Rila Monastery and Boyana Church: A UNESCO Sites Shuttle Day Tour Experience
4.7
533 Ratings
Sofia
Embark on a captivating 8-hour day tour to the Rila Monastery and Boyana Church, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Explore ancient frescoes, learn their history, and enjoy free time in the picturesque mountains.
Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral - The meeting point for the tour is Behild Alexander Nevsky Cathedral at 8:45. The departure is at 9am. Please be on time!
What's Included
  • Visit Boyana Church and Rila Monastery
  • Travel in comfort with a minibus
  • Parking fees included
  • Choose an English-speaking guide or driver
What's Not Included
  • Boyana church entrance ticket - approx. 5 euro per person (10 lev)
  • Rila Monastery museum + monk room entrance ticket - approx. 4 euro per person (8 lev)
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pick up and drop off
Additional Information

Experience a day amidst the mountains touring 2 UNESCO heritage sites - Rila Monastery and Boyana Church. This full-day tour of 8 hours, conducted in English, is organized for a group led by a professional guide. Your time at the monastery will include a 40-minute guided tour and you will be given 2.5 hours of free time for photography, visiting museums and shops, and for your lunch. Despite the brief visit to Boyana Church, it is undeniably worthwhile as you get to see centuries-old (800 years old) wall-paintings and understand their historical significance from your guide.

For women, it’s mandatory to have their knees and shoulders covered within the monastery! On summer weekends, the restaurants might be bustling, so bringing your own meal from Sofia is suggested for additional free time at the monastery.
*The Boyana Church remains closed on January 1st, Orthodox Easter Sunday, and December 24th and 25th, hence on these days, the tour is restricted only to Rila Monastery.

  • Women should have their knees and showders covered in the monastery.
  • There are not many dining options around the monastery, so in the period April – October we recommend you to bring your own food. In the period November – March we organize a stop at a nearby restaurant, since the weather is colder and it is not comfortable to eat outside.
  • 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.
Location
Rila Monastery Trip from Sofia
ulitsa "Oborishte"
The meeting point for the tour is BEHIND Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, near to cafe La Cathedrale. Ask for travel agency City Tour. Please be there at 8:45am. The van/bus departs at 9am and will not wait for you if you are late.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(533 Ratings)
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205issyv
Jun 22, 2024
Cultural and spiritual experience in Rila - Our group of 11 friends and family had an incredible experience at the Rila Monastery, the cave of St John and the Boyana Church. Our highly knowledgeable guide Tuny made this trip unforgettable by engaging with the entire group and sharing a wealth of knowledge, history and little know facts about the places we visited and Bulgaria as a whole. The comfortable bus of City Tours and our driver also contributed to a wonderful day in the mountains. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone looking to have a unique experience with a spiritual and cultural connection to Bulgarian history. What a way to enjoy a hot summer day - thank you, Tuny!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paul_c
Jun 15, 2024
Great tour and a great guide - The Rila Monastery tour is a must-see and it is truly worthwhile. Our guide Antonio was very patient and passionate about what he does as he actually slightly went overtime in what was supposed to be a 45-minute guided session because there was just too much history he was trying to get across to the group. He speaks great English too. Five stars!
Review provided by Viator
780trinas
Jun 5, 2024
Lovely little trip :) - Really enjoyed this day trip. Was the perfect length 6/7 hours. Tuni was a great guide! Warm, funny and very knowledgeable, we had a great laugh…even when it rained 😂 Would highly recommend to get some insight into Bulgarian history and culture!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paydam
May 27, 2024
Maria was lovely and we enjoyed the trip - Well organised. Good amount of time to explore eat and take pictures. Bus was comfortable and we enjoyed our trip. Maria had a infectious laugh and pronounced my name correctly !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Www-arget
May 18, 2024
Good mix of culture and country - Highly recommended excursion, Learned a lot of useful information from guide Antonio, relaxed bus ride with beautiful scenery. Great organization
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William_h
May 7, 2024
Filipe was a great guide, explained what we were seeing and kept us on time. Great work! - This was a very memorable trip. Both monestaries wer beautiful and provided some insight into Bulgaria’s history and religious heritage
Review provided by Viator
Cosmopoliet
Jun 23, 2024
Well organized day tour - This day tour is combining Rila Monastery with Boyana church. Everything was well arranged and guides are friendly and helpful. Entrance to Boyana church and the museum in Rila Monastery are not included in the price. Tour leaves behind the Alexander Nevsky cathedral square.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mhc0120
Jun 18, 2024
Super recommended visit - One of the best excursions we did with Civitatis. They allocate enough time to visit the Rila Monastery and the guides were charming and made the activities very enjoyable. The Boyana church is small and since you have to reserve in advance, you are only ten minutes inside, but it is very good. I liked that they don't waste time on superfluous stops, they only make a short fifteen-minute stop to have a coffee and buy something to eat in case you prefer to take it and not stop to eat in the places near the monastery. I think it is a highly recommended excursion.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Xiang_c
May 27, 2024
An enjoyable tour with some communication issues - Rila is a must-visit place, and overall the tour is enjoyable. We however encountered a problem - we thought we had booked a tour with English speaking guides, but the local organizer insisted that we only booked a package with transport only. It was very confusing.
Review provided by Viator
George_c
Jun 15, 2024
Barely oassed - Barely passed means that those people do not understand tourists. Albo, they do not have basic knowledge. 7 Bułgarian Unesco site. Ha, ha. One word - stup...y. And always waiting. If you are on time, that's too bad, prepare for long waiting, byeeeee.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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