1 day

Full Day

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About this activity

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Boyana Church, 3 Boyansko Ezero Str., Sofia 1616 Bulgaria

Your journey starts from one of the most beautiful and recognizable buildings in Sofia- The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Meet your guide in front of the biggest cathedral in Bulgaria and get onboard your comfortable, air-conditioned minivan. After a short drive through downtown Sofia (you will learn all the details about the interesting buildings that you see on the way), you will be at the Boyana Church - the first UNESCO site for the day.

The Boyana Church is one of the most important medieval temples not only in Bulgaria but worldwide. The Church is best known for its unique pre-Renaissance frescoes from the mid-13th century (1259). Admire the beautiful Bible scenes, the angels, apostles, the saints and listen your guide who will explain all the meanings and interesting facts behind them.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Rila Monastery, Rila 2643 Bulgaria

From Boyana you will leave on a two-hour scenic drive through the charming Bulgarian countryside. Enjoy the small towns, the beautiful, sleepy villages and see the simple live of the locals. The road will take you deep in the "Rila Mountain" Natural park, where you will find hidden the largest Bulgarian monastic complex - the Rila Monastery. Embark on a guided tour around the monastery complex. Your guide will help you to explore the unique monastery architecture, the beautiful frescoes of the monastery church – “Nativity of the Virgin”, and the rich monastery museums. Listen the fascinating stories about St. Ivan Rilski - the saint who found the monastery in the 10th century and King Boris- the last and most beloved Bulgarian monarch, whose tomb lies in the monastery church.

After the guided tour, enjoy your free time and take the opportunity to visit some of the nearby restaurants. Taste the local specialties, such as the grilled or fried trout, the fresh salads and the famous Bulgarian yogurt with honey. During your free time you will have the option to join your guide and visit the nearby cave of St Ivan Rilski. This is where the saint has spent most of his life, living a very simple life as a hermit. The cave is a place with a special energy and the legend says that the one who enters the cave will get rid of all his sins!

To reach the cave of the saint you must hike in the woods about 20 minutes, the hike is not very difficult, but there are some steep sections and some stones on the path, that's why it's recommended only for people in good physical shape.

In the late afternoon return to your vehicle and relax on the way back to Sofia.

Duration: 2 hours

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Included

All transportation and parking costs
Licensed English-speaking guide
VAT and all local taxes
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Fuel surcharge

Not included

Admission fees for Boyana Church (5 Euro) and the Rila Monastery Museum (Optional 4 Euro)
Meals, tips and personal expenses
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Entry/Admission - Boyana Church

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Not wheelchair accessible or stroller-friendly
Comfortable shoes recommended
Ladies must cover their shoulders and knees
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

Features

Tourism

90%

Cultural

70%

Reviews

4.6

10

c

carolinagal116

5 | 2019-07-03

We ended up having the tour to ourself with our guide Vincent. Vincent shared many interesting facts about Sofia and Bulgaria with us as we drove out to the Rila Monastery. At the monastery, Vincent showed us all of the important sites and explained the history to us. We were then given free time to explore the monastery on our own. After the monastery, Vincent took us to a local restaurant with good food and great prices. Our last stop was the Boyana church. Fair warning - you only get 10 minutes in the church due to the fragility of the frescoes. However, Vincent was prepared for this and explained the most important frescoes to us during our time there. Overall we had a great day with Vincent and would definitely take another tour with him.

A

Aathmika K

5 | 2018-06-27

This ended up being a private tour for a me and a friend because another group had cancelled and we had a fantastic time! Vincent was incredibly knowledgeable and patient! in answering our questions about the sights we were seeing but also about Sofia and Bulgaria more generally and one of the best tour guides we have ever had and we do a lot of tours! The visit to the cave of St Ivan Rilski was unique and not to be missed. The tour ran as scheduled with time for lunch as well. We would highly recommend!

s

shirleen_lee916

5 | 2018-02-26

It was a private tour with our guide, Vincent. He is knowledgeable and fun to chat with. It was a bit rush in Boyana Church due to a group approaching. Rila Monastery is so beautiful and it's worth the long drive up. He brought us to a restaurant and we really enjoyed the fresh grilled trout and tripe soup.

M

MARIA VICTORIA C

5 | 2017-10-27

A complete tour to do in a 1 day excursion and get to know some of the most important monasteries of Bulgary. The guide explained both the historical and architectural facts very well, besides being very sympathic.

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