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Rila Monastery with Optional Boyana Church Day Trip from Sofia
4.6
762 Ratings
Sofia
Embark on a UNESCO World Heritage day trip from Sofia to explore the stunning Rila Monastery and Boyana Church. Choose from guided tours or transport-only options.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral - 09:00 departure from the starting point. Be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.
What's Included
- Driver/Tour guide in English
- Transport by air-conditioned minibus
- Parking fees
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Admission to Boyana Church (approx. 5 euros per person) and Rila Monastery Museum (approx. 4 euros per person)
- Audio guide in Spanish, Italian, German, Russian or English (approx. 5 euros per person)
- Food and drinks
Additional Information
Embark on a day-long journey from Sofia to two of Bulgaria’s UNESCO World Heritage sites. Commence your expedition in a minibus, taking in the scenic Bulgarian countryside as you head to the Rila Monastery nestled within the pine-enshrouded Rila Mountains. Participate in a guided walkthrough of this medieval marvel with its mural-adorned church, and peruse its intriguing museum. After a period of solo exploration, continue to the Boyana Church, located near Sofia, to appreciate its extraordinary pre-Renaissance murals. Entrance charges are not included. The trip presents 3 separate alternatives: 1. A lead tour option with an English-speaking live guide. 2. A tour accompanied by an audio guide in Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, or English. 3. Only transportation (this option may not be available on certain dates).
- Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities
- Not wheelchair accessible or stroller friendly
- Comfortable walking shoes recommended
- Exceptions to the standard program:
- 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.
- Hand disinfectant will be provided for free throughout the tour.
- All touch points in the vehicles will be cleaned frequently.
- Minimum traveler age is 5 years old
Location
St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
ploshtad "Sveti Aleksandar Nevski"
IMPORTANT: The meeting point is BEHIND Alexander Nevski Cathedral (opposite La Cattedrale restaurant) | Google Maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/KY3uaHDALKjDJukQA | GPS coordinates: 42.695601, 23.333790 | Please, be there 15 min. in advance! | This tour is not suitable for children under the age of 5.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(762 Ratings)
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Brenda_y
Jul 8, 2024
A must see from Sofia - Great guide to a wonderful monastery. Everything ran like clockwork. As there are long queues for the bakery, it would be good to bring your own food.
Review provided by Viator
Aanda65
Jul 4, 2024
Recommend this tour - Excellent guide(lubiena?) Added in the cave excursion, great time keeping , cared about our welfare and safety, highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wilma_f
Jun 30, 2024
Amazingly beautiful experience - It was an amazingly beautiful experience to see the Rila Monastery. I never thought that this place existed until I saw it with my own eyes. I was awestruck by the beauty of paintings and architecture of the monastery. Must go and book with this company where you will be safe, relax, calm, serene, not rushing, very informative. The driver is out tour guide as well, he was awesome too. Recommended to all! Thank you!
Review provided by Viator
Travelfrog21
Jun 30, 2024
Great day trip! - The tour was worth doing as you got to see the monastery which was quite spectacular. Our tour guide on this trip was Martin who was great and is a funny guy and certainly makes the experience much more interesting and fun. He is very knowledgeable about the route. The coach was very comfortable though it is a long journey there and back. Definitely recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nikol_s
Jun 23, 2024
Had a great time - One of the most beautiful places to visit in Bulgaria. Lots of history and beautiful nature around. Our guide Lubo and our driver Asen were very helpful, friendly and professional. Great way to spend the day. Highly recommended! Thank you! 😊
Review provided by Viator
Mavericklion
Jun 23, 2024
Great Tour Guid and Tour! - Great Tour. Pnuctual, well informed and a lot of historical information. Martin was great and will recommend to anyone cpming to Sofia! Thanks
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrew_b
Jun 19, 2024
Fantastic - Fantastic day out . Sergio was a very competent driver who you felt very safe with.
Dafina was excellent. Such a cheerful and very knowledgeable person, who made it a pleasure learning about Bulgaria
Review provided by Viator
Vinodp_v
Jun 18, 2024
Excellent - Boyana Church with our slot reserved to buy the tickets. Church is small but very nice inside.
Rila Monestry is also very nice inside.
Nice restaurant near where I had my lunch.
Review provided by Viator
Fathi_a
Jul 6, 2024
Worth a visit. - The history of the Monastery, the beauty of the buildings and the surrounding areas. The murals on the church and the churches impressive interior decor.
Review provided by Viator
Jamie_w
Jun 19, 2024
Just average - The overall tour was fine with time spent at each site appropriate for that location. Our tour guide was great, her knowledge of history of each location was spot on.
2 comments, one is that the tour company instructed us on the clothing requirements for the Rila Monastary, which is no shorts for men, however our tour guide allowed many guys on the tour with shorts on. Disrespect by both the tour guide and people who attended.
Second is that, as the tour guide spoke while driving, people feel the need to talk the entire time, so it's hard to hear and the tour guide never addressed the issue.
Review provided by Viator
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