From Sofia:The Valley of the Roses&Koprivshtitsa Small Group Tour
Description
It is a little known fact that over 60% of the worlds rose oil is produced in a few Bulgarian small valleys tucked between impressive mountain ranges. This is an exciting full day trip that will take you to a fairytale scenery of fields of roses, lavender and sunflowers towered by the rugged peaks of the Balkan Mountain. There your guide will be revealing the secrets and splendour of the Bulgarian rose oil production at a renowned distillery. Later you will be visiting also the elegant Russian style church of the Nativity and if time allows to the Shipka peak for great panoramic views. On the way back the ride will be on a different road with completely different views to gaze at. Your English-speaking driver will stop you for a short break in Koprvishtitsa, a small town showcasing in the best way the Bulgarian Renaissance architecture.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your activity-packed day starts at 7:00 am with a hop-on board on a small minibus (usually with Wi-Fi) to head south and enjoy a scenic drive through the Bulgarian countryside.
You will meet your local guide at the town of Kazanluk. The town is located in the heart of the Valley of Roses where over 60% of the world's rose oil is produced and more lavender oil than in the famous Provence, France. From here starts your guided exploration of the lush natural beauty of the valley locked between the Balkan and Sredna Gora mountain ranges. Kindly note that the roses are blooming only once a year from mid-May till mid-June. For the rest of the year, you will not be able to observe blossoming rose fields.
You will pay a visit to the Damascena rose distillery where the whole process of rose picking and rose oil production will be revealed and explained to you. It will be one of the most aromatic experiences you will experience in your lifetime.
If time allows, you will be driven to the Shipka Monument from where fantastic views on both sides of the Balkan Mountains will widen before you.
Koprivshtitsa is a living town, but also an architectural reserve, that is a 2-hour drive from the town of Kazanluk. You will have time to independently discover and marvel at the 19th-century mansions the town is well-known of. You will have enough time to stretch your legs by meandering along the cobbled streets and the numerous small bridges.
After another 2-hour transfer, you will arrive back at the original point, where your tour has started in the morning.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- During peak periods vehicles without Wi-Fi may be used.
Reviews(13)
We had a truly wonderful experience on the Viator day trip to the Rose Valley and Koprivshtica. The entire tour was very well organised and offered a perfect blend of cultural immersion and scenic beauty. A special highlight was our tour guide, Maria, who was absolutely outstanding. She was incredibly knowledgeable, passionate about her work, and communicated everything clearly in excellent English. What really stood out was her attentiveness and consideration for the needs and comfort of all her guests, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the Rose Festival. Participating in the rose picking in the fields was a unique and memorable experience. The festivities, with traditional folk dances and songs, created a vibrant and authentic atmosphere that truly captured the spirit of Bulgarian culture. Koprivshtica, on the other hand, offered a peaceful contrast. The village was quiet, beautifully preserved, and full of charm. The guided tour of the village was very informative and allowed us to appreciate its rich history and architecture. Overall, this was a very impressive tour that I would highly recommend. It perfectly combined cultural experiences, beautiful landscapes, and excellent guidance.
Small group tour with the absolutely AMAZING tour guide Maria, whose knowledge and passion made the whole experience enjoyable, worthwhile and memorable.
The tour guide Martin went far and beyond our expectations. We had a great time always listening the information he shared. Very knowledgeable tour guide is Martin.
Dear Clemente, Many thanks for your kind review. Your feedback is of great value to us and we are more than thankful for your time. Martin will surely be delighted with your words, too. We all look forward to meeting you again in Sofia! Best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
Love it! Our guide Simona was perfect af! she have amazing sarcasm and humor! she explain everything right and very patient. Thank u for this tour !
Dear Friend! Simona is one of our best guides and we are really happy she was above and beyond your expectations! We have an amazing team, for whom it will be a pleasure to host you again for a longer time in order to show you the beauty of Bulgarian history and nature! Safe travels, Maria Kamenova
The trip was beautiful! We had the luck of being in Bulgaria at the right time to experience the blooming rose fields, which were amazing. All area smelled like roses. We also loved Koprivtschica, it is a must see if you're in Bulgaria. Our giude was very nice and informative, he shared a lot interesting stories trough all sightseeing. We would recommend this trip to anyone if you have a free day to spare.
Dear Ognjen! We are the people to thank you for choosing our services and for letting us host you in our small, but beautiful country! Wishing you many many amazing travels! Stay safe, Maria Kamenova
Kris is a very knowledgeable guide who gave lots of information in details. The area is full of history and the nature is beautiful!
It was a kind of get away of hot weather, also useful information, the most charming sensation was I FELT FREE WITH MOTHER NATURE, LEARN ABOUT PEOPLE LIVING IN COUNTRYSIDE, LOVED IT
We have really amazing trip to the beautiful heartland of Bulgaria. So nice driver and fellow travellers. All was organised in time manner and program. You can go :)
We had a fabulous day visiting the Valley of the Roses and Koprivshtitsa. It was an excellent tour.Chris was our guide and he had a great knowledge of yhe placescwe visited as well as the history of Bulgaria. He also gave a great social commentary about the way of life. We were so lucky to visit while the roses were flowering, it was amazing to stand amongst them and experience their beautiful scent and then see oil production. The Shipka monument and Koprivshtitsa were beautiful and the drive and the views were great.
Dear Fiona, Thank you for sharing your review. It was a pleasure helping you customize your itinerary to Bulgaria. We are thrilled to hear that you loved your experience with us. I passed your kind words to Chris and he is really excited about them. We are happy to hear that you like everything on the tour and hope to see you again in our country! Safe travels, Annie Krumova
Very nice trip that will take you to Kazanlak to see the Damascena Ethnographic Complex, an old Thracian Tomb, the russian church in Shipka... Our guide Kristov was extremely nice and since we were only 2 people, me and my wife, and we had already seen Koprivshtitsa he kindly accepted to change the route and took us to Shipka monument and Gabrovo. A very nice day with a nice guide, recommended!
Hello! Thanks for the good words and the review! We really appreciate heartfelt reviews like yours as we work hard to create services that will be enjoyed! We hope to see you again in the future. Kind regards, Ameliya
