Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Tours and Activities

Reaching the Seven Rila Lakes by public transport typically involves two buses, a shuttle and most of your day. Take the pain out of transportation—while maintaining total independence—with this cost-effective shared transfer. Visit both these beautiful glacial lakes and the Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with ample time for hiking.

Visit Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa on a full-day trip from Sophia, and discover the art and architecture of two iconic Bulgarian cities. Stroll the narrow lanes of Plovdiv’s old town, and discover historic traces of the Romans, Thracians, and Byzantines who swept through this region. Continue to Koprivshtitsa for a walking tour to the homes of the city’s most storied residents, and learn how a local revolutionary committee freed Bulgaria from Ottoman rule during the Russo-Turkish war before ending your tour in central Sophia. 

Visit the fascinating city of Plovdiv on a full-day tour from Sofia, and explore ancient ruins, some of Bulgaria’s most historic landmarks, and the city’s Ethnographic Museum. This full-day Plovdiv trip includes pickup and drop-off at a central location in Sofia, a guided walking tour of Plovdiv, and admission to the museum and the Plovdiv Roman Theatre.

The mountains are one of Bulgaria’s great joys—especially for hikers—but can be hard to reach independently. Tailor-made for lovers of both walking and history, this action-packed day features a hike around the beautiful Seven Rila Lakes and a tour of the Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Tour includes chair-lift ticket to the lakes but excludes monastery entrance fees.

Hike through rugged terrain to the Seven Rila Lakes on a full-day tour from Sophia, and discover the remarkable scenery of the Rila Mountains. Take a chairlift to a high-mountain hut and continue on foot along the jeweled string of lakes. Follow your guide through alpine passes into remote valleys, then rest in the shade of hikers’ shelters; take in sweeping views of the Bulgarian landscape and enjoy the crisp, clear air of the Balkans’ highest mountain range.  

Admire the sights of Sofia by night before dinner and a folklore show on this evening tour. Take a panoramic drive around Bulgaria’s capital to see its illuminated highlights, including the floodlit Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, National Palace of Culture, and more. Then, savor a 3-course Bulgarian dinner complemented with a live folklore show of traditional local music and dance. Dinner, show, air-conditioned transport, and central hotel pickup and drop-off included.

In this 2h walking tour, you will have the chance to get a deeper understanding over local history, traditions, and habits. Pass by the must-see city landmarks and hear interesting stories related to their past and present use, famous people they are related to, and much more.

An absolute one of a kind experience in the heart of Sofia to help you really understand the culture of Bulgaria.

Save well over an hour compared to public transportation and benefit from the local knowledge of a guide on this full-day trek around the Seven Rila Lakes. Experience one of Bulgaria’s most striking mountain landscapes at a leisurely pace and hike all the way up to the highest of the seven lakes. Please note the tour excludes the small chairlift fee.

Two UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1 day only. Rila Monastery is the largest, the most beautiful and the most important Bulgarian monastery, Boyana Church is famous for its proto-Renaissance wall paintings from the 13th century. Enjoy all this either in a self-guided or privately-guided tours.

Rila Monastery is definitely a must-see sight if you are a tourist with a free day in Sofia. The arcaded balconies, the unique frescoes – a work of one of the most famous Bulgarian Revival Period painters, the gilded iconostasis, the fabulous mountain views… and the unique combination of them all, makes the visit to the monastery extraordinary and memorable one. You will have around an hour of free time at the Rila Monastery to explore the most visited UNESCO site in Bulgaria, enter the main church and take photos of the narthex’s gallery, admire the exhibits in the History Museum of the Monastery, try the tasty "mekitsi" (Bulgarian doughnuts) with delicious buffalo’s yogurt (local specialty) or even have a short walk in the area; The Boyana Church's frescoes bring epochal change in the mural painting and are considered predecessors of the European Renaissance. The majority of more than 240 figures depicted there have individuality, vitality and psychological depth.

Discover the highlights of southwestern Bulgaria without even thinking of touching the wheel on this convenient tour. First, discover Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a masterpiece of Bulgarian Renaissance art and architecture. Next, visit the tiny town of Melnik, with its extraordinary pyramid rock formations, and explore the Kordopulova House. Your tour includes transport and guiding but excludes entrance fees.

Get out of Sofia and learn about rose oil on this guided tour. Visit the Valley of the Roses, a center of rose oil production before continuing on to the Thracian tomb in Kazanlak to learn about its history from your guide. Admire the architecture at the 19th-century Memorial Temple of the Birth of Christ. It is important to note that rose blooms can only be seen from mid-May to mid-June.

The tour will start in front of the entrance of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in Eastern Europe, which is also one of the main attractions in the capital of Bulgaria. Once the group gets together, we will take some time to get to know each other and everyone will have the opportunity to quickly visit the cathedral before we start with the Art Tour and take some pictures. Then I will take you to a special underground crypt - a museum of Bulgarian icon painting. We'll continue to the National Gallery, which is located in another historical monument of culture - the King's Palace. The following destination is Sofia City Art Gallery. We continue to a newly opened and modern art gallery - Nova Art Space. Afterwards we will pass the Presidency and enter the tunnels where the Ancient Complex Serdika is located. We end the tour of a secret private gallery, where each of the guests will receive one drink :) - a glass of wine, beer or water.

Experience old-time Bulgaria on this small-group tour of Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi from Sofia. Travel by air-conditioned minivan to Tarnovo, a one-time medieval craft center and capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Stroll the cobbled streets, discover the craft shops, explore Tsarevets Fortress, once a stronghold of Bulgaria’s tsars, and visit nearby Arbanassi village, famous for its well-preserved stone houses and church frescoes. Central Sofia pickup and drop-off included, with entrance fees at own expense.

Lovers of history will thrill to this action-packed private walking tour that takes you from the 4th-century Rotunda of St. George to grand 20th-century architecture. Stops include the Ottoman-era Banya Bashi Mosque, the Cathedral St. Alexander Nevski with its glorious icons, and the Ivan Vazov National Theater.

Enjoy a great day trip to the ancient town of Plovdiv- see its old town, Roman heritage and astonishing hills. In the afternoon, take a ride to the nearby Rodopi mountain to discover the remains of the medieval Bulgarian fortress, from which you will also see magnificent panoramic views. Most times the trips are done with eco friendly cars - with cng engine or electro mobiles, so that we can help fighting the air polution.

Get to know Sofia by foot on this 2-hour guided walking tour. Learn about the city’s history from your guide. Stroll past most of the notable sights in the city, including St. George Rotunda, the National Archeological Museum, the National Revival Art Gallery and Ethnographic Museum, Alexander Nevski Cathedral, and more.

Sofia is one of the oldest cities in Europe. See it with a local guide by booking our Sofia walking tour. Learn about the history, culture and lifestyle of Bulgarians during a nice walk in the city center. Sofia walking tour would show you the main landmarks of our capital, plus leaving you with a nice impression of this part of Europe. The tour could be in English, German, Spanish, Arabic and other languages.

Take the opportunity to experience Sofia’s compact city center by bike. Accompanied by an English-speaking guide and equipped with a rented bicycle, make your way through many of the city’s green spaces. Ride through the centrally-located Boris Garden, Loven Park, and Yuzhen Park for an active exploration of Bulgaria’s capital.

Check off Sofia’s key landmarks in minimum time on this comprehensive private chauffeured city tour. Exploring with your private guide, see Cathedral Saint Alexander Nevski, Saint Sofia Church, the Banya Bashi Mosque, Borisova Gradina gardens, the National Art Gallery, and so much more. Tour includes door-to-door transport but excludes any entrance fees.

If you love folk culture, you’ll adore this guided evening tour—particularly as Sofia is at its most beautiful by night. Soak up the illuminated sights on a scenic drive, then savor a hearty Bulgarian dinner as you enjoy a folklore show with songs, dance, music, and traditional costumes. Tour includes door-to-door round-trip transfers for maximum ease.

The Sofia Communist Tour will take you back to the communist period of Bulgaria when the country was called "iron curtain". You will hear real stories of people and learn about the way of life of the Bulgarians at that time. You will get acquainted with the historical events and facts of Bulgaria and the countries of Eastern Europe to fall under the communist regime. You will hear stories never heard before and you will find another world - the world of communism. Surely afterwards you will be happy living in the free world of today and will appreciate the liberty of Europe.

This 1-hour bus tour offers a perfect introduction to Sofia for first-time visitors or those on a time-crunch. Take in unobstructed views of the city from the top of a double decker bus while you listen to commentary about landmarks passed along the way. Morning and afternoon departure times are available to fit your schedule.