Day-by-day programme of this 7-day itinerary across From Sofia to the Black Sea, via Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo.
Day 1 — Arrival in Sofia
Landing in Sofia, a millennia-old capital at the foot of Mount Vitosha: a city where Orthodox domes, mosques, Roman ruins and Soviet buildings coexist. A first impression with the great cathedral.
- ✈️ Sofia — Aeroporto di Sofia (SOF)
- 📍 Alexander Nevsky Cathedral — The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, with its golden domes and 45-metre height, is the symbol of Sofia and one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world, built in memory of the Russian soldiers who fell for Bulgarian independence. The interior, dark and majestic, is covered in icons and frescoes. All around, the church of St Sofia, the Roman ruins of Serdica and the pedestrian Vitosha boulevard. You dine and sleep two nights in Sofia.
- 🏨 Central Hotel Sofia — Centro, Sofia
Day 2 — Rila Monastery
A trip to Rila Monastery, a UNESCO site, the largest and most revered in Bulgaria: striped painted arcades, vivid frescoes and a setting of forested mountains.
- 📍 Rila Monastery — Two hours from Sofia, set in the forests of the Rila mountains, stands Rila Monastery, a UNESCO site and the spiritual and cultural heart of Bulgaria, founded in the 10th century. The sight is magnificent: black-and-white striped arcades, wooden galleries and the central church covered in vivid frescoes depicting biblical scenes and the Apocalypse. A place of peace and beauty. In the afternoon you return to Sofia (perhaps stopping at Boyana church).
Day 3 — Plovdiv, the oldest city
Plovdiv, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world: the Roman theatre still in use, the old town of colourful National Revival houses and the creative Kapana district.
- ✈️ Sofia → Plovdiv — Plovdiv (centro)
- 📍 Plovdiv Roman Theatre — The Roman Theatre of Plovdiv, carved into the hill in the 2nd century and still used for performances, is one of the best preserved in the world, with views over the city and the Rhodope mountains. All around, the old town (Stari Grad) is a cobbled maze of colourful National Revival houses, with large overhanging balconies, today museums and galleries. Below, the lively Kapana district, full of cafes and street art. You sleep in Plovdiv.
- 🏨 Boutique Hotel Evmolpia — Città vecchia, Plovdiv
Day 4 — The Valley of the Roses and Veliko Tarnovo
Through the Valley of the Roses and the Shipka Pass to Veliko Tarnovo, the old medieval capital, with its spectacular Tsarevets fortress.
- 📍 Kazanlak (Valle delle Rose) — You cross the Valley of the Roses, where in late May the petals are gathered for the prized Bulgarian rose oil, and which holds the UNESCO Thracian tombs (the famous painted tomb of Kazanlak). You then cross the Shipka Pass, a symbol of Bulgarian independence, dominated by the scenic golden-domed Russian church. You continue to Veliko Tarnovo.
- 📍 Tsarevets Fortress — Veliko Tarnovo, capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the Middle Ages, is spectacularly perched on three hills around a bend of the Yantra river. It is dominated by the Tsarevets Fortress, ringed with walls and towers, with the patriarchal church at the top and a breathtaking view; in the evening it offers a sound-and-light show. The houses suspended over the river and the artisans' street Samovodska Charshia complete a magical town. You sleep here.
- 🏨 Yantra Grand Hotel — Centro storico, Veliko Tarnovo
Day 5 — Nessebar and the Black Sea
Towards the coast: Nessebar, an ancient peninsula-town and UNESCO site on the Black Sea, rich in Byzantine churches, and arrival in Varna, the seaside capital.
- ✈️ Veliko Tarnovo → Nessebar — Città vecchia di Nessebar
- 📍 Nessebar — Nessebar, a UNESCO site, is a small peninsula linked to the mainland by a narrow isthmus: a labyrinth of cobbled lanes, wooden Revival houses and an extraordinary concentration of medieval Byzantine churches, some in ruins, amid the blue of the sea. Nicknamed the 'pearl of the Black Sea', it is a living postcard. In the afternoon you reach nearby Varna, a seaside base. You sleep two nights on the coast.
- 🏨 Swiss-Belhotel Varna — Centro / costa, Varna
Day 6 — Varna and the coast
A day on the coast: Varna with its Sea Garden and the oldest gold treasure in the world, and a trip south to pretty Sozopol.
- 📍 Varna — Varna, Bulgaria's third city, is a lively seaside resort: its splendid Sea Garden (Primorski Park) overlooks the beaches, and the Archaeological Museum holds the Varna Treasure, the oldest worked gold artefacts in the world (4,500 BC). You stroll among the Roman baths and the promenade. In the afternoon, a trip south to Sozopol or relaxation on the beach.
- 📍 Sozopol — Sozopol, an ancient Greek colony south of Burgas, is one of the prettiest towns on the coast: a historic centre of wooden houses on a peninsula, flowery lanes, little churches and sandy coves. Less crowded than the big resorts, it keeps an authentic charm. A swim in the Black Sea and a seafood dinner close the day. You return to the coast for the night.
Day 7 — Departure from Varna
Return flight from Varna. End of the tour among monasteries, fortresses and the Black Sea.
- ✈️ Varna — Aeroporto di Milano Malpensa (MXP)
