Plovdiv and Asen's fortress tour is excellent way to see in one day Bulgaria's second largest city and Medieval fortress. Plovdiv was one of the two European Capitals of Culture in 2019 and it is more beautiful than ever in its 5,000 years of history.
Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.
Prices are per person when two book together; a solo traveller pays $319.
Larger groups pay less per person.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 11.
Ancient Plovdiv Architectural Reserve is a well-preserved complex where on a relatively small area visitors can take walks through different historical ages, see ancient buildings adapted to the modern way of life and feel the spirit of the town from the Bulgarian Revival Period. The Old Town, as the complex is known, lies on a natural elevation – the three hills (the closely situated Dzhambaz Hill, Nebet Hill, and Taksim Hill). Many peoples have inhabited this place through the centuries. And all of them have left traces of their cultures and also the different names they gave to the town. Plovdiv is one of the oldest towns in Europe – it dates back to 4000 years BC. During Antiquity the Thracians came to the hill and set up a fortified settlement that was conquered by Philip of Macedon in the 2nd century BC. He gave one of the many names of the town - Philipopolis, and surrounded it with thick fortification walls. Later the Thracians regained control over the town, but after a series of battles they lost it to the Romans in the 1st century. A fortress from Thracian times is preserved on the very summit of Nebet Hill.
The Roman theatre of Plovdiv is one of the world's best-preserved ancient theaters, located in the city center of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. It was constructed in the 90s of the 1st century AD, probably under the ruler ship of Emperor Domitian. The theater can host between 5000 and 7000 spectators and it is currently in use.
This beautiful medieval fortification will allow you to learn some history and take wonderful pictures from the top. At 16:00 your tour will be over and you will start your journey back to Sofia with an expected time of arrival at Alexander Nevski Square in Sofia around 18:00h.
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For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Full-Day Plovdiv and Asen’s Fortress Tour from Sofia lasts about 9 hours. The itinerary has 3 stops.
Prices start at $34 per person for this Sofia experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. That is the per-person price when two book together; a solo traveller pays $319. There are 3 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 8:30 AM and 9:00 AM.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is 9:00 Departure from Serdika meeeting point (2, Maria Luiza boulevard across McDonalds on the main street). Please show up at least 5-10 minutes earlier and look for a V Travel branded vehicle (car, minivan, van, minibus). Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 17 participants.
Specialized infant seats are available
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.6 out of 5 across 39 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by V Travel Ltd..
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Really enjoyed the private tour to move aboit at our own pace and tempo. Plovdiv is a lovely historic town with clash of cultures. Also really enjoyed the Aslen castle nestled on beautiful hilltop. All in all very great day trip from Sofia.
Great experience! Guide was friendly knowledgeable and provided a lot of history.
Philip was our guide for this tour and was excellent. He provided us with detailed information with a sense of humor. Plovdiv was excellent; we enjoyed going through the old town with its history and then walking through the new town. Asen's Fortress is highly recommended. You need to be sure-footed as the steps up to it were uneven. The views were absolutely fabulous. There were roadworks on the motorway to Plovdiv, so we were on a tight schedule. The motorway was to be closed later, so things seemed a little rushed at times. That said, we avoided the motorway on the way back to Sofia. We took the back roads and saw parts of Bulgaria we would have never expected to see. Well done, Bobby, our driver. A long day, but very much worth it.
Plovdiv is a very beautiful city with a lot of history, worth visiting. The strength of Asen is also interesting and the setting is beautiful ❤ our guide Philip, has been very friendly, polite, and enlightened, with a very good sense of humor.
Great small group (5 people) tour, the guide was excellent on all fronts, his knowledge was nothing short of top shelf. Transport was very comfortable, we had plenty of spare time to have lunch and see a few other highlights in more detail
Excelent tour ! Excelent tour guide ! Thnk you Gregorio ! You were great and very very prepared and helpfull ! Gracias !!!! Next excursión I will get them From your company. Thanks
Fantastic day trip, beautiful old town. Ivan was a wonderful guide, answering all our questions and giving the perfect balance of guided tour and free time to explore.
Guide & driver very pleasant people however the bus was not what was expected, seatbelts didn’t work , air conditioning broken & working intermittently- exhaust fumes filtering into bus. The tour felt very rushed - sure there are better options available.
This is an excellent reasonably priced trip to Plovdiv from Sofia. It takes around 1hr 45mins to reach, and then you get a good overview walking tour with the guide (be aware that the walk is over uneven ground and includes a lot of steps) for about 2hrs. This is followed by 2hrs free time. Then you drive to the fortress, its worth noting that costs 4lev entrance which is not included and can only be paid in cash. Then you return to Sofia. Plovdiv itself is very interesting, I loved the Roman history and the old town is quaint with wooden style buildings.
By my personal taste Plovdiv itself is not so worth to visit, maybe just to have a walk in it. I had to be really bored but the guide was amazing and put a lot of passion in it and the fellow travelers I met in the trip were amazing people. Great to have such a small group and transportation in a van, but, please, do something about shock absorbers, they almost don't exist.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Day Plovdiv and Asen’s Fortress Tour from Sofia | 9 hours | 4.6 (39) | $34 | |
 Small group tour to Plovdiv, Asen's Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery | 9 hours | 4.8 (182) | $97 | View |
 Bachkovo Monastery & Asen's Fortress - day tour from Plovdiv | 3 hours | 5.0 (32) | $96 | View |
 Private Day Trip to Plovdiv and Asen's Fortress | 9 hours | 4.5 (13) | $240 | View |
 Full-Day Belogradchik Rocks and Belogradchik Fortress from Sofia | 10–11 hours | 4.9 (79) | $90 | View |
 Plovdiv Small Group Full Day Guided Tour from Sofia | 12 hours | 4.5 (279) | $22 | View |
 Asen's Fortress Self-Guided | 1–3 hours | 4.0 (1) | $10 | View |