Bulgaria's Sacred UNESCO: Rila & Boyana Day Trip
Price From $26.93 per person
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Join an 8.5–10 hour guided group tour to two UNESCO sites – Rila Monastery and Boyana Church. Enjoy a 40-minute tour at Rila Monastery, followed by 2.5 hours of free time for photos, museums, shopping, or lunch. At Boyana Church, admire its stunning 800-year-old frescoes with a brief guided visit. Note: Women must cover shoulders and knees in the monastery. Tip: On busy summer weekends, bring lunch from Sofia to save time. *Boyana Church is closed on Jan 1, Orthodox Easter Sunday, and Dec 24–25. On these dates, the tour visits only Rila Monastery. This tour offers a perfect mix of cultural heritage, scenic mountain landscapes, and insightful storytelling from your professional English-speaking guide. Transport is provided by a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle, and the group size allows for a more personal experience. Ideal for history lovers and nature enthusiasts alike!
Reviews
Reviews and Rating (Tripadvisor)
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Reviews by Tripadvisor travelers
Haidee_V, 12/14/2025 11:01:05 AM
Ina our guide was fantastic, informative and friendly. The monastery is a must, definitely visit the monks rooms ( although more time there would have been great)
Janna_C, 12/12/2025 10:12:02 AM
Maria was a great guide and was very knowledgeable about the Rila monastery and the Boyana church. Our bus driver drove the bus like it was a car ...it was quite impressive! We felt safe and cared for the entire time.
Mortenhanter, 12/4/2025 4:27:33 AM
It was a great day with Maria and city tur. Everything works out for the best 👌. A beautiful place to visit. It was the second time that we use city tur in a week. The only thing that I didn't understood was the price that changed between-35uro and 19uro. Depends where you find it 😏. Luckily for os was yhe price 19 uro. I think 35 uro is to expensive.
Mark_A, 12/2/2025 11:31:42 AM
Maria was the perfect guide. There wasn’t a question she couldn’t answer. The entire experience was terrific!
Miruchy12, 12/2/2025 11:04:36 AM
Filip was an awesome guide. Simply the best! He knows a lot of the history and how to convey it to us. He was amazing! Thank you Filip
hansolofh, 11/23/2025 10:30:12 AM
The old church had surprisingly well-preserved frescos from not only the 13th century but also from the 11th century. They were really beautiful and relative modern for being that early. The local guide in the church was enthusiastic and really packed in a lot of information in the 10 minutes slot which every group had to its disposal. If the church was tiny, the Rilik monastery was huge. Since everything about it was relatively new, just over a hundred years it was in a good chape. It was interesting to see how frescos looked then they were relatively new, since most we can see today in other places is just a shadow of their medieval glory. Be aware of that the stone covered courtyard is a challenge, especially in a wet condition. Our driver did know a lot of these two sites but spoked relatively low, so it was hard for my wife to follow all the time. His car was good, and he drives in a safe way. However, he was not very knowledgeable about lunch alternatives. Luckily, we found a very nice restaurant with an extensive menu just outside the gate opposite the entrance that we can recommend.
Susan_P, 11/23/2025 5:19:04 AM
Vasil was a great guide-explained heaps about the monastery and gave good instructions for the meet up points.
shirlsssss, 11/19/2025 3:32:47 AM
Great tour, highly recommend! Maria is an amazing tour guide -- professional, knowledgeable, organized, kind and considerate.
James C, 10/31/2025 5:41:40 AM
Excellent guide, Maria, who both clearly knew her subject and was also genuinely passionate and invested in it, not just going through the motions. Even on a cold and wet day, the monastery is stunning and unique in my experience and I thoroughly recommend it. Good value and a well-spent day.
Keith_F, 10/29/2025 12:55:19 PM
A great full-day tour into the mountains to Rila Monastery. The scenery up to the monastery was fabulous, with the mountains covered in snow. We had plenty of time to explore the monastery complex, and then our guide Maria gave us a tour and spoke about its history. Boyana Church is also worth a visit. You may need to wait a short time as they only allow a limited number of people in at one time. The church is small, but the frescoes are well worth a visit. A full day, but well worth it.
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Women should have their knees and shoulders covered in the Monastery.
- There are not many dining options around the Monastery - there are bakeries where you can enjoy pastry. As an alternative, you can always bring your own food with you.
- Bring cash with you (preferably local currency) – the shops and the restaurants in the area of the monastery accept mostly cash payments so it is important to have some money with you.
- Please warn us if you have a 0-2 years old baby when you make the reservation so that we can prepare a special seat for them
- The visits within the Boyana Church itself are limited to 10 minutes per every group of 8 to 10 people. If you'd like to enter inside, you may also need to queue.
- On certain days, such as around holidays in Bulgaria, or when in groups over 100 people, delays are possible and the estimated tour finish time in Sofia could change as far as 18:30.
- Boyana Church offers entrance FREE of charge every last Monday of each month. On such days, you will be taken to the Boyana Church, however please keep in mind that your entrance WON'T be guaranteed, especially if the Church is in high demand by other people on spot.
- The Boyana church is closed on the 1st of January, on the Sunday of the Orthodox Easter, on the 24th of December, the 25th of December - and on such days the tour is done only to the Rila Monastery.
- For the safety and enjoyment of all guests, any customer who appears intoxicated at the time of the tour will not be permitted to participate. In such cases, no refunds will be issued.
- The order of visits to the Rila Monastery and Boyana Church may be adjusted due to weather conditions or circumstances beyond our control.
Departure point
The meeting point for the tour is Vasil Levski Monument, Yanko Sakuzov Blvd 7 . Ask for travel agency City Tour. Please be there at 8:40 am. The van/bus departs at 9am and will not wait for you if you are late.Return details
Join an 8.5–10 hour guided group tour to two UNESCO sites – Rila Monastery and Boyana Church. Enjoy a 40-minute tour at Rila Monastery, followed by 2.5 hours of free time for photos, museums, shopping, or lunch. At Boyana Church, admire its stunning 800-year-old frescoes with a brief guided visit. Note: Women must cover shoulders and knees in the monastery. Tip: On busy summer weekends, bring lunch from Sofia to save time. *Boyana Church is closed on Jan 1, Orthodox Easter Sunday, and Dec 24–25. On these dates, the tour visits only Rila Monastery. This tour offers a perfect mix of cultural heritage, scenic mountain landscapes, and insightful storytelling from your professional English-speaking guide. Transport is provided by a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle, and the group size allows for a more personal experience. Ideal for history lovers and nature enthusiasts alike!No redemption information available
24 hours before travel date - 100% refund
Less than 24 hours before travel date - 0% refund