Rila Monastery and Boyana Church: UNESCO World Heritage Day Trip from Sofia
4.6
725 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
(725 Ratings)
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Tlaorangeville
May 17, 2024
Professional, Positive Tour Company (Boyana Church & Rila Monastery Trip). - I had originally signed up for the Rila Seven Lake Hike and Monastery tour but there was too much snow for the hike so switched to this tour instead. Phillip G. Was very helpful when communicating about this issue in advance. Boyana Church is a little gem…even if you have to pay 10lev on top of the tour price , only get ten minutes inside and can’t take pics. The frescoes are amazing.
Our Tourguide: Liubomir Petkashev was outstanding. I’m always impressed with guides who run the sane tour day in and day out who still manage to be enthusiastic and supportive.
The bus was comfy and the trip there went fast with the beautiful views of the countryside.
The Rila Mountain region is stunning and the Monastery is definitely worth the trip. We also had the option of joining the St. Ivan cave tour group (again for an extra 10lev) but I would say go for it if you don’t mind a 15 minute uphill hike there.
Really glad I booked this day trip from Sofia.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Meander53485804260
May 17, 2024
It was a privilege to experience the spirituality and reverence of the Rila Monastery and the Boyana Church in such beautiful s - This was a delightful tour that i would highly recommend to anyone. Our guide, Lubo, was knowledgeable, interesting and informative. We always knew how much time we had and what our options were at each site. He projected his voice, was easy to hear and always waited for us to be within earshot before starting his talks.
The audio guide is a clever idea and provided additional information along the route and at the sites. It was great to be able to investigate these treasures at one's own pace after having had the more expressive and interactive presentation from the guide.
Both the Boyana Church and the Rila Monastery, set in the very beautiful Bulgarian scenery, are moving tributes to the vision and technical expertise of the early painters and architects who created them. Thank you, Lubo, for giving us such an interesting day and for going above and beyond in sorting out my problem with my phone! It is truly appreciated.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vaira_o
May 16, 2024
Very impressive and unforgetable day. - Perfectly organized, attractive and positive guide, relyable driver.Very good choise ti attend visiting Sifia.
Review provided by Viator
Diapason9
May 13, 2024
An essential destination - An essential destination and an experience that I recommend everyone to do without hesitation. Art and Spirituality merged in a single event. Bilyana, our guide, was truly extraordinary and was able to take us on a journey out of Time and who I want to thank together with our driver who made the journey easy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
78nirinar
May 11, 2024
Thank you Traventuria and Kristo - Rila monastery is really worth a visit, especially with Kristo as your guide. He gave us a very passionate tour with a personal touch. Thank you all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ye_t
May 11, 2024
Good tour guide. Learn a lot - Very knowledgeable and passionate tour guide. We had a wonderful time today. We just knew how much the contribution to the West civilization the Bulgarians made in the past. May the God bless this lovely country
Review provided by Viator
George_r
May 21, 2024
Bring snacks - Worthwhile trip even in the rain. Bring snacks because there aren’t many places for food. Also the toilets at Rila difficult. Try to find the single ladies room with the commode. Most are just flat floor drains. But the frescoes in both places are fascinating. Tour guide Martin and driver were both good.
Review provided by Viator
Ghenix
May 7, 2024
Enjoyable visit - Rila monastery was impressive and beautiful and in such a picturesque setting, it was enjoyable even on a rainy day. There was good amounts of time to explore on your own after the guided bit. Don’t miss out on visiting the little bakery out the back of the monastery.
Boyana church was much more intimate and there is a 10 minute limit on the time you get to spend in the church, to preserve the frescos, but it was enough time.
The guide was very enthusiastic and her stories really helped to bring the places to life.
What I didn’t like was having to pay extra to enter Boyana church. It would have been better to include that in the overall fee. Who is going to sign up for a trip that goes to 2 places and not want to enter one of the two?
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Val_l
May 6, 2024
Excellant trip but watch out for start time changes - Excellant trip despite rain. Time in each location was spot on. Guide (Marie) was helpful and informative
Just beware of start time changes. Boyana church entrance is on a timed slot so start time of tour can change to fit with slot given . We were sent email late previous evening and text didn’t come until the morning which would have been too late. Would be helpful if this information was included on tour description
Review provided by Viator
Lee_w
May 19, 2024
Over long - To long of a tour, just wanted to see Rila Monastery and had to see Boyana Church and traffic in Sofia made trip to long. Trip duration should have been 6 hours was 9.
Review provided by Viator
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