Day Tour to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church
ID: GYG210150-1396304
Category:
Country: Bulgaria
Duration:
08:00 hours
Description
Join this tour to two of the most visited places in Bulgaria, Rila Monastery and Boyana church. Take in some of the most interesting, historical, and culturally significant monuments in Europe.
Take a day to visit the center of culture in the heart of Bulgaria, and visit Rila Monastery and Boyana church. This tour includes a trip to see the origins of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets, with an opportunity to learn other unique and interesting facts about the role of the monastery in the political and Orthodox history of Bulgaria.
The artistic richness of the frescoes, carvings, and ancient material monuments found on these sites is enormous. And to top it off, all of this rich cultural history is preserved by a large museum complex, complete with a rich library that preserves approximately 3,500 unique exhibits, including nearly 300 manuscripts, and 9,000 print and graphic publications from the 11th to 19th centuries. Safely protected within the museum grounds are also the relics of the founder of the monastery and patron saint of the Bulgarian people, St. Ivan Rilski, as well as the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God Osenovitsa, and the relics of 32 early Christian saints. All of this and more can be seen among the hundreds of centuries-old relics of the Rila Monastery. As well, visit the Boyana church, located near Sofia. Built in the 10th century, this magnificent church preserves the spirit of the Byzantine-Balkan Renaissance, and within it is contained the image of the Bulgarian Mona Lisa from the 13th century: the boilie Desislava.
UNESCO has these sites high on its list of monuments. Join this tour and you will soon see why.
Highlights
- See the monuments to the Byzantine-Balkan Renaissance
- Visit centuries-old relics, now listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites
- Learn more about the history of Bulgaria
Guiding languages
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Information for your tours:
Departure: 09:00 (meeting at 08:45)
Place of departure: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (there is a bus stop at the back of the temple)
Your bus and the guide who will be responsible for you will be signed "Audio Guide Bulgaria".
INCLUDED
- Transportation
- Рrofessional driver/assistant guide
- Audio guide device ENG | FR | ES | IT | RU | BG | DE |
- Map of Rila Monastery
- Map of Boyana church
- Audio records for 5 museums
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Parking fee
NOT INCLUDED
- Food and drinks
- Entrance fee for Boyana church (6 € per person) and Rila Monastery museum (5-10 € per person / 1-5 museums)
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 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 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.