Bulgaria's Sacred UNESCO: Rila & Boyana Day Trip
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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!
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Reviews by Tripadvisor travelers
Max_F, 10/15/2025 2:20:08 PM
Fantastic tour of Rila monastery with a knowledgeable guide. Couldn’t recommend this tour any more. This is a must for when you travel to Plovdiv and Bulgaria.
HENRIK_E, 10/15/2025 4:41:52 AM
Very interesting excursion to Rila Monastery and the Boyana church. We had an excellent guide that gave an extra benefit to the trip.
Woo_J, 10/5/2025 12:15:50 PM
The information given by Viator is not accurate at all. No English guide is provided, neither how the ticket to the church is to be handled is explained. Viator just dumpted the last minute guests to some other tours that have vacancies.
Sarah G, 10/5/2025 3:21:47 AM
Trip was in both English & Spanish. There were only a few in the English speaking group, so we might have had a little more personal experience, but we did have to wait for the other group. But overall Maria did a good job managing such a large crowd.
Jean_M, 10/2/2025 8:05:18 AM
My ticket for September 29th clearly stated meet at Ophiste, Sofia at 8.40. We did so and waited until 9.30. City tours had sent a text saying the meeting point was elsewhere but my phone was not functioning so I did not receive the message. We rebooked for the 30th but had to pay extras- 24lev for Boyana church and €36 for the trip itself ( 50% discount) please reimburse me as the mistake was not mine. The trip itself is excellent. Our guide Maria very informative and helpful and I would certainly recommend the trip but ask for better meet up information
Amanda_G, 9/28/2025 11:47:55 AM
Excellent guide Maria Well organised Rila Monastery is an amazing place unlike anything I’ve seen before Try something from the bakery Would recommend a visit
Robert_B, 9/21/2025 2:10:57 PM
The tour guide Vasil was wonderful. Tour was good, and extended by nearly 2 hours. Was not worth the extra £€$ to go up the tower in the monestry ,and the steps are really steep. We went outside the monestry and ordered doughnuts, but the local restaurants/bars would not let you eat them outside, even if you purchased from them. Boyana church was also a nice see. But as we where later here it was really busy, and took longer to enter the church, which you get 10 minutes to see inside, which is enough.
Dejan_P, 9/15/2025 8:33:06 AM
The tour to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church left us deeply impressed by the architecture and spirituality of these two remarkable sacred sites - both of great spiritual and historical importance for Bulgarians. As outstanding examples of Orthodox Christianity, they are definitely a must-visit when staying in Sofia. Maria was a wonderful guide - very kind and positive. She helped us get to know both places in a truly engaging way. I highly recommend this tour!
Udeni_K, 9/13/2025 10:51:58 AM
There’s nothing much to see or explore in this trip unless you are an orthodox catholic planning a pilgrimage. For me it was a total waste of my short visit to Sofia. You can’t class this coach as luxury, seats are broken, curtains missing in few areas, seats are very uncomfortable. Tour guide is friendly and she has a very good knowledge of the importance of these two monasteries. She is trying very hard to give all information. However I personally found it’s too much information and felt like I’m in an academic school trip to learn entire Bulgarian history fitted to one lecture.
Marco_L, 9/9/2025 12:50:51 PM
A tour definitely worth taking. Marie, our guide, gave us a lot of interesting information about the sightseeing attraction and Bulgarien. Angel, our driver, made sure with travelled safely.
- 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