Rila Monastery and Melnik, Day Tour from Sofia with Pickup
Description
Feel the magic of Southwestern Bulgaria by visiting Rila monastery and Melnik just in one day. Feel the spirit of the holiest bulgarian monastery. Sense the power of mother nature by visiting the Melnik pyramids. Taste one of the most famous bulgarian wines. Three different experiences that will create a day full with emotions. Do not hesitate to save money and time with this extraordinary tour!
Tour Options
Itinerary
The travel time from Sofia to Rila Monastery is around 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Rila monastery is part of UNESCO world cultural heritage list and It’s one of the symbols of Bulgaria. Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation. You will have enough time to explore the monastery, the main church and the monastery museum.
Travel time from Rila monastery to Melnik is around 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Melnik is the smallest town in Bulgaria nowadays. The first settlers of this region were the Tracian tribe Medi, from which the legendary rebel Spartacus originated. During the Revival Melnik was a blooming big city with big market. Since that times the city is famous with its high quality wines. During the tour we will visit the Kordopulova house where we can taste the local wine. Near Melnik we will see the Pyramids of Melnik. Entrance fee to Kordopulova house is 3 levs.
Before traveling back to Sofia we will make lunch break (lunch is not included in the tour price).
The travel time from Melnik back to Sofia is around 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Proper clothing required - all clothes have to cover the shoulders, tank tops, short skirts are not allowed!
- Travel time to Rila monastery is around 1 hour 45 minutes
Reviews(8)
Anton was a brilliant guide, so considerate and always made sure everything was perfect :) I really loved Rila Monastery even if it was unexpectedly cold (snowing!) Really glad I chose Melnik, a cool town with amazing rock formations (Watch out for the scam lake tours when in May you can't even see the lakes as they're still covered in snow and the hike would be miserable- I learned from multiple sources that some tour companies offer this and then cancel the lakes at the last minute or force people to hike for hours through snow miserably!) This tour company and day trip genuinely care about people having a good time - highly recommend
Vincy our guide and driver was wonderful. The vehicle was new and safe. He was knowledgeable of the area and the history. He made great restaurant suggestions. He was on time and respectful of our space and time. We highly recommend him.
We strongly recommend this tour. Our guide Ventsislav was exceptionally accommodating friendly and professional. He was also right on time and made sure our trip was as fun and smooth as possible. I’d like to thank him for his great recommendations and information throughout the trip.
We did a private tour to Rila Monastery and the town of Melnik. Both places are fantastic! Love the structure and architecture of Rila Monastery with so much history and learned about the paintings of the interiors of the church. Ventsi is patient to explain all the details clearly and we took nice photos of the surroundings. We made our way to Melnik and is impressed by the quiet town which speaks by itself with the traditional old stone and wooden houses. Visited a house museum and tasted some lovely Melnik wine after wandering an underground cave cellar. Highly recommended for some unique experience!
Beautiful itinerary, we spent a wonderful day We loved the small town of Melnik and enjoyed every minute
Our driver and guide (Ventsislav) was just amazing. A great and friendly guide indeed. My friend and I were the only ones on this tour so it was like our own little private tour. Ventsislav recommended that we leave early which was a fantastic idea because there were only about 5 people when we arrived and over 100 when we left. He also took a detour on our journey to Melnik as there was a lot of traffic (which we visibly saw) and saved us at least 30 min on our journey!!!! Great trip with a great guide.
An extraodrinary day trip to the enchanting Rila Monastery and small town of Melnik, that is not to be missed. Melnik is quaint and set between some strange mountain dunes. Make sure to head to a view point to the see the whole town from above. Some lovely wine available and recommended. Thank you to our guide Ventsi!
Thank you, Rana!
Wonderful guide and a fabulous day trip! Rila Monastery is gorgeous! And Melnik was very quaint, loved the winery.
Thank you Judie. I'm happy to hear these wonderful words. :)
