Day Trips
Rila Monastery is about two hours away, Plovdiv a little further, and Vitosha starts at the edge of town. Each guide here says how to get there by bus, train or car, and what to see when you arrive.
12 Best Day Trips from Sofia (and How I Get There)
My 12 favourite trips out of Sofia by bus, train and hire car, and the ones that deserve a night away.
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Rila Monastery Day Trip from Sofia: Bus, Car and Timings
Bulgaria's biggest monastery is free to walk into and 2 hours from Sofia. How I get there myself, and what to see.
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Plovdiv Day Trip from Sofia: Bus, Train and My One-Day Route
Plovdiv by bus or train from Sofia, and the route I walk to fit the Old Town, the Roman theatre and Kapana into one day.
Read the guideSeven Rila Lakes from Sofia: Chairlift, Hike and Getting There
Seven glacial lakes, a chairlift and a 5-hour loop, 95 km from Sofia. How I get there myself, and when to go.
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Koprivshtitsa Day Trip from Sofia: Train, House Museums and My Route
Koprivshtitsa by train from Sofia: the minibus from the station, the house museums, the €10 ticket and my route.
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Belogradchik Rocks and Fortress from Sofia: Tickets, Caves and My Two Days
Belogradchik from Sofia: the red rock towers, the €4 fortress, the caves nearby and why I always stay a night.
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Buzludzha Monument: My Guide to Bulgaria's Communist UFO
The abandoned 1981 saucer on Buzludzha Peak: what you can still see, the road up and my day with Shipka and Kazanlak.
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Melnik, Bulgaria: Wine Cellars, Sand Pyramids and Rozhen Monastery
Bulgaria's smallest town: wine cellars in the sandstone, the walk to Rozhen Monastery and how I get there from Sofia.
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Day Hikes near Sofia: My 8 Favourite Walks by Bus, Train or Car
Eight day hikes from Sofia, from Vitosha by city bus to Rila by car, and when the last bus comes down.
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Borovets: Bulgaria's Oldest Ski Resort, 70 km from Sofia
Bulgaria's oldest ski resort, 70 km from Sofia: how I get there, what a ski day costs and Musala in summer.
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Bansko, Bulgaria: Skiing, the Old Town and Summer in Pirin
Bulgaria's big ski town under the Pirin peaks: getting there from Sofia, the slopes, the old town and summer.
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Cherni Vrah Hike: How I Climb Vitosha's 2,290-Metre Summit
How I climb the 2,290-metre top of Vitosha from Sofia on a city bus, and what waits for you at the summit.
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Vitosha Mountain: How I Get Up There and Where I Go
Sofia's own mountain, 2,290 metres high and one city bus away, and how I spend a day up there.
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