Do note that there will be limited toilet stops during the 2-hour tour so please use the restrooms in the mid-stop before Plodiv and at any restaurants or bars you see along the way. It was a very hot day so do prepare hat, umbrella and sunscreen as there is limited cover during the walking tour. We were then given 2.5 hours free time to wander around the old town of Plodiv before the 2 hours 15 minutes drive back to Bucharest. Toilet stop is on request during this trip. We were back on time at 5:30pm. Everything was very smooth for our trip.
Ruth, Jun 2026
Our guide Iva was fluent in English and Spanish and was great at explaining the history of the area as we travelled to Plovdiv. We then split into English and Spanish speaking groups and another excellent guide Sonia led the small English group through the Old Town and to the impressive Roman amphitheatre, explaining everything as we went. After two hours of guided touring we had another couple of hours to enjoy lunch and explore Plovdiv more. A great experience, with cheerful and very competent guides.
Ian_K, Jun 2026
It's a very worthwhile place to visit - the old town is really pretty, nice just to walk around and soak it all in. There are loads of cafes and shops of course. Our tour guide in Plovdiv itself was Alex who did a good job of communicating his knowledge while being friendly and engaging; the guide from Sofia itself was the marvellously multilingual and engaging Eva (might not be the correct spelling)
Gary_S, Jun 2026
It was a 1 day tour to Plovdiv from Sofia, comfortable bus with a good driver and an excellent guide Eva. She was also our English speaking guide for the walking tour in Plovdiv. Eva is very knowledgeable and speaks fluently multiple languages. Very good value for the money.
Beverley_D, Jun 2026
Great day out to Plovdiv. The bus pick-up was easy to find and the bus was there waiting on time. The bus was clean and with aircon (needed on a very hot day!) and the guide and driver were professional and welcoming.
The guide onboard the bus gave lots of information during the drive.
The guided tour in Plovdiv led by Marti gave a great introduction to Plovdiv old town with lots of information and photo opps and then a couple of hours free time in Plovdiv. On the drive back the onboard guide again giving information, restaurant recommendations etc.
All-in-all a very good value and a great day tour.
patlbledsoe, Jun 2026
Our tour guide gave us excellent information on our way to our destination. He was very knowledgeable about the area and if the history behind it. When we got to the city, we were divided into three groups by our language. We are off on adventure of the tour. He was very aware of the different levels of the speed of the people and waited for everyone to catch up before he started the talk. He knew a lot about the area of the history and the folklore. It was a wonderful tour. He was a great Guide and we enjoyed every minute of it. it was a definite full day and we got back on time full of wonder and enjoyment of the town.
Charlie_H, Jun 2026
If you’re visiting Sofia I would really recommend this trip. Plovdiv is a really interesting place and offers something different to Sofia. There’s the perfect balance of time between the guided tour (I had Martin who was great) and free time to explore, where you have more than enough time to sit down and grab a coffee, a beer, and a meal. Departure and arrival to and from Sofia really punctual as well in a spacious coach.
Andrew_R, Jun 2026
Great experience! Expert tour guide, very informative. Pablo gave some very interesting stories that went beyond just telling facts. Felt like exploring Plovdiv with a local friend!
Jackie_B, Jun 2026
A really good way to get a bit of the history and learn about and see the ancient sites and churches and understand more about what makes the area special
Eric_K, May 2026
The tour would bring you to one of the oldest cities in Europe. You would have around three hours to spend in Plodiv for lunch.
Joanne_W, May 2026
Very organised and Martin was an informative and entertaining guide. Poldiv has a variety of historical monuments
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.
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