This is a Private Tour so you will not be combined with other people besides those in your reservation- there will be a private minivan and a private driver- guide just for you! Rila monastery and hiking through the Stob pyramids with a taste of traditional Bulgarian banitsa! If you join this tour you will: walk through the pyramids! See the 19-th century Monastery frescos from the Bulgarian revival and marvelous Iconostasis of the Church. See the unique miraculous icon of the Monastery. Go to the cave of Saint John of Rila. Visit the rich Monastery museum or/and/ the 14th century guard tower of the Monastery.
Prices are per person when two book together; a solo traveller pays $457.
Larger groups pay less per person.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 12.
Enjoy one of the best ways of exploring and learning more about Bulgaria- with a professional guide while hiking through the amazing mountains. The tour starts from Sofia and first you will go for hiking in the region of the Stob Piramids. A place well know and excellent for hiking where you will enjoy the magnificent nature. The hiking is of moderate difficulty and it is about 1 hour.
After that you will visit the largest monastery in Bulgaria: the Rila monastery. There your professional guide will take you around and blend you in to the history and the way of life in the monastery. You will spend about 1- 2h in the Rila monastery. Last but not least you will have the chance to taste one of the best and well known special pastry products in Bulgaria, which will be home-made and have some free time for lunch in a great local restourant.
Hotel/address pick up at 9am. -please indicate it.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 608 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Private Day Trip: Rila Monastery & Stob Pyramids lasts about 9 hours. The itinerary has 2 stops.
Prices start at $228 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 $457. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 9:00 AM.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Yes, pickup is offered. Hotel/address pick up at 9am. -please indicate it. Pickup points include InterContinental Sofia by IHG, Hostel Informa.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 15 travellers can book together.
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 5 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by City Tour Ltd..
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
It was a wonderful experience- the guide was very knowledgeable and took care of us very well. He was very good with kids. Kept them entertained and answered all their questions. He took care of each and every requests. Definitely recommend the extra money for a private tour.
The hike was perfect. We had perfect weather for the end of October. Also the Monastery is worth to see. So much history and great nature.
This was a fun day trip from Sofia, combining the history of Rila and the geology and short hike of the Stob Pyramids. Our car was comfortable and our guide, Angel, a good driver. His English was very good and we learned a lot about Bulgarian history and Rila's story. He knew a place to park near Rila that allowed us to approach it via a short pretty walk through the woods as travelers would have arrived for centuries. Rila is unique and lovely - a must see if you visit Sofia. Angel took us to a riverside restaurant for a delicious lunch, then on to the Stob rock formations. Reaching them requires a quite steep 20 minute walk on a pitted trail. They are interesting but not overwhelming, but it was nice to be outside after a few days in the city.
Thank you for the positive feedback! We really appreciate it. Please feel free to recommend our service to all your friends coming to Sofia. :) Best regards,
Excellent opportunity to explore beyond Sofia for the day. A mini hike to the Stob Pyramids in a very tranquil setting and then on to the stunning Rila Monastery. Great lunch by the river. My guide, Orlin, was top notch: thoroughly knowledgeable about the places we visited, excellent English, very engaging. Arranged a detour to visit a winery so I could learn more about local wines and pick up a bottle or two. Punctual, very comfortable vehicle. Entirely recommended!
Dear Martin, Thank you very much for your recommendation! We appreciate your time in writing this detailed review. I will congratulate Orlin on your kind words. He is a top guide! We hope to hear from you if you are about to visit Bulgaria again. Stay safe and don't stop traveling! Best wishes, Lilly
<p>I can not recommend this tour enough. Our group was fortunate enough to have an incredibly knowledgeable tour guide, Nikola, who made the tour even greater then our expectations. We hiked up to St Ivans Cave instead of the Stob Pyramids however this was a very good experience. It is worth taking comfortable footwear with a bit of grip to make the hike easier. The Monastery itself is breath taking, hidden away in the mountains of Bulgaria. The local food tasting was delicious and a perfect end to our trip. This tour is definitely worth taking a day out of your trip for.</p>
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Day Trip: Rila Monastery & Stob Pyramids | 9 hours | 5.0 (5) | $228 | |
 Full-day Rila Monastery, Stob Pyramids and St Ivan Rilski Cave from Sofia | 6–8 hours | 5.0 (24) | $111 | View |
 Road Trip Bulgaria™ , GPS & Audio-Guided to Rila Monastery and Stob Pyramids | 12–14 hours | — | $240 | View |
 GPS & Audio Guided Tour to Rila Monastery & Stob Pyramids with Lunch from Sofia | 12–14 hours | — | $137 | View |
 Culture and hiking: Rila monastery, Stob pyramids, waterfalls and panorama | 8 hours | — | $126 | View |
 Private Day Trip to Boyana Church and Rila Monastery | 8 hours | 4.8 (123) | $228 | View |
 Rila Monastery and 7 Rila Lakes Self-Guided Shared Trip from Sofia | 13 hours | 4.8 (336) | $54 | View |