From Sofia: Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Day Tour
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Discover two of Bulgaria’s UNESCO World Heritage gems on this day trip from Sofia. Traveling by minibus, admire rural Bulgaria on route to the Rila Monastery in the pine-carpeted Rila Mountains. Take a guided tour of the medieval treasure with its fresco-coated church, and visit its fascinating museum. Then, after time to explore independently, continue to Boyana Church, near Sofia, to marvel at its spectacular pre-Renaissance frescoes. Entrance fees not included.
Important: As of November 2024, Boyana Church now does not take reservations in advance, so we can not guarantee all visits. If entry is unavailable on your booked day, you will be able to visit St. Ivan's Cave at Rila Monastery as an alternative.
Additional Info
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities
Not wheelchair accessible or stroller friendly
Comfortable walking shoes recommended
Exceptions to the standard program:
Boyana church will NOT be visited on the following days: 1st of January (the tour starts at 11 AM on that day only); The day of Orthodox Easter; 24th and 25th December.
Minimum traveler age is 6 years old
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Vasil Levski Monument
09:00 departure from the starting point. Be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.
Boyana Church is a small temple at the outskirts of Sofia with frescoes dating back to three separate periods: 11th, 13th and 19th century. The most important and fascinating are the frescoes dating from 1259. They are Renaissance frescoes that predate the Italian Renaissance (triggered by the works of Giotto) and brake the strict Christian canon law to present pure human emotions, royal figures and folklore elements.
What‘s Included
Driver/Tour guide in English
Transport by air-conditioned minibus
Parking Fees
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Audio guide in Spanish, Italian, German, Russian or English (approx. 5 euros per person)
Food and drinks
Rila Monastery Museum
Boyana Church
Options
Online Audio(+Boyana,NO guide)
Rila Monastery & Boyana Church: Two UNESCO sites in one day. Comfortable transport included. Explore at your own pace with online audio. NO live guide.
Spanish Guided tour
Rila mon. and Melnik 11 hours
Melnik and Rila monastery: Join this 11 hr-tour to Rila monastery and Melnik with w/ EN guide. Starting time 08:00 am. Boyana church -NOT included.
English guided incl. Bells
English guided: Enjoy the classic tour to the Rila monastery & Boyana church. Visit the beautiful Bells monument extra.
Spanish Guided (NO Boyana)
Guided in ES (No Boyana ch.) : Pro Spanish Guide & Free Multi-Lang Audio. More time at the monastery. No Boyana visit.
Online audio incl. Bells
Audioguided tour: Enjoy the classic tour to the Rila monastery & Boyana church. Visit the beautiful Bells monument extra.
Audio: +Bells (NO Boyana)
Best value!: Audio tour to Rila monstery & Kambanite (Bells). ES/IT host for logistics. Boyana Church is EXCLUDED.
Duration: 9 hours
French Guided Tour
Live French Guided Tour: Explore two UNESCO sites with an expert French-speaking guide & free multilingual online audio.
Online audio tour (NO Boyana)
Audioguided tour, No Boyana: Live guide, Boyana -NOT included. Includes an online audioguide. Accompanying tour conductor will speak different language.
Italian Guided tour
Rila and Boyana: Explore two UNESCO sites with an expert Italian-speaking guide & free multilingual online audio.
Live English Guided Tour
Guided in English with Boyana: Explore two UNESCO sites with an expert English-speaking guide & free multilingual audio guide.
Italian-guided (NO Boyana)
Guided in IT (No Boyana ch.): Visita guidata in italiano al monastero di Rila. NON include la chiesa di Boyana.
Reviews
882 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Nice and well organized
RobyVig,Apr 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great program, well organized. The guide Canem spoke very good Italian and was very knowledgeable about monuments, history, religion and made interesting connections with our culture. Really good, made the tour very interesting. Congratulations
Bad organization
cipociapo,Apr 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00The rila monastery is absolutely a pearl to see, it looks fake thanks to the decorations and frescoes. Unfortunately, however, the tour was not great at all. First of all in the description of the activity it was written that we would return at 17 but in fact the same morning the guide told us that we would return 19:30. I don't know why but they were in a mixed group of English and Italians and for this reason our guide had to repeat all the time what he said in both languages. Speaking both languages I noticed that many things were overlooked by switching from English to Italian, also because it was clear that the guide knew much more English than Italian and therefore struggled to find the words. For this reason, of course, it is not the guide but the agency that is to blame. As for the Guide itself it was not the best: she was very long-winded, she explained things as if she were a professor and as far as sympathy was concerned it was not the best. I don't say the name of the guide out of respect for a person who works and that someone might have found a good guide anyway. The whole thing was very disorganized and there was a lot of downtime, also due to repetition in both languages.
It was OK
F8725THevag,Apr 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00The guide and the driver were really nice and helpful. The tour itself was a bit confusing at times. But if you make no plans after the tour and align with the schedule, and don’t mind to pay extra entrances on the go, it’s ok.
Good
Relax41883488005,Apr 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Satisfied to have a guide to go around the whole place. It's more like a bit of a mountain trek than a cave walk. I felt the time of the Rila Monastery was short. If you want to take a closer look, maybe you can pass the cave.
Rila Monastery Tour
Ramiro G,Apr 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00The excellent guide explaining each place of arrival. Very good service. They met schedules and destinations.
Fantastic tour with a super guide
Simone C,Apr 1, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Exceptional tour. Fantastic organization and punctuality. The guide Velislava was super, very prepared, helpful and attentive to every detail. I recommend the tour
Simply a tour not to be missed..
Ignazio A,Mar 31, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Everything perfect, the guide was very good and speaks perfect Italian .. Two historic sites not to be missed..
Visit not to be missed
Riccardo R,Mar 21, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Fantastic place and full of spiritual charm. Not for nothing is it a UNESCO heritage site. If I really have to move a note is related to the number of participants, full bus and risk of not being able to enter all at the first visit. Maybe it would be better to make groups attached to the presence allowed in the first site but I realize that business is business........ Anyway in the end everything is fine thanks to the mediation of the guide.
Good.
Meli S,Mar 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00I would have liked more historical information and a little more time in the monastery of rila, the time is just enough if you want to see all the museums of the monastery. Combined admission to the museums of the unguided Rila Monastery costs 12 euros. The walk was fine, it would add more time to be able to visit all the museums without rush.
Very bad service
MariaDolores M,Mar 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
1.00Quite a disuse. Calling the bus lord... who answered me once to look and help nothing. He was wn the street behind and he wouldn't give me instructions just to watch. I called him several times. Then I stop picking up the phone. He hung up on me. They went in front of me. And you told me to take a taxi. I'm gonna claim. You don't have many days in a foreign country. And people like that ruin your vacation.
From €20.00
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