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From Sofia: Full Day Trip To Rila Monastery

By City Tour Sofia
Free cancellation available
Price is AU$41 per adult
See tickets

Features

  • Free cancellation available
  • 8h+
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
  • Multiple languages

Overview

  • Experience Bulgaria's picturesque countryside along the route
  • Learn about the rich history of Eastern Orthodoxy in Bulgaria
  • Opt for a guided tour of St.Ivan Rilski Cave or explore independently
  • Opt for a self guided tour of Rila Monastery
  • Admire the exquisite medieval frescoes in Boyana Church (if selected option)

Activity location

    • Sofia
    • Sofia, Sofia City Province, Bulgaria

Meeting/Redemption Point

    • Sofia Center, bul. "Yanko Sakazov" 7, 1527 Sofia, Bulgaria | Vasil Levski Monument, Yanko Sakuzov Blvd 7. LOOK for the CITY TOUR branded Bus, Coach or minivan - white/blue colours
    • Sofia, Sofia City Province, Bulgaria

Multiple meeting/redemption points available, see location information for full list

Check availability

Guided Tour in Italian
  • Activity duration is 8 hours8h
    8h
  • Italian

Questa opzione include una guida turistica che parla italiano. Il tour comprende il Monastero di Rila.

Language options: Italian
Starting time: 8:50 AM
Price details
AU$40.89 x 1 AdultAU$40.89
Total
Price is AU$40.89
Guided Tour in Spanish
  • Activity duration is 8 hours8h
    8h
  • Spanish

Esta opción incluye un guía turístico de habla española. El recorrido incluye el Monasterio de Rila.

Language options: Spanish
Price details
AU$40.89 x 1 AdultAU$40.89
Total
Price is AU$40.89
English guided tour + Bonus Online Audio (Exclusive)
  • Activity duration is 9 hours9h
    9h
  • Bulgarian

Our tour to Rila Monastery with an English tour guide + BONUS service - our Online Audio Guide in your chosen language!
☆ RO, RU, BG, DE, FR, CN, PL, PT or UA
✮ SMARTPHONE & STABLE INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED FOR PROPER FUNCTION

Starting time: 9:00 AM
Price details
AU$40.89 x 1 AdultAU$40.89
Total
Price is AU$40.89
Guided Tour in English
  • Activity duration is 8 hours8h
    8h
  • English

With this option you will have a guided tour in English at the Rila Monastery.

Language options: English
Starting time: 9:00 AM
Price details
AU$40.89 x 1 AdultAU$40.89
Total
Price is AU$40.89
Self Guided Tour (No Tour Guide)
  • Activity duration is 8 hours8h
    8h
  • English

With this option you can explore the Rila Monastery on your own, WITHOUT a guided tour. This option does not include a visit to the Boyana church.

Language options: English
Starting time: 9:00 AM
Price details
AU$40.89 x 1 AdultAU$40.89
Total
Price is AU$40.89
Self-Guided Tour with Online Audio Guide (No Tour Guide)
  • Activity duration is 8 hours8h
    8h
  • English

Download our Smart Guide Application on your smartphone - available in English, Spanish, Italian, Bulgarian, Russian, Romanian, German, French and Chinese. WARNING: A FAST AND PROPER INTERNET CONNECTION ON YOUR DEVICE IS REQUIRED FOR PROPER FUNCTION.

Starting time: 9:00 AM
Price details
AU$40.89 x 1 AdultAU$40.89
Total
Price is AU$40.89
Self-Guided Tour with Audio Guide Device (No Tour Guide)
  • Activity duration is 8 hours8h
    8h
  • English

Book for an Audio Guide (HEADPHONES) and tour at your own pace at the Rila Monastery. The Audio Guide is offered in: Spanish, Italian, German, French, Russian and Bulgarian.

Starting time: 9:00 AM
Price details
AU$57.24 x 1 AdultAU$57.24
Total
Price is AU$57.24

What's included, what's not

  • What's includedWhat's included
    PRICE INCLUDES:
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Professional live guide /if option is selected and paid/
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Group tour
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Transport by a comfortable bus/ minibus
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Trip to Rila Monastery
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded
    PRICE EXCLUDES:
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded
    Rila Monastery museum + monk room entrance fee- 4 euro (8 levs) /if opted for visit/
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded
    Food and drinks
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded
    Service charge (optional)

Know before you book

  • Not allowed: Smoking
  • Not suitable for: People with mobility impairments, Wheelchair users

What you can expect

Experience Bulgaria’s most famous cultural treasure on this immersive day trip to the Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site nestled in the heart of the Rila Mountains. Step back in time as your professional guide shares captivating stories, legends, and historical insights that reveal the monastery’s spiritual and cultural importance.

Departure: 9:00 AM from Vasil Levski Monument (Yanko Sakuzov Blvd 7)
Comfortable shuttle-group transfer: Approx. 2 hours each way
Guided tour at the monastery: ~40 minutes

Admire the spectacular frescoes, ornate wood-carved iconostasis, and striking architecture that make this site one of the most impressive landmarks in the Balkans. Learn about the monastery’s foundation in the 10th century, its role in preserving Bulgarian culture, and the symbolism hidden within its vivid wall paintings.

After the guided tour, enjoy approximately 4 hours of free time to explore at your own pace. Visit the monastery museum, capture stunning photos of the courtyard and surrounding mountain scenery, sample traditional Bulgarian pastries from the nearby bakeries, or simply relax with a peaceful walk in nature.

At around 3:30 PM, depart back to Sofia, arriving in the early evening.

✨ Ideal for history lovers, culture enthusiasts, photographers, and travellers seeking an authentic Bulgarian experience.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    • Sofia
    • Sofia, Sofia City Province, Bulgaria

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    • Sofia Center, bul. "Yanko Sakazov" 7, 1527 Sofia, Bulgaria | Vasil Levski Monument, Yanko Sakuzov Blvd 7. LOOK for the CITY TOUR branded Bus, Coach or minivan - white/blue colours
    • Sofia, Sofia City Province, Bulgaria
  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    • Sofia Center, bul. "Yanko Sakazov" 7, 1527 Sofia, Bulgaria | Vasil Levski Monument, Yanko Sakuzov Blvd 7. LOOK for the CITY TOUR branded Bus, Coach or minivan - white/blue colours
    • Sofia, Sofia City Province, Bulgaria