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Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Day Trip
4.6
815 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.
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:
24 hours
Highlights
- St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral - 09:00 departure from the starting point. Be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.
- 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
- Driver/Tour guide in English
- Transport by air-conditioned minibus
- Parking fees
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Entrance fees- Boyana curch- 12 BGN, Monastery Museum - 8 BGN
- Audio guide in Spanish, Italian, German, Russian or English (approx. 5 euros per person)
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Entrance fees- Boyana curch- 12 BGN, Monastery Museum - 8 BGN
- Audio guide in Spanish, Italian, German, Russian or English (approx. 5 euros per person)
- Food and drinks
Additional Information
Explore two of Bulgaria’s UNESCO World Heritage sites on this day trip from Sofia. Travel by minibus and enjoy the scenic views of rural Bulgaria on the way to the Rila Monastery, nestled in the pine-covered Rila Mountains. Join a guided tour of this medieval marvel, featuring a church adorned with frescoes, and explore its intriguing museum. After some…
Explore two of Bulgaria’s UNESCO World Heritage sites on this day trip from Sofia. Travel by minibus and enjoy the scenic views of rural Bulgaria on the way to the Rila Monastery, nestled in the pine-covered Rila Mountains. Join a guided tour of this medieval marvel, featuring a church adorned with frescoes, and explore its intriguing museum. After some free time to wander, proceed to Boyana Church, located near Sofia, to admire its stunning pre-Renaissance frescoes. Please note that entrance fees are not included.
Important: Starting November 2024, Boyana Church no longer accepts advance reservations, so visits cannot be guaranteed. If entry is unavailable on your scheduled day, you will have the opportunity to visit St. Ivan’s Cave at Rila Monastery as an alternative.
- 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.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(815 Ratings)
5 stars
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Wen_p
Apr 30, 2025
Must visit while in Sofia - Excellent tour leader. Lubo is very knowledgeable and courteous. Rila Monastery is great place to visit. We enjoyed the trip
Review provided by Viator
Marcazzurro
Apr 17, 2025
A leap into the Middle Ages. - 1h30 from Sofia by car via the highway and a small mountain road but a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the moment you arrive, you are transported to another era and wander in search of a spiritual quest. Reading the tables and icons, we rediscover holy history, good and evil, near and far, vices and virtues. A spiritual universe that engages in introspection, deliverance and forgiveness. We come back resourceful and peaceful. Not to be missed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tanee_g
Apr 15, 2025
We visited 3 sites. The... - We visited 3 sites. The Boyana church is so small but the wall paintings inside is incredible! Lucky we decided to pay to enter. Rila monastery is really worth the visits. Our tour guide Lubo is very informative. Highly recommend this tour for anyone in Sofia.
Review provided by Viator
Elden_o
Apr 7, 2025
Highly Recommended Tour - This trip was a great way to experience Boyana Church, Rila Monastery and St Ivan Cave all in one trip. On the day, because of other bookings with the Spanish speaking half of the tour, we were given the option to also visit St Ivan Cave too, which was a great addition. All sites were well worth visiting and the guides were extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and managed to sort out an issue with the bus that was completely out of their control quickly and efficiently, which meant there was very minimal time of our tour lost in the end. This was a great way to experience all 3 sites in one busy but enjoyable day.
Review provided by Viator
Marke_w
Apr 7, 2025
A great visit to a beautiful monastery - The instructions of where to meet the bus came a day earlier than the tour and it was very easy to find (and I’m horrible with directions)
Our tour guide (Martin) was very nice and gave us a lot of historical information about the sights we were going to see
He was friendly and easy-going and made sure everyone was enjoying their time and was comfortable
The monastery was beautiful and the museum there is definitely worth a visit
We had two hours to spend at the monastery, but I think you only need 90 mins max
Review provided by Viator
Alektravel
Mar 30, 2025
Spectacular - One of the jewels of Bulgaria, a beautiful monastery in the middle of nature, is located about two and a half hours from Sofia,
Free admission
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nadine_m
Mar 30, 2025
We were blown away by the... - We were blown away by the architecture and history of Rila Monastery, and Boyana Church. this is a must for anyone visiting Bulgaria
Review provided by Viator
Filomena_p
Mar 23, 2025
The guide Lubo was great,... - The guide Lubo was great, nice and knowledgeable. Made the difference giving nice info during the trip and in the two stops in Boyana and Rila. Myself and my friend both enjoyed the planning and time spent with the tour.
Review provided by Viator
799venetav
Feb 26, 2025
Wonderful trip - Our one-day excursion to the Boyana Church and the Rila Monastery was organized by Traventuria with great care and professionalism. We were very satisfied. The bus and its driver, Asen, were impeccable. Our guide, Lyubo, showed us and told us everything about the remarkable sites we visited, as well as the history of the country. We are grateful and recommend the excursi
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Parmagrey721
Apr 22, 2025
2 Hours of Free Time to Stand in the Rain and Freeze - Two hours of free time is too much, especially when most of the experience is outside and you’re stuck in the freezing rain with nothing to do. There is a small museum, which is an extra charge, where you can look at the treasures of the monastery. Besides the two small gift shops in the monastery, there is one bakery, a donut stand, a souvenir stand, and a very mid restaurant that tried to overcharge us for food they didn’t give us. The guide gave a 45-minute tour in which she explained everything on site. There was nothing additional to see in the remaining 2 hours except the museum that is 30 minutes at the most if you read all of the signage. Nothing was done to accommodate the weather and the vast majority of the tour participants who didn’t go on a hike in the pouring rain. Everyone was bored. A cold and miserable waste of time when we could have been doing other things.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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