Bulgaria and Macedonia Full-Day Tour from Sofia: Explore Monasteries and Traditional Cuisine

Embark on a full-day tour from Sofia to explore the beautiful monasteries of Bulgaria and Macedonia. Visit Boyana Church, Zemen Monastery, and Osogovo Monastery, and indulge in traditional cuisine along the way.

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Boyana Church - A UNESCO World Heritage site situated on the outskirts of Sofia.
  • Zemen Monastery - A Bulgarian Orthodox monastery.
  • Monastery of St Joakim Osogovski - Nestled in serene, lush forests and encircled by Osogovo Mountain.
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Professional guide
  • Transport by modern vehicle
What's Not Included
  • Entry tax Boyana church - 10 BGN (optional)
Additional Information

We begin the journey from your lodging. The initial point of interest is the Boyana Church located in Sofia. Following this, proceed to the Zemen Monastery with a travel time estimated around one and a half hours. After appreciating the beauty of Zemen Monastery, the itinerary proceeds to the Osogovo Monastery in Macedonia. Anticipate about two hours of travel before arriving. Once there, you can relish the peace of the Holy Cloister and partake in a traditional meal at a nearby eatery. The tour concludes with a transfer back to Sofia, finishing up at your hotel.

  • Children must be accompanied
  • A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Location
Boyana Church
3 Boyansko Ezero Str.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(26 Ratings)
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1 star
Ijay_o
May 28, 2024
Lovely scenery, informative your and guide. - We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Ave who drove us and Deni our wonderful and very informative tour guide. We were picked up promptly in an air-conditioning Mercedes at 8.25am from our hotel in Sofia. First stop the Zemen monastery with Deni fillings us in on the history behind the monastery, chuch and mosaics. Driving through the countryside with its beautiful scenery was lovely as we made our way to North Macedonia, luckily no delays at the border to visit the beautiful monastery there too. We had lunch on the premises, journey back to Sofia with a quick stop (at our request) to buy cherries before arriving at the last your stop at the UNESCO World heritage Bayan Church. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would recommend. Thanks Deni😍👍🏼
Review provided by Viator
Mobile25956560393
Nov 26, 2023
A visit to the Zemen monastery in Bulgaria and Orthodox Monastery Saint Joachim Osogovski in North Macedonia in style with a Mer - What a fantastic trip with tour guide Peter who was extremely informative and such a safe driver. Would definitely recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lyndsey888
Mar 12, 2019
Highly recommend - For me, one day in Sofia was enough, and I am really glad I spent a day exploring Boyana Church and having the experience of visiting Macedonia as well. Maria is very personable and knowledgeable. I went on a Sunday which was very meaningful to me as a Christian because the last monestary you can light candles - one for your health and one for those you have lost, and in the past two weeks I had lost a friend and a family member. If you do not have tickets booked yet, I would recommend visiting in July when the countryside should be filled with sunflower fields as I am sure this is even more beautiful. There is a lot of time in the car, but you get to see so much more of Bulgaria and Macedonia than just staying in Sofia.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Abi
Feb 18, 2019
Maria is the tour guide you need in your life! - We had a fantastic day with Maria (our tour guide) and two other tourists. There is quite a bit of driving involved to get to Macedonia and up the mountain, but it was never boring. Maria is a fountain of knowledge about not only th sites we visited but the towns we passed through on route. Great experience and a lovely lady.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christianhaller
Oct 29, 2018
Great tour - Super guide, good car, nice macedonian food (a little bit greasy), good music. It's really worth. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hazel_a
Aug 11, 2018
We had a wonderful tour with Maria... - <p>We had a wonderful tour with Maria who was a mine of knowledge and a fantastic tour guide . The trip into Macedonia was lovely and the monastery and surroundings were beautiful - great place to have lunch. Particularly enjoyed Boyana Church since it seemed to have lots of personal touches and we recognised some of the artwork in the archaelogical museum in Varna so were clearly paying attention! Our first trip to Bulgaria and this made a fantastic tour before heading to Varna , Bourgas and Sunny Beach. Bulgaria exceeded my expectations in many ways .Thank you to Maria for a memorable trip and for being a fantastic representative for the Bulgarian people and culture - she really is thorough , professional and lovely person - what more could you want? ps we are watching The Destiny of Fate this evening as recommended so our experience continues!</p>
Review provided by Viator
46ecampbell
Jul 29, 2018
An outstanding trip! - This was a fantastic tour with unforgettable sights. Chris, the guide, was punctual, incredibly knowledgable and had a great sense of humour. Chris was full of information regarding the churches, monasteries and history of Bulgaria, Macedonia and the wider region. He pointed out features in all of the places we visited that would have been missed otherwise. I came away with a better understanding of both countries and a desire to return again in future. I would strongly recommend this tour - thanks Chris!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lloydwright913
Sep 15, 2018
Enjoyed the day but the driving was not safe - Nice tour and the monasteries were beautiful. Our guide was very nice but her driving was not on the safe side. She sped and passed cars in a reckless way. We were relieved to finally return back to our hotel.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Galit_l
Jul 3, 2018
terrible - this was only churches toor . we did not visit any city in Macedonia. waste of money !!!! not suitable for old people too much walk and many stairs
Review provided by Viator
Galit_l
Jul 3, 2018
mis information - The trip was 1 day to Macedonia but unfortunately it was a churches toor only ! which did not point out on title or clearly on discription - we did not arrive to the city and did not see Macedonia at all. very poor toor
Review provided by Viator
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September 2024
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