The Cave of Saint John and Rila Monastery - Shuttle Day Tour
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Enjoy a great combination of history and natury with this one day tour to two iconic Bulgarian places!
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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
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.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
This day tour is a great combination of history and nature – the Rila Monastery and the holy cave of Saint John. The meeting point for the tour is Vasil Levski Monument, Yanko Sakuzov Blvd 7 please be there at 8:45. The departure is at 9:00 and since this is a group tour, we cannot wait much if you are late. First, we will travel about two hours on a picturesque road to the Rila Monastery – this is the biggest and most important Bulgarian monastery, a UNESCO heritage site as well. There, for sure, you will be captured by its amazingly beautiful frescoes and architecture. Then, if you have booked the guided option of the tour, you will have about 40-minute guided visit of the monastery, during which you will learn about the life of Saint John and about the history of the monastery – from the time of its establishment in the 10th century until nowadays. The guide will also show you and tell you the story of the more important frescoes, as well as the miraculous icons, situated in the church, and the relics of Saint John. If you have booked the ‘transport only’ option, you will have more free time to explore the monastery on your own. After the guided tour, at 12:00 we continue with a short 5-minute drive down the road, until we reach the beginning of the path to the holy cave of Saint John – the place, where he spent the last years of his life and considered to be a sacred area. The walking path to the cave is about 15-minutes, moderate difficulty, and it is a great refreshing walk in the nature. There, you will have the chance to pass through it and to drink water from the nearby spring, which is believed to be never freezing. After the hike, we will go back to the monastery, where you will have 1 – 1.5 hours of free time, during which you can take photos, check the souvenir shops and have a lunch break. Since the dining options around the monastery are rather limited, we recommend you to bring some food from Sofia. Around 14:00 – 14:30, you will head back to Sofia. The expected return is between 16:00 and 16:30, depending on the traffic and on the group size.
What‘s Included
Trip to Rila Monastery and the cave of Saint John
English- speaking guide or driver, depending on the booked option.
Air-conditioned vehicle
Personal expenses
Gratuities (optional)
Options
Self - guided tour
Self - gudied tour: With this option you have free time to explore the monastery on your own, without a guided tour.
Smartphone Audio guide
Smartphone Audio Guide: You will receive acces for audio files to listen on your smartphone - avialable in English, Spanish and Italian.
Guided tour in English
Rila Monastery - Guided tour : With this option you have a guided tour in English at the Rila Monasrery.
Reviews
16 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Interesting and pleasant
giannicaracci,,Apr 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Nice, well-organized tour. The attractions are two hours away from Sofia but really worth it. The cave, more than religion, is adventure. Very recommended
Wow place
Evelyn G,,Jul 7, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Rila is a wow. Boyana is small. St. John cave only if you enjoy hiking. Antonio is a great guide and very knowledgeable. We set off at 9am and got back at 530pm
Unforgettable cultural experience
Issy V,,Jun 24, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00An unforgettable day at the Rila Monastery filled with a great spiritual experience and lots of learning about Bulgarian history. Our knowledgeable and highly professional guide Tuny made sure we all get immersed in the local culture, shared engaging stories and answered all our questions. What a day!
Recommended
W2757TVjustines,,Apr 29, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The trip was very pleasant. Not too long, not too short. A nice combination of culture, history and nature. A fantastic guide called Antonio who was very well informed, friendly and easy to understand.
Visit rila monastery and cave
Virginieginette,,Apr 19, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Very good excursion, magnificent landscapes, very friendly guide, entries to the different places are almost all free
Do not miss it.
losnardos30,,Feb 7, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide Philip was magnificent, friendly, prepared and very professional. The Rila monastery is spectacular and the Boyana church is amazing. We highly recommend this visit and tour.
Diving into history
izquierdoe,,Nov 29, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Sensational, our guide Antonio, super attentive and friendly, the visit is more than recommended, the Rila monastery is amazing and the icons and relics are very well preserved. The small church that we visited at the end with paintings from the 12th century are fantastic We went to eat on Antonio's recommendation to a restaurant a little further down from the monasteries and the food was brutal, delicious, very good price and quality, traditional Bulgarian food. The service was very good, we were so delighted with the guide that we will repeat tomorrow visit plovnid!12/10.highly recommended
Superb experience for magical places
pierreaubertb,,Oct 30, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very nice experience, superb visits, we were amazed!! Top driver and guide, very good price ratio and a great day!! We highly recommend this experience
Recommended day trip
tonyu637,,Oct 26, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Incredible trip, the Rila Monestry was stunning, in a fabulous location. Boyana church home to amazing mediaeval wall paintings.
Very good tour!
Voyager789619,,Sep 27, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour was on time. The guide was nice and responsible. Both churches were beautiful and worth the time. We took our luggages to the bus. It's convenient to people who has one day time to see the wonder.
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Operated by City Tour Ltd.