6 best day trips from Sofia

Day trips compared

The day trips

120 km · About 2 hours by car or bus

1.Rila Monastery

Bulgaria's most important monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sits in a forested valley of the Rila mountains. Striped arcades surround a courtyard and a church covered in vivid frescoes, beside a medieval stone tower.

Getting there

Bus from Ovcha Kupel bus station, organised tour or car

Best for

First-timers, Culture

145 km · About 2 hours by bus

2.Plovdiv

One of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited cities, with a Roman theatre still used for concerts, a Roman stadium under the main street, painted National Revival houses in the Old Town and the arts district of Kapana.

Getting there

Bus from the Central Bus Station or train

Best for

Culture, Food lovers, Couples

100 km · About 2 hours by car, then chairlift

3.Seven Rila Lakes

A chain of glacial lakes in the Rila mountains linked by a hiking trail with sweeping views. The route is usually done in summer and early autumn, starting from the top of a chairlift.

Getting there

Car or tour to Panichishte, then chairlift and hike

Best for

Quiet stays, Couples

110 km · About 2 hours by car

4.Koprivshtitsa

A mountain town of colourful 19th-century National Revival houses, several of them museums, where the April Uprising against Ottoman rule began in 1876.

Getting there

Car, or train plus local bus

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays

70 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by car or bus

5.Borovets

Bulgaria's oldest mountain resort sits in pine forest below Musala, the highest peak in the Balkans. It is a ski resort in winter and a base for hiking in summer.

Getting there

Bus or car via Samokov

Best for

Families, Budget

180 km · About 3 hours by car

6.Belogradchik Rocks

Towering red sandstone pinnacles shaped into fantastical figures surround a fortress whose walls are built between the rocks. It is a long day, best done by car or tour.

Getting there

Car or organised tour

Best for

Couples, Families

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Intercity buses to Plovdiv, Rila Monastery and Borovets leave from the Central Bus Station, next to the railway station, and from the smaller Ovcha Kupel bus station.
• For trips over about 210 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask