J
Unsecured Link for Audio
The admission is free to enter the monastery. It is a small fee to enter the museum 5 euros. I did not use what I paid for. I did not listen to the audio as it took you to an unsecured link.
Self Guided Tour Experience in Rila Monastery
+5 photos
At a glance
- Duration
- 2–6 hours
- Price from
- $11 / person
- Location
- Sofia, Bulgaria
- Rating
- 3.1 / 5 · 18 reviews
- Languages
- DE, RU, EN, EN
- Group
- Small group, up to 15
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Confirmation
- Instant
- Ticket
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operator
- VisitBulgariaOn Bespoke Experiences
Description
Enjoy a day out at the Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. This product gives you an unique conversational audio guide and an electronic guide with full guides notes. Total flexibility and at your own pace. The Rila Monastery is located in 1147 meters altitude in the middle of the fragrant coniferous forests of Rila Mountain. The monastery is a complex of cultural, dwelling and farming buildings which take about 8800 square meters. The Rila Monastery has an unique architecture. Outside, the monastery looks like a fortress. It has 24-meter stone walls which forms irregular pentagon. That’s why when some tourist enters the monastery’s yard from some of the two iron gates he is surprised by its architecture: arches and colonnades, covered wooden stairs and carved verandas and the 300-400 monastic cells.
Schedule & prices
- Runs
- Every day
- Next available
- Thu, Oct 8
- Adult (ages 11+)
- $11
- Child (ages 3–10)
- $9
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 7.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Rila Monastery
This is an unique activity featuring a conversational audio guide and an electronic guide with full guides notes for the Rila Monastery. By using this product at your own pace you will be fully flexible to enjoy the magnificent UNESCO Rila monastery.
What's included
Included
E-guide for the Monastery
Unique conversational audio guide
Not included
For the sights inside the Rila monastery only if you like to enter
Traveller Ratings
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
3.1
18 reviews
How it compares in Sofia
- Starting price $11 is 80% below the typical $57 for tours of similar length in Sofia
Excurgo comparison of 607 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
Important Information
- 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
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
1+ days before100% refund
0–1 days before0% refund
Frequently asked questions
How long does Self Guided Tour Experience in Rila Monastery take?
Self Guided Tour Experience in Rila Monastery lasts about 2–6 hours. The itinerary has 1 stop.
How much does Self Guided Tour Experience in Rila Monastery cost?
Prices start at $11 per person for this Sofia experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
What days does Self Guided Tour Experience in Rila Monastery run?
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day.
How much does Self Guided Tour Experience in Rila Monastery cost for children?
Children aged 3–10 pay from $9, adults from $11.
Can I cancel Self Guided Tour Experience in Rila Monastery for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
What languages is Self Guided Tour Experience in Rila Monastery offered in?
The experience is available in DE, RU, EN, EN, IT, FR, ES.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 15 participants.
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Is Self Guided Tour Experience in Rila Monastery worth it?
Travellers rate it 3.1 out of 5 across 18 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by VisitBulgariaOn Bespoke Experiences.
Reviews(18)
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
B
Scam?
We did not find the audio guides. No one knew at the Rila Monastery. The entrance is free.
1 people found this helpful
R
The best way to visit the Rila Monastery.
We had a wonderful time in the Rila Monastery. We bought a combined ticket that give you access to everything except interior photos. But the best of the whole tour was our driver, Martin, who is very kind, patient, knowledgeable of the surrounding area. We highly recommend Martin if you book this tour or the 7 lake tour.
E
Totally worth it
Really good, with lots of information and the guide notes. Truly recommneded for everyone needing to explore this fascinating sight at the fraction of the cost.
K
3,5 Minuten Audio Guide, mehr war nicht dabei, kein Eintritt, Nichts. Danke für gar nichts, nicht empfehlenswert
Hello, I am very dissatisfied with Viator because, contrary to their promises, there was no entrance fee to the Rilak Monastery and the 3.5 minutes of the audio guide for over 20 euros is simply not enough. If you do not refund me a large part of my money, I will rate you accordingly and also mention NEGATIVE in all of my travel reports. With kind regards, Klaus P. Nut
1 people found this helpful
E
If you want to visit the Rila monastery thats a gem
We used the car rental to reach the sight. And this activity is a real gem we found out. All the guides notes and audio in our pockets. Extremely nice!
K
Doesn’t work
They don’t accept it. They make you buy another one. I guess I was confused to how it works Spoke to Viator said supposed to just download on phone but in a lot of area not allowed to have phone out
Operator response
Hello Kelly, Your review is totally misleading as you had everything on your email and tried asking other companies on the spot which is a mistake at your side. We exchanged so many emails. Of course if you ask another company on the spot they will charge you as they did, they, not us. From us you had everything duly sent to you and operative but you seemed to be not doing it! You can of course use on phone on the spot as all the other people. Given all that you put a 1-star review to something and you cannot get to work. We could hardly think of anything more simple than that. This is truly the best way to experience the sight which you totally missed. Best regards, Hristo
M
Excellent
One of the gems out there. We wanted to save money and had a car rental so we drove to the monastery and used the e-guide which was sent beforehand. Really interestingly written by the local guides with everything you need. Very cheap price.
R
Total scam
Is a gotcha. Entry to the monastery is free and there are no lines. The only thing they give for 6 euros is a 5-page e-guide with a mystical-religious text, with hardly any artistic or historical descriptions.
H
No general admission
My friend Hristo, please do not try to scam people by saying the following points below because there is no entry fee/genera admission (its free) and no lines whatsoever. Yes you do supply the e guided tour so maybe only include this in your price. General entry Entry/Admission - Rila Monastery Guaranteed to skip the lines
Operator response
Hello, Your review was reported to the platform and you use inappropriate words. If at the time you went there were no queues, then you are lucky enough. Normally, there are long queues. This type of activity gives you the e-guide and the general admission to the sight. It's used by a lot of people to have a quick or long look at their own pace. We consider your rating very biased and not informative at all for your visit of the sight. People will not be confused by it as this activity gives you what it states for the fraction of the price as you also receive the guides notes. The Private Self-guided tour in Rila Monastery is probably the best way to explore the sight for the price of one coffee. Best regards, Hristo
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| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
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| Self Guided Tour Experience in Rila Monastery | 2–6 hours | 3.1 (18) | $11 | |
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 Rila Monastery Afternoon Half Day tour | 4–5 hours | 4.6 (48) | $56 | View |
from$11
3.1(18) Free cancellation