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Driver
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Parking Fees
Gratuities
Food and drinks
Entrance fees
Tour guide
Overview
Discover two of Bulgaria’s UNESCO World Heritage gems on this day self-guided day tour from Sofia. Traveling by minivan, admire rural Bulgaria en route to the Rila Monastery in the pine-carpeted Rila Mountains. Take a self-guided tour of the medieval treasure with its fresco-coated church, and visit its fascinating museum. Then, after time to explore independently, continue to Boyana Church, near Sofia, to marvel at its spectacular pre-Renaissance frescoes.
This tour is with an English-speaking driver only.
Itinerary
St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral (Pass By)
09:00 departure from the starting point. Be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.
Boyana Church
Boyana Church is a small temple at the outskirts of Sofia with frescoes dating back to three separate periods: 11th, 13th and 19th century. The most important and fascinating are the frescoes dating from 1259. They are Renaissance frescoes that predate the Italian Renaissance (triggered by the works of Giotto) and brake the strict Christian canon law to present pure human emotions, royal figures and folklore elements.
45 minutes
Rila Monastery
Rila Monastery is one of Bulgaria’s symbols and a popular tourist destination. The monastery is set deep in the heart of Rila Mountain, between the Rilska and Drushliavitza Rivers, at 1147 meters (3760 feet) above sea level. It is situated 120 kilometers south of Sofia.
2 hours
St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral (Pass By)
Return to the starting point at approximately 17:00
Sample Menu
Additional Info
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities
Not wheelchair accessible or stroller friendly
Comfortable walking shoes recommended
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.
Free Cancellation
June 10100% refund
June 11No refund
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
5 stars
33
4 stars
2
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
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We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her
Reviews by TravelOne travelers
Showing 1-5 of 33 reviews with 5 stars
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Excellent trip to boyana church and rila monastery
Published on Oct, 2024
The visit to boyana church and rila monastery was excellent . It was very well organised in all ways. Also a relaxing way to go from sofia. Our guide dafina was very professional.
Traventuria were superb
릴라수도원과 보야나교회 일일투어
Published on Mar, 2024
The bus was comfortable as it was a large bus, and the driver and guide were punctual and gave good explanations. I would like to recommend it to other people as well.
Worth it
Published on Dec, 2023
It worth spending your time. Lubo is an excellent tour guide, he explained it very clearly and rules were laid down clearly as well. We learned a lot today and we had amazing time.
Excellent tourguide
Published on Sep, 2023
Worth to do a guided daytrip to Rila Monastery and Boyana church by an enthusiastic guide. It's a lovely place to visit.
Ancient church/ monastery with scenery plus live animals interaction on the road
Published on May, 2022
My local guide name was Lubo and he was very informative. He stopped to some small villages on the road to Rila monastery to take pictures with the Shepherd and some herd sheep. 3 ponies on the road plus a bunch of cows were crossing the street too. We saw some storks nesting on chimneys as well as electrical posts.
I also tried trout and bean soup in only restaurant inside the monastery plus the bread was freshly.
The feral cats help me finished my fish. Over all a must see.
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