Top Sofia Half-day Tours

Learn what life was like in communist-era Bulgaria on a Sofia city walking tour. Meet your informative guide in central Sofia and check out the buildings and monuments that testify to its and Bulgaria’s 45 years on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain. See the Largo complex, former home of Bulgaria’s Communist Party; the Monument to the Soviet Army; the National Palace of Culture and more as your guide explains communist ideology and the everyday lives of Bulgarians during the controversial Cold War period.

Come to the first and one of a kind complete food and wine tour of Sofia! Created by true foodies and wine lovers. Visit 4 hand picked venues and taste high quality, local, homemade and fresh products prepared especially for you! Starting with the most beloved breakfast of Bulgarians - learn why we are so crazy about our yoghurt! Then let's get immersed in the wine universe. Participate in a wine tasting session of 5 local boutique wines accompanied by gourmet cheeses and cured meats. Next stop - the authentic traditional mecca in Sofia! Get ready to travel back in time to the 19th century and spend a day at the Bulgarians’ festive table! Fresh salads, dips, home made bread, a wide variety of Bulgaria’s favourite vegetable dishes! Of course we will treat generously our meat eating friends! (Keep us posted on any dietery needs!) And for a true happy ending - it’s time to treat the sweet tooth in the hidden pastry heaven of Sofia! Food lovers preparing sweets the good old way!

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.

You are thrilled by the mountain and would like to experience it even when on the run? Well, in Sofia you have that opportunity. Vitosha Mountain is only 30 minutes drive from the city and offers great hiking trails for different levels of experience. Because of its proximity, it allows the visitors of the capital to squeeze some adventures in between their appointments. Vitosha is one of the symbols of Sofia and the closest site for hiking, alpinism and skiing. Convenient bus lines and rope ways render the mountain easily accessible. Vitosha has the outlines of an enormous dome. The territory of the mountain includes Vitosha Nature Park that is the oldest nature park in the Balkans. The mountain emerged as a result of volcanic activity and has been subsequently shaped by the slow folding of the granite rock layers and a series of gradual uplifts of the area. Cherni Vrah is the highest point of the mountain at 2290 m and is one of 11 peaks of Vitosha over 2000 m in height.

Enjoy the perfect introduction to Sofia on this to-the-point walking tour with a private guide who’ll cue you in to the city’s long history in double-quick time. See a Roman cemetery, 16th-century mosque, Byzantine churches, and landmarks from galleries to cathedrals. Along the way, sip tea or coffee in a rooftop café with spectacular city views and taste mineral water direct from a historic spring.

Feel like a Sofia local on this 3-hour afternoon city and food walking tour. Check out historical highlights such as the National Theater and King’s Palace, and see the Rotunda St. George, Banya Bashi Mosque, Synagogue, and St. Nedelya Church. Stop on route to taste ‘shopska’ salad and an ‘ayryan’ yogurt drink; shop for culinary goodies at the Central Hali Market; and finish with tastings of Bulgarian wine and cold meats at a traditional restaurant.

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.

If conventional tours are not for you but you’d like to learn more about Sofia, embark on this unique adventure that’s half escape room, half treasure hunt. Meet at the office, pick up the starter pack, and get off the beaten path as you puzzle your way through clues around Sofia. Finally, meet your guide, complete the final challenge, and get a rundown on your personal experience.

Discover the heart of Sofia without even thinking about a map on this convenient, fully guided walking tour. See key landmarks from the different cultures that have occupied the city and explore St. Sofia Church, the Rotunda of St. George, and Cathedral St. Alexander Nevski. Along the way, enjoy a traditional Bulgarian pastry breakfast with a glass of “ayran” salt yoghurt drink.

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.

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.

There’s a whole world of nature within minutes of Sofia—but accessing it by public transport or taxi can be hard. Combine the freedom of independent travel with the personal service of a private driver/guide on this private tour. Visit scenic Pancharevo Lake, with its restaurants and woodland, and Vitosha Mountain, with mineral springs and sweeping views across the city.

Just outside Sofia, Vitosha Mountain delivers sweeping city views and fairytale forest rich in wildlife—but it’s off the metro map and navigation can be hard. Join your guide and no more than seven other travelers for this fun half-day adventure, with transfers from downtown. Expect to reach heights of 4,700 feet (1,435 meters), see a “stone river” formed during the Ice Age, and explore an eerie abandoned hut.

This is not just a tour walking around. It is a discussion about events in the past and how they have influenced what we see today.

Discover the sights of Sofia and savor the flavors of Bulgaria on a 3-hour small-group food tour. The afternoon walking excursion is perfect for first time visitors with empty stomachs. Culinary highlights include ayran (a salty yoghurt drink), banitsa (white cheese pastry), local salami, and baklava. In between bites, learn about popular attractions such as Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Presidency, and Roman ruins.

With this guided tour you will have the chance to see and get to know the history behind Sofia`s historical landmarks located in the center. The capital of Bulgaria has preserved heritage from different cultures and epochs. The most popular sights are Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the second biggest on the Balkans, Saint George Rotunda- the oldest church in the town, dating back to the 4th century and Saint Sofia Basilica- the medieval symbol of Serdica, built in the 6th century. Other interesting places that will be seen are the Parliament, National Theater "Ivan Vazov"- one of the most beautiful buildings in the town, the former Royal Palace, the administration of the President, the mineral springs. The walking sightseeing tour is about 2 hours. After it, you will go to the best local gourmet restaurant. You can choose between these 3 menus: Shopska salad, Kapama and Bulgarian Rose; Moon salad, Beef cheeks and Banitza; Pears with green cheese, Polenta with Brynza, Tykvenik

In this day tour, you’ll get to visit two of Bulgaria’s historical sites in one day. See the landscape of Bulgaria on a drive south, and visit the ancient Monastery of Rila with a guide to do justice to its history and riches. Finally, return to the suburbs of Sofia to see and know about the fresco-filled Boyana Church.

Enjoy a half- day private tour with which you will have the chance not only to see the central part of Sofia, but also the Boyana Church- UNESCO heritage site- and the National History Museum, situated at the foot of Vitosha Mountain.

Sofia has so many museums, that the locals don’t even know for their existence. In this walking tour, the guide will tell what happened here millions of years ago and will lead you through the historical periods, through Аncient times, Мiddle ages, Кingdom era, and Socialistic era. Join the untypical city tour to have a bigger picture of Sofia, that never sleeping beauty.

Start the day in true Bulgarian style on this 3-hour breakfast and walking tour of Sofia. Stroll through Sofia’s historical heart to see highlights like the Alexander Nevski Cathedral and King Liberator statue, and stop for a local breakfast of ‘banitsa’ (savory pastry) and ‘ayryan’ yogurt drink. Then, continue through Slaveikov Square book market to a pastry shop and finish with ‘baklava’ (sweet, nut-filled filo pastry) and Bulgaria’s traditional ‘boza’ malt drink. Breakfast and tastings included.

The tour is exclusive and private which means that your guide and instructor can concentrate 100% on assisting you in getting the right images and the best experience possible by tailoring the tour according to your personal needs. Although the tour is private you can bring up to 2 friends or family members included in the price.

History buffs and anyone with an interest in the Communist era will love this informative walking tour, led by a historian guide. Learn about everyday life for Bulgarians during the Communist period as you tour the city’s key Communist sites. See the Soviet Army Monument, the National Palace of Culture Congress Center, and the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum, and shop for relics at the Flea Market.

Sofia is a compact city but sights like the Boyana Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are time-consuming to reach independently. Soak up the signatures in just half a day on this small-group guided city tour. First, visit the Boyana Church. Next, explore downtown on a walking tour that takes in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Roman ruins, the Church of St. George, and more. Tour includes hotel pickup.

Empty your stomachs because on this tour you will taste one of the most typical breakfast specialties in the Bulgarian cuisine. Wake up like a true Bulgarian and start your day with a glass of Boza and a piece of Banitsa. Follow your leader for a historical walk around the city center after which you will get the chance to try the notorious Bulgarian Mekitsi with homemade jam and honey – a favorite breakfast dish for children and adults. Don’t miss trying our national yogurt morning drink called Ayran. Except for low blood pressure, the magical drink also cures a heavy hangover. That is why it became the preferred drink by the youngsters nowadays. Highlights of the tour: - Russian Church - National Gallery - National Theatre - The Presidency - St. Nedelya Church - St. George’s Rotunda - Roman ruins of Serdica - Banya Bashi Mosque - Central Market Hall - Central Baths - St. Sofia Church - St. Aleksander Nevski Cathedral