Bulgaria's Hidden Heritage & Railways

Today, we fly to Sofia where on arrival, we’ll be met and transferred to our hotel. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening.

This morning, we’ll transfer to the railway station, where we will enjoy a scenic journey to Veliko Tarnovo. We’ll pass through several picturesque gorges, including the Iskar Gorge. These gorges are known for their dramatic rock formations and lush greenery. The route takes you through the Balkan Mountains, which provide breathtaking views of rugged peaks and dense forests. This part of the journey is particularly scenic, especially during the changing seasons.

On arrival, we’ll enjoy lunch in a local restaurant in Veliko Tarnovo. This afternoon, we’ll enjoy a guided tour of Veliko Tarnovo. The town became the capital, political, administrative, religious, and cultural centre of the restored Bulgarian state in 1186 after a two century Byzantine rule. You will visit the ruins of the fortress Tsarevets, where the Tsar's palace was once located. We’ll then visit the craftsmen's street Samovodska Charshiya, where you can take in the 200-year-old buildings and a very special atmosphere. Following the tour, we’ll check in at the hotel and enjoy dinner this evening.

Included Highlights

Veliko Tarnovo Tsarevets Fortress

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll travel by coach to Arbanasi Village. Arbanasi was founded in the 15th century by Bulgarian, Greek and Albanian Christians. Here, you can admire the Nativity of Christ Church from the 17th century with its astounding frescoes.

Afterwards, we’ll continue towards Ruse, where we’ll enjoy a guided tour including a visit to the Museum of Transportation. Explore the charming streets and squares of the city centre, which showcase a mix of architectural styles from different periods.

We’ll return to our hotel in Veliko Tarnovo for dinner.

Included Highlights

Ruse with Guided Tour Arbanasi

We’ll enjoy breakfast at the hotel before transferring to the railway station, where we board the train to Kazanlak. The train journey between these cities takes you through the Bulgarian countryside, offering views of fields and villages.

On arrival in Kazanlak, we’ll learn about rose oil, for which Bulgaria is known worldwide. The cultivation and production are concentrated in the region north of Plovdiv, also known as the Rose Valley. The flowers used for oil production are picked by hand and finally processed by steam distillation in rose oil. In the afternoon, we include a visit to the Thracian tomb of Kazanlak, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tomb is famous for its architecture and lively murals representing the preparation of the king and his queen for life after death.

Later, we continue by coach to Burgas for dinner and an overnight stay.

Included Highlights

Kazanlak Kazanlak Thracian Tomb

After breakfast at the hotel, we enjoy a guided tour of the ancient town of Nessebar. The old town of Nessebar is located on a picturesque peninsula and because of its significant cultural and historical monuments and unique location, the Old Town has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The city was founded about 3,000 years ago and experienced Greek, Roman and Ottoman rule during its rich history. We include a seafood lunch at a local restaurant by the sea.

Afterwards, we continue to Plovdiv, where we check into the hotel for dinner and a relaxing evening.

Included Highlights

Nessebar with Guided Tour

This morning, we enjoy a guided tour of Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria. The city is among the most remarkable places in Bulgaria, as well as one of the oldest continually inhabited settlements in Europe. It keeps well-preserved remains of different civilizations: Thracians, Romans, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires. We will reach the old town through the renovated main pedestrian zone, which has a Mediterranean flair. We visit the remains of the Roman stadium, which is one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world.

In the afternoon, we travel by coach to the Bachkovo Monastery, a beautiful 11th-century monastery in the Rhodope Mountains. The monastery has a 300-year-old Dschindschifil tree from which the monks produce brandy! Let yourself be enchanted by the remarkable frescoes and murals from various eras and learn more about the important role of the monastery over the decades as the guardian of Bulgarian culture and language. The region around Plovdiv is famous for its wine production – even the Thracians produced wine here 2,500 years ago.

We end the day by visiting a wine estate. Here, we’ll sample sparkling wine, take a tour of the production facilities, and enjoy dinner with wine from the Thracian region.

Included Highlights

Wine Tasting & Tour Plovdiv with Guided Tour Bachkovo Monastery

Today, we board the train to Avramovo and enjoy a ride on the single narrow-gauge railway from the town of Septemvri to the highest train station in the Balkans – Avramovo, which is 1,267 meters above sea level. The journey is a scenic and unique experience, offering breathtaking views of the Rhodope Mountains. Expect to see lush greenery, picturesque valleys, and catch glimpses of small villages along the way. Sit back, relax and enjoy picturesque mountain views and an included glass of wine.

On arrival in Avramovo, the coach will be waiting, and we continue to Bansko. On arrival, we include a short tour of the largest ski resort in Bulgaria. You will be particularly impressed by the architecture of the houses, a mixture of stone and wood. We check into our hotel and enjoy dinner this evening.

Included Highlights

Ski Resort Tour Rhodope Narrow-Gauge Railway

This morning, we visit the authentic village of Leshten. This charming village is located in the majestic mountains of Bulgaria. With its traditional wooden houses and cobbled streets, this village offers a journey back in time to authenticity and tranquillity. Here, you can enjoy nature walks, explore ancient churches, and enjoy the hospitality of the locals.

We then visit the authentic village of Kovachevitsa, where we take a short tour and visit the old school. We’ll be welcomed by the locals who will show you traditional crafts and activities of the region. We also include lunch with traditional bakery products, desserts and drinks.

We return to Bansko and enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Included Highlights

Leshten Kovachevitsa

We travel to the Rila Monastery, a UNESCO monument and one of the symbols of Bulgaria. Founded in the 10th century, it is the biggest and most beautiful orthodox monastery in eastern Europe. Located in the heart of Rila Mountain at an altitude of 1147m above sea level, it offers spectacular view of the forested valley. You will visit the residential and farming buildings, the monastery-museum and Hreliov’s Tower, which are all surrounded by a 22-metre-high stone wall. Built like a fortress, the architecture of the monastery is distinguished by arches and colonnades, covered wooden stairs, and carved verandas.

We continue to Blagoevgrad, where we board the train to Sofia. The train journey from Blagoevgrad to Sofia takes you through picturesque landscapes, traversing the southwestern part of the country. On arrival in Sofia, we transfer to our hotel for our final overnight stay. This evening, we head to a traditional folklore restaurant for a farewell dinner including a glass of wine or beer.

Included Highlights

Rila Monastery

After breakfast, we include a visit to the Locomotive Depot, followed by a guided tour of Sofia, where you’ll see Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the capital’s oldest monument, and St. George’s Rotunda, which was built as Roman baths before becoming a Byzantine church.

Later, we head to the airport for our return flight back to London Heathrow.

Included Highlights

Locomotive Depot Visit Sofia with Guided Tour