Plovdiv, Starosel & Staro Zhelezare from Plovdiv
Description
Start in Plovdiv’s Old Town to admire 19th-century mansions like Hindliyan House. Visit the 1st-century Roman Theatre for views of the Rhodope Mountains, then climb to Nebet Tepe's 6,000-year-old Thracian ruins. Next, dive into the Kapana art district for lunch among trendy cafes and craft beer bars. Leave the city for the Starosel Cult Complex to step inside a 5th-century BC Thracian stone tomb. Finish in Staro Zhelezare, a quirky village where murals feature local grandmas alongside world icons. Admission fees are not included
Tour Options
Itinerary
Departure for the Old Town Walking tour at 10:30 in front of the Ancient Eastern Gate of Philippopolis.
Plovdiv is a beautiful town with a cheerful vibe. Walk along its cobbled streets and admire the striking architecture. As a vibrant crossroads of many civilizations, the city tells a unique story. Choose a guided walk or a self-guided audio tour to see how Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans shaped the city over thousands of years. The tour lasts 2 hours and covers all the major sights in the Old Town and Plovdiv's center.
Stroll through Europe’s longest pedestrian zone and dive into the trendy, car-free streets of the Kapana creative hub. Enjoy dedicated free time to grab an authentic local lunch at a courtyard café, shop for unique handmade souvenirs, and soak up Plovdiv's artistic energy at your own pace.
Step inside ancient mysteries as you climb the grand stone staircase of Europe's largest 4th-century BC Thracian royal tomb. Walk through the mystical 10-column dome chamber with an expert guide and uncover secret rituals older than many Roman monuments.
Capture surreal photos in a traditional rural village completely transformed into a vibrant, open-air street art gallery. Walk past local homes and barns where village elders are painted right alongside global celebrities, politicians, and pop-culture icons.
The drop-off will be at the bus stop in front of the Ramada by Wyndham Plovdiv Trimontium hotel, in Plovdiv city center.
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
- Not recommended for children under the age of 6 years.
- Not recommended for people with impaired mobility
Reviews(16)
Beware of the exorbitant price of a transfer, complementary to the otherwise satisfactory visit to the Rila Monastery from Sofia (17 euros, price at the end of July 2023). Indeed, Traventuria charges 20 euros (price at the end of July 2023) for the connection of around 30 minutes between the Rila monastery and the nearby town of Blagoevgrad, while a local bus costs around only 3 leva with Rila Express, i.e. 7 times less!).
Chère MiCarte, Merci beaucoup pour vos commentaires. Nous apprécions votre temps. Veuillez noter que chaque entreprise a le pouvoir discrétionnaire de décider elle-même du prix de ses services. Les bus locaux sont toujours une option de transport et chacun a le droit de les utiliser s'il le souhaite. Nos services de transport sont meilleurs que les services de bus locaux et une meilleure qualité a toujours un prix. Cordialement, Nora Dobrinska (Équipe Traventuria)
My favourite part is the tour guide Martin's introduction of sacred sites near the Rila Monastery, where St John of Rila prayed, and the church where he was buried. Martin went out of his way to show us this extra aspect of the founder of the Rila Monastery, which is off the beaten track.
Hello and thank you very much for your feedback. We appreciate your time. Martin will be very happy with your kind words, too. Looking forward to seeing you again in the future! Best Regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
The trip was well organised. The church at Boyana was beautiful and the Rila Monastery was also very impressive.Our guide Lubonir (as well as the other lady guide) was very knowledgeable and helpful. The drive was also very pleasant.I would recommend this trip to all tourists in Bulgaria.
Dear Maria, Thank you very much for your feedback. It is of great value to us and we appreciate your time. We will surely let Lubo know of your kind words as well. Bulgaria's history and nature have so much to offer and we look forward to having you on another tour with us again! With best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
My husband & I were in Sofia for a week April 2023. We took the day trip to Rila Monastery & Boyana Church with Traventuria. Boyana Church was small but very interesting, & the the Rila Monastery was beautiful. These are both things that are definitely worth seeing if you are visiting Sofia. Our guide, Martin, was excellent; he was funny & entertaining & also very knowledgeable about both sites. At the monastery he gave us the ground rules & a lot of information & then we had plenty of time to explore & take photos.
Hello, It was a pleasure for us to read your feedback! Martin will be very happy to know you've enjoyed the time with him! Thank you for sharing your 5 star review of our services with others here! Our team is looking forward to seeing you again next time you visit Bulgaria! Best regards, Nora Dobrinska (Traventuria Team)
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the Rila Monastery and the Boyana Church. Ludomir, our guide, and driver got us everywhere on time. Ludomir was extremely knowledgeable and gave us plenty of free time at the monastery. We had time to enjoy a bowl of bean soup at the little local restaurant and take loads of pictures. The additional quiet time in the church was appreciated. The Boyana Church is a tiny gem. Ludomir gave a thorough explanation of the history of the church and the beautiful frescoes. He also talked about the gardens and the neighborhood, Boyana, where the church is situated. Great tour. Thanks.
Dear Tony! Thank you for your feedback! I'll let Lubomir know about your kind words for him and I am sure he will be more than happy that you enjoyed your time at its fullest! You are always welcome to visit us again! Safe travels, Maria Kamenova
Everything was amazing, the guide Martin made the tour very dinamic and full of good experiencies.The ride was smooth and nice! Thanks guys.
Dear Nathalie, Thank you for sharing your feedback, this means a lot to us. Looking forward to seeing you again on our tours. Kind regards, Nadya Korunova Traventuria Team
During our trip to Sophia we relied on the Traventuria agency to visit the surroundings and in two different days we were accompanied to the historic city of Plovdiv and to the Rila Monastery. It was an unforgettable experience and the competence, availability and professionalism of our guide Lubomir made everything more interesting and enjoyable!
Dear Friend! Thank you so much for valuing the work of our team and especially of our amazing guide Lubomir! We are really happy that you enjoyed the tour! Looking forward to hosting you again! Safe travels! Maria Kamenova
The tour is really worth it. The locations are impressive, especially the Rila Monastery. The guides Todor and Irina were very good as well, very knowledgeable, polite and shared a lot of interesting details about the places. This made the whole experience ever richer. I certainly recommend it.
Thank you for sharing your feedback with others here on TripAdvisor! We are lucky we had you as our guest! Looking forward to many new trips! Best regards, Maria Kamenova
The tour to Rila Monastry and Boyana Church is very well organised, the price is fair and Martin is the best guide you can imagine: kind, professional, lively and also good looking 🌸 I had a great time 😊
Dear Chiara! Thank you so much for valuing the work of our team and especially of our amazing guide Martin! We are really happy that you enjoyed the tour! Looking forward to hosting you again! Safe travels! Maria Kamenova
An excellent trip. Our driver and guide, I think his name was Mette, was excellent. I am actually writing this review because I was so impressed with him - excellent personality and thorough with his knowledge of Bulgarian history and so passionate about his country. All of us enjoyed this trip and I would highly recommend it
Thank you for your review! Our guide Metto is really delighted to read your review! It was a pleasure for our team to host you in Bulgaria! Looking forward to more amazing trips in our country! Best regards Maria Kamenova
