Small-Group Day Trip to North Bulgaria

My wife and I took this trip on Saturday Aug 8, 2026. Our Tour guide was Serban Riga. The thing that sets TravelMaker aside from all the other tour operators we experienced in our recent trip to Bucharest is that TravelMaker is more concerned with the experience of their guests than by making sure their tours are maxed out with passengers. On this particular day there were only 4 guests doing the tour. There was plenty of space for us to be comfortable while travelling, the interaction with Serban was more personal than a canned commentary and we had the flexibility to see things that may not have been specifically outlined in the itinerary. Their emphasis on quality over quantity shows and was so much appreciated. To speak specifically about our guide Serban....REQUEST HIM! He does not disappoint. Serban is one of the most friendly outgoing people I have met. He is upbeat, fun, humourous and took the time to answer everyone's questions. His knowledge of the local areas was demonstrated in his explanations to us and he was happy to relate the historical significance of the sites we explored. If we get a chance to return to Bucharest (and we certainly hope we do) TravelMaker will be our first (and likely only) consideration for tour experiences. Thank you Serban and TravelMaker for a wonderful day.

As a person we loved our tour guide, he was a local, was friendly and funny. We weren't impressed with the preconversation as I asked about meal times and break times as it's a 12 hour trip and we need to know when we can eat and have bathroom stops so we can not hold others up. Most tours don't share well (even an draft schedule helps but more detailed than what we get). The frustrating part is that we didn't get time much time at any of the spots. We don't know ahead about the locations to know where it is more valuable to spend time in. He just kept rushing us off and said, "we do what the group wants" and then we got home 2 hours early. First stop: Ivanovo Rock Church (stayed one hour, should have been 30 min) 2nd stop: Arbanassi - we were shown one church nobody on the tour wanted to spend money to go in. 30 minutes waste of time. We didn't feel we had enough time to explore so not knowing where anything is just had everyone on tour go back to the bus as we were dropped off in the middle of a residential area. 3rd stop: Veliko Tarnovo - though he said "we can do what we want he also said it's best to stick together" so we all had a lunch together. Then no time to walk around this city to explore. He told us to jump into the van and then in the van asked, "does anyone want more time here - we do what majority vote says?" Put us in an awkward position and when I said yes, gave us 30 min. but it wasn't enough to see anythning. 4th stop: Nearby fortress. We had one hour here which was good enough for the fort. But if planned better the small city nearby (one of us went there instead) had all the historical sites and given 30 min more could have explored that. Instead, we were rushed home and got home 2 hours early. A lot of driving and not much time to see anything. It was everyone's first time so hard to speak in until after the tour. But just giving an hour to talk around after lunch and 30 min longer at the fortress would have given us a QUICK time but more time to really see. Poor planning.

Really fun trip! Our guide Sheban Riga (I hope I got that right) was accommodating and entertaining. He was very good about telling us about bathroom breaks, and best of all where to take us to avoid Turkish toilets (holes in the floor—this is very helpful to women travelers!!!). My only complaint is that the description says you must be able to climb steps, but in reality there is a significant amount of hiking, as the steps are interspersed with areas of uneven ground as the trail takes you up the side mountains. I had to miss out on one of the attractions due to this oversight. All in all a great experience, lovely people, and a great day away from the city! Thank you!!!

The pictures on Viator were too old and did not show what how steep the stairs at the monastery were. Also it did not state that we would only see one cave. The artist area was lovely. The driver was knowledgeable, but we had to ask questions for him to tell us information most of the time.

Our guide Matthew was good, but the tour does not match the description or expectations. We got 1 hr at the caves instead of 40 min (40 would have been plenty). Then at the tsar city, we *only* got 1 hour, which was not nearly enough time. According to the description, we should have gotten 1 hr 20 min,which still wouldnt have been enough, but would have been better (the fortress is HUGE)! And then they gave us *2 hours* in the city and for lunch, which was ridiculously absurdly long. I would so much rather have had more time at the fortress and less for lunch in some touristy city. And the cherry on top: Avanasi was supposed to be a free experience around the city. Our guide brought us to a church where they charged for entrance. Again. NOT what the description says. Viator also did not mention how long any of the drive times were. Basically, you're just paying for a driver to these spots, with some added commentary here and there. Wouldn't say it's worth it and wouldnt have booked if I'd known

We had an excellent day trip to Northern Bulgaria. Our guide, Serban, was friendly, professional, and very accommodating throughout the tour. We learned so much about both Bulgaria and Romania, and the experience was informative as well as enjoyable. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to explore the region in a day.

Serban was amazing. A genuingly lovely man, with a good sense of humour. Very friendly, very informative and a perfect tour guide. We had a fabulous day. Vehicle used very comfortable and clean.

Visiting chapels nestled in cliffs is amazing, Veliko Tarnovo is beautiful. The friendly guide but I would have liked it to be in Spanish. Punctual exit at all points.

Really enjoyed this tour. The guide was kind and helpful. The schedule was easy to follow. A simple, relaxing, and fun day.

We had the absolute BEST experience on this tour. We visited the most unique monastery and church in the caves of Bulgaria. Then visited another amazing church that was out of this world. Our tour guide was fantastic and so knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this tour!