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Rila Monastery and Boyana Church Shuttle Day Tour

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Overview

Available languages

German
Russian
English
Italian
French
Spanish

8 hours

Mobile ticket

Enjoy a day in the mountains by exploring 2 UNESCO sites - the Rila Monastery and the Boyana church. The 8-hour day tour will be with a group and a professional guide in English. In the monastery, you will have a 40-minute guided tour and 2,5 hours free time to make photos, check the museums and the shops, and have lunch. The visit of the Boyana church, although short, is definitely worth since you will see its amazing 800-years old frescoes and learn their history from your guide!

*Women should have their knees and shoulders covered in the monastery!

*If your tour is on a weekend day during the summer, the restaurants could be crowded so you can bring your own food from Sofia in order to have more free time and the monastery.

*The Boyana church is closed on the 1st of January, on the Sunday of the Orthodox Easter, on the 24th of December, 25th of December - and on such days the tour is done only to the Rila Monastery.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Women should have their knees and shoulders covered in the Monastery.

There are not many dining options around the Monastery - there are bakeries where you can enjoy pastry. As an alternative, you can always bring your own food with you.

Bring cash with you (preferably local currency) – the shops and the restaurants in the area of the monastery accept mostly cash payments so it is important to have some money with you.

Please warn us if you have a 0-2 years old baby when you make the reservation so that we can prepare a special seat for them

The visits within the Boyana Church itself are limited to 10 minutes per every group of 8 to 10 people. If you'd like to enter inside, you may also need to queue.

On certain days, such as around holidays in Bulgaria, or when in groups over 100 people, delays are possible and the estimated tour finish time in Sofia could change as far as 18:30.

Boyana Church offers entrance FREE of charge every last Monday of each month. On such days, you will be taken to the Boyana Church, however please keep in mind that your entrance WON'T be guaranteed, especially if the Church is in high demand by other people on spot.

The Boyana church is closed on the 1st of January, on the Sunday of the Orthodox Easter, on the 24th of December, the 25th of December - and on such days the tour is done only to the Rila Monastery.

For the safety and enjoyment of all guests, any customer who appears intoxicated at the time of the tour will not be permitted to participate. In such cases, no refunds will be issued.

The order of visits to the Rila Monastery and Boyana Church may be adjusted due to weather conditions or circumstances beyond our control.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

A trip to to Boyana Chuch and Rila Monastery

Transportation by a comfortable bus/ minibus

Parking fees

English speaking guide OR driver, depending on the booked option

Boyana church entrance ticket - approx. 6 euro per person (12 lev)

Rila Monastery museum + monk room entrance ticket - approx. 4 euro per person (8 lev)

Food and drinks

Gratuities

Hotel pick up and drop off

What To Expect

1

St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral

The meeting point for the tour is Behild Alexander Nevsky Cathedral at 8:45. The departure is at 9am. Please be on time!

30 minutes•Admission Not Applicable
2

Rila Monastery

The Rila Monastery is the biggest monastery in Bulgaria. It was established back in the 10th century. The current buildings are from the mid 19th century, with a defensive tower that survived from the 14th century. In the monastery complex you will admire the impressive architecture and frescoes. You will have 40-mintue guided tour and 2.5 hours free time to check the museum, the shops, take photos and have lunch break.

3 hours•Admission Not Applicable

Options

[AG] Tour with Audio Guide

Tour with Audio Guide: Enjoy comfortable transportation to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church and explore the 2 sights on your own with an audio-guide

[TR] Self-guided Tour

Self-guided Tour : With this option you can explore the 2 UNESCO sites on your own. It is only with a driver.

Rila Monastery Only - ENGLISH

Rila Monastery Only : This options includes a visit to the Rila monastery ONLY and WITHOUT Boyana church.

[SG] Smart Audio Guide

Smart Audio Guide: You will need to have an active internet connection during the tour, in order to use it. It is English, Spanish, Italian etc.

RILA MONASTERY ONLY - ITALIAN

Tour to Rila Monastery ITALIAN: Guided tour in Italian, Full day tour to Rila monastery, NO VISIT of the Boyana Church.

RILA MONASTERY-No Boyana-trans

Monastery Express Transport: With this this option you get The All Day visit to Rila monastery ONLY, without the Boyana church - opt for local museums

[EN] Guided Tour in English

Guided Tour in English: With this option you have a guided tour in English in Rila Monastery and Boyana Church.

[IT] Guided Tour in Italian

Guided Tour in Italian: With this option you have a live guide in Italian.

[ES] Guided Tour in Spanish

Guided Tour in Spanish: With this option you have a guided tour in Spanish in Rila Monastery and Boyana Church.

RILA MONASTERY ONLY - SPANISH

Tour to Rila Monastery SPANISH: Full day tour to Rila monastery, NO VISIT of the Boyana Church. Optional visit of monastery museums, cave of St. Ivan Rilski

Reviews

4.68

791 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

621
118
33
9
10
  • Shared language was awkward

    Paul O,

    Jun 20, 2025

    - Viator

    4.00

    Sites were beautiful, guide had lots of interesting information about the tour, but the lack of details on the itinerary was less than ideal. Most travelers were confused on when to meet back up at the bus, how long certain tours would last, or other info and didn't get a satisfactory answer. The itenerary provided by viator was close but didn't match the times for locations. Finally, having a shared Spanish/English tour felt very awkward and confusing. It felt like there was information in one language that wouldn't be shared in another, or many times you had to wait or would miss information because you stopped paying attention as the guide would be talking in Spanish for a few minutes. I also think the tour could be shortened an hour or two if it was only in 1 language. Also make sure to bring something to cover your knees/shoulders if you're a female

  • This is a hybrid Spanish/English tour!!!

    Rich J,

    Jun 18, 2025

    - Viator

    3.00

    Nobody mentioned this would be a hybrid Spanish/English tour. I wanted to go on an English ONLY speaking tour. It bothers me to have to hear Spanish every few minutes it is not a pleasant language to the ears for me. Additionally, both attractions were just average probably not worth the long time spent on the bus.

  • Nice monastery, but can't comment on anything else, lack of cash, meant we were restricted in experience unfortunately.

    James S,

    Jun 17, 2025

    - Viator

    3.00

    Need to inform travellers that it's cash only for all payments at the venue (we were caught out!!)..

  • I had an incredible...

    Rohit P,

    Jun 14, 2025

    - Viator

    5.00

    I had an incredible experience visiting the Rila Monastery, all thanks to the excellent organization by the travel agency. From the moment we were picked up, everything ran smoothly—comfortable transport, knowledgeable and friendly guide, and well-planned timing.

  • Best Guide Ever!! Tuni

    Virginia R,

    Jun 5, 2025

    - Viator

    5.00

    Rila Monastery and Boyana Church. The best guide Tuni. Excellent in Spanish and English! Very well explained.

From EUR 20

4.68
791 reviews
Check availability

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