Day Trip from Sofia: Natural Wonders and Monastery Visit
5.0
9 Ratings
Ribaritsa
Embark on a thrilling day trip from Sofia and discover Bulgaria's natural wonders. Explore the enchanting Prohodna cave, visit the stunning Saeva Dupka cave, and marvel at the unique Glozhene Monastery perched on a mountain peak. Join our group tour now!
Duration:
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

TRIP PLAN Your guide will pick you up in the morning from your place in Sofia and within an hour and a half (110 km) scenic drive through the Balkan Mountains you will arrive at the Iskar Gorge, near the village of Karlukovo, amidst one of Bulgaria’s largest karst regions. There you will have a short loop hike (1.5 h) exploring the unique natural wonder of Prohodna cave, passing through the largest cave passage in Bulgaria. Later the tour continues with a short transfer (30 min. / 25 km) to the Sueva Dupka cave, where you will have a guided tour in one of Bulgaria’s most beautiful caves. In the afternoon, you will visit the stunning Glozhene Monastery “St. George the Victorious”, established in the middle of 13th century. In the late afternoon, you will head towards Sofia, where the driver will drop you off at your place. Tour duration: full day tour Walking time: Prohodna cave loop walk: 1.5 h Total car / bus transfers duration: approx. 4 - 5 h, 280 km Points of Interest - Glozhene Monastery (Sveti Georgi Pobedonosets)

What's Included
  • Exploration of Saeva Dupka cave with a professional caver
  • Inclusive of all taxes, fees, and handling charges
  • Guidance and transportation by a licensed professional
  • Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off in Sofia
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks (you can prepare your own lunch packs or the guide can stop at a grocery shop on the way to the caves, from where you can buy some food for picnic)
  • Personal expenses
  • Personal travel insurance
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Immerse yourself in a day trip from Sofia, experiencing three of Bulgaria’s most breathtaking sights! Discover the enchanting Prohodna cave, dubbed as ‘The Eyes of God’ by local inhabitants due to its divine-eye-like openings on the vault. Visit Saeva Dupka, one of Bulgaria’s most ornate caves tailored to tourist exploration, and marvel at the distinctive Glozhene Monastery, built akin to a bird’s nest perched on a mountain cliff. Experience all these on a group escapade departing from Sofia!

  • No minimum age requirement
  • Operator will be in contact with you regarding weather conditions, exact hotel pick-up time and what to bring (type of clothing, boots, etc.)
  • Recommended clothing: comfortable hiking / running shoes (the hike is short and the terrain not difficult, so you don’t need heavy hiking boots), a fleece or a jacket (the temperature in Saeva Dupka cave is 7-11°C and the humidity 90 - 98 %), a day pack for your personal belongings, extra clothes, etc.
Location
Glozhene Monastery (Sveti Georgi Pobedonosets)
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(9 Ratings)
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833nickh
Feb 15, 2024
Wonderful guide Velko! - My family and I had a wonderful day with our GREAT guide Velko! He knows everything there is to know about lovely Bulgaria and is happy to share with his guests. He is hilarious and very passionate about his country and his work. The caves were interesting, the restaurant for lunch perfect, and the monestary beautiful. All in all we had a perfect day and will come back to Bulgaria again just for Velko :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mikhail_n
Mar 11, 2023
Spot on - Very good private tour. The guide was very knowledgeable about the the places we has visiting, arrived at our hotel 15 minutes early which was good, also I needed a taxi to the ski resort after the tour which they was very helpful with recommendations. I would highly recommend this tour. We loved it !!
Review provided by Viator
Everlastingsong
Oct 8, 2022
Great experience - I would highly recommend this tour. I was picked up by Georgi on time and we visited the Saeva Dupka cave first. Georgi was really fun and knew a lot about local history so the trip was never boring. The cave itself as one of the most famous in Bulgaria was fantastic. We were really lucky since it was not a busy day. We almost had the whole cave to ourselves. The Eyes of God cave was magnificent - it really made me wonder how it was formed. The view from any angle was great. As one of the oldest (perhaps the oldest), Glozhene Monastery was the highlight of the day in my opinion. It was situated at the top of the mountain, offering a breath-taking panoramic view of the mountain ranges. We arrived back in Sofia quite early so I had some time to explore the city. It was a great and flexible tour which I really enjoyed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wtmsw
Sep 13, 2022
highly recommend! Kiril and Georgi are wonderful =) - both Kiril and Georgi are wonderful. Kiril was in contact with me throughout via WhatsApp with updates, which significantly helped with the booking, and they both accommodated my tight schedule that day, made sure I got to the airport on time straight from the tour. Georgi was a wonderful guide, provided lots of information (even weeks after the tour when I forgot certain details!) and helped us take pictures. we almost didn't get to see the Eyes of God since there was a movie shooting there that day (and of course no one provided the tour company any updated information, what can you do?) will try to book another tour with them if I return to Bulgaria.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Greghw3964ya
May 19, 2022
Perfect adventure - Amazing trip with George ! Can’t say enough about the tour - it made our holiday. Adventure - nature - knowledge - George is a wonder guide and a beautiful soul - he really showed us the real Bulgaria. It was all amazing - we can’t put a highlight as honestly it was as good as it gets. The perfect trip if your visit Sofia. If you do the eyes of god ask to see Saint marina chapel and hike to the cave. 10/10. The black monk Nectari is incredible at the monastery. Such an honour to visit this man in his monastery
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yoanab119
Aug 27, 2020
Best day of our trip!!! - We had an amazing day! The attractions we visited were really interesting and the way everything was presented from our guide Kiril was absolutely stunning! We could not have wished for a better tour, a better guide and a better day! We were adapting the agenda towards what was interesting for us and we saw and experienced so much more than we were even wishing for! We did some tours during this trip also with other tour operators which were also great, however this one was THE ONE! Thank you so much for taking such good care of us and we will definently come back for more!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grace
Sep 4, 2019
Wonderful day out for solo traveller! - Kiril was very friendly and professional. As a solo female traveller, I felt very safe and thoroughly enjoyed my day. Appreciated that I was given options and allowed me to enjoy the tour at my pace. The caves and monastery is a must see when you’re visiting Bulgaria! To further add, the next day, my trip from a different company was cancelled without prior notice. I rang Kiril whom when out of his way to organise another tour(Rila Lakes and Spa) and guide for me for that day last minute! Deeply appreciative he went that extra mile for me and had another amazing day organised by Azimut Tours. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nada
Sep 15, 2017
Amazing trip to "Eyes Of God" nature wonder, Saeva Dupka Cave and Glozhene monastery - It was a perfect trip within a day, first exploring the unique karst area of Prohodna Cave, or "The Eyes Of God" nature wonder and the nearby St.Marina rock monastery well hidden by the Iskar gorge. After that we emerged in the beautiful Saeva Dupka Cave and last but not least we visited the wonderful Glozhene monastery.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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June 2024
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