Full-Day Tour to Rila Monastery and Melnik
ID: GYG112402-160975
Category:
Country: Bulgaria
Duration:
11:00 hours
Description
Explore the highlights of southwest Bulgaria in just one day with your experienced guide. Visit Rila Monastery and spend time in the town of Melnik.
This 11-hour guided small-group tour focuses on the highlights of Rila Monastery and Melnik. You will be also introduced to nature conservation, Bulgarian geography, as you will see two of the highest mountains on the Balkans, agriculture and economy during and after communism. There are plenty of other interesting themes that you can discuss with your experienced guide while on the road.
Depart early in the morning from busy Sofia and head to the tranquil heart of the Rila mountains, where you can admire the impressive Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Its architecture and the frescoes represent the apogee of Bulgarian Renaissance art. In a one-hour guided tour of the most treasured monuments in the inner yard and the Monastery museum, you will learn the most fascinating facts and stories about the biggest Bulgarian monastery complex. Enjoy free time to buy souvenirs, take photos or to continue to explore it by yourself.
Your tour continues south to Melnik (about a 1.5-hour drive). Admire the strangely shaped sand and clay formations. Now the smallest town in Bulgarian with only 208 inhabitants, Melnik still preserves part of its glory from the 17th to 19th centuries, when it was a flourishing tobacco and wine-producing center. Today, the city is famous for its lovely white houses and cobbled streets, mild climate and of course internationally recognized brands of red wine. You will have a guided walking tour through the city and enter the biggest Bulgarian Revival Period style house and its tunnel-like wine cellar.
Highlights
- Visit the incredible Rila Monastery
- Tour the smallest Bulgarian town, famous for its architecture and wine
- See the phenomenon of the Melnik Pyramids
Guiding languages
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
• Entrance fees, meals, guide gratuity, and personal expenses are not included in the ticket price
• Please carry extra cash for lunch
All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
You must keep social distance while in vehicles
The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds
You are required to bring and wear a mask
The parking lot in front of "La cattedrale" restaurant at the back side of Alexander Nevski cathedral.
When should I book?
To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.
Cancellations
This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 48 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 48 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.
