Rila Monastery & Thermae Full-Day Tour from Sofia
Description
Guided Tour (English) and free online audio-guides in Eg, Fr, Sp, It, Ger, Rus. Rila Monastery UNESCO site and the healing powers of Bulgaria's mineral springs in a relaxing spa!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Rila Monastery -The Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. Founded in the 10th century, the Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and is a must-visit tourist attraction for both Bulgarians and foreign visitors. It was built at its present place in the 14th century. The oldest buildings in the complex date from this period - the Tower of Hrelyu (1334–1335) and a small church just next to it (1343). However, the arrival of the Ottomans in the end of the 14th century was followed by numerous raids and a destruction of the monastery in the middle of the 15th century. The monastery complex, regarded as one of the most impressive masterpieces of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, was declared a national historical monument in 1976 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
Rila National Park is the highest and most beautiful mountain on the Balkan penisula with its 2925 m. high peak Musala and beautiful forest, rivers, waterfalls and meadows.
Kotvata Thermal Spa Complex offers excellent hot mineral water in many outside and inside pools. Relax, recover and enjoy a beer, no matter winter or summer. Inside thermal pool is cheaper and warmer for the winter, outside pools offer diffrent temperature and are perfect for both summer and winter months.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Knees and shoulders need to be covered during the Monastery visit
- Entrance fees for thermal complex not included and varies between 15 and 25 € per person
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Not recommended for people with health/hearth problems due to warm water
Reviews(40)
The tour is really good, Rila Monastery is incredible and worth checking. The Spa trip is also great. The tour guide Georgi Ivanov was great too, he taught a lot about the history of Rila. I highly recommend the visit.
Very good, they should have more flexibility with Spanish, as there are many Spanish-speaking people traveling around the world. Large does not dominate English.
Viewing the monastery is worthwhile BUT on this tour we were all crammed on to an old and dirty mini bus which had graffiti on the back of at least one headrest. My seat was broken and the general condition was very poor. The monastery is impressive and there are options to get food and drinks . The Thermae is just a series of swimming pools - nice on a hot day
Stefan was the perfect guide. He had a wealth of knowledge about the the path to Rila Monastery and Thermae Spa. And pointing out the stork nests. The tour company were amazingly efficient providing excellent information. The meeting point was very clear. Stefan provided a description of Rila Monastery and then let us explore with several times pointing out amazing things that I would have missed. The audio guide was excellent. The Thermae Spa was wonderful. And clean. There a cool, warm and very warm pools. Fortunately with both the Monastery and the Spa it was not crowded. A perfect day.
It was a beautiful blend of culture and relaxation. The Rila Mountains and the monastery are magnificent and unique. The thermal baths punctuate this day with relaxation and a view of the mountains—top notch!
A unique experience. The monastery was even more beautiful than I imagined, and the spa was very relaxing. The timing was perfectly planned. It was a rainy day, so it was ideal to spend it on an excursion and keep the sunny days for exploring Sofia and taking pictures. We also had Yvan as our guide, who was really great, knowledgeable, and easy to follow.
Thank you very much! We hope you enjoy many other trips like ours!
This is a great trip, please bear in mind that when they say a full day they mean it. I have been on other trips where you are collected at 9 and you return around 4pm. We got back to our drop off point at around 7pm which was great as we really had a full day's experience. The monastery was beautiful and the guide was very knowledgeable. We stopped for lunch which is optional, as long as all the group agree. The food was delicious and good value. The spa was a wonderful experience. Don't forget your flip flops and towel!
There is quite a lot of driving to each venue. The scenery as we came home was magnificent (unfortunately, horrendous weather in the morning so our window was steamed up). The monastery was great - and enough time to enjoy fresh donuts as well as interesting architecture. We loved the thermal bath - it was just what we needed after travelling to Bulgaria the day before.
It was great plenty of time in both locations to do your own things. The monastery is pretty but small so one hour was plenty enough.
Ivan really a good person, very nice tour that made me spend a different day during my stay in Sofia
