Discover Bulgaria in 5 Days
with expert Bulgarian guide, Stoyan Terezov
Hi, I’m Stoyan Terezov, your personal guide in Bulgaria, land of Thracian kings, Roman rulers, Ottomans and Bulgars. It’s my pleasure to welcome you to my beautiful country. I have been giving tours of Bulgaria for 11 years and am passionate about sharing my country with others. I look forward to taking you or your family on an in-depth discovery of the culture, sites, towns and landscapes of Bulgaria.
I designed the ‘Discover Bulgaria’ Tour to open visitors’ eyes to the diverse richness of the country.
We’ll travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned car or van. As you relax and take in the mountains, valleys, agricultural plains and Bulgarian villages along the way, I’ll dive into the rich history of Bulgaria and educate you on the sites we’re about to visit.
In all, you’ll visit 12 of Bulgaria’s most notable historical towns, you’ll see a good cross section of the country from the Balkan and Rhodope mountains to the Black Sea. You’ll come away with a rich and well-rounded perspective of the country, its culture, people, traditions, and history.
Day 1 - Plovdiv – Hisarya - Koprivshstitsa
9:00am - We start our tour with a 2-hour walking tour of Plovdiv, the 2nd largest city in Bulgaria and oldest, continuously inhabited city in Europe. We begin at the ruins of the Roman Forum and then stroll along the main tree-lined pedestrian street with shops and buildings from the Secession period. From there, we’ll see the Dzhumaya Ottoman Mosque from the 16th c and partially excavated 2nd c. Roman stadium, an almost intact copy of the famous stadium in Delphi. Time permitting, we’ll watch a 3D film recreating the stadium games in Roman times. Traversing the Kaparna district of hip restaurants, boutiques and vibrant nightlife, we’ll make our way to Old Plovdiv, declared an open museum for its cobbled stone streets and colorful Revival houses. Lastly, we’ll end up at the spectacular 1st century Roman theatre.
Leaving Plovdiv, we take a short drive to Hisarya, home to ancient mineral springs and favorite spa residence of Roman emperors. Today it’s a famous spa resort. We’ll pause for lunch in Hisarya and then proceed to the largest of the Thracian Temples in the village of Starosel. Time permitting, we can also stop by the largest winery in the region to sample and buy some Bulgarian wine.
We end our first day in Koprivshstitsa, a charming, preserved 19th c. village, national heritage site and one of the centers of the Bulgarian fight for Independence.
Overnight accommodation in Koprivshtitsa.
Day 2 - Koprivshstitsa , Kazanlak, Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo
Breakfast in the hotel
In the morning we’ll meander the narrow, cobbled streets of Koprivshtitsa, admire the picturesque Revival houses – some of them museums, and discover the historical importance of the town.
Next, we’ll drive to the town of Kazanlak in the heart of the Rose valley and valley of the Thracian kings. We’ll stop to buy some rose products and then visit the most impressive Thracian tomb in Bulgaria, and a spectacular Russian church connected with Bulgarian history. Our drive continues up through the historical pass of Shipka, arriving at the town of Gabrovo, whose people are known for their good sense of humor. Here we’ll visit the Etara Etnographic Museum, a one-of-a-kind open-air museum recreating the everyday life of Bulgarians in the18th and 19th centuries.
Lunch
A short drive takes us to the attractive town of Veliko Tarnovo, the former Bulgarian capital, situated on a majestic hill.
Overnight accommodation in Veliko Tarnovo.
Day 3 Veliko Tarnovo, Shumen, Varna
Breakfast in the hotel.
Morning - Walking tour of Veliko Tarnovo, once capital of Bulgaria from the 12th to 14th c. We’ll visit the cathedral, a castle, churches and other buildings from this period.
After the tour we’ll grab lunch and continue to Shumen, a city rich in attractions. We’ll visit the memorial monument ‘Founders of the Bulgarian State’ carved into Madara rock, and the Shumen Fortress, a prominent archeologic site used continuously from the 12th c to the Middle Ages. Time permitting, we can also visit the Shumensko Brewery, founded by merchants and a Czech master brewer in 1882 and sample the legendary beer.
Finally, we’ll drive to the Black Sea coast to the ‘Sea Capital of Bulgaria’, Varna, considered one of the key archeological sites in world prehistory.
Overnight accommodation in Varna.
Day 4 Varna, Nesebar, Pomorie, Burgas
Breakfast in the hotel.
We’ll begin the morning with a walking tour of Varna, visiting the popular Roman baths, the Sea Garden, an expansive seaside park with landscaped gardens & promenades, and the Archaeological Museum, housing a sizable collection of ancient Roman marbles and artifacts, and the oldest gold treasure in the world, dating from 4,600 BC to 4,200 BC.
Continuing our drive down the Black Sea coast, we arrive at the old town of Nessebar, a UNESCO World Heritage site and known as ‘The Pearl of the Black Sea’. Nessebar is an ancient town with 3000 years of history including Thracian, Greek, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance.
In the afternoon we will stop in the historic town of Pomorie and visit the fascinating Thracian tomb of Sveshtari, another UNESCO World Heritage site and different from the tombs in Kazanlak.
Traveling down the Black Sea coast we arrive in Burgas. Overnight accommodation in Burgas.
Day 5 - Burgas, Plovdiv
Breakfast in the hotel. City walking tour Burgas visitn main street sea garden. Lunch then drive to Plovdiv 3 hours.
NOTES
• Can be done any time of year.
• Target: young people who want to explore and see it all. Comfort. Educated. Couples of all ages, families 18+ years old. Nice hotels with good facilities personally selected.