Plovdiv Small Group Full Day Guided Tour from Sofia
Overview
Available languages
12 hours
Mobile ticket
Travel hassle-free from Sofia to Plovdiv and back in the comfort of a modern and air-conditioned minibus. Plovdiv is one of the oldest towns in the world. More ancient than Rome! With an expert guide at your side, explore and experience its millennia of epic history, monumental attractions, unique Bulgarian culture, and way of life. Your guide will take you to the most interesting sites and pinpoint fascinating details missed by the general public. Still, you will have ample free time to stroll on your own along the longest pedestrian street in Europe and sample local food and drinks.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Dynamic Itinerary & Shared Coach: To offer flexible options, this tour operates on a shared coach. If you book the "Extended Free Time" option, you will remain in Plovdiv to explore independently while the bus continues on to visit Starosel or Koprivshtitsa with the other passengers, returning later in the afternoon to pick you up.
Guide Language Logistics: If you select a live guided tour in Spanish or Italian, your local tour will be conducted by an expert in that language. However, the transport host accompanying you on the bus from Sofia will manage logistics in a different language (usually English).
Audio App Users: If you booked a self-guided/Audio App option, the onboard staff will assist with meeting times and logistics only. Please bring your own headphones, a fully charged smartphone, and ensure you have mobile internet data.
Terrain & Dress Code: The Old Town of Plovdiv features steep, uneven cobbled streets. Comfortable, sturdy walking shoes are absolutely mandatory.
Summer Weather: During summer, temperatures in Plovdiv can be extremely hot. Sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and a bottle of water are highly recommended
All touch points in our vehicles will be frequently cleaned and disinfected.
Museum Closures: Please note that the Regional Ethnographic Museum in Plovdiv is closed on Mondays.Confirmation will be received at the time of booking.Not wheelchair accessible.
Children must be accompanied by an adult. Minimum age is 6 years
What To Expect
Vasil Levski Monument
Your day trip starts early at 08:00 AM from the Vasil Levski Monument (Embassy of Slovakia) to beat the summer heat and the crowds! Board our comfortable, shared tourist coach and begin your journey.
Before hitting the highway, the bus makes a scheduled stop at Sofia International Airport (and occasionally selected hotels) to pick up arriving passengers and regular shuttle ticket holders joining the route. Please sit back and relax as we complete these necessary boarding procedures before the 2-hour drive to Plovdiv.
Options
ITA Local Guide: Plovdiv Tour
➤ Massive Extra Free Time: is included in Plovdiv while the bus takes other groups on a side trip. Explore at your own pace before the bus returns. Local Guide in Plovdiv: is included for the city tour. Note: The bus transfer from Sofia is accompanied by an English or Spanish coordinator.
Audio Guide: Plovdiv Free Time
➤Massive Extra Free Time: is included in Plovdiv while the bus takes other groups on a side trip. Explore at your own pace before the bus returns. ➤Audio App Requirements: This is a self-guided phone tour. Bring a charged smartphone & headphones. No live English guide is included on this tour. ⚠ Shared Bus Logistics: mean you may share a bus with a Spanish or Italian guided group. Their live guide commentary may interfere with your app.
AudioApp:+Historic Koprivstica
➤ Historic Koprivshtitsa: is included! After Plovdiv, you will travel to explore this stunning 19th-century National Revival museum town. ➤ Audio App Requirements: This is a self-guided phone tour. Bring a charged smartphone & headphones. No live English guide is included on this tour. ⚠ Shared Bus Logistics: mean you may share a bus with a Spanish or Italian guided group. Their live guide commentary may interfere with your app.
ENG Live: Plovdiv & Free Time
➤Massive Extra Free Time: is included in Plovdiv while the bus takes other groups on a side trip. Explore at your own pace before the bus returns.
ENG Live:+Historic Koprivstica
➤Historic Koprivshtitsa: is included! After Plovdiv, you will travel to explore this stunning 19th-century National Revival museum town.
ESP Local Guide: Plovdiv Tour
➤Massive Extra Free Time: is included in Plovdiv while the bus takes other groups on a side trip. Explore at your own pace before the bus returns. Local Guide in Plovdiv: is included for the city tour. Note: The bus transfer from Sofia is accompanied by an English or Italian coordinator.
What‘s Included
Live Guide OR Audio Guide App (Depends entirely on the specific Option selected)
Round-trip transportation by air-conditioned minibus or coach
Extended Plovdiv time or trip to Starosel/Koprivshtitsa (Depends on your selected Option)
Fuel surcharge
Parking Fees
Hotel pickup and drop-off (ONLY included if a "+ Pickup" option is selected at checkout)
Hotel pickup and drop-off (If a standard 'Meeting Point' option is selected)
Plovdiv & Starosel/Koprivshtitsa site tickets (Optional & payable locally)
Smartphones, headphones,and internet data- Required ONLY if you book an Audio App/Self-Guided option
Food and drinks
Gratuities
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
240 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Ani was a excellent tour guide and very welcoming
Dmitri G,May 23, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Tour guide Ani was very friendly right from the beginning. Despite only being booked and required to speak in Spanish Ani kindly translated everything into English for those of us who should have had audio guides. I had downloaded the audio guide but hard to follow given that the numbers etc. didn't tie up with the order that we saw things in Plovdiv. Also, the audio guide is an American voice that goes into a lot of detail sometimes for nearly 10 minutes at a time, which I found quite annoying after awhile and hard to stay interested in. If you can I definitely recommend booking a tour with a tour guide that speaks your required language and don't book the audio guide tours. Plovdiv was lovely and nice weather. We also went to the Thracian tomb near Starosel and Starosel art village to look at the amazing graffiti art work. Thank you Ani and our driver for a lovely day trip in a comfortable minibus.
Amazing , thank you!
697sonnyh,Apr 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great experience guys, I will definitely recommend you!
Plovdiv is a dream!
xray604,Mar 26, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Plovdiv is not to be left out on your trip to Bulgaria. Maria, the guide, was a true professional. Very knowledgable and quite obviously passionate about Plovdiv. I would 100% book with this tour group again.
A worthwhile tour
Shmuel A,Feb 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We choose a small group tour which was very pleasent, and efficient. The guide was very good her name is MARIA Maneva
Plovdiv is absolutely worth seeing
Michelle B,Feb 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00Svet was a great guide. He talked a lot about Plovdiv and Bulgaria in general. Plovdiv is a very nice town with lots of charm. I deduct a star, because a group of about 20 people is not a small group for me (that's what the title says).
Nice simple tour very informative
guana12,Dec 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I like to do trips on my own since I believe going in these tours is very cumbersome, however I'm glad that I chose this company to go to Plovdiv, the reason I did it is because going from Sophia to Plovdiv independently requires multiple transfers from taxis to train and the back again: we are talking about 5 to 6 hours in transportation only ! Which makes no sense. Plovdiv is full of history with multiple layers of cultures, very nice explained by our guide who was very nice, polite, and informative We were in the Hyatt Sofia and the tour departs from across the street so for us was a no-brainer. Highly recommended when the time in Sofia is limited and Plovdiv is a must go when in Bulgaria Enjoy
Day in Plovdiv Bulgaria
val riemA3239TB,Nov 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Nice experience with Traventuria. Guide and driver at the top. Nice and available. Good behavior. I recommend.
Good morning in Plovdiv
Octavio O,Nov 4, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Extraordinary excursion commanded by Maria and a great driver of the vehicle. Maria since we left gave us explanations of the Cd. From Sofia and upon arriving in Plovdiv he did the same, guided us through the main attractions of the city, giving us details of many things. All excellent, thank you.
audio guide not crazy (in French) but the rest conforms
Lucile B,Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Superb historic city of Plovdiv in autonomy. Attention, single-string voice of the audio guide otherwise very well.
Super friendly tour
rebeccasL8979NL,Oct 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Todor and Nikolai thank you for a lovely day. Friendly staff with loads of knowledge. Would recommend a tour with these guys Can't wait to go on another someday Thanks
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