Discover Veliko Tarnovo at Your Pace: Private or Self-guided tour

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

2 to 4 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Explore Veliko Tarnovo on foot during this half-day guided walking tour. Learn about the area's history and culture through guided commentary as you travel; you'll discover much more about the city than you would simply exploring on your own. Visit local landmarks on the city's three hills: Tsarevets, Trapezitsa, and Sveta Gora. Traveling on foot lets you get to know the city from the ground up and choose places you may like to return to later.

Walking tour lets you get to know the city intimately
Guide provides commentary on the city's history and culture
Comprehensive tour is great for first-time visitors

What's Included

Professional local guide (in the privately-guided option)
E-guide with all sights info + audio guide (in the self-guided option)
Hotel pick up and drop off if needed (in the privately-guided option)

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

For the pick up, please choose a hotel in the Veliko Tarnovo area.

Meeting point

Tsarevets Fortress
Tsarevets, ul. "Ivan Vazov" 38, 5000 Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours

Select your preferred tour option to see hours.

View tour option

Itinerary

Tsarevets

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Veliko Tarnovo

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Samovodska Charshiya Complex

35 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Monument To The Assen Dynasty

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Ulitsa General Gurko

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Park Sveta Gora

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Trapezitsa Fortress

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Mini Bulgaria Park

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Ascension of God

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Illusions in Museum Veliko Tarnovo (Pass By)

Veliko Tarnovo Province (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Not wheelchair accessible

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

Supplied by

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

3.9

based on 12 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Hilly streets

Sue_S, May 2025

Velocity Tarnovo is very hilly and cobblestone streets. I needed a shorter tour and decided to cancel. Viator wrote and said it would be adjusted. It was shortened by over an hour annd we did not go to the fortress. Lots of stops ant shops which we anre not fond of. and we were left with a difficult walk back to our hotel. It was not a good value then at $209 US for just a couple of hours. Guide was informative and kind. Just be sure you are up to the walk.

Fast response from tour...

Michael_D, Apr 2025

Fast response from tour operator. Interesting and useful facts about Veliko Tarnovo. This will definitely be helpful when I visit!

One of the best privately-guided tours I've ever taken

Hristo_N, Jan 2025

What a nice experience. We booked the privately-guided option. We were picked up from our hotel in Veliko Tarnovo at the arranged time. The local guide was fabulous. So many things shared which cannot be read anywhere. Veliko Tarnovo is very beautiful and with this tour we absorbed the local culture, cuisine and lifestyle.

Be aware! Tour company is a scammer!

Elmira_G, Jan 2025

If the system would allow me to give 0 star, I would. I booked a tour, the hotel pick up and time have been confirmed by the tour company, however, on the day of the tour it was cancelled cause my hotel was outside the pick up radius. I was offered to pay double the price for the tour agent to pick me up. What a shame! They refused to give a refund. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY! THEY ARE SCAMMERS!

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Hello Elmira, The local product you bought states pick up only from Veliko Tarnovo hotels. Your hotel is in Sofia and that's more than 4 hours drive in each direction in the winter. In kilometers this is 240 km per direction or a total of 580 kms from your activity booking location! You booked a walking tour of Veliko Tarnovo with a private local guide and pick up from Veliko Tarnovo hotels and input a hotel manually in the capital of Bulgaria Sofia. In this sense you could be in Athens and book this tour and expect a pick up in Athens!? We kept the guide for the whole 5 hours waiting for you. In the end we partially refunded you as a gesture of goodwill only. We advised that you could have taken a bus or a private car from Sofia to come to Veliko Tarnovo and make the local tour. We also sent you an information for a tour starting from Sofia and ending in Sofia and of course it's double more expensive because of the driving time and hours. Your language is harsh and not obvious to the situation because we are decent working people and company and you try to squeeze a walking tour of Veliko Tarnovo with a private pick up from Sofia and drive back there for the price of a walking tour of the destination with the local private guide. As you understand that's not speaking good of you and we can call this something else. In the end we are not going to behave and write to you with your impolite manners. We hope you will not be trying this to any other company or person in the world and will not be blocking a guide/resources and time on New Year's holidays which are one of the busiest times for tourism in every country! We wish you all the best!

A remarkable experience!

William_L, Apr 2022

The guide was superbly knowledgeable and very personable! The in-depth information during the tour of the fortress and old town was educational and entertaining; exactly what I wanted! You can see several eras clearly in the fortress and the traditional construction in the narrow streets of the old quarter of Veliko Tarnovo are remarkable! I strongly recommend.

Response from Host, Apr 2022

Hello William, Thanks for being our loyal customer! The Ultimate Private Veliko Tarnovo Walking Tour is one of a kind experience in this beautiful city. We look forward to welcoming you again in Bulgaria! Best regards, Hristo

Scam

Jaume_G, Aug 2025

That it is a steal to charge €58 for a guide that was later self-guide downloaded on Dropbox to talk about Veliko-Tornovo. A scam when for 15€ or free you have guides per tido the world in Civitatis. I will not use this application anymore

Auto-translated

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hola Jaume, reservaste la opción autoguiada, que incluye todas las notas del guía en la guía electrónica y la audioguía correspondiente. Por tan poco dinero, obtienes toda la información. Un guía privado es mucho más caro, como bien sabes. De hecho, al menos tres o cuatro veces más caro. Tu reseña no es representativa y nos entristece leer eso. Siempre podrías optar por un guía privado y pagar la diferencia de precio, pero nunca lo hiciste. Fue totalmente tu decisión. Contamos con guías hispanohablantes, pero tú nunca reservaste un guía privado y optaste por la opción autoguiada. Un saludo, El equipo