Bulgaria · TOURS IN VARNA
Good tours in Varna fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Leave your Varna-area accommodation at 9:00 am for a six-hour off-road day with guides such as Silvia and driver Mario. Visit Tankovo and Biberna, try archery and games at Walnut Ranch, enjoy Bulgarian drinks, then sit down to a three-course barbecue lunch in Poroy with local honey tasting.
“Completely blown away by this experience! The food was amazing, the views from the mountains was amazing. This is a MUST if you are in SB.”
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”
Cycle by standard bike or request an e-bike through Varna’s countryside and Black Sea coast with guide Deyan and Plateau Cycling. Routes adjust to your ability, time, and weather. Possible stops include Ovech Fortress, Shabla Lighthouse, and Nikolaevka’s 1847 Orthodox church. Pickup is available in central Varna and Golden Sands.
“Deyan was a responsive host and very accommodating to the things we wanted to do. He was a great guide , providing interesting and useful information. Definitely recommend this trip!”
Travel privately from Varna with guide Strahil to Aladzha Monastery, Albena, Balchik Palace and Botanical Gardens, Cape Kaliakra, Tyulenovo Rocks, and Shabla Lighthouse. Expect about nine hours on the road, private transport, bottled water, coastal views, and time to adjust the pace to your group.
“Our tour was very personable and guide was great! Was able to visit a lot of historic sites in one day. Totally recommend!”
Cruise from Balchik toward Kavarna aboard the Samba or Dionis, with sea views of Balchik, the Palace and Botanical Gardens, and the northern coast. You get lunch, alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, and a swimming pause. Hosts such as Hristo, Nicco, Captain Nikolai, and Sinni are associated with the experience.
“Absolutely enjoyable! The boat the staff, the food and the drinks. We are very satisfied and we enjoyed it at the max with our friends. Would recommend to everyone in the area.”
Spend 2 to 3 hours at Varna Archaeological Museum on a self-guided visit in English. You’ll see ancient tombstones, surgical tools, jewelry, and finds from Hellenistic, Roman, and medieval Bulgaria. Your booking includes museum admission, but you must watch for a second access voucher sent by email.
“This was a total rip off. I spent $11.50 for admission instead of a few lev. They gave me nothing & told me to read the English on the walls. You should be ashamed of yourselves for selling this”
Set out from Sunny Beach in a private 4-wheel-drive vehicle for a roughly four-hour trip through rural Bulgaria, with pickup from selected hotels, a professional English-speaking guide, lunch, and passing views around Nessebar, St. Vlas, and Pomorie. Choose a 9:00 am departure and return to your meeting point.
“6 hours of fun. The guide was very funny. Much more than we expected. Good value for the money. We loved it.”
You’ll ride a Sur-Ron electric motorcycle from Historical Park near Varna through fields, forest, dirt, and rock tracks to Kara Peshtera, a thousand-year-old rock monastery. An English-speaking guide provides a helmet, glasses, bonnet, riding test, water breaks, and personal instruction. The private tour lasts about three hours.
“Since me and my son has ridden motorcycles before, we managed the ride well. The guide spoke good english and was helpful all the way and guided us through the event. Great nature to ride in!”
Walk through central Varna with a private guide, focusing on the city’s French influence and major sights, including the Cathedral of the Assumption. A Bulgarian wine tasting is included. The experience is offered in English, with a self-guided option that provides an e-guide. French-speaking guide Casimir has received special praise for his warmth and clear French.
“L’excellent français de Casimir sa gentillesse ainsi que sa culture Belle découverte de la ville et très sympathique découverte des vins bulgares”
Walk Varna’s cathedral, Sea Garden, Roman Thermae, and lesser-known streets with a local guide, then taste Bulgarian wines and traditional dishes at a villa or downtown venue. Private tours include hotel pickup and drop-off. A self-guided option uses an e-guide, while the wine tasting remains hosted by a sommelier.
“We took the self-guided tour. We were really confused when we received the E-guide. To our opinion it was a guide downloaded from google. We also missed a small map which guided us to the diffrent points in the city. We had to create our own little map on the GPS to navigate us. A small map would be helpfull. The Six stops of food are also not present anymore. Due to Corona a lot of shops closed but this needed to be stated on the itinerary. We received all the food at our local winery but we were confused that the e-guide did not gave us this info. I…”
Spend about four hours with a local guide such as Radul, Dimo, or Kristian, visiting Varna’s main cultural sights and tasting three Bulgarian wines with appetizers. The private format keeps the pace flexible, with hotel pickup and return available in Varna when booked as a privately guided experience.
“Was a fantastic day. Both Radul and Dimo were perfect hosts. Radul in particular mixed a lot of his own history with at that of Varna and Bulgaria and that really made it feel personal. The wine tasting lunch was both generous and very tasty. Highly recommend it.”
Travel from Varna to Nessebar with pickup, transport, and a local guide. The afternoon route includes Sunny Beach, the Old Town, Christ Pantokrator, St. Stephen’s, St. Sophia, and St. John the Baptist. Guides such as Hristo and Souren explain the churches, legends, and local history, with an e-guide for three churches.
“We had an amazing tour with our guide. He had fun info on both the churches and history but also other things we asked about. He even sang us a song in exchange for us singing one. We really recommend this tour if you’re looking for something fun and educational. They had it in multiple languages but we had the tour in English.”
Spend about two hours tasting four Bulgarian wines with a sommelier, Shopska salad, and traditional appetizers. The private format keeps things relaxed and personal. The venue is about a 10-minute drive from central Varna, so plan for a taxi or other ride to the meeting point. A rakia finish may also be served.
“We had a great time. First its worth mentioning that the venue is about 10 min drive from Varna center, and when you arrive it seems a bit like a backyard street. But we called the give phone number and were meet by our very friendly host. Once inside the location was lovely and some good snack was prepepared. The host was funny, friendly and informative. We tasted 2 apperetifes, 4 wines and a Raki to finish off. The experiense took about 2 hrs and when finished our host hjelped us to get a taxi for the return to Varna. All in all a very Nice time and we enjoyed…”
At Varna Karting Track, you get 15 minutes behind the wheel of a SODI or TB Kart machine on one of Bulgaria’s largest karting tracks. Choose from 9, 18, or 28 hp karts, or share a double kart. Beginners and experienced drivers can ride, while children over 1.40 meters may drive alone with a parent or guardian present.
“Goede service, behulpzaam. Baan is groot en goede karts. Ze spreken goed Engels. En als je wilt kun je foto's kopen. Prijs/kwaliteit goed. 17,50 euro 10min.”
At Infinity Spa in Varna, you choose a treatment and enjoy about two hours in a calm therapy setting. Options include Turkish bath, aromatherapy massage with rose oil, sauna and steam bath access, and use of the fitness room. English and Russian service, pickup, mobile tickets, and return transport help keep the visit simple.
“I stayed in Ibero Star with my family in August 2019, and me and my wife decided to have a turkish bath in Infinity Spa, the therapists and all the staff are very welcoming and real professionals!! Our treatment started with sauna and steam bath, Read more”
Pick a monastery, a ridge or a cellar.
