Full Day Trip to Bulgaria from Bucharest
Description
Add a second country to your trip with a well paced day tour from Bucharest to northern Bulgaria, covering three distinct stops in one itinerary: Ruse, Arbanasi, and Veliko Tarnovo. After crossing the Danube, enjoy a short stop in Ruse, including the city center pedestrian area and the Holy Trinity Cathedral Church, then continue to the traditional village of Arbanasi, known for its historic houses and local atmosphere. The highlight of the day is Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria’s medieval capital, where you will visit the Tsarevets Fortress and have free time to explore and enjoy the panoramic hilltop views. A tour leader keeps the schedule on track and shares practical context about Bulgaria between stops, making this an easy, efficient way to experience the country in one day. Timings may vary depending on border procedures and traffic.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The activity will start in downtown Bucharest.
Pass by and admire the Unirii Square one of the largest public squares in Europe.
Pass by and admire the Palace of Parliament - the world’s largest, heaviest and most expensive administrative building
Pass by and admire the University Square, a symbolic place laden with history.
Veliko Tarnovo is home to the magnificent Tsaravets Fortress, the strongest Bulgarian fortification from the Middle Ages. Once home to royalty this ancient stronghold is now a striking tourist attraction standing proudly atop Tsaravets Hill. Once you have explored Veliko Tarnovo and enjoyed lunch, the tour will continue to its final stop; Arbanasi Village. Nestled on a high plateau between the settlements of Veliko Tarnovo and Gorna Oryahovitsa, Arbanasi Village provides spectacular views and incredible examples of medieval architecture dating back several centuries. This tour is truly one for the enthusiastic history buff and anybody that appreciates beautiful buildings, stunning scenery, and the opportunity to discover a little more about Bulgaria.
The tour will continue to the city of Ruse, one of Bulgaria's most elegant cities, boasts a touch of Central European grandeur rarely found elsewhere in the country. It's a city adorned with imposing belle époque architecture and meticulously maintained leafy squares, as if a small chunk of Vienna that has drifted down the Danube.
Our guide will showcase the main highlights of Ruse Old Town, after which you'll have the opportunity to explore the city at your own pace.
We will end our activity in downtown Bucharest.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- This activity requires a minimum of 4 participants. If this minimum is not reached, we will contact you to offer alternative dates or trips.
- Please make sure you have all the necessary documents and permissions to cross the border.
- Entrance fees are not included (approx. EUR 20). We recommend bringing euros in cash, as card payments may not be accepted at all locations.
- Children under 4 years old cannot join shared tours. Please contact us for a private tour offer.
Reviews(391)
A very enjoyable day. Lucian was entertaining and informative. He made the day easy and fun.
A great way to experience Bulgaria if you don't have much time. We saw three places and there was plenty of free time to explore or eat. Lucien our guide and driver provided lots of history and other information about Bulgaria and Romania in a very drole style.
We had the most wonderful full-day trip from Bucharest to Bulgaria, and so much of that experience was thanks to our fantastic tour leader, Anna. Anna was absolutely lovely — kind, warm, attentive and incredibly informative. She shared so much about Bulgaria’s history, culture and way of life, but did so in such an engaging and enjoyable way. She was always happy to answer our questions, made sure everyone was comfortable, and genuinely went above and beyond to make our day special. It was a pleasure spending the day with her. A special thank you also to George, our excellent driver, who drove us safely and comfortably throughout the entire trip. He was professional, friendly and an absolute pleasure to have with us. The whole day was exceptionally well organised, enjoyable and stress-free. We came away with wonderful memories of Bulgaria and would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Bucharest. Thank you, Anna and George, for making our day in Bulgaria so memorable! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wish I could rate this higher than a 5-star!! We really enjoyed Bulgaria!! It was gorgeous! We had plenty of time for the fortress, time to eat, time to walk around Ruse as well as the other stops. It was a small tour (maybe 10-12 people). There were bathroom/snack/drink stops and nothing was rushed. 10/10 no real notes. If I could say anything it’d be that I wish the driver had talked a little bit louder to explain some of the things while in the van, but he was knowledgeable, gave plenty of time for everything and it was a truly enjoyable day!!!
I had an amazing experience on this tour from Bucharest to Peleș Castle, Bran Castle, and Brașov. The whole trip was well organized, enjoyable, and a great way to see some of Romania’s most beautiful places in just one day. Peleș Castle was absolutely stunning, with incredible architecture and beautiful surroundings. Bran Castle was fascinating and full of history, and we really enjoyed learning more about the legends associated with Dracula. Brașov was another highlight — a charming city with beautiful streets, impressive architecture, and a wonderful atmosphere. Otelia (my guide's name) was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the journey interesting with stories and information about Romanian history and culture. Everything ran smoothly, and we had enough time to enjoy each stop. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Bucharest who wants to discover some of the highlights of Transylvania. A memorable and very enjoyable day!
This was a great day trip, starting off by traveling to Ruse where you get a little history and a nice walk around the square. From there you make your way to Veliko Tarnovo but you get a quick pit stop in Arbanasi which is a really beautiful town just outside of Veliko Tarnovo. I think something that could be useful is sending the people a pin of the drop off location as sometimes, with all the new sites, you forget where to go. The guide was really good about stopping for bathroom breaks, and was really safe with driving. I wish you had more time at each of the locations but that’s just due to time constraints. This really gives you a nice little taste of Bulgaria.
Once past the pick up misinformation we were on our way. Grateful our guide Lucien called before leaving us behind. Part of the group was instructed to meet by a monument in the University Square meanwhile another solo guest who had also booked via Trip Advisor was instructed to wait by a Pub in the Plaza. We both arrived 15mins in advance and missed the group at the mtg point where they met Lucien. Our guide Lucien was very helpful & insightful... certainly not holding back his views on the current state of Romania & the politics. Paid an additional 20EU for the guided tour but felt the 10mins of information we were given on the history of the church & the fortress wasn't good value. It's a good tour, a lot of driving for what you see & the road experience takes away from an otherwise enjoyable day. Thank you for the Tour!
It was a beautiful day trip to Bulgaria with a small group. Our tour guide was very informative, friendly, fun and helpful.
Very nice day trip from Bucharest to Bulgaria. Did it on 14/7/26 and had a really nice time. The guide was very friendly, super knowledgeable and had a good sense of humour. Especially the town of Veliko Tarnovo is beautiful; good place for a lunch and a stroll through the streets. All in all a very positive experience that I can recommend
The tour was almost exactly 12 hours long and we were told we were lucky with our timing. With that being said, none of the tour felt like a drag. You get to experience something that you would otherwise probably miss on your own. Rodica and Christian were very pleasant to work with.
