Feedback on our summer trip to Bulgaria

Hi there,

This summer, we’re heading to Bulgaria as a family (2 adults and 2 kids aged 15 and 12). Our flights and rental car are already booked, and our accommodations are pre-reserved (cancellable). Just so you know, we prefer nature over cities for our vacations.

I’d love your thoughts on our itinerary—specifically, any interesting sites, hikes, or nature activities you’d recommend. - Day 1: Arrival in Sofia at 11 PM - Day 2: Sofia - Day 3: Drive to Veliko Tarnovo, overnight there - Day 4: Drive to the Black Sea (we were supposed to go to Varna, but our booking was canceled) - Days 5–8: We were planning to stay in Varna and visit Balchik and Nesebar. But since our accommodation fell through, we’re wondering if we should spend only 2 nights in Varna and 3 in Nesebar instead. What do you think? - Day 9: Drive to Sinemorets - Days 10–11: Sinemorets, Strandja (3 nights in Sinemorets) - Days 12–13: Plovdiv - Days 14–16: Rhodopes, staying in Yagodina for 3 nights - Day 17: Melnik - Days 18–20: Bansko (Bansko Jazz Fest, hikes) - Day 21: Rila Monastery, then overnight in Sapareva Banya - Day 22: Seven Rila Lakes hike - Day 23: Return to Sofia and fly home

Does this route feel balanced, or too rushed? What do you think are the must-see spots along the way?

Thanks! PM

Hello,

We were in Bulgaria last summer for two weeks in July. We did a similar loop but spent little time on the coast (2 nights in Nessebar, a really nice little town worth stopping at).

My goal isn’t to make you change your itinerary but to share our experience and favorite spots, in addition to the must-sees like the Seven Rila Lakes hike (though don’t expect to be alone there) and the Rila Monastery.

Leaving Sofia, we headed north to Belogradchik. A fortress built amid red rocks. At sunset, it’s just stunning. It’s something out of the ordinary, and by staying overnight, you get to enjoy the calm and visit during the cooler hours. There are also hikes possible through the red rocks. Given the time you have, it might be worth going up there and spending a night.

On the way to Veliko Tarnovo, we stopped by the Prohodna Cave. It’s really impressive due to its size. You can take a short walk in the "canyon" after crossing the cave.

The city of Veliko Tarnovo deserves more than one night, even if we’re not big city people. There’s the castle, of course, but also the small churches in Arbanassi (8 km from the city, a quiet little village perfect for a stroll). In the evening, eat at one of the restaurants in Veliko with a terrace overlooking the river below, or if you prefer something quieter, on General Gurko Street.

On the way to the Black Sea, a quick stop at Pobitite Kamani (the standing stones). The visit isn’t very long, but it’d be a shame to skip it.

In Melnik, do the hike from Rozhen to Melnik. You can also do it as a round trip, but given the heatwave we had, we asked our B&B to drop us off at the monastery and walked back down at a leisurely pace.

Plovdiv clearly deserves two nights. There’s so much to discover—Roman ruins, a mosque, beautiful houses you can visit inside, including an old pharmacy.

What disappointed us: the village of Bozhentsi (maybe because it was rainy and gray), the Ivanovo Rock Monasteries (even though they’re a UNESCO World Heritage site and the walk is nice, we didn’t think the detour was worth it), and the Madara Rider (we didn’t get the hype for this place).

We didn’t go toward Sinemorets, so no opinion on that area.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Happy planning, Pascale

Hello to you Southern Bretons,

This is a really great itinerary for discovering Bulgaria, allowing you to explore many facets of the country, whereas many people often just stick to the coastline.

It’s hard for me to judge the pace of the trip—I’ve always traveled in Bulgaria by bus, which required a different timing.

Instead of heading straight from Sofia to Veliko Tarnovo, I’d recommend connecting the two cities by taking a central route through the Stara Planina mountain range, one of the historical hearts of Bulgaria, where the country’s culture and identity were preserved during the Ottoman occupation. It’d be great to make a stop along the way, like in Koprivshtitsa, and head north via the Shipka Pass, a mountain pass that was the site of a decisive battle in Bulgarian history, with a beautiful panorama over the central valley, also known as the "Valley of Roses."

Regarding the Strandja region, before your trip, the book *Border* by Kapka Kassabova could be a useful read to dive into the specifics of this border area.

Between the Rhodopes and Melnik, there are some well-preserved villages worth visiting en route. For Bansko, if I understand correctly, your accommodation is already booked—that’s a good thing because it can be really tough to find lodging during the festival dates. There are some great hikes to do, Mount Vihren is a classic, and with the refuge system, it’s easy to hike light for supplies. Less known, the little mountain train passes through Bansko station: winding on a narrow track between the Rila and Rhodope mountains, passing through the highest station in the Balkans, it’s a great way to get off the beaten path—literally and figuratively. I’m not sure, though, if it’s possible to do a round trip without too much waiting.

Hi Pascale,

Thanks for the info. We were actually tempted to go to Belogradchik, but we thought it would be quite a detour for just one night. We’ll think about it again now 😉. I’ll keep the Prohodna Cave in mind if we decide to go to Belogradchik.

Did you stay in Nessebar itself?

Thanks, Pierre-Marie

Hey Astarloa,

Instead of heading straight from Sofia to Veliko Tarnovo, I’d recommend connecting the two cities by taking a central route through the Stara Planina mountain range, one of the historical hearts of Bulgaria, where the country’s culture and identity were preserved during the Ottoman occupation. It’d be great to stop along the way, like in Koprivshtitsa, and head north via the Shipka Pass—a mountain pass that was the site of a decisive battle in Bulgarian history, with a beautiful panorama of the central valley, also known as the "Valley of Roses."

Yeah, we were thinking about that. Would you recommend spending one night in Koprivshtitsa? And what’s the Valley of Roses like at the end of July? We thought it was most spectacular in June?

About the Strandja region, before your trip, the book *Border* by Kapka Kassabova might be a useful read to dive into the specifics of this border area.

Oh, I haven’t heard of that—I’ll make a note! I read *Strandja Notebooks* by Alexandre Levy, which I really enjoyed and made me want to visit Bulgaria even more.

Less well-known, the little mountain train passes through Bansko station: winding along a narrow track between the Rila and Rhodope mountains, passing through the highest station in the Balkans. It’s a great way to get off the beaten path, literally and figuratively. Though I’m not sure if it’s possible to do a round trip without too much waiting.

Oh, that train sounds awesome—I’ll look into it. It’ll be a nice change from hiking!

Thanks, Pierre-Marie

I really loved Koprivshtitsa—it’s definitely one of the most beautiful villages in the country. To enjoy its tranquility, I think it’s worth spending an evening there, so you can wander around once it’s returned to its locals after the day visitors leave.

True, in the middle of summer, it’s too late for the roses—it’d be more accurate to call it the valley of rose bushes then. What’s really worth seeing, in my opinion, isn’t the valley floor but the viewpoint from the Shipka Pass over that long "corridor" between the two mountain ranges—Stara Planina and Sredna Gora. It’s also from the top of the pass that you can take the turnoff for the "flying saucer" of Buzludzha, a truly unique spot and one that’s becoming increasingly iconic for the country!

If you add a stop in Koprivshtitsa on the way to Veliko Tarnovo, you could also visit the Shipka Church (built by the Russians, impressive with its colors), the Shipka Pass, and Buzludzha. Then, if time allows, you’ve got a choice between Etar (a "man-made" village built as an ethnographic museum) and Tryavna (a more authentic village with "real" traditional houses).

One caveat to my advice: I’ve explored Bulgaria five times from top to bottom, but my last visit was ten years ago. Tourism hasn’t boomed in that time—it’s still mostly focused on the coast and Sofia—but I can’t say how places like Koprivshtitsa have changed. Back then, it was very peaceful; the term "touristy" is relative compared to what you might see elsewhere.