Best Of Bulgaria Roundtrip

Arrival at Sofia airport and transfer to Sofia city center. Short sightseeing tour of Sofia: The city has been founded 7 000 years ago. Main attractions are the Alexander Nevski Cathedral and the Crypt, National Theatre, St. Sofia church, Sofia’s oldest building the 4-rd century St. George Rotonda. Overnight in Sofia.

Today we start our tour with a visit to the Rila Monastery - the biggest and most important symbol of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St. Ivan of Rila and was included in UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1983. The most characteristic feature of the monastery are its vibrant and detailed frescoes, created by one of the most prominent Bulgarian artists at the time. The monastery is also home to the Rafail's cross - a wooden crucifix showing 104 religious scenes and 650 miniature figures, carved into a 81 x 43 cm large cross. The route continues to Melnik - Bulgaria's smallest town. We will try the town's famous red wine and explore the natural sandstone pyramides surrounding it. Overnight stay in Melnik.

Today we drive through the picturesque Rhodopi mountain, believed to be the birthplace of the legendary Thracian singer Orpheus. It was here that the ancient Thracian tribes celebrated their religious cults and today there are many sanctuaries and cities reminding of their mysterious culture. The highlight of the day is our visit to Yagodina cave - among the longest ones in Bulgaria (with more than 10 000 m mapped so far), considered to be one of the most beautiful ones in Europe with its outstanding stalactites, stalagmites, columns, ponds and cave pearls in them. We spend the night in the town of Trigrad in the heart of the Rodopi Mountains.