Rila Monastery and Mineral Baths Tour

32 Ratings

Sofia

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Explore Rila Monastery and unwind in mountain hot springs. Discover culture and relaxation in one unforgettable day trip from Sofia.

Duration: 11 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Rila Monastery - Renowned as the most stunning, largest, and oldest monastery in Eastern Europe, Rila Monastery dates back to the 10th century and is nestled in the heart of the Rila Mountains.
Sapareva Banya - Known as the Mineral Baths Capital of Bulgaria, Sapareva Banya offers a delightful hot mineral bath complex. Please note that the spa…

What's Included

On-board WiFi
Driver
In-vehicle air conditioning

What's Not Included

Lunch
Gratuities
The entrance to the spa complex - around 30 leva / 15 euro

Additional Information

This is likely the best tour option outside of Sofia, allowing you to visit both Rila Monastery and experience the enchanting healing properties of the hot mineral baths in the mountains, all in one day. The driver will first take you to Rila Monastery, where you will have approximately an hour to explore. Following this, you will be transported to the…

Location

ul. "Iskar" 31

ulitsa "Iskar"

Iskar 31 street - in front of a Big Yellow House - Only a few minutes away from Alexander Nevski Cathedral. Our driver will meet you on the address in front of the yellow house.

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings

4.7

(32 Ratings)

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557dariop

Apr 7, 2026

Very nice trip - All very nice, both the monastery and the spa. The guides were very helpful and even helped us solve a personal problem by speaking Bulgarian with the host

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Antoinette

Mar 31, 2026

Nice monastery prima Spa - The drive to the monastery takes over 1.5 hours is really worth the drive to the spa again 1.15 hours and the Spa was fine nice and warm but not everything was full of water about 35% not. And for what we're used to, it's a little more primitive. Mobiles are allowed and smoking is still allowed in Bulgaria.

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Anonymousp797fr

Mar 26, 2026

Wonderful relaxing day - This was a great day. Apostolos was a very safe driver and ensured that we had assistance with details such as knowing where less crowded restrooms could be located, ensuring that we had entry to the spa complex when we arrived, and pointing out interesting cultural details about the return of spring to Bulgaria. On the way to the monastery we we even stopped at a small cafe to have a quick coffee, which really helped with making the day feel like a complete experience at a relaxing pace while still having plenty of time at the intended stops. After the tour he sent us recommendations for food, drinks, etc. that were based on our conversations during the tour. I highly recommend this tour.

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Turlequea

Mar 13, 2026

Perfect. - Everything went very well, Apostolos was really very nice and gave us a lot of information about the monastery of Rila.

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807christellec

Mar 9, 2026

Very nice. - Our apostolos guide was very kind because as the only French it was not easy to understand everything...he was kind

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Chantal1962

Feb 19, 2026

To do, no doubt possible - The monastery of Rila was magical under the snow, the hot baths, a real delight. And our friendly companion gave us a lot of interesting information about the history of the Monastery and that of Bulgaria, making the road shorter.

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Jimmanon

Jan 18, 2026

Beautiful place - Very nice building, atypical, in a nice setting, that is to see. And the church is really beautiful. Free entrance for the outside visit.

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67eliner

Jan 4, 2026

Really nice to tour! - We had a really great day. Booked this trip very last minute but everything worked out very well. They make sure you will get the best out of your day.

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Paula_r

Feb 23, 2026

Nice but more expensive in the end - Apostolos, our driver, was very nice. Everything was punctual and the day developed as described. The monastery is beautiful and the spa very complete and relaxing. Thank you for a wonderful day! My 3 stars are due to the price of the spa. Be aware that the price of the spa on the weekends is not the one announced in the description. To enter the inner and outer pools with bathrobe rental costs 51 euros per person. The cheapest entrance was 30 euros just for the outer pools and no bathrobe. You need to leave 20 euros deposit in cash at the entrance for locker key and bracelet. This should be corrected because the price in the end is higher than expected.

Review provided by Viator

Mariefj6283iw

Jan 19, 2026

Disappointed - Tickets were for transport only and didn't get any time at the beautiful monastery - Wish this would have been advertised as transport only. Tour guide didn't give us any information on the place, no history of the country or region. Didn't engage with us at all. It was just a trip to and from. Had I known that I wouldn't have paid €50 for the bus and an additional €20 for the spa entry, I would have just rented my own car. Only spent 45 minutes at the monastery but wasted 5 hours in a small town with nothing to do.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Check Availability

From $69

up to 15 guests

1 - Adult