Sofia’s 15 Best Tours & Day Trips

Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Full-Day Tour - Boyana Church and its ten-minute viewing window

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 918 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $24Our pick

Visit Bulgaria’s Rila Monastery and Boyana Church from Sofia on an affordable full-day tour with transport, history, and mountain views.

“Very poorly organized. For some reason, a few of us got put in an Italian tour and the guide Karolina, although knowing perfectly how to speak English, didn't explain to us about basic logistics of ticket purchasing and later told us: "you are not in a guided tour so I shouldn't be even talking to you in English at all". Incredible. The monastery was beautiful but the stop was too long and we were all freezing.”

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Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews

Sofia Escape Room – Teorema Rooms

2.Sofia Escape Room – Teorema Rooms

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 895 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $37Top rated

Test your wits in Sofia with Teorema Rooms’ TNT Bank Robbery or Atlantis escape game, a private, English-language adventure for groups of 2 to 7.

“Amazing experience. Had a fun and interesting time in TNT room. It was the higlight of our Trip. Maya is super host. 5/5.”

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Boyana Church Visits, Rila Monastery Day Trips, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Sofia: Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour

3.From Sofia: Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 866 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $24

Review of Sofia’s Rila Monastery and Boyana Church tour, with practical advice on timing, guides, extra costs, transport, and value.

“We enjoyed our trip to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church. Our guide Lubo was very nice and friendly. He was super enthusiastic and eager to teach us about Bulgaria. Both Rila Monastery and Boyana Church were really beautiful. The visit to Boyana Church was a bit short and rushed- we were split into 3 groups and each group had only 10 minutes inside to look around. We were at the Rila Monastery for 3 hours and 2.5 hours of that was free time, which felt like a bit too much time there in the pouring rain. We ended up booking the combination ticket at the museum, which was a good…”

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Communist History Tours, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours, Walking Tours in Sofia

Communist Walking Tour of Sofia

4.Communist Walking Tour of Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 690 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $21

Walk through Sofia’s communist past, from the Largo and Soviet Army Monument to NDK, with personal stories and Cold War context.

“This was a great tour. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but our guide Vasil was super friendly and full of knowledge. The tour was over before I knew it. Highly recommend.”

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Museums, Sofia Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Admission Ticket to the Museum of Illusions in Sofia

5.Admission Ticket to the Museum of Illusions in Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 659 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $17Best value

See gravity-defying rooms, clever inventions, and photo-friendly illusions at Sofia’s Museum of Illusions, a fun one-hour family stop.

“A lovely way to get in the sites and history of Sofia, consisting of a well-paced walking tour in downtown Sofia, from Alexander Nevski cathedral to Vitosha Bouelvard (pedestrian street). Thank you to our knowledgeable and pleasant guide Pavlina for the tour, that shouldn't be missed.”

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Food & Drink, Food Tours in Sofia, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Wine Tours, Wine Tours in Sofia

Wine Tasting in Heart of Sofia

6.Wine Tasting in Heart of Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 545 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $36

Taste five rare Bulgarian grape varieties in central Sofia with local cheeses, craft bread, and a personal lesson in Bulgaria’s wine story.

“Very nice wines. Enjoyed the tasting and learning a bit about the history of Bulgarian grapes and wines.”

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2-Hour Experiences, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours, Walking Tours in Sofia

Sofia Highlights 2 Hour Sightseeing Walking Tour

7.Sofia Highlights 2 Hour Sightseeing Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 442 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $19

Review of Sofia’s $19.35 walking tour, covering cathedrals, Roman ruins, royal landmarks, mineral springs, and the city’s main boulevard.

“This tour was a fantastic way to discover Sofia’s most important landmarks. What made it really special was our guide, Nikola — knowledgeable, friendly, and someone who made me feel completely at ease from the start. He shared fascinating insights into Bulgaria’s history and took the time to answer all my questions thoroughly. It felt more like exploring the city with a local friend than a typical tour. Highly recommended!”

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Skopje & Macedonia Day Trips, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Day tour to Skopje, North Macedonia – Small Group

8.Day tour to Skopje, North Macedonia – Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 431 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $95

Cross from Sofia to Skopje on a small-group day tour with local guides, Old Bazaar walks, Balkan history, and hotel pickup.

“If you are into exploring, I would highly recommend this tour. You get to see some of the countryside of Bulgaria and North Macedonia on the drive. Be aware that the drive is speedy, so “hold onto your hats”! Skopje is a unique city. It feels like a city looking to recreate its history after the devastation of WWII and a massive earthquake in 1963. It’s city of statues representing its heritage, a history challenged initially by Greece and now by Bulgaria. Lena, our guide, was fantastic. She is very knowledgeable, about the region and, obviously, Skopje. She provided a balanced and thoughtful tour of the city.”

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Private Drivers, Private Transfers in Sofia, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews

Transfer services

9.Transfer services

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 430 reviews · from $347

Review of Top Rent A Car transfers from Sofia, with sedans, minivans, professional drivers, airport routes, pricing, and booking tips.

“The company is always very efficient and professional. Cars are clean and safe. They also give discount cards for gas.”

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1-Day Tours, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews

Plovdiv – Group Day Trip from Sofia

10.Plovdiv – Group Day Trip from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 304 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $22

Review of the Plovdiv day trip from Sofia: Roman ruins, Revival houses, guided walking, free time, transport, value, and practical tips.

“Tuni was a great guide, giving a lot of information and helpful tips! The tour started on time and since we were only 7 people, the guide took a small traveller van and was flexible with the plan.”

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Drinking Tours, Nightlife, Pub Crawls, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Sofia Pub Crawl Tour of The Hidden Unique Bars

11.Sofia Pub Crawl Tour of The Hidden Unique Bars

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 284 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $24

Explore Sofia’s local bars, rakia, welcoming guides, and weekend club entry on a social four-hour pub crawl.

“It was a nice experience. The bars and clubs were good spots. To cold outside. And you have to walk a lot.”

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Guided, Rila Monastery Day Trips, Self-Guided Tours, Seven Rila Lakes Hikes, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews

Rila Monastery and 7 Rila Lakes Self-Guided Shared Trip from Sofia

12.Rila Monastery and 7 Rila Lakes Self-Guided Shared Trip from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 280 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $54

Hike Bulgaria’s Seven Rila Lakes and visit Rila Monastery on a 13-hour self-guided day trip from Sofia with shared transport.

“The tour was perfect we had enough time to do the both activity I did the big tour which normally took a lot of time”

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Full-Day, Guided, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Plovdiv Small Group Full Day Guided Tour from Sofia

13.Plovdiv Small Group Full Day Guided Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 235 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $22

See Plovdiv’s Roman ruins, Old Town, Kapana, and pedestrian center on an affordable guided day trip from Sofia with free time included.

“Plovdiv was very beautiful and has a lot more history than people probably realise. So if you like history, this trip would be perfect. But also, some amazing sights and views and with the guide, we saw more sights than we probably would've if we were on our own. On this trip, we had a nice long walking tour, about 2 and a half hours, and then an hour and a half free time afterwards, but that's all that would be needed because we covered a lot of Plovdiv with the guide. Going this time of year was perfect as it was hot but not super hot, and it was…”

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1-Day Tours, Full-Day, Koprivshtitsa Village Trips, Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews

Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa Full-Day Trip

14.Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 177 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $24

See Roman Plovdiv and historic Koprivshtitsa on an 11-hour Sofia day trip with an English guide, transport, free time, and mountain views.

“Plovdiv old town was the main highlight. I loved the architecturr. Also i loved the serenity of Koprivshtitsa.”

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Sofia Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Tour to Lovech, Devetaki cave & Krushuna waterfalls

15.Tour to Lovech, Devetaki cave & Krushuna waterfalls

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 167 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $114

Review of Sofia’s full-day trip to Devetaki Cave, Krushuna Waterfalls, and Lovech, with practical advice on price, walking, guides, and value.

“Good to be picked up from hotel. Comfortable minibus, group size 5 adults. Circular walk to waterfall. Scenic, but could get very crowded. Quite a lot of walking and many slippery steps throughout the whole trip. We visited several caves all with different features. Zero accessibility if you have a mobility impairment. A full day trip. Bring plenty of water. On our trip being driven at 150km/hr on several occasions was interesting, as was the driver not using windscreen wipers for a while.”

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