Bulgaria · GUIDED
This is the shortlist to send a friend: 15 guided tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
10-hour Sofia to Plovdiv day trip with Roman ruins, Revival houses, and free time on Europe’s longest pedestrian street.
“The drive to Plovdiv and back was very enjoyable thanks to our driver Simon. The visit of the old city was great! Our guide Sonjia explained to us everything. She seemed to know the city in every detail. Overall a very enjoyable experience”
Old Plovdiv on a small-group day trip from Sofia. Roman Theatre, Revival houses, and Kapana lunch time for photos and shopping.
“The tour was fantastic. Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa was more beautiful than expected. The weather was perfect most of the day and Simeon Sokolov seemed to be a very knowledgeable guide. I booked a self guided tour so I had few contacts with him but when I did, he was really helpful. He also speaks multiple languages really well. When we were returning to Sofia with the bus we encountered a heavy storm in the mountains but our driver took us home safely like a pro. This was my second tour with Traventuria. I am very pleased with both experiences.”
A 2-hour Sofia monuments walk with multilingual audio, temple interiors, and Roman ruins, ending at the Presidential Palace guard change.
“Alex was a very good tour guide, he explained everything and how to operate the audio , this was set to your language. It was great that Alex was from Sofia himself, so we were able to ask him lots of questions. It was easy to keep up with Alex and a nice stroll , we were allocated time in each historical building to look around. We were able to see the presidential changing of the guard. This tour was extremely good value for money , we were able to revisit some of the buildings again to spend more time there and we were able to find them much easier.…”
2-hour small-group Sofia heritage tour in English, visiting Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Saint Sofia Basilica, plus major city-center landmarks.
“the guide was very knowledgeable, we really enjoyed the tour and learned a lot about the city. Would definitely recommend if you don't have much time to visit. 2 hours is enough to explore it. The guide was also keen to answer all the questions we had and at the end of the tour he gave us a little gift to thank us. We really appreciated that. Thank you and good luck with your business!”
Self-guided Rila Monastery and Seven Rila Lakes day trip from Sofia, with timed transfers, paper maps, and mountain hiking.
“The Hike to the top- no problem timewise to manage and the beautiful momentet. To meet up 7 in morning and then tour guide take 15 minutes explaining your while standing still was a waste of our time. That people are not on time still after all the reminders about departure time beats me!”
Small-group Plovdiv day trip from Sofia with guided Old Town walk, optional Roman sights, and free time for lunch and Kapana.
“Martin was fine as a guide, speaks very good English. They should pre buy tickets for the Roman theatre, it was a pain to go all the way down the hill to the end of the tour, to then go back up, then to have lunch and keep to the schedule. Unbeknownst to us, the bus ride back detours to the airport for new riders they pick up, huh? this was not even listed as one of the drop offs they sent before the trip and likely added 40 mins to the trip back at the end of a long day.”
Taste 5 Bulgarian wines and 2 local cheeses in Sofia, with a chalk-map wine lesson, pairing guidance, and winery tips for your trip.
“Fantastic experience! The wines were excellent and I learned a lot!”
A 2-hour English guided walk through Sofia’s Roman, early Christian, and more modern layers, entering major churches with free entry.
“Jivko was a great guide to us. Clearly knows about Bulgarian history because of his academic background. The sites were really well picked and we thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Thanks!”
See UNESCO Rila Monastery and Boyana Church on a small-group audio-guided day trip from Sofia, with easy pickup and practical timing.
“Guida e autista molto disponibili e simpatici. Nessun problema, se non il fatto che siamo stati solo 2 ore al monastero di Rila che forse sono un po’ poche per godersi la gita a pieno e senza fretta. Abbiamo avuto delle audio-guide in italiano.”
Headphone-guided Sofia highlights in 7 languages, walking 2 to 3 hours. Churches, ruins, mosque, monuments, and end near the Presidency.
“It was a Good experience, I learned a lot new things that i did not know. Sofia has a lot history and places to visit. This is the best way to get to know the city.”
Day trip from Sofia to Plovdiv with free pickup, small group comfort, and an audio guide in multiple languages covering Roman sights.
“We fully recommend this tour. Our guide Maria was very nice, patient and also very knowledgeable. Nice talk along 2 hours drive to beautiful Plovdiv.”
A 7-hour VIP day from Varna with a licensed German guide, Stone Forest myths, mosaic stops, rakia tasting, and a home cooked musaka lunch.
“de gids was uitstekend, vertelde veel interessante dingen. de punten waar gestopt werd, waren de moeite waard. vooral het bezoek aan een Bulgaars. huis en de lunch daar waren zeer geslaagd. een aanrader voor iedereen die de omgeving van Varna wil verkennen.”
Walk Plovdiv with a live guide, from Roman theatre to Revival houses and Thracian hill views, in 2 hours for $14.
“El tour con Bibiana ha sido estupendo, nos ha encantado Plovdiv. Nos ha llevado a pequeños rinconcitos de la parte con más encanto, y hemos conocido la historia de algunas casas e iglesias del lugar. Super recomendable.”
A self-guided day trip from Sofia to Boyana Church and Rila Monastery, with an audioguide, organized transport, and time to explore.
“Our guide is excellent. Boyona and Rila are a must sites to visit. We are actually on our way back to Sofia from Rila while writing this. The only downside side (big downside) are the buses! 40 to 50km/hr on our way to Rila (some injection pump issues as they claimed) and a bus with ZERO air conditioner system on our way back to Sofia which is very aggravating! I felt bad for the tour guides being caught between a rock and a hard place. Traventuria should step up with their equipments.”
Guided Nessebar day tour from Varna, UNESCO old town walking, St. Stephen’s Church, bay views, plus time to drink and shop.
“Nous avons adoré notre excursion à Nessebar. Le véhicule était confortable et notre guide Philippe était super super. Nous recommandons fortement ce tour si vous désirez visiter Nessebar à partir de Varna. Merci encore!”
Pick a monastery, a mountain, a cave or a coastline.
