Rila Monastery Express Day Tour
With this day trip, you will be able to visit the Rila Monastery - UNESCO World Heritage sites. Learn its old history and legends as your guide's commentary takes you back into time. This shuttle-group tour departs at 9.00 in the morning from Alexander Nevsky square, behind the Cathedral. The traveling time to the Rila Monastery is 2 hours. There, you will witness the unique architecture and paintings, while learning all about the stories behind them. The duration of the guided tour at the Monastery is about 40 minutes.
After this, you will have about 4.0 hours of free time. You'll be able to visit the local museum, take photos, eat at the bakeries around the Monastery, or enjoy a quiet walk by yourself.
At about 15:30 you will depart back to Sofia, with the duration of the traveling time on the way back being 2 hours again.
Options
Audio guide
What's included in Rila Monastery Express Day Tour
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Rila Monastery
This shuttle-group tour departs at 9.00 in the morning from Alexander Nevsky square, behind the Cathedral. First, you will travel about 2 hours on a scenic road to the Rila Monastery- the biggest and most important monastery in Bulgaria. It was established back in the 10th century. The current buildings are from the mid. 19th century, with a defensive tower that survived from the 14th century. In the monastery complex, you will admire the impressive architecture and frescoes, while the guide tells you its story and legends. The guided tour is about 40 minutes. After this, you will have about 4 hours of free time during which you can visit the history museum, take photos, check the shops and have a lunch break. At about 15:30 you will depart back to Sofia. The traveling time on the way back is 2 hours.
Inclusions
- Trip to the Rila Monasetry
- Transportation by a comfortable A/C bus/ van
- Professional local guide In-person guide - different languages
- Food, drinks, personal expenses
- Gratuities (optional)
- Rila Monastery MUSEUM Entrance /optional/
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Women should have their knees and showders covered in the monastery.
- Bring cash with you (preferably local currency) – the shops and the restaurants in the area of the monastery accept mostly cash payments so it is important to have some money with you.
- Please warn us if you have a 0-2 years old baby when you make the reservation so that we can prepare a special seat for them.
- This tour is unsuitable for wheelchair users.
- The total traveling time from Sofia to Rila and back is 4 hours.
- The tour includes visiting the complex of Boyana church, but if you want to enter inside you need to wait on spot as the waiting time to visit the church inside depends on the workload and the visiting period.
- For the safety and enjoyment of all guests, any customer who appears intoxicated at the time of the tour will not be permitted to participate. In such cases, no refunds will be issued.
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting / End Points
- The meeting point for the tour is BEHIND Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, near to cafe La Cathedrale. Please be there at 8:45 am. The van/bus departs at 9 am and will not wait for you if you are late.
