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Bulgaria Highlights: Rila Monastery and Plovdiv Tour
4.8
46 Ratings
Sofia
Experience the best of Bulgaria in just one day with a self-guided, shared shuttle tour. Visit the UNESCO Rila Monastery in the morning and explore the cultural capital of Plovdiv in the afternoon.
Duration:
12 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Rila Monastery - Explore the UNSECO Rila Monstery at your own pace
- Plovdiv - Scroll through the culture capital of Bulgaria at your own pace. Or maybe join the free walking tour of the city. Your driver will leave you at a convenient place close to the city center for a tour of your own.
- Rila National Park - Enjoy the stunning views of Rila National park while at the Rila monastery.
- Rila Mountains - Enoy the stunning views of the Rila Mountains
What's Included
- Professional driving services
- Shared transfers to Plovdiv city and Rila monastery by comfortable A/C minibus
- English speaking host
- Transportation with airconditioned vehicle
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees (optional) Rila monastery museum : 8 BGN per person
- Guiding services
- Meals & personal expenses
Additional Information
Discover the highlights of Bulgaria in just one day on this independently-guided, collective shuttle excursion. The trip covers two significant spots - the UNESCO World Heritage Rila Monastery situated in the Rila National Park during the daybreak, and later in the noon, it would be the town of Plovdiv, recognized as Bulgaria’s cultural heartthrob. The shuttle service in the morning will drive you to the Rila Monastery, offering you more than an hour to independently explore the location. The area is not extensive, thus the duration is sufficient to view its vital features. Afterward, in the afternoon, the communal shuttle winds through Bulgaria’s picturesque mountains for a 3.5-hour journey to reach Plovdiv town - an often frequented cultural and historic attraction in the country. You accrue over 4.5 hours to independently explore the historic town center. The driver is equipped with a tourist map and notable sightseeing suggestions.
- A dress code is required to enter the Rila Monastery. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
- A moderate amount of walking is involved in the city of Plovdiv
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
Location
Parking „Knyaz Aleksander I Sq.“
Directions: The car parking is located at Knyaz Aleksander I square, in front of The Palace - National Art Gallery. The nearest metro station is Serdika. Vehicles have Rila Shuttle sign on the front window.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(46 Ratings)
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Evangelina
Sep 9, 2024
DO IT! - Phillip was so amazing - everything was so well communicated and it was such a great day!! SO GOOD - Rila was first in the morning when it was very quiet!
Very recommended xx
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kenneth_p
Aug 19, 2024
Excellent Experience - We didn't know much about Bulgaria before coming to Sofia. We decided to take this tour because of all the good ratings. Have to say, they were all speaking the truth. We had the same guide that the other reviews referenced. Our guide was Philip and he was a storehouse of great knowledge. He knew so much about the places we were visiting, but also gave us some great insights into Bulgaria and the recent history from Communism to Democracy. Our driver was excellent and was a very pleasant guy to be around at all the stops. I will say, this is a VERY LONG day. Out of 12+ hours, 6 - 7 are in the mini bus on the road between the places. So prepare. Philip was amazing with sending early suggestions and information with a WhatsApp group text. He also didn't talk the whole trip over the microphone which allowed people to doze off whoever wanted. He provided a ton of information on the whatsapp thread, as well as suggestions for lunch and different places to go. Wouldn't hesitate in the slightest to recommend Philip. Just be prepared for the long journey, but it will pay off in amazing pictures and experiences.
Review provided by Viator
946katinkae
Aug 1, 2024
Would recommend - Very good and enjoyable trip to the mountains and to experience the beautiful monastery. It was a great opportunity to meet people and the guide and driver were both very polite and helpful :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
321xl
Jul 5, 2024
Very best trip - My guide was Philip and
company is Rila Shuttle . I enjoyed the Plovdiv town and Rila monastery very much. The guide was very very nice and friendly. He was super kind to all the tourists. Make sure we understand everything. The tour was perfect and super easy. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you Philip!! Shell
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Corradob217
Jun 16, 2024
Amazing experience - Amazing experience! Rila monastery in an amazing place. The guide, Philip, was very professional and kind. I recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cptbenyo
May 28, 2024
Truly amazing experience - It was truly amazing! Everything was organised prefectly, and the time was enough for both places. Due to the weekend we arrived in the early moarning at the Rila Monastery and it was a good because we got there before the tourists. Philip was very kind and funny, he even lent me 20 bgn at the monastery when I told him I forgot to withdraw cash. I recommend this trip for everyone!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
419geoffreyo
May 20, 2024
Perfect Tour - This was the perfect tour for us because our guide Philip explained in detail all of the options at each location and we could pick and choose based on our interests. A long but very enjoyable day - lots of great memories! We could not have asked for a better guide or driver. 5 out of 5!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Huijbens57
Sep 10, 2024
Interesting day to get a feeling of the countryside of Bulgaria - We liked the tour and the tour guide (Philip) very much. Although we had to travel quite some time, is was interesting to see the countryside of Bulgaria. And all the information we received was interesting and never boring, or too long.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexct5386vx
Aug 13, 2024
Nice but I wouldn't do it again - Friendly and helpful staff for a definitely interesting experience, but at the same time very tiring. Maybe too much:
4 hours of sightseeing and over 8 hours by bus (on the ruined roads very badly), make this experience quite tiring.
The two places visited are extremely touristic and commercial.
However, the journey into rural Bulgaria remains interesting.
Without detracting from this experience, my Recommendation is to visit the two destinations more calmly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
284alessioa
Aug 19, 2024
Scam. They advertise one thing, they offer another one in reality. - The tour does not pass in the advertised places. Check other options as you won’t get your money back when the driver decides to not go some places.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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