The 15 Best Full-Day Tours in Bulgaria

1.From Bucharest: Full-Day Trip to Bulgaria

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,008 reviews · 12 hours · from $93Our pick

Cross from Bucharest into Bulgaria for a 12-hour small-group tour of Ruse or Basarabov Monastery, Arbanasi, Tsarevets Fortress, and Veliko Tarnovo. English-speaking guides such as Narcis and Lucian lead the day, with round-trip transport, free time, and scenic Balkan views. Bring your passport, cash, and comfortable shoes.

“What a great way to check off another country. The fortress at Veliko Tarnovo was very cool to explore and the small trip size was a great way to travel.”

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2.Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 918 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $24

Spend about eight hours visiting Rila Monastery in the mountains and Sofia’s small Boyana Church. Expect a 40-minute monastery tour, 2.5 hours of free time, and only 10 minutes inside Boyana Church. Guides such as Maria, Ina, Vasil, and Tuni have led especially well-received departures, though language and guide arrangements can vary.

“We really enjoyed seeing the monastery and church and thought it was a worthwhile trip from Sofia. It’s in a beautiful setting in the mountains.”

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3.Plovdiv Small Group Full Day Guided Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 235 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $22Best value

Travel from central Sofia to Plovdiv by air-conditioned minibus, then walk the Old Town with an English-speaking guide. You’ll see the Ancient Theatre, Roman Stadium, 19th-century houses, and Kapana before free time for lunch or shopping. Guides such as Hristo, Martin, Maria, and Todor are praised for clear storytelling, though traffic can shorten your time in town.

“A lot of interesting historical information was shared, great sights. Very knowledgeable tour guide.”

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4.Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 177 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $24

Spend one long day visiting Plovdiv’s Roman theater and old town, then Koprivshtitsa’s 19th-century houses and liberation story. An English-speaking driver-guide, air-conditioned transport, and optional online audio guide are included. You get a useful overview of both towns, though time in Plovdiv is tight.

“Martin, our tour guide, was amazing!! A kind person with lots of knowledge and a great sense of humour. The places we visited were impressive and special. We strongly recommend this day trip 🙂”

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5.Full-day Nis and Serbian History Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 90 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $83

Travel from Sofia to Nis in a small group with an English-speaking driver-guide. Visit Mediana’s Roman mosaics, Skull Tower, Nis Fortress, and the Red Cross concentration camp, then enjoy free time and Serbian lunch at your own cost. Guides such as Georgi, Michael, Ivan, and Stefan are praised for their history and Balkan culture knowledge.

“Vwry punctual, engaging and knowledgeable Guide -Michael. This makes a huge difference. Very doable day trip to visit Niṣ̌ and get a feel of Serbia. Visited enough places and some free time too.”

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6.Full-Day Belogradchik Rocks and Belogradchik Fortress from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · 10 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $95Top rated

Leave Sofia at 8:00 am for Belogradchik with a licensed English-speaking guide and driver, often Ventsislav. Visit the fortress, take in the strange red-rock pinnacles, and enjoy lunch in town. The group is limited to seven, hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and some departures may also include Venetsa Cave, so confirm the day’s plan before booking.

“Ventsis made the trip really enjoyable - extremely comfortable driver. He was very knowledgeable and accommodating in dropping off. We would highly recommend this trip”

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7.Full-day Rila Mountains, Seven Lakes Hike, and Hot Springs Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 70 reviews · 6 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $132

Leave Sofia early for a guided hike around Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes, with a choice of roughly three or five hours on the mountain. Guides such as Velko, Kiril, Daniel, Genko, and Swet have helped guests handle changing conditions. Finish with a soak at Sapareva Banya, but budget extra for the lift, spa, food, and winter gear.

“This was a great tour if you like hiking. Our guide Phil was very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.”

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8.Full-Day Small-Group Tour of Bulgaria by Minivan with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $96

Travel by minivan from Bulgaria’s northern Black Sea coast to Varna, Pobiti Kamani, a Roman mosaic museum, and Beloslav. An English, German, or French-speaking guide explains Orthodox customs, social systems, and local life. The day includes a distillery visit and lunch in a local home, with pickup from hotels between Albena and Varna.

“Wunderbar geführte Tour um Kultur und Bräuche Bulgariens zu erleben. Ein Erlebnis für groß und klein”

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9.Seven Rila Lakes Snowshoe Hike and Thermal Baths Full-Day Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 43 reviews · 1 day (approx.) · from $144

Leave Sofia early with an English-speaking mountain leader, ride the chairlift to 2,150 meters, and snowshoe toward the frozen Kidney Lake. You get snowshoes, poles, transport, hotel pickup, and about 2.5 hours on the trail. Afterward, warm up in Sapareva Banya’s mineral pools. Bring food, and budget extra for the lift and spa.

“Our tour guide was amazing! The view was absolutely beautiful. Definitely want to come back during the summer to do the hike again!”

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10.Seven Rila Lakes – Full Day Hiking Trip in the Rila Mountain

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 40 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $35

Leave Sofia at 7:30 a.m. for the Seven Rila Lakes, riding by minivan to Panichishte and taking the cable car uphill. You’ll have about five hours for a marked mountain route through the lakes, with a guide or self-guided option depending on your booking. Expect moderate hiking, changing weather, and a 30 BGN cash cable car fee.

“We booked this trip for a couple + 3Yo kid. Trip started on time at the location. Tedzto (our guide) was prepared with a child seat for the van, he was very polite and courteous all way. Please consider you have to be in good physical shape (if you bring your child you might take them in your arms). It took us 2h to climb it to the top and 1:20:00 the way down. I tracked the path and it's 3.6km each way with 450m of elevation gain. Starting at 2,100m above sea level. Again, our guide was with us all the way making it a superb experience. I will…”

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11.Full-Day Plovdiv and Asen’s Fortress Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 36 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $35

Travel from Sofia to Plovdiv and Asen’s Fortress with a guide such as Philip, Ivan, or Gregorio. Walk Plovdiv’s Old Town, see its Roman theatre, enjoy free time, then climb to a medieval fortress above the Rhodope Mountains. The small group, English guidance, and virtual reality headset add value, but uneven steps and extra entrance fees require planning.

“I opted for hotel pick up and drop off, which made me feel way more comfortable being alone in a new country. Tzvetomir was wonderful from the very beginning, and the car ride was great, chatting with him and the other people exploring Plovdiv. He knew a ton about the area and he helped take photos with my camera. 10/10, would definitely recommend!”

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12.Rila Monastery & Thermae Full-Day Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 34 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $43

Travel from Sofia to Bulgaria’s remarkable Rila Monastery with an English-speaking guide such as Georgi or Ivan, then spend time at Aqua Club Kotvata’s indoor and outdoor mineral pools. The day mixes Orthodox art, mountain scenery, free time, lunch at your own cost, and a relaxing spa visit. Bring modest clothing, swimwear, flip-flops, and a towel.

“The guide is very sweet and very prepared, arrived at the monastery the guide told us in great detail about the frescoes outside the church and inside the church, explained many details of the Orthodox religion, Then we went to relax in the thermal waters. The monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, not to be missed. The two-hour bus ride is worth the effort, mostly by highwayAuto-translated”

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13.Belogradchik Full-day Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 30 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $82

Travel from Sofia to Belogradchik with an English-speaking driver-guide such as Stefan, Georgi, or Michael. See the Roman-era fortress, spend two hours among remarkable rock figures, and visit Venetsa Cave. Round-trip minivan transport, entrance fees, and multilingual audio guides are included, but lunch is not.

“Impressive fortress. We were lucky that the leaves were starting to turn autumn colours, so it was particularly beautiful. The guide, Stefan, was friendly, informative and easy-going. He was also very considerate and he made the trip pleasant for everyone. Despite the long ride (3 hrs one way), it was beautiful scenery and the time seemed to pass quickly.”

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14.Bulgaria and Macedonia Full-Day Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 26 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $144

Leave Sofia at 8:30 a.m. for Boyana Church, Zemen Monastery, and St Joakim Osogovski Monastery in North Macedonia. A guide such as Maria, Ivan, Chimy, or Deni handles the border crossing and explains the frescoes, faith, history, and local life. Expect about 10 hours on winding country roads, with hotel pickup and groups capped at 15.

“Ci Ci was an amazing guide, Knowledgeable, Accommodating, Insightful and can share her experiences in life as a proud Bulgarian in a modern world. Her experience as a guide helped us achieve time to enjoy all the most important sights on our list. We were more than satisfied with our tour.”

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15.Sofia full day tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $138

Spend about eight hours exploring Sofia by air-conditioned minivan and on foot. Visit Boyana Church, the National Museum of History, Pancharevo Lake, and central Sofia with an English-speaking guide. Guides such as Deni, Maria, Peter, and Elitsa are praised for flexible pacing, strong history knowledge, and personal local advice.

“The guide was a lovely person. She was very informative. When she realised we were going to visit a place several days later, she took us somewhere else instead.”

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