Re-discover Europe - Experience Bulgaria Tour

Re-discover Europe by this History & Culture round tour of Bulgaria - one of the oldest states in Europe, founded in 681 A.C. Participants will observe remains from different eras – Thracian (4th – 3rd century B.C), Roman (1st century B.C – 4th-century A.C), Byzantine (4th – 7th century), the two Bulgarian Kingdoms in Middle Age, Ottoman Jug (14th – 19th century) and present days (20th – 21st century).

Along with historical and cultural sights, guests will be welcomed by the local hospitality and will reveal Bulgarian folklore, customs, wine, and cuisine.

Remark: The package price is valid for a group of a minimum of 6 pax

Preliminary Program:

Day 1: Sofia

The guests arrive at Sofia Airport. A representative of MIEL and the guide will meet them. Transfer to the hotel. The guests will be accommodated in the hotel and will have a short rest. If the time of arrival allows there will be a short sightseeing tour of the capital city / by foot /. Dinner. Overnight.

Day 2: Sofia – Plovdiv

After breakfast, guests will start their trip and travel to the city of Plovdiv – one of the oldest cities in Europe, with 6 000 years of history starting with Neolithic settlement (4000 BC), then came the Thracian civilization, later the Greek one and Roman one.

The beautiful city of Plovdiv is situated on the two banks of the Maritsa River. There are many remains preserved from Antiquity, which guests will see during the old city tour.

The region is known for the wine production of a unique Bulgarian grape variety Mavrud. Guests will be accommodated in the hotel. After short rest, they will start their city tour. Lunch in the old city center and tasty wine dinner in Todoroff Boutique Wine Cellar (including degustation of 3 types of wines) - the cellar is specialized in the production of high-quality red wines of "Mavrud", "Merlot" and "Cabernet Sauvignon" grape varieties in boutique series of limited quantity.

Returning back to the hotel. Free time to relax. Dinner. Overnight.

Day 3: Plovdiv – Kazanlak – Veliko Tarnovo

After breakfast guests will be transferred to the city of Kazanlak. They will visit the regional historical museum to see all artifacts remaining from the Thracian city of Seuthopolis and his ruler Seuthes III. Then guests will drive toward the Valley of Thracian Kings where they will visit a Thracian tomb, declared in 1979 as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guests will have lunch in Kazanlak and in the evening they will be transferred to the city of Veliko Tarnovo and will be accommodated in the hotel. Dinner. Overnight.

Day 4: Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi

After breakfast, guests will familiarize themselves with the ancient city of Veliko Tarnovo and its surroundings. Known as "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists with its unique architecture. In the 14th century, as the Byzantine Empire weakened, Tarnovo claimed to be the Third Rome based on its preeminent cultural influence in the Balkans and the Slavic Orthodox world.

In the spirit to discover the Bulgarian traditional culture & architecture, guests will visit the near village of Arbanassi for lunch and a short walk. It is known for its rich history and a large number of historical monuments, such as 17th and 18th-century churches and examples of Bulgarian National Revival architecture. Returning back to the hotel. Free time to relax. Dinner. Overnight.

Day 5: Veliko Tarnovo – Troyan Monastery – Sofia

After breakfast guests will start their trip back to Sofia. On the way, they will visit the Monastery of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, mostly known simply as Troyan Monastery. Founded in the 16th century, Troyan Monastery is the third largest monastery in Bulgaria. Since the 17th century, the monastery is home to one of the holiest icons in Bulgarian Orthodoxy - the Three-Handed Virgin.

This miracle happened in the 8th century. St. John of Damascus was a writer and defender of holy icons. His writings made angry emperor Leo the Third, who involved his name in a conspiracy about Damask caliphate treason. The caliph of Damask ordered him to punish St. John Damascus and to cut his hand and put it on the city square. St. John obtained by praying his cut hand touched it to his wrist and kneeled in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary. During his sleep, he dreamed Virgin Mary, who told him “Your hand is healed because you wrote in defense of God”. After St. John awoke he saw his cured hand and to express his gratitude to the Virgin Mary he order to put on the icon a silver copy of the cut hand. That’s why the icon is called Three Handed Virgin.

Apart from the visit to Troyan Monastery, guests will have lunch near the Monastery and will be transferred to their hotel in Sofia. Free time to relax. Dinner. Overnight.

Day 6: Sofia

After breakfast guests are about to know about the Bulgarian capital. If they didn`t have the time for a city tour at their arrival, they will experience it this day. The Bulgarian capital dates even before the 7th century BC, when Thracians established their city around a mineral spring, which exists to the present day. Sofia`s ancient name is Serdika and derives from the local Celtic tribe of the “Serdi” who inhabited the region since the 1st century BC.

In the early afternoon, guests will drive to the Boyana church (UNESCO world heritage site). The medieval Bulgarian Orthodox Church owes its world fame mainly to its frescoes from 1259. They form a second layer over the paintings from earlier centuries and represent one of the most complete and well-preserved monuments of Eastern European medieval art. A total of 89 scenes with 240 human images are depicted on the walls of the church. The name of the painter is recently discovered during restoration.

The guests will visit the National Historical Museum with more than 600000 exhibits including the Panagyurishte Thracian Golden Treasure. Dinner in a traditional restaurant with a folklore show. Overnight.

Day 7: Sofia - Departure

Breakfast at the hotel. Free time. Transfer to the Sofia Airport for your flight.

The package includes the following services:

All transfers as per the itinerary by A/C coach;

Professional Guide throughout the itinerary /English, French, German, Italian/;

6 nights in 3* and 4* hotels;

6 breakfasts;

5 dinners in hotels and local restaurants;

1 dinner in a traditional restaurant with a live folklore show;

4 lunches in local restaurants;

4 sightseeing city tours – Sofia, Plovdiv, Kazanlak, Veliko Tarnovo;

All entrance fees as per the program;

VAT and all local taxes;

The package does not include:

Air tickets to/from Sofia;

Food and beverages not mentioned in the program;

Personal expenses, tips for driver and guide.

Travel Dates: Upon Request
Best Travel Period: All year round