Day 2: Bulgarian Coastline
After breakfast this morning we will transfer by coach to Nessebar, a beautiful historic coastal town and citadel, founded by early Greek settlers. Nessebar’s Old Town is a UNESCO listed site and is a warren of centuries old lanes with over 40 churches and numerous houses from the Bulgarian Revival period. Enjoy a delicious seafood lunch in Nessebar. We travel west this afternoon and overnight in the town of Kazanlak.

 

Day 3: Valley of the Roses - Plovdiv
The town of Kazanlak is better known as the capital of the Valley of the Roses. Bulgaria has an annual yield of about one ton of rose oil, used in virtually every high-quality perfume around the world. Kazanlak is also the home of the Kazanlak Tomb - another UNESCO listed site. Continue west towards Plovdiv - Bulgaria’s second largest town which hosts an ensemble of houses from the Bulgarian Revival period built next to an ancient Roman amphitheatre and various churches. Overnight in Plovdiv.

 

Day 4: Rila
Today we visit Bulgaria’s largest spiritual centre, the Rila Monastery. The largest and most significant Bulgarian monastery, it is UNESCO protected and is the repository of the sacred relics of St. Ivan of Rila, the monastery’s founder and patron. Enjoy a delicious trout lunch today. Overnight in Sofia.

 

Day 5: Sofia
Today we will enjoy a sightseeing tour of Sofia, the Capital of Bulgaria. Sofia is the centre of the country’s political, economic, social and cultural life; a modern city built at one of Europe’s great trading crossroads – between east and west and north and south, and it is also amongst one of Europe’s earliest settlements, dating from the Neolithic Age. The Boyana Church, with its famous 13^th century wall-paintings is among the first Bulgarian examples of Renaissance artistic style and is UNESCO listed. Overnight in the town of Veliko Tarnovo.

 

Day 6: Veliko Tarnovo
Today we tour Veliko Tarnovo which was the capital of the Second Bulgarian State during the 12^th -14^th centuries and hosts the remains of the medieval fortress which in its time protected the capital. Nearby the village of Arbanassi is an architectural reserve that has some of Bulgaria’s best churches. Etara, the only Bulgarian open-air ethnographic museum, has a number of authentic workshops from the 19^th century where craftsmen still employ skills and techniques of more than 100 years ago. Overnight in Shumen.

 

Day 7:  Varna
Today we depart for Varna, en route we visit Madara Horseman a sizeable 8^th century inscription reproduced on the back of most Bulgarian coins. We also discover the natural phenomenon of The Stone Forest near Varna. We enjoy lunch in Varna and visit the Architectural museum, home to the world’s oldest gold treasure (dating back 7000 years). Transfer to Sunny Beach for our last night of the tour.