The 15 Best Rila Monastery Day Trips from Sofia

From Sofia: Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour - Sofia to Boyana Church: Quick Ride, Real Focus

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 5,107 reviews · 8 - 9 hours · from $23Our pick

Sofia to UNESCO Boyana Church and Rila Monastery in one day, with pre-Renaissance frescoes, museums, mountain views, and coach comfort.

“We had a fantastic experience with our guide, Hkristo. He was very well informed and explained everything clearly and in an engaging way. He was also extremely attentive and patient, making sure everyone was comfortable and had their questions answered. The trip was excellent value for money and a great way to explore UNESCO World Heritage sites in Bulgaria. Highly recommended!”

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Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Sofia: Must-See Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour

2.Must-See Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,322 reviews · 9 - 10 hours · from $23

Hit Rila Monastery and Boyana Church with a guide, audio on board, and mountain scenery in one 9-10 hour Sofia day trip.

“The day tour was amazing thanks to our guide Maria 😊 Learned a lot and had a wonderful day, it is absolutely worth it. Thanks again!”

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Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Seven Rila Lakes Trips, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews

From Sofia: 7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Extended Trip

3.7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Extended Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,189 reviews · 13 hours · from $64

Sofia to 7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery in one day. Air-conditioned shuttle, self-guided hike, and time at a 10th-century monastery.

“Timings were all perfect. Enough time at both lakes and Monastery. Given plenty of information and also maps by guide in the morning before the bus departed Sofia. Guide also sent us whatsapp via the group throughout the day reminding of pick up times and helpful info!”

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Full-Day, Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Full-Day Tour

4.Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Full-Day Tour

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

Full-day trip from Sofia to Rila Monastery and UNESCO Boyana Church. Guided fresco stories, timed church entry, easy pickup.

“This was a great day trip. Our guide was very informative and nice. Of course this is a large tour and we were in a bus, so when we went to the Boyana church, since only 10 people are allowed at a time inside, there was a lot of waiting in the cold until everyone got to enter. The places were beautiful though, it was just a long trip, we spent more time traveling than at the places of interest, but as a day trip from Sofia I would still recommend this as the places are a must see and it’s a great alternative from having to plan and drive…”

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Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Sofia: Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour

5.Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 866 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $24

Sofia day tour to UNESCO Rila Monastery and Boyana Church, with scenic mountain drive, timed stops, and optional audio guide.

“Visiting the Rila Monastery, the Cave and Boyana Church on a snowy day was just perfect. To me, it was very Christmassy which was the highlight of my visit to Bulgaria.”

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Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Seven Rila Lakes Trips, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Sofia: The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery Day Tour

6.The Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 699 reviews · 12 hours · from $53

Sofia to the Seven Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery day tour by coach, with a chairlift hike, expert guides, and mountain views.

“When I booked the tour, I knew it would be a wonderful experience, but my expectations were exceeded. Our guide Ivaylo and our driver Sergei were exceptional, enhancing the experience with their knowledge and friendliness. I highly recommend this experience.”

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Bulgarian Cave Trips, Cave Trips in Sofia, Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Sofia: Rila Monastery & Optional St. Ivan Cave Day Tour

7.Rila Monastery & Optional St. Ivan Cave Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 647 reviews · 8 - 11 hours · from $23

UNESCO Rila Monastery and optional St. Ivan Rilski cave hike from Sofia. Guided culture and forest walking for about $23.

“Our tour guide (Marten) really made our entire trip to Sofia”

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Full-Day, Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Sofia: Full-Day Tour to Rila Monastery with Options

8.Full-Day Tour to Rila Monastery with Options

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 479 reviews · 8h 30m · from $41

One-day Sofia tour to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church, two UNESCO sites with an English guide and a grilled trout lunch stop.

“the whole experience has been amazing. not only for the destination itself (strongly suggetted), but also for the organization and the helpfulness and kindness of the guide. we booked for a cold morning of january, so there were just two of us. the guide picked us up at our hostel in perfect timing with a car, so it was most of a private tour. the guy explained everything with precision, providing us interesting details about the history of the two monasteries. he was - as I said - very helpful and nice. I would suggest the travel agency and the tour to a fried.”

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Massage & Relaxation, Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Spa & Hot Springs, Tour Reviews

From Sofia: Rila Monastery UNESCO Site & Outdoor Mineral Spa

9.Rila Monastery UNESCO Site & Outdoor Mineral Spa

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 400 reviews · 9 hours · from $42

UNESCO Rila Monastery plus Sapareva Banya mineral baths on a small-group day trip from Sofia, with audio guides and free time.

“I would've liked it more if they would've specified the prices of the entrance fees that were not included. The spa was 20euro per person, which is pretty steep for a 3 hours swim. I know it said entrance fees not included, and we probably shouldve checked the price of the spa beforehand. We made the assumption that, considering the prices of other activities in Bulgaria, it would've been a lot cheaper.”

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Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Seven Rila Lakes Trips, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Sofia: 7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Tour

10.7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 392 reviews · 11 hours · from $69

From Sofia, see Bulgaria’s iconic Rila Monastery and hike the Seven Rila Lakes, with a warm guide, smart timing, and optional elevator.

“The excursion has a good organisation. Our guide Apostolos was very nice and helpfull. He told us a lot of things about Bulgaria ( food, people, history). Also the monastery and the lacs are more than beautiful. You should really go see! If you go by winter take good shoes for the snow :)”

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1-Day Tours, Full-Day, Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews

From Sofia: Rila Monastery and Plovdiv Town Full-Day Trip

11.Rila Monastery and Plovdiv Town Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 382 reviews · 13 hours · from $78

Sofia to UNESCO Rila Monastery and Plovdiv Old Town in one self-paced day. Small group, English host, comfy transfers.

“It was a long day, but definitely worth it! A lot of the day is spent driving, but both the monastery and Plovidiv are unmissable, and seeing them both in one day (most companies offer 2 separate day trips) gave me an extra day to be spent in Sofia. Our guide was very knowledgeable and give us information and tips throughout the day.”

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Guided, Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Self-Guided Tours, Seven Rila Lakes Trips, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews

Rila Monastery and 7 Rila Lakes Self-Guided Shared Trip from Sofia

12.Rila Monastery and 7 Rila Lakes Self-Guided Shared Trip from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 280 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $54Top rated

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!”

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Bulgarian Cave Trips, Cave Trips in Sofia, Massage & Relaxation, Museums, Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Sofia Tours, Spa & Hot Springs, Tour Reviews

From Sofia: Rila Monastery and Optional Museum, Cave or Spa

13.Rila Monastery and Optional Museum, Cave or Spa

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 270 reviews · 8 - 9 hours · from $35

Rila Monastery UNESCO day trip from Sofia with guided art, mountain views, and optional museum, cave hike, or mineral hot springs.

“The trip was very long and it tired us. However, there is nothing we can do about this as Rila Monastery is 2hrs from the city. We enjoyed our time at the monastery and it was very beautiful. The guide also took us to Boyana church even though in our booking it was not mentioned. Boyana church is beautiful, however this was extra for us as we had already visited the previous day and it took time off our day. Overall we enjoyed the trip and had an amazing time.”

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Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Seven Rila Lakes Trips, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Tour

14.7 Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 165 reviews · 10 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $71

From Sofia to Rila Monastery and the Seven Rila Lakes, by WiFi-equipped van. Lift fee is extra, weather can change plans.

“My only complaint about this tour is the lack of time to do the activities. However, it’s a great combo! The Rila monastery is incredible.. as beautiful inside (no photos allowed) as it is on the outside. A little more time would be nice to see all areas. The Rila 7 lakes has amazing scenery. Beautiful mountain and lake images. Be advised, however, that there is a lot of uphill hiking AFTER the ski lift up. But the views are worth the effort. Again, at least an hour more is needed to see all 7 lakes. And be prepared for a long line at the lift after 4:30pm. Definitely a…”

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Rila Monastery & Boyana Church, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Sofia: Rila Monastery Day Tour

15.Rila Monastery Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 162 reviews · 8 - 12 hours · from $23

Join a Sofia day tour to Rila Monastery with a guided UNESCO visit, Rila National Park scenery, and free time to explore on your own.

“There could be a little bit more free time. Waiting time for food is long and therefore there is little time for walking around the monastery by yourself.”

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