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Exclusive Bulgaria round tour

The itinerary for this intimate tour of Bulgaria includes all Bulgarian UNESCO sights, the most significant Roman and Thracian heritage, major cities as well as small villages, monasteries, churches and shrines, museums and art galleries. You will have the chance to go "off-the-beaten-track", meeting local families, visiting lost mountain villages and enjoying road-side markets . . .
Geographically, you will be all over Bulgaria - Central Balkan mountains, Danube planes, Black Sea coast, Valley of Roses, Thracian lowlands and the mountains in the South-West.

Day 1: Sofia city tour - including Al. Nevski cathedral, Boyana church, National museum of history, etc.

Day 2: Drive to Koprivshtitza - one of the few Bulgarian towns preserving the typical features of the original Revival architecture. Continue the trip to the village of Oreshak close to the legendary Troyan Monastery. Drive through one of the most beautiful mountain passes in Bulgaria - Beklemeto or also Via Traiana (an ancient Roman road). Accommodation in "Papa Bear" guest house - local place, where you can enjoy some typical home cooked food and home made drinks.
Same day we will visit the Troyan Monastery (the third largest and most significant monastery in Bulgaria) and the museum of ceramics in Troyan

Day 3: Departure to Veliko Turnovo - the medieval Bulgarian capital. En route we will visit the small village of Gumoshtnik (known for being the only place in Bulgaria with a monument of Titanic), where we will meet my friend Angelina. She will show us the local village library and take us to her century old house to drink some mountain tea and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Central Balkan mountains.
We will also visit Ethnographic complex "Etara" (open air museum featuring typical Bulgarian crafts), the small picturesque town of Tryavna (famous for the authentic Revival architecture, the Clock tower and the wood-carved sun-ceilings of "Daskalova" house) and the heroic Dryanovo monastery (the Bulgarian Alamo).
In the evening we can enjoy the unique "Sound and light" show over the Tzarevetz hill ....

Day 4: Morning visit to "Tsarevets" the hill of the Bulgarian kings and a walk around the Old Crafts street. Tour of Arbanassi where you can see some of the most exquisite monuments of Bulgarian art like "Nativity" church, "St's Archangels Michael and Gabriel" church, "Konstancialieva" house, etc.
Drive to the well exposed Roman forum of Nicopolis ad Istrum and then to Ivanovo Rock Monastery - impressive XIV century frescoes. Overnight in Ruse - once called the little Vienna!

Day 5: Morning drive to the Thracian Tomb in Sveshtari (the most impressive ancient site in Bulgaria), Demir Baba Teke (the tomb of the Alian saint Demir Baba) and the Roman town of Abrittus. Visits to Madara Horseman (one of the most popular Bulgarian monuments included in the World Register of Historical Sites since 1979) and "The Stone Forest" (incredible natural phenomena over 40 000 000 years old) on our way to Varna.

Day 6: Varna city tour in the morning including the imposing Cathedral, the Archaeological museum - showing the oldest Golden treasure in the world (over 6000 years), the mysterious "Panagia" church, the Roman baths, etc.
In the afternoon we will visit The Romanian Queen Castle in Balchik (the summer residence of the Romanian Queen Maria) and Cape Kaliakra (revealing splendid views over the Black Sea)

Day 7: Departure to Nessebar (town museum included in World UNESCO heritage). Old town tour.
Continue the trip to the quaint and lovely village of Jeravna, where, if you get up early enough you can watch the goats and the sheep being taken out to the fields, and jostle with the cows who are coming into the main square for a morning drink.
Overnight in a typical 300 years old house in Jeravna

Day 8: Departure to Plovdiv. On the way we will visit some of the tombs in the Valley of Thracian Kings including the famous Kazanlak tomb (part of the UNESCO heritage).
Pleasant afternoon walk along the labyrinth of cobbled streets shaded by charming overhanging buildings in Old Plovdiv, including the Roman theater and the stadium, the Archaeological museum, "Trakart" private museum (where you can see the famous Millefiori glass work technique applied on Thracian ritual phials and Roman mosaics "in situ"), Nedkovich house (typical Revival period house, influenced by the European classicism and preserving the original furniture and mural paintings), etc.

Day 9: A great mountain drive through the back roads of South-Western Bulgaria on our way to Doabrsko village, where we will visit the Old church and enjoy a private concert by the world-known "Singing Grandmothers"

Day 10: Morning visit to Rila Monastery (regarded as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments). Departure to Sofia.