Bulgarian monasteries tour
Bulgarian monastery tour - an amazing journey through a remarkable mixture of religion, rich history and unique art.
Dates: every saturday from 02.05.2015 to 18.09.2015.
Minimum participants: 2
Price: 599 EUR
Price includes: bed and breakfast accommodation, transport, all entrance fees, guide.
Price doesn't include: transport to Bulgaria
Route: Sofia - Troyan - Troyan Monastery - Veliko Turnovo - Plovdiv - Bachkovo Monastery - Pamporovo - Devin - Bansko - Rozhen Monastery - Melnik - Sandanski - Rila monastery - Sofia
8 days/7 overnights guided tour including the most prominent Bulgarian monasteries for only 599 EUR including accommodation, transport, guide and all entrance fees.
Luxury transport, accommodation in 4* hotels. Guide in English ( German, French, Spanish, Italian on request ) during the program. Guaranteed departure every saturday in the summer of 2015, you can book your participation online.
This guided tour is organized by Profi Tours Ltd - a licensed Bulgarian touroperator.
» Join this tour now - send an enquiry here
Guaranteed departure dates
Dates: Every saturday from 02.05.2015 to 18.09.2015
Tour schedule (for details see below)
Day 1st / Saturday / Arrival at Sofia Airport.
Day 2nd / Sunday / Sofia – Troyan monastery – Veliko Tarnovo
Day 3th / Monday / Veliko Tarnovo - Arbanassi
Day 4th / Tuesday / Veliko Tarnovo - Dryanovo monastery - Plovdiv
Day 5th / Wednesday / Plovdiv - Bachkovo monastery - Pamporovo - Shiroka Luka - Devin
Day 6th / Thursday / Devin - Bansko - Rozhen monastery - Melnik - Sandanski
Day 7th / Friday / Sandanski - Rila monastery - Sofia
Day 8th / Saturday / Transfer to the Airport
Tour prices
For participants arriving at Friday, the program starts with two overnights in Sofia. For participants arriving at Sunday, the program starts with overnight in Veliko Tarnovo and finishes with sightseeing in Sofia.
Package prices:
- Price per person in double room – 599 EUR
- Single supplement – 120 EUR
- Dinner supplement – 95 EUR
- Price per child on regular bed – 534 EUR
- Price per child on additional bed – 499 EUR
Prices include
The above prices include:
- 7 overnights with breakfasts in Hotel Rodina****/ Grand Hotel Yantra**** / Best Western Bulgaria hotel*** / Hotel Devin**** / Pirin Park Hotel Sandanski*****
- transportation regarding the planned itinerary
- guide in English ( German, French, Spanish, Italian on request ) during the program
- all entrance fees in the program
The package prices are valid for minimum of 2 participants
Prices do not include
Flight ticket to Bulgaria. You can book a flight to Bulgaria from any town in Europe with us as we are authorized IATA agent. Click here to book a flight.
Sample air ticket prices for some popular destinations:
- London - Sofia - prices from 90 EUR - book here
- Paris - Sofia - prices from 171 EUR - book here
- Zurich - Sofia - prices from 227 EUR - book here
- Vienna - Sofia - prices from 119 EUR - book here
- Madrid - Sofia - prices from 135 EUR - book here
- Barcelona - Sofia - prices from 184 EUR - book here
- Berlin - Sofia - prices from 167 EUR - book here
- Frankfurt - Sofia - prices from 147 EUR - book here
- Rome - Sofia - prices from 142 EUR - book here
- Amsterdam - Sofia - prices from 180 EUR - book here
For air tickets from other cities, please ask.
Detailed tour schedule by day
Day 1st / Saturday / Arrival at Sofia Airport
Arrival at Sofia Airport. Transfer to Hotel Rodina****. Overnight.
Day 2nd / Sunday / Sofia – Troyan monastery – Veliko Tarnovo
Breakfast. Sightseeing tour of historical center of Sofia: the Cathedral Alexander Nevski, one of the most remarkable monuments of Orthodox culture in Bulgaria, built in 1912 in Neobyzantine style; The Crypt, where are exhibited ones of the most beautiful Bulgarian icons; The Church “Sveta Sofia” which was built on the site of several earlier churches and places of worship dating back to the days when it was the necropolis of the Roman town of Serdica; St. George Rotunda, considered as the oldest building in Sofia, built by the time when Emperor Constantine the Great had been staying in Sofia.
In the afternoon, visit of Troyan monastery, the third largest monastery in Bulgaria, situated in the northern part of the country in the Balkan Mountains, on the banks of Cherni Osam River. It was founded in the end of the 16th century. The main church of the monastery was reconstructed during the Bulgarian National Revival period by a master-builder called Konstantin in 1835 soon after the decline of Ottoman Rule was marked. The richly decorated interior and exterior of the church were painted between 1847 and 1849 by the great Bulgarian icon-painter Zahari Zograph.
The Troyan Monastery also keeps one of the holiest icons in Bulgarian Orthodoxy, the Three-Handed Virgin since the 17th century.
The Troyan Monastery is also famous for its incredible wood-carving.
The oldest carving is the marvellous woodcarved iconostasis of the chapel „St.Nikola” which is distinguished with its genuine artistic qualities.
Arrival in Veliko Tarnovo– one of the oldest cities in Bulgaria with more than 5 hundred years of history.
Overnight in Veliko Tarnovo - Grand Hotel Yantra****
Day 3th / Monday / Veliko Tarnovo - Arbanassi
Breakfast. In the morning, visit of Tsarevets Hill– the main Bulgarian fortress from the time of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1185 – 1396).
In the afternoon, the exciting trip continues toward Arbanassi – one of the most unique and picturesque villages in Bulgaria. It is known for its rich history and the great number of various historical monuments, such as 17th and 18th century churches and examples of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, which have turned it into a popular tourist destination.
Overnight in Veliko Tarnovo- Grand Hotel Yantra****.
Day 4th / Tuesday / Veliko Tarnovo - Dryanovo monastery - Plovdiv
Breakfast. Depart for Dryanovo monastery “Sveti Arhangel Mihail” - situated in the picturesque gorge of Dryanovo River in Stara Planina. The monastery was founded in the 12th century and gradually became centre of the Hesychasm. During the Ottoman slavery the monastery was conflagrated twice and it was built at its present place in the 17th century.
The history of this captivating holy site is closely connected with the National Liberation Movement.
The monastery was one of the headquarters of the Veliko Tarnovo
revolutionary committee. The Apostle of Liberty, Vasil Levski and his adherents often stayed in the monastery. During the April Uprising several surviving rebels repulsed the attacks of the numerous Turkish army only in nine days.
Arrival in Plovdiv
Sightseeing of The Old city: The Antique theatre, built in the beginning of II century by the time of Emperor Trayan (98 – 117) was one of the most imposing public buildings in Trimontium; The church “St. Konstantin and Elena”, one of the oldest Christian temples in Plovdiv, was built in 337 on top of the fortified acropolis wall. It was dedicated to the great Emperor Konstantin who made Orthodox Christianity the state religion and his mother, Sveta Elena. The current church, however, dated back to 1832. The wonderful iconostasis and the covered portico features sumptuous frescoes were painted by Zahari Zograf between 1836 and 1840; The Ethnographic museum which is housed in a beautiful building from Bulgarian National Revival, built in 1847, is a wonderful example of the baroque style characteristic for this period.
Overnight in Plovdiv
Best Western Bulgaria Hotel***
Day 5th / Wednesday / Plovdiv - Bachkovo monastery - Pamporovo - Shiroka Luka - Devin
Breakfast. Depart for Bachkovo monastery "Assumption of St. Maria", the second large Bulgarian monastery. It is located on the right bank of the breathtaking Chepelare River. The monastery was founded in 1083 by the Byzantine military commander of Georgian origin, Grigorii Bakuriani and his brother Abazii. Yet only the two-storey bone-vault lying about 300m to the east of the present-day complex is still kept from that time. The bone-vault is a must-see building there because of its unique wall-paintings which rank among the most valuable works of Orthodox art of the 11th –12th century.
During the times of the Second Bulgarian State, the monastery was patronized by Tsar Ivan Alexander, a portrait of whom can be still seen in the arcs of the bone-vault’s narthex due to his renovation of this building. At the end of the 11th century, the monastery opens a religious school.
Our trip continues to a famous Bulgarian ski resort - Pamporovo
The specific combination of favourable weather condition makes this resort both beautiful in winter and in summer. Pamporovo, the pearl of all Bulgarian mountain resorts, is situated in the heart of the stunning Rhodopi Mountains. It is better known as the sunniest mountain resorts in Bulgaria.
Pamporovo is situated on 1650 m above the sea level at the foot of peak Snejanka (1926 m).
Visit of Shiroka Laka - village–museum, an architectural and ethnographic reserve, well known for its original Rhodope architectural style, musical traditions and history.
It is built amphitheatrically in the narrow and steep valley of the Shirokolashka River, at the foot of the Western Rhodope Mountains.
Next stop on the road is the city of Devin ,Spa and holiday resort. It is situated amid scenic hills in the heart of the Rhodopes at an altitude of 710 - 780 m. Devin boasts several mineral water springs with a temperature between 16 and 76C. The water is clear, colourless, palatable, odourless, hyper- and homeo-thermal, mildly mineralized, and contains hydrocarbonates of sodium and small quantities of fluorine. It has a strong alkaline reaction (pH 9.4).
Devin is the perfect choice when it comes for spa and balneology treatments for a wide range of diseases: of the locomotor system, cardiovascular diseases and nervous disorders.
Overnight in Devin.
Hotel Devin****
Day 6th / Thursday / Devin - Bansko - Rojen monastery - Melnik - Sandanski
Visit of the town Melnik /old wine producing centre/, the Rozhen Monastery , winetasting and dinner in Melnik, overnight in Sandanski.
Breakfast. Way to the most famous Bulgarian winter resort Bansko . It is quite different from the classic mountain resorts as it can impress with significant cultural heritage spanning from architecture to poetry and ancient Christian arts. The city can impress with authentic fortified and artistically decorated houses from the 18th and 19th century, built almost entirely of stone, with small barred windows, tall walls, heavy metal-plated gates and interconnected by narrow and winding cobble-stone streets. The “Sveta Troitsa”(“St.Trinity”) church, the bell tower with the big clock, the medieval church "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" with its remarkable wood-carved iconostasis make for fine accents in Bansko's atmosphere.
Continuation to the the Rozhen Monastery, , built by the Melnik ruler despot Slav during the 12th or 13th century.
The Rozhen Monastery offers an amazing view to the peaks of the green Pirin and Belasitsa mountains and the famous ‘mels’ of Melnik – the latter being pyramid-like hills around the town, formed by the erosion of clay loam.
the Rozhen Monastery is the biggest sanctuary in the Pirin region and one of the few Bulgarian monasteries of the Middle Ages which has survived relatively intact up to present days. Actually, the present day appearance of this old monastery dated back to 16th century.
Stop in Melnik – the smallest town in Bulgaria. The breathtaking Melnik pyramids rank among the most remarkable natural phenomena in Bulgaria. Over an area of about 17 sq. km. millennia-long erosion has created a truly unearthly world. Apart from the unique natural surroundings, the town also boasts for the fascinating architecture of its old Melnik houses, most of which were built during the Bulgarian Renaissance.
Arrival in Sandanski . Its excellent position, favourable climate (with the highest average annual temperature in the country, +19,70°C) and the concentration of mineral water springs in the area are the reasons why the town is a famous centre for relaxation and recreation.
Overnight in Pirin Park Hotel*****, Sandanski
Day 7th /Friday/ Sandanski – Rila monastery - Sofia
Breakfast.
Trip to the Rila Monastery - one of the most famous Bulgarian symbols. Not only is it the biggest monastery in Bulgaria, but also the Rila Monastery is the most influential spiritual centre in the country and the second biggest monastery on the Balkan Peninsula. Since the monastery was established, it was a number of times rebuilt, destroyed and reconstructed. It is considered that the founder of the the Rila Monastery is the first Bulgarian hermit Ivan Rilsky (876-946). The the Rila Monastery treasures some of the most impressive icon paintings created in the 14th-19th centuries.
The famous the Rila Monastery found it place on the List of World Cultural Heritage (UNESCO) as a world cultural value in 1983.
Overnight in Sofia - Hotel Rodina****.
Day 8th / Saturday / Transfer to the Airport
Breakfast. Transfer to the Airport.
Monastery quick select
Map of the monasteries in Bulgaria
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