Rila Monastery Full Day Guided Tour

Visit the stunning Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on this full-day tour from Sofia. Depart at 9:00 AM from Vasil Levski Monument (Yanko Sakuzov Blvd 7) and enjoy a scenic 2-hour drive through Bulgaria’s beautiful landscapes.

Take a guided tour of the monastery’s breathtaking architecture and frescoes while learning its fascinating history and legends. Then enjoy your free time to explore the museum, stroll the grounds, take photos, or relax at nearby bakeries.

Return to Sofia around 15:30 PM with memories of an unforgettable cultural and historical experience.

Highlights:

Explore Bulgaria’s most famous monastery

Learn stories, legends, and artistic treasures from your guide

Free time to visit the museum, walk, or take photos

Convenient round-trip transport from central Sofia

Itinerary

1. Rila Monastery · 4 h

   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.

What's included

• Trip to the Rila Monasetry
• Transportation by a comfortable A/C bus/ van
• Professional local guide In-person guide - different languages

What's not included

• Food, drinks, personal expenses
• Gratuities (optional)
• Rila Monastery MUSEUM Entrance /optional/

Meeting point

Start time

09:00

End point

Languages

In-person guide: English, Italian, Spanish · Audio guide: German, Chinese (Taiwan), Russian, Portuguese, Ukrainian, English, Italian, Polish, French, Hebrew, Romanian, Spanish

Travellers

• Infant (0–2)
• Adult (3–99)

Options

• Transport only from €20

  Self guided tour

  Start time: 09:00

  In-person guide: English, Spanish, Italian · Audio guide: English, Spanish, German, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Chinese (Taiwan), Russian, Romanian, Italian, French, Polish, Hebrew

• Online audio Rila (No Guide)from €25

  Smart guide application: Get free access to the Smart Guide application in different languages that will guide you and help you in your journey!

  Start time: 09:00

  Audio guide: Italian, German, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Chinese (Taiwan), Russian, Spanish, Romanian, French, Polish, Hebrew, English

• Gudied Tour in Englishfrom €25

  Guided tour in English

  Start time: 09:00

  In-person guide: English, Spanish, Italian · Audio guide: English, Spanish, German, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Chinese (Taiwan), Russian, Romanian, Italian, French, Polish, Hebrew

• Spanish live guidefrom €25

  Guided tour in Spanish

  Start time: 09:00

  In-person guide: Spanish

• Guided tour in Italianfrom €25

  Italian live guide

  Start time: 09:00

  In-person guide: Italian

• Audio guide from €35

  Start time: 09:00

  Audio guide: Italian, German, Russian, French

Additional information

• 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 – 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.
• Safety Notice: For the safety and enjoyment of all guests, anyone who appears intoxicated or behaves in a way that makes guides uncomfortable may be removed from the tour. No refunds will be issued in such cases.
• Guides are not obligated to provide guided commentary while inside the bus. Explanations and guided tours typically take place at designated stops and attractions rather than during transit.

Cancellation policy

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