Rila Monastery and Boiana church private tour
Description
You have the chance to visit two UNESCO world heritage sites in one day- Boyana church and Rila Monastery.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Rila Monastery is the biggest active male orthodox monastery in Bulgaria, founded by the first Bulgarian hermit- Saint Ivan Rilski in the 10th century. After the big fire in 1833 the monastery was rebuilt anew, the only building which remained from the old monastery is the defense tower. In the Monastery you will have the chance to visit: The Church “Birth of the Holly Virgin” with the relics of Saint John of Rila (Ivan Rilski), the coffin of Tsar Boris III, the monastery kitchen /called Magernitsa/, Hrelyo’s defence tower, history and monastery economy museum. Visit to Saint Yoan’s Cave possible only in good weather.
Boyana church and its beautiful frescos.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Any hotel or address in Sofia, rental apartment, hostel, Sofia airport, bus or train station, private address
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(23)
We really enjoyed our day trip to visit Boyana Church and Rila Monastery. Boyana Church is really small, but it is interesting to see the layers of painting inside the church. Plus, the setting is very pretty. Rila Monastery is a can't miss site in Bulgaria. The setting is stunning as is the painted church. Both the interior and exterior are covered in paintings. We also stopped for a very nice lunch- overall it was the perfect way to spend a day.
We were a party of 7 and it was a last minute booking. We could not get entrance tickets to Boyana Church but Vladi made it happen! Very resourceful and creative in how he made it happen. Rila Monastery was also a sight to behold. Excellent day handled beautifully!
This tour was very interesting and enjoyable. It was a full day from Sofia, but very well organized and efficient. I got to see a lot of the countryside and learn a great deal about Bulgarian history and culture. The two sites (Boyana Church and Rila Monastery) were interesting to visit and we had a nice Bulgarian lunch on the way back to Sofia. Vlady did a wonderful job explaining everything to me and was very friendly and professional. A terrific experience.
It was an amazing trip to the Rila Monastery! Vladi was amazing as a guide and driver ! He was kind & informative ! He was very knowledgeable ! We had an amazing experience!
Memorable day at awesome UNESCO world heritage site… absolutely stunning, beautiful, historic, cultural experience in a serene peaceful gorgeous setting. Many thanks to our excellent guide Vladi who made the overall experience memorable with his deep knowledge, insights and kindness. Vladi took us to a beautiful restaurant by the river for an outstanding traditional lunch. Highly recommended … a must do .. if you are visiting Bulgaria.
The drive to the monastery was beautiful. The monastery itself offers many things to see. The museum is worth the small extra charge. Our guide/driver was fantastic!
the experience went well. Our driver Rusha was friendly and helpful. the monastery and the boyan church are definitely worth seeing.
Comfortable private ride, professional service and a very friendly and knowledgable driver. Highly recommend!
Vladi (I hope I’m spelling his name correctly) was incredibly good. Starting with his flexibility- I only had 1 afternoon to do this tour, and he accommodated my schedule. It was just me on this tour, so I certainly got all of his attention. He’s extremely knowledgeable and was great at pointing out all the historical facts. The tour to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church couldn’t have been better! Thanks so much!
Our tour guide/driver Vlad was excellent. He was punctual, polite, informative, discreet, fluent in English and a good driver. He told us not only interesting things about the sights we were visiting, but also a lot about Bulgaria. At our request, he took us to a lovely quiet restaurant by the river for lunch that served tasty food. We enjoyed the tour very much. We would definitely ask for Vlad again if we want to plan another private car tour in Bulgaria.
