Explore Bulgaria at your own travel pace, with flexibility and time to enjoy the sites and relax at the selected family-run hotels. During the travel you will be able to visit the must-sees in Bulgaria, have pleasant mountain walks, taste traditional cuisine and have a rest at the Black Sea coast.
Arrival Sofia Airport, car delivery and departure to Rila Monastery UNESCO site, located less than 2 h drive from Sofia. Check in at a family-run hotel, located close to a small river, just 5 km before the monastery. The hotel has a traditional restaurant, where you can try local specialties – monastery beans soup, mountain trout, pancakes with forest fruit jam, etc.
Approximate mileage: 120 km
Начальная точка
София, Bulgaria
Visit of the monastery and pleasant walk in its surrounding area. Enjoy the unspoilt nature of Rila Mountain – the highest mountain on the Balkan peninsula, declared a National Park.
Continue south to Bansko museum village, located at the foothills of another mountain – Pirin National Park ( UNESCO list ). Explore the old town of Bansko, its traditional architecture, museum houses and St. Trinity Church.
Check in at a family-run hotel.
Approximate mileage: 100 km
Today we can suggest 2 options:
If you are a mountain lover and like to walk/ hike – you can drive to the nearby town of Dobrinishte ( 6 km ) and take the seat lift from Gotse Delchev hut to Bezbog hut ( 2236 m above sea level ) then have a pleasant walk to Bezbog lake and Popovo lake.
If you prefer to do sightseeing, you can drive south from Bansko towards Melnik ( the smallest Bulgarian town ), located at the foothills of some sandstone pyramids in which wine cellars were dug and to Rojen Monastery ( one of the oldest preserved monasteries in Bulgaria ) with wonderful panorama towards the border mountains with Greece.
Back to Bansko and spend the night in the same hotel.
Approximate mileage – option 1: max. 30 km/ option 2: max. 230 km
Today you leave Bansko, crossing part of the Rhodope mountains to explore Plovdiv. Plovdiv has been European capital of culture in 2019 and is one of oldest inhibited cities in Europe. You will be able to see the Old Plovdiv Architecture reserve with its cobble stone streets, museum houses, galleries and artists, small restaurants, the ruins of Roman times – the Ancient Theatre, Stadium, Forum, etc. etc. If time permits, we suggest to visit Kapana – the artistic neighbourhood of Plovdiv and the longest pedestrian street in the world.
Check in at your hotel and overnight.
Approximate mileage – 170 km
Morning departure to Kazanluk - the centre of the Valley of Roses, known as well as the Valley of the Thracian kings. In the past, 75% of the world rose attar was produced here. Nowadays, Bulgaria is among the top 4 producers in the world of roses, as well as leading producer of lavender oil. You will be able to visit the regional history museum of Kazanluk ( one of the oldest and richest museums in Bulgaria ), Kazanluk Thracian tomb ( UNESCO site, copy, 3rd c BC ), Goliama Kosmatka Thracian tomb ( 5th c BC ), the Museum of Rose, etc. etc.
In the afternoon continue towards the Black sea coast and Nessebur UNESCO town.
Check in at your hotel and time to enjoy the sea.
Approximate mileage - 380 km
Possible visit of the Old Nessebur, located on a small peninsula with many medieval churches and the local museum or relax on the beach.
Overnight at the same hotel.
Depart north, along the Black Sea coast to Varna.
Varna is the largest Bulgarian city on the Black Sea coast. It was an inhabited place even before the Greeks established the colony of Odessos there about 580 B.C. Later, under the Romans and their successor, the Slavs, Varna became a major port trading with Constantinople, Venice and Dubrovnik
Possible visit of the archaeology museum to see the oldest gold treasure in the world, dating from 4,600 BC to 4,200 BC, and discovered in Varna Necropolis.
See the central part of the city, the Sea garden, the Cathedral, etc.
Overnight at a hotel.
Approximate mileage: 100 km
Today you depart east with many possible stops before you reach Arbanassi museum village: the Petrified stones ( Pobiti Kamuni ), Devnya museum of mosaics, Madara Horseman UNESCO site, Shumen, the remains of the capital cities of the 1st Bulgarian Kingdom – Pliska and Preslav, etc.
Arrival in Veliko Turnovo - the medieval capital city of Bulgaria. Check in at your hotel and overnight.
Approximate mileage: 250 km
Day dedicated to Veliko Turnovo, picturesquely located on 4 hills above Yantra river. You can walk in the Old town of Veliko Turnovo with Samovodska Charshia – the street of traditional crafts - potter, artisan cutler, coppersmith, carver, confectioner, weaver, icon-painter's studio, photographer, café, a workshop where kadaif (a classic Middle Eastern pastry) is made, and a bakery – all in the style of the first decades of the 20th Century, Gurko Street and others. Visit Tsarevets Royal hill with the medieval fortress, Patriarh`s complex and Baldwin tower – the leader of the 4th Crusade, who was imprisoned there.
Not far from Veliko Turnovo you can visit Transfiguration and / or Petropavlovski Monastery.
Approximate mileage: 50 km
Departure to Sofia, arrival after 3.5 h.
Free time to explore the capital city of Bulgaria. A number of ancient Roman, Byzantine and medieval Bulgarian buildings have been preserved in the city and its outskirts, including the UNESCO World Heritage site Boyana Church, the 4th c St. George Rotunda and the early Byzantine Basilica of St Sophia from 6th century. You will see as well Alexander Nevski Memorial Catheral, Parliament Square, Sofia University, National Theatre and the Old City Garden, the former Royal Palace, the ruins of Ancient Serdica close to the Presidency and Arena di Serdica.
Free time and drop off the car at Sofia Airport.
( please note the rent-a-car tariff is calculated on 24-h rent base )
Конечная точка
София, Bulgaria
Terms and Conditions Across Europe LTD
Prices
Published prices are based on costs at the time of publication. We reserve the right to increase the cost
of your holiday if the Government imposes new taxes or increases existing taxes, the currency fluctuates,
or fuel charges increase. We will inform you of any increases.
Payments
A deposit of 30 % is required upon reservation, before any binding contract exists. The deposit must be
paid not less than 45 days before the start of the tour (or by an alternative date agreed between you and
Across Europe LTD). Rest of the sum is required 31 days prior the departure date. If you book less than
45 days before departure, you must pay for the tour in full as soon as you book, unless you make
alternative arrangements with Across Europe LTD. If you do not pay your balance by the agreed time, the
Company reserves the right to cancel your booking.
Cancellation Policy
Payment for the tour is a fundamental part of the tour’s income and contributes to the overall cost of
equipment, running costs, staffing, administration, etc. As the Company will have incurred the majority
of its costs before the tour starts, we need to impose cancellation charges to cover these costs.
If you cancel your booking, we will impose cancellation charges as follows:
45 to 31 days prior to departure – loss of deposit
30 or fewer days before departure – 100 % of tour cost
Tailor-made tours may be subject to alternative cancellation terms, which will be communicated to
applicable Clients at the time of booking.
All cancellations must be in writing and be made by the person who submitted the booking form.
Once the tour has started, no refund for any unused portion or part of the tour or services to be
provided will be given. If you want to make any changes to the tour, or depart the tour early, such
alteration or departure will be entirely at your own expense and liability. You will also need to
communicate in writing to the tour operator your reason for leaving the tour.
Cancellation by the Company
We reserve the right to cancel the contract between us for any reason prior to your payment of the full
price of the trip. In this case, we will refund in full any amount that you have already paid us. After you
have paid in full, we will only cancel the contract if circumstances beyond our control make it
unavoidable. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to, civil or political unrest, terrorism,
natural disaster, or other force majeure circumstance. In the unlikely event that such circumstances
arise, we will contact you immediately and offer you the choice of equivalent services. No additional
compensation will be paid over and above the total sum received from you.
Alteration of Itineraries
It is unlikely that the Company will have to make changes to your tour. However, we may occasionally
have to make changes either before or after you have booked. Most changes will be minor, and the
Company will advise you of them as soon as possible. The Company reserves the right to alter the
itinerary after departure, without paying compensation, if it is in your interest to do so. Furthermore, the
Company will not pay compensation if it is forced to cancel or in any way change the tour due to force
majeure, such as war, riots, civil strike, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster,
fire, adverse weather conditions, or other material external circumstances beyond the Company’s
control.
Travel Insurance
The Company is not responsible for unforeseen circumstances such as flight or train delays or
cancellations; the failure of embassies or consulates to issue visas; the inaccessibility of certain tourist
attractions due to the actions of government bodies; the actions or services of accommodation and
other facilities visited during the tour; or incidents such as injury, illness, or loss of personal belongings.
Therefore, travel insurance is mandatory for all Clients. At the time of booking, each Client must arrange
his or her own insurance with a reputable insurer, with protection for the full duration of the tour, to
cover personal injury, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, loss of luggage, and the expenses
associated with cancellation or curtailment of a tour.
If you become ill, all hospital expenses, doctor fees, and repatriation costs are your responsibility and the
Company shall not be liable for any refund of the tour cost. If you do not have travel insurance at the
beginning of the tour, please inform us and we will arrange coverage with a local insurance company for
an additional fee.
10 nights accommodation at selected family-run hotels, private facilities in each room
Rent-a-car type Ford Focus, Toyota Auris or similar, pick up and drop off charges Sofia Airport.
The price includes:
20% VAT and all of local taxes; Complete Insurance - CDW, TP, FP, TPL, windows and roofs;
CDW+ - zero liability and no administrative fees for accidents occurred by foreign fault;
Unlimited mileage; Vignette; Additional driver
Extra night in Sofia:
Single room: 55 EUR
Twin/ double room: 70 EUR
Breakfast and city tax included in the rate
Wine tasting in Veliko Turnovo
Entrance tickets Tsarevets Citadel
Breakfast at the hotels
Dinner at the hotel on Day 1 - 3-course menu with mineral water
Private guide for a 2-h walking tour of Veliko Turnovo
Private guide for a 3-h walking tour of Sofia
Болгария
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