Rila Monastery and Melnik, Day Tour from Sofia with Pickup

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. The travel time from Sofia to Rila Monastery is around 1 hour and 45 minutes.

   1.8 h

2. Rila monastery is part of UNESCO world cultural heritage list and It’s one of the symbols of Bulgaria. Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation. You will have enough time to explore the monastery, the main church and the monastery museum.

   1 h

3. Travel time from Rila monastery to Melnik is around 1 hour and 45 minutes.

   1.8 h

4. Melnik is the smallest town in Bulgaria nowadays. The first settlers of this region were the Tracian tribe Medi, from which the legendary rebel Spartacus originated. During the Revival Melnik was a blooming big city with big market. Since that times the city is famous with its high quality wines. During the tour we will visit the Kordopulova house where we can taste the local wine. Near Melnik we will see the Pyramids of Melnik. Entrance fee to Kordopulova house is 3 levs.

   1.5 h

5. Before traveling back to Sofia we will make lunch break (lunch is not included in the tour price).

   1 h

6. The travel time from Melnik back to Sofia is around 2 hours and 15 minutes.

   2.3 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 8 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Sofia

• Its from-price is close to the median of the 174 day trips we list in Sofia.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 58 of 174.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Sofia

Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, lies below Vitosha mountain, mixing Roman ruins, golden-domed churches, mineral springs and a busy café culture.

Sofia sits in a high basin at the foot of Mount Vitosha, and its centre layers Roman Serdica, Orthodox Bulgaria and the Ottoman and Soviet eras. The gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, completed in the early twentieth century, is the city's best-known building. Close by are the fourth-century rotunda of St George, the Banya Bashi Mosque and the remains of Roman streets that show through glass in the metro stations.

Top-ranked sights in Sofia: Rila Monastery, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Ivan Vazov National Theatre.

See all 611 experiences in Sofia