Small Group Tour: Exploring Plovdiv, Asen's Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery
4.8
103 Ratings
Plovdiv

With this daylong journey, you’ll have the opportunity to explore a location in Bulgaria that’s a must-visit and was fittingly chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2019. Also included in this tour are two significant landmarks of the area - Asen’s Fortress and the Bachkovo Monastery.

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Plovdiv Old Town - The tour starts with pick up from your hotel/accommodation in Sofia. After approximately an hour and a half drive, we will reach Plovdiv. Plovdiv is said to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe. The city has cultural and economic significance both in the past and in the present due to its strategic location. Pieces of evidence of its millennial history can be found all over the place
  • from the Roman Theatre to the Ottoman mosques. This is the reason why Plovdiv is one of the most charming sights in Bulgaria- wherever you look you will find history, a legend from a different period, traces of glorious past and at the same time, it’s a pleasure to see how vivid is it still and how it continues to develop and writes its new history. There we will visit the highlights
  • the Roman Theatre, the Roman Stadium, and have a walk in the Old Town with typical for the Revival Period house museums and narrow cobblestone streets. Afterward, we will have lunch.
  • Assenova krepost (Asen’s Fortress) - When we are done with our traditional Bulgarian lunch, we will head towards the final destination of the tour
  • Asenova Fortress (approx. 25 min drive from Plovdiv). Asen’s Fortress is situated on the top of a cliff in Rodopi Mountain, at approx. 20 km distance from Plovdiv. It is a Medieval fortress with a rich history and breathtaking view.
  • Bachkovo Monastery - After feasting our eyes on the beauties of nature, we will drive to the Bachkovo monastery. This is the second biggest monastery in Bulgaria and one of the oldest. It was established in the late XI century by a man for Georgia. The monastery later became part of the Bulgarian church. It suffered a lot from the turbulence of the time and keeps a lot of history and drama.
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Professional guide
  • All fees and taxes included
  • Transport by private vehicle
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
Additional Information
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • We understand your concerns in relation to COVID 19, therefore we’ve taken the needed measures for you to feel safe. All our guides and drivers go through regular medical checks, wear masks during the tours and in each vehicle, we have a disinfectant spray. Furthermore due to the situation nowadays we organize tours only for small groups (up to 7 persons) and we have the option for private tours.
Location
Plovdiv Old Town
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(103 Ratings)
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Yuliana_m
Mar 30, 2024
Excellent service and great tour! - Very nice experience, tour started on time with the pick up at our hotel. Michael is a really nice guy and guide, transport very comfortable, and the tour goes with no pressure as with a small group it's easier to coordinate. All small towns and places worth every minute of the tour!
Review provided by Viator
Pcg78
Mar 30, 2024
Anazing - Georgi is much more than a guide. Beautiful daytrip with best guide. Could get to know everything about Balkans.
Review provided by Viator
Karine
Mar 16, 2024
Visit to Plovdiv - We had a wonderful day. Mica was great! Knowledgeble and nice girl. The trip itself was interesting. I highly recommend Thanks :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anonymous
Feb 29, 2024
Excellent Tour - Plovdiv's old town is very interesting, Asen's fortress is in an amazing location, and the frescos at Bachkovo Monastery are stunningly beautiful. We could easily have spent more time in the Ethnographic Museum in Plovdiv, but the tour provided a very full day of historical and natural sights.
Review provided by Viator
Paulina_m
Feb 26, 2024
Excellent experience 👏 - Obsolete gem, definitely recommend this tour! History, culture, food, nature all is there! Very well organized and the guide was superb 👌
Review provided by Viator
Don_m
Nov 10, 2023
Val was excellent - Valeri Grigorov was really excellent, a terrific guide, he was extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and caring in guiding me today! 11 out of 10 for him, he was perfect and I had a terrific day touring around some wonderful areas of your lovely country !🙂
Review provided by Viator
Mario_australia
Oct 21, 2023
Thanks Yorgi! - Excellent guide (Yorgi); very knowledgeable and with a great sense of humour. Enjoyed all 3 stops, but especially the Monastery
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oscar_m
Oct 19, 2023
Excellent Southern Bulgarian Visit - Maria Maneva our guide brought Bulgarian History to life . Her knowledge , professionalism and grace made the entire day memorable . I cannot give her enough praise .
Review provided by Viator
Eileen_l
Oct 17, 2023
Wonderful Experience! - Highly recommend this tour to Plovdiv and surrounds, which is a true hidden gem in Bulgaria. The bustle of culture and rich in history from the Roman Empire was a sight to behold. Standing in front of the excavated old chariot racing arena in the middle of Plovdiv showed us an insight to ancient times. Asen's Fortress perched on a hilltop with steps cut into the stone face brought a whole level of appreciation to how the Bulgarian forces decked in full armour (we were told this weighed easily 10kgs or more!) ran up and down the hillside defending their land. Bachkovo monastery was certainly a delight, with all the murals, mosaics and frescoes, some decked in actual gold, which are beautifully restored and preserved. Street vendors lining the road up to the monastery showcasing their gorgeous hand crafted earthen ware, great for souvenir hunters. Last but not least, our guide Meto who was born and bred in Bulgaria was a wealth of knowledge on all things local - he told us about the economy, weather, agriculture, culture, and is quite a movie buff too! We learnt that quite a number of movies were filmed in Bulgaria, and Meto made the journey to/from highly entertaining!
Review provided by Viator
Connor_p
Feb 21, 2024
Professional guide,... - Professional guide, showed up on time and delivered us to our destinations. At times, he was drawn away by phone calls, but life happens. Overall, good tour. Would have liked a little more history, but I appreciated his hands off approach on giving it (only gave history if it appeared our group was interested).
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
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