- Rila Monastery - At the monastery, you’ll enjoy a 40-minute guided tour, where you’ll learn about Saint John’s life and the monastery’s history.
Following the tour, at 12:00, we’ll take a brief 5-minute drive to the start of the path leading to Saint John’s holy cave, where he spent his final years. This sacred site is accessible via a 15-minute walk of moderate difficulty, offering a refreshing nature experience. At the cave, you can walk through and drink from a nearby spring, known for its never-freezing water.
After the hike, we’ll return to the monastery, where you’ll have 2 hours of free time to take photos, explore souvenir shops, and enjoy a lunch break.
- Private tour
- Hotel pick-up and drop off
- English-speaking guide
- Transportation by comfortable A/C car or minivan
- Personal expenses
- Gratuities (optional)
This day tour is a great combination of history and nature – the Rila Monastery and the holy cave of Saint John. The tour starts at 9:00 with a pick up from your hotel. First, we will travel about two hours on a picturesque road to the Rila Monastery – this is the biggest and most important Bulgarian monastery, a UNESCO heritage site as well. At the monastery you will have about 40-minute guided visit, during which you will learn about the life of Saint John and about the history of the monastery. After the guided tour, at 12:00 we continue with a short 5-minute drive down the road, until we reach the beginning of the path to the holy cave of Saint John – the place, where he spent the last years of his life and considered to be a sacred area. The walking path to the cave is about 15-minutes, moderate difficulty, and it is a great refreshing walk in the nature. After the hike, we will go back to the monastery, where you will have 2 hours of free time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
