Tours/Sofia/Rila Monastery and Wine Tasting Tour
Viator · group up to 18 pax

Rila Monastery and Wine Tasting Tour

4.2(9)Sofia1 hour
VIATOR4.5(4)TRIPADVISOR4.0(5)

Description

Rila Monastery private tour will take you to Bulgaria's most important and visited historical site and even more -  Bulgaria's most visited UNESCO place, the 14th century defensive tower and a local wine cellar. Enjoy the wonderful frescoes from 19th century, representing the achievement of the Bulgarian Revival painting school, feel the amazing spirit of the largest monastery in the country, surrounded by the indescribable beauty of Rila mountain. In the afternoon we will visit a special winery where you will try 3 different wines.

Tour Options

Private day tour
  • 5 wines tasting with snacks Inclusions:: transfer to/from your hotel/accommodation in Sofia, guide in English, parking fees, entrance fees. Meals and personal expenses are not included. Pickup included

Itinerary

60 min

The highest Balkan peninsula mountain!

120 min

Rila Monastery visit

Admission included120 min

Excellent wine, winery, views and wine tasting

Highlights

Professional guide
Private tour
Wine tasting
Driver/guide
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Hotel/port pickup and drop-off

What's included

Included
Professional guide
Private tour
Wine tasting
Driver/guide
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Hotel/port pickup and drop-off
Not included
Food and drinks
Gratuities

Pickup Locations & Times

Please let us know your hotel name in Sofia. We will message you 2 days before departure with pick up time.

Traveller Ratings

4.2
9 reviews
5
6
4
1
3
1
2
0
1
1

Important Information

  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • 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
  • A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
  • Comfortable walking shoes are recommended this tour does involve a moderate amount of walking
  • Minimum age is 2 years

Reviews(9)

V
Vijay_P
March 3, 2025
Culture and wine

If you're looking for a perfect blend of history, culture, and wine, this day trip to Rila Monastery and Medi Valley Winery is an absolute must! Our guide, Georgi, made the experience truly exceptional with his deep knowledge, professionalism, and warm personality.

5
508nadezhdam
September 11, 2024
Unreliable service provider

The trip was canceled last moment although it was booked well in advance. The operator excused themselves with the grape picking season :o. "Because it was the grape picking season the winery they partnered with could not offer the wine tasting." :-0. As if grape picking happened by surprise and could not be planned accordingly. Or the one hour wine tasting would jeopardise the whole harvesting. No other options were offered to compensate for the inconvenience. Unreliable service provider.

F
FellowTraveler623488
November 6, 2022
Would Recommend

The monastery is truly a must see, one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. Ivan was a brilliant tour guide who was very passionate about the monastery and had a lot of knowledge about Bulgarian wine. Would recommend to anyone

J
JehanCarew
February 28, 2020
Great Trip

This is a place not to be missed. It has a certain about of charm and the artistry on the wall is immense/ strikingly beautiful. We went to the Rila Monastery and the Boyana trip for as the wine tasting tour is out of season at the moment. Michael the tour guide looked after us and explained the history of the place. We went in February and it even snowed. They also stop for lunch at a quaint restaurant that had a fire. Try the fresh trout if you like fish. Definitely a lovely trip to go on.

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

Thank you for the nice words! We wish you all the best!

S
Sherri_D
June 4, 2019
Rila and Wine tasting review

My friend and I had a great trip to the Rila Monastery and Wine Tasting. Our guide Victor was excellent and gave us much information about the Monastery that we would have never known had we gone on our own. We had a nice lunch in a cozy restaurant where Victor continued to share personal stories of the Bulgarian history with us, which was all very eye opening. The winery part was good, perhaps a little rushed, but the wine was excellent. I highly recommend this tour for a personalized experience with loads of information. It was a great combination of sightseeing, walking and relaxation.

E
Ebonnie M
May 28, 2018
Historical and educational

The monastery was very picturesque against the mountain backdrop. The paintings on the wall of the church, both inside and outside, were very historical and educational, which makes the visit very interesting. Although the travel time was long, more than 2 hours, but it was well worth it. The wine tasting after the monastery visit was an added plus, a needed break from the bus travel. The sommelier was very knowledgeable and the wine offered for tasting was of very good quality.

3 people found this helpful
C
Christiane M
May 1, 2018
Visit to recommend

Very nice site, very nice and competent guide. Wine tasting ok without more The tour starts at 9:00 am and lasts until about 5:30 pm.

D
Danielle F
December 12, 2017
I really enjoyed this tour. It was...

<p>I really enjoyed this tour. It was me, my husband and the guide. This is a nice side tour when visiting Sofia. It gets you out of the city and you are able to explore more of Bulgaria. The Monastery was beautiful and our guide was able to explain things to us that I would have missed otherwise if I went on my own. We also had time on our own to explore. After the monastery we went to a winery, had a tour and got to taste several wines...they were tasty so we brought some home with us as a souvenir won't last long.</p>

P
philip m
May 19, 2016
Good tour and wine tasting excellent...

<p>Good tour and wine tasting excellent. Poor value for money.</p>

1 people found this helpful

You might also like...