From Sofia:Rila Monastery with Boyana Church or St. Ivan’s Cave
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
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
Professional Tour Guide OR Cloud Audio Guide App (depending on the selected option you have booked)
Visit to Rila Monastery
Visit to Boyana Church, St. Ivan Cave, OR The Bells Monument (depending on the option you booked)
Parking Fees
Round-trip transport by air-conditioned minibus or coach
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks
Rila Monastery Museum (Optional; entrance to the main courtyard/church is free)
Boyana Church
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Options
ESP Live: Rila+Cave(No Boyana)
Spanish-speaking guide : Nature route in Spanish! Live guide for Rila Monastery & St. Ivan Cave hike. NOTE: Boyana Church is EXCLUDED on this tour.
Audio: Rila+Cave (No Boyana)
Audioguided tour, No Boyana: Skip Boyana Church for a nature hike! Visit Rila Monastery & St. Ivan Cave. Transport & multi-language Audio App included.
Audio App: Rila & Boyana Tour
Audio App only: (No live guide). We reserve a strict Boyana Church entry slot for you. The €7 entry fee must be paid locally.
ITA Live: Rila Mon & Boyana
Rila and Boyana: Tour in Italian! Live guide for Rila Monastery & Boyana Church. (Boyana entry fee paid locally). Audio app for others.
ENG Live: Rila+Cave(No Boyana)
English-guided tour: Nature route! Live English guide. Visit Rila Monastery & hike to St. Ivan Cave. NOTE: Boyana Church is EXCLUDED on this tour
ENG Live: Rila, Boyana & Cave
English guided: The Ultimate 3-in-1 Tour! Live English guide. Visit Rila Monastery, Boyana Church & hike to the Cave. Entry paid locally.
ITA Live: Rila+Cave(No Boyana)
Italian-speaking guide : Nature route in Italian! Live guide for Rila Monastery & St. Ivan Cave hike. NOTE: Boyana Church is EXCLUDED on this tour.
ENG Live: Rila Mon & Boyana
Guided in English with Boyana: Classic Tour! Live English guide for Rila Monastery & Boyana Church. (Boyana entry fee paid locally). Guaranteed slot.
Reviews
898 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Very good
H7227ACludmilak,May 26, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Nice trip to interesting locations
Day trip to Rila Monastery
Adrienne B,May 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00A day trip out to the Rila Monastry. Definitely worth a visit it is beautiful and the church is ornate. Off then to Boyne church also worth a visit. We stopped at a national memorial on the way back which celebrated children and there were bells from all over the world. Took packed lunch though you can buy pastries at the monastery. Downside was the toilets at the monastery are awful just appalling! Wait until you get to the Boyne church.
The Lila Monastery is very beautiful and there is a restaurant next door to listen to Bulgarian...
MeiJun T,May 21, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00The Lira Monastery is very beautiful, there is a restaurant next door, and hearing local Bulgarians say bean soup is pretty good, I tasted a pork string, too. Because there were too many visitors on the day, it was special to arrange for us to visit the clocks from all over the world. There are too many car gatherings to leave and it is difficult to find a car.
A beautiful excursion to...
Pierre P,May 21, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00A beautiful excursion to the Boyana Church on the outskirts of Sofia and in the mountains around the Rila Monastery, with a lively group (Italians) and a very dynamic and friendly guide, Veli, who provided a lot of information about the city, the monastery, and the history of her country, while enlightening us about the culture and customs of Bulgarian society, which was very useful for the rest of the stay! A very good moment.
Wouldn't Recommend
Krista,May 20, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00The tour itself was good but the locations I booked were changed without informing me. I booked the Rila Monastary, Boyana Church and Cave combination. I was only told I wasn't going to St Ivan's Cave (which I specifically wanted to see) when I arrived and asked. I would have booked another day or tour had I known. I also felt bad for the people who had only booked the monastary as they were brought to the other locations but were not allowed to enter the Boyana Church. It all just seemed very inconsiderate of the company. The tour guide was nice, and informative, and the locations great (aside from the Bell Monument which was meh) however I would not recommend this tour.
Not enough time at Rila Monastery and no time for lunch
Birgitte B,May 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00The tour operator changed our tour the night before resulting in only 2 hours at the Rila Monastery instead of 3 hours (clearly listed on the itinerary). The museum and tower closed at 4:30pm so only leaving 40 min to explore all of the interior after the guide was done with his introduction. It was not enough time and that period was also when time was given to grab some lunch. It is not a good itinerary and we wish we would have received the itinerary we paid for. The bus malfunctioned on the way back causing an hour delay. We left at 9:50am and arrived back at 7:30pm without any real time allotted for eating. We contacted the tour operator who told us two hours is enough to see the Monastery and basically too bad we didn't have enough time to see all of the interior museums. We booked a tour with a morning 3 hour stop at Rila Monastery . It's the only reason we booked this tour. Had we known time would be shortened we would have cancelled this tour and rented a car. All we asked for was what we paid for.
Recommended tour
388vivianab,May 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Tour absolutely recommended. Times and punctuality very respected, Rila Monastery and Boyana Church not to be missed, jewels. We are also lucky for the weather, cool but sunny. The guide Velislava talented, very prepared, perfect Italian and lots of interesting and useful information. Also the driver great driving. Tour made on May 3, 2026.
Rila Monastery yes, Boyana Church no.
CJB 52,Apr 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Rila Monastery is a lovely historic building in a gorgeous forest setting in the mountains. The church is decorated with beautiful and fascinating religious art. The only significant problems are the obsolete Turkish toilets for which you have to pay exactly 0.5 Euro to use, and there is no convenient place to get the necessary coins. The bus ride from Sophia takes 2 hours. If you have the option, avoid Boyana Church as it restricts entry to 6 minutes and costs 6 Euro. The toilet facilities there are totally inadequate for bus tours as you spend half of the time lining up to use them.
Guide VELISLAVA good and competent, interesting trip
micheloner76,Apr 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The guide Velislava was very competent and good. He gave us many explanations about many things about the city of Sofia and its ancient history. The Buona church is small and uninteresting but the Rila Monastery is worth it, also because during the tour you can admire so many things of Sofia city and its surroundings.
Excellent! The 3 visits...
Nuno S,Apr 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent! The 3 visits included in the program were all very interesting, with beautiful landscapes during the travelling between them. The guide (Lobomir) was engaging, knowledgeable and enthusiastic.
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