BALKAN BEAUTY TOUR - SOFIA & PLOVDIV

Day 1
We depart Dublin on our direct flight to Sofia. On arrival you will be met by our tour leader and your local tour guide then transferred by coach to our hotel in Sofia. We are based for 4 nights in a 4 star Hotel. Our hotel enjoys a central location close to the National Palace of Culture and the commercial area of the city.

Day 2
After breakfast we go on a panoramic coach tour around Sofia and visit the most fascinating places of interest: the forum of Ancient Serdica (the old name of the city) with archaeological discoveries from Roman times. We visit the St. Nedelya square, where 4 places of worship of the main religions in Bulgaria are located next to each other. These are the Orthodox Church of St. Nedalya, the Roman Catholic Church, the Synagogue, and the Mosque. They form a quadrangle, symbolizing the peace between different religions in Bulgaria. Our tour continues with the Alexander 1 square where the Royal Palace and the National Theatre are located, the Sofia University and the Alexander Nevski Cathedral (the biggest Orthodox Church on the Balkan Peninsula. The afternoon is free to enjoy this charming city.

Day 3
A free day to enjoy at your leisure.

Day 4
After breakfast we travel by coach to Plovdiv, Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city, even older than Rome. Today Plovdiv is the cultural centre of Bulgaria and was the European Capital of Culture in 2019. Our guide will do a short walking tour of the Old town with its cobbled streets, ancient theatre, fortress walls, and the Roman Stadium. Our clients particularly enjoy the pedestrianised shopping centre with very reasonable prices. We return to Sofia late afternoon giving you plenty of time to enjoy this beautiful city.

Day 5
After breakfast we go on a half day excursion to the Vitosha Mountain range where we visit the 10th century Boiana Church. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We will take a stunning drive through the Vitosha mountain range. We will then make our way back to Sofia Airport in time for our return flight to Dublin.

Please note that this is our planned itinerary but can sometimes change due to situations outside our control.