Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Self-Guided Day Trip from Sofia
Discover two of Bulgaria’s UNESCO World Heritage gems on this day self-guided day tour from Sofia. Traveling by minivan, admire rural Bulgaria en route to the Rila Monastery in the pine-carpeted Rila Mountains. Take a self-guided tour of the medieval treasure with its fresco-coated church, and visit its fascinating museum. Then, after time to explore independently, continue to Boyana Church, near Sofia, to marvel at its spectacular pre-Renaissance frescoes. This tour is with an English-speaking driver only.
Options
Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Self-Guided Day Trip
Self Guided Trip: Includes a multilingual audio guide. You might be accompanied by a tour conductor but a live guide is not included.
What's included in Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Self-Guided Day Trip from Sofia
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
St. Alexander Nevski CathedralPass-by Only
09:00 departure from the starting point. Be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.
Boyana Church
Boyana Church is a small temple at the outskirts of Sofia with frescoes dating back to three separate periods: 11th, 13th and 19th century. The most important and fascinating are the frescoes dating from 1259. They are Renaissance frescoes that predate the Italian Renaissance (triggered by the works of Giotto) and brake the strict Christian canon law to present pure human emotions, royal figures and folklore elements.
Rila Monastery
Rila Monastery is one of Bulgaria’s symbols and a popular tourist destination. The monastery is set deep in the heart of Rila Mountain, between the Rilska and Drushliavitza Rivers, at 1147 meters (3760 feet) above sea level. It is situated 120 kilometers south of Sofia.
Inclusions
- ONLINE, cloud-based audioguide in different languages. INTERNET required to download and use.
- Driver
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- Parking Fees
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Entrance fees- Boyana curch- 12 BGN
- Tour guide
- Monastery Museum - 8 BGN
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities
- Not wheelchair accessible or stroller friendly
- Comfortable walking shoes recommended
- Boyana church will NOT be visited on the following days: 1st of January (the tour starts at 11 AM on that day only); The day of Orthodox Easter; 24th and 25th December.
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting / End Points
- The meeting point is behind the main entrance of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, next to the "LaCattedrale" restaurant. The tour ends at the same location.
