Day trips from Sofia

If you want to plan day trips from Sofia, you landed on the right article ! I’ll suggest 4 places worth to visit if you are staying a few days in Bulgaria. From cute towns to villages in the Bulgarian countryside, including a monastery in the mountain, I’ll show you the best spots !

Located in the north-central part of the country, Veliko Tărnovo is one of the oldest cities in the whole country.
It was the historic capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire.

Start at the State Art Gallery “Boris Denev”. It’s one of the oldest galleries in the country and the view from this monument is impressive :

Then head towards the Stambolov Bridge to get a magical first look at the town :

Then you can wander in the little streets of the old town, look at the different architectures, and go up in the village to have a nice view from there too:

If you plan on having lunch or dinner, you can go to Shtastliveca. I talk more about the food at this restaurant in this article but it’s a nice spot for the view as well :

If you are here at the end of the day, I would recommend heading then towards the Nativity of Mary Cathedral. On the way, you can admire the light and atmosphere changing in the streets :

Once you arrive at the Nativity of Mary Cathedral, you’ll be impressed both by the monument and by the astonishing view :

Among all the Bulgaria day trips, if you have to only choose one, it should be Plovdiv !

Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second-largest city, after the capital Sofia. It is the oldest known inhabited city in Europe.

The old town preserves important traces of prehistoric, Thracian, Macedonian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman cultures.

Start at the center of the old town, with the Ancient Stadium of Philipopolis. You’ll see the remains of a 1st-century Roman stadium that could seat up to 30,000 spectators.

Next to it there’s the Sveta Bogoroditsa Church, built in the 9th century (second picture).

You can then head towards the Ancient Theatre. It’s a former Roman-style amphitheater now hosting a variety of performing arts events.

Close by the Ancient Theatre, there’s the Temple de St. Arachangelli that’s worth stopping by. The monument is nice and the view from this site as well :

After this, wander in the streets of the old town. You’ll be amazed by the half-timbered houses and the richest ones are painted in vivid colours.

It’s really amazing to see traditional homes blend with Plovdiv’s roman ruins.

Walking along ul. Tsanko Lavrenov, you’ll find the Regional Ethnographic Museum. It’s a museum of Bulgarian culture in a splendid 19th-century building. The little garden is really cute as well :

Koprivchtitsa is located 110 km south-east of Sofia. It is a little museum-village : many poets, writers and revolutionaries settled here, and their homes have been converted into museums. The village preserves a typically Bulgarian architectural style from the 19th century.

In Koprivchtitsa you’ll find the magnificent mountain scenery, its wooden houses coloured blue and red… :

…inner courtyards immersed in greenery and guarded by high stone walls, paved streets, little bridges over the river… :

Take the time to look at the little shops, have a coffee on the main square or stroll around in the nature :

Bachlovo is the second largest monastery in Bulgaria.

Less touristy than Rila Monastery (being the 1st most visited monastery in the country), it’s more authentic and peaceful (as it should be !).

To get to the monastery, you follow a path passing by a small waterfall and amazing views of the mountain :

Then after passing by a local markets where you can buy traditional tableware and food, you will enter the courtyard of the monastery :

Take the time to walk around the courtyard as there are tons of details, from the frescoes to the different architectures. There you’ll find the monastery which is absolutely magnificent :

If you go further back, you’ll find a peacock and small chickens as well :

If you have time after visiting the monastery, you can spend a bit of time to discover the charming streets of the Bachlovo village.

That’s it for my recommendations on day trips from Sofia ! If you need more inspiration you can check out VisitMyBulgaria. The website gives many destinations ideas in Bulgaria.

If you want to spend a day to visit Sofia, check out my article here to know what to see and do. Looking for the food specialties to try out and where to eat in Bulgaria ? I’ve listed my top recommendations here !