From Sofia: Rila monastery & Boyana church and free pick up
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
On this day tour you will have the chance to visit the biggest cloister in the country - Rila monastery and the beautiful Boyana church, both under the UNESCO protection. You will have Audio guide (English, Espanol, German, Italian, French, Русский) with you, who will tell you the history of the two sights and we will pick you up from your accommodation anywhere in Sofia.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Total duration is 8 hours - 5 hours transfer time and 3 hours sites visit.
It is NOT allowed to wear shorts, short skirts.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Audio guide (English, Espanol, Italiano, Français, Deutsche, Русский)
Air-conditioned vehicle
Pick up and drop off from any address in Sofia
Entrance fee for Rila monastery museums - 20 BGN each (option- only in cash)
Entrance fee for Boyana church - 12 BGN (option)
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Rila Monastery
First and the main stop for the tour. The biggest and most important orthodox cloister in the country.
Boyana Church
UNESCO site, located on the outskirts of Sofia
Options
From Sofia: Rila monastery & Boyana church and free pick up
Pickup included
Reviews
14 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Absolutely unacceptable: DRUNK DRIVER!!!
Andrea G,
Jun 24, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00I would never recommend this company. The DRIVER WAS DRUNK or seriously hangover when arrived to my hotel. The almost fell when opening the door of the van, smelled of alcohol badly, almost fell asleep on the motor way, drove dangerously, had a really bad reaction time, could not speak properly. At one point we considered the possibility to switch places with him And the italian passenger (tourist) would drive the car instead of him, because we felt so much in danger. I immediately contacted the company And they sent another driver but Still, we had to stay in the van with him for almost 2 hours, anxious, overspeeding on the motor way, And fearing for our life basically. Absolutely outrageous!!!! I demand now some compensation on getyoirguide because I did not pay to endanger my life - obviously!
Peter (our driver/guide)...
Jennifer F,
Jun 11, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Peter (our driver/guide) was efficient and considerate. The info on the audio was interesting and not too long-winded. Rila monastery is a must-see!
Fantastic experience!
Ali K,
Dec 12, 2020
- Review from Viator
5.00I had a fantastic experience! Was only on sofia for a few days so my guide agreed to take me and it was just us. I had Lachezar who was a wonderful guide and a great person! If you can go with him I highly recommend as he is extremely patient and knowledgeable not to mention fluent in English!
No show
Callum B,
Jun 28, 2020
- Review from Viator
1.00I waited outside The address given for 30 minutes and nobody showed up. I’m sure the monastery is nice, but I wouldn’t know because I'm still in Sofia
A fabulous trip to Rila Monestary and Boyana Church
Susan B,
Mar 10, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I had a wonderful trip with Maria. She was my driver and guide of the trip and was super knowledgeable and shared tons of information about the places and everything Bulgarian. She was friendly and just a great guide. The Monastery was lovely and so picturesque especially having just snowed. The paintings were so vividly colored they seemed like they were painted yesterday.Boyana Church was tiny, but Maria shared great information. We stopped at a nice restaurant to sample the fresh trout. Food was quite good.
Amazing tour!
Sophie P,
Feb 3, 2020
- Review from Viator
5.00I heard from colleagues in Sofia, that the Rila-monastery and the Boyana-church are must-sees in Bulgaria. It is super difficult to come there by a local bus, but I definitely wanted to go there. That‘s why I booked this tour and it was simply amazing! The hotel pickup worked perfectly and was on time. After picking up the other guests we started driving to the monastery for approximately two hours. When we came there our guide explained lots of interesting things to us and after that we had some free time for exploring the stunning architecture, frescoes and atmosphere. We had lunch at a restaurant nearby, which offers trout, the local fish of the river, that was tasty! The next stop was the Boyana-church. It is a pity that you can only stay inside there for 10 minutes, but that was gorgeous! After that the - really good! - guide asked us where we want to be dropped off and that was a really nice service. Summing up it was a really interesting day with lots of new experiences and I can recommend the tour to everyone!
Well Organized Tour
mramosy,
Jan 20, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My tour was very well organized. It was a tour of 3 persons plus our tour guide. The hotel pick up was on time and everything went as programmed. We even stopped for lunch in a nice family restaurant at Rila mountain. Beautiful panorama and visit of this two UNESCO world heritage sites.
Fantastic knowledgeable and friendly guide
Carlos A,
Jan 13, 2020
- Review from Viator
5.00Since it was low-season, I ended up being the only one on the tour, so instead of the bus, the guide came with her car and drove me everywhere, always cheerful and knowledgeable about Bulgarian and European History. I couldn't have asked for a better experience visiting such a beautiful place and learning so much about this unique country and its history. Totally worth your time.
Excellent
102guillerminaf,
Nov 29, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide Mariya did not pick up in super punctual for the accommodation and was very friendly and friendly. He explained everything in an excellent way. If we return to Sofia we will tour with Zelando again. Fully recommended!!
Wonderful tour and tour guide!
Daniel P,
Aug 11, 2019
- Review from Viator
5.00A wonderful day with a wonderful guide. Thank you for a great day of history, culture, good food and grand tour.
From €45.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Chat with us on social
Related Experiences
Operated by P Group