DAY 1 Sofia
Welcome to the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia! You will meet you driver in the arrivals hall of the airport, who will then transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax or start exploring this fascinating city.

Stay at the Coop Hotel (4 star) or similar

DAY 2 Sofia
Begin the day with a panoramic tour of the city. Emperor Constantine called this place "My Rome" and has ben inhabited for over 8,500 years. Visit the forum of the Ancient Serdica which contains the most recent archeological discoveries of the ancient city. Continue onto St Nedelya Square where you will find the four major religions of Bulgaria, the Orthodox church, Catholic church, Synagogue and Mosque. You will also get to see the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral as well as many other highlights.
The tour continues to the outskirts of the city where you visit the National history museum and the Boyana church. The church is one the of best preserved monuments of Eastern-medieval art. After a full day of exploration, the afternoon is yours to walk around the city yourself.

Stay at the Coop Hotel (4 star) or similar
Meals included: Breakfast

DAY 3 Sofia - Arbanassi - Veliko Tarnovo
Arbanassi village is the first stop for the day as you leave the capital. The village is famed for its ancient and richly decorated churches, once the residence of the Bulgarian king. You will have lunch at a local rural house where hosts will cook delicious, homemade meals for you. In the afternoon depart for the old capital of Bulgaria, Veliko Tarnovo. On arrival, visit the historical hill Tsarevets with the Fortress, the Patriarchal church and the Emperor Baldwin’s Tower. Also, get to Walk along the old Trade Street “Samovodska charshia”, where you will have the opportunity to buy handmade souvenirs.

Stay at the Hotel Gurko (3 star) or similar
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

DAY 4 Veliko Tarnovo - Kazanlak - Rose Valley - Plovdiv
Start the day with a visit to Etara, a unique open-air museum, reproducing the way of life and occupation of the local people in 19th century. Following this set off to Kazanlak, the capital of the Rose valley and Thracian Kings. Along the road by Stoletov peak and the Shipka monument. It is a memorial to those who died for the Liberation of Bulgaria. You will learn more about the crucial battles held in this place, which changed the course of the war and let afterwards to the final victory of the Russo-Bulgarian army against Ottoman Empire.
On arrival into Kazanlak a tour will follow. Visit the Historical Museum, which houses a collection of bronze and gold treasures, as well the replica of Thracian Kazanlak Tomb, dating back to the 4th c. B.C. It is listed in the world natural and historical heritage of UNESCO.
Depart to Skobelevo village, where you will visit the Ethnographical Complex “Damascene”, which has also worked as a family-run rose oil distillery for more than 20 years. In the late afternoon you will reach Plovdiv which is where you will stay for the night.

Stay at the Grand Hotel Plovdiv (4 star) or similar
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

DAY 5 Plovdiv - Dorkovo - Rhodopes Mountains - Leshten
This morning you will be taken on a walking tour of the Old Town of Plovdiv, containing impressive architecture of the Revival period like the Hidlyan House; the Ancient Theater, the Fortress walls and St. Constantine and Helena to name a few.
Afterwards you will travel to Dorkovo village. The territory around this village has one of the largest concentrations of paleontological discoveries in all Europe, and so at paleontological museum you will see a replica of a 4-metters high mastodon. Its fossils date to the Early Pliocene, more than 4 million years ago.
In the afternoon you will visit the unique carpet factory. The clients of this small family run factory are world celebrities such as The British Royal family and Mick Jagger. Follow on with a train journey through the mountains. The train moves on narrow (70 cm) railway lines and passes through unique views of the Rhodopes Mountains.
You will then arrive in the villages of Kovachevitsa and Leshten. In Leshten you will stay for the night and have dinner in a traditional style hotel.

Stay at the Hotel Leshten (3 star) or similar
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

DAY 6 Leshten - Melnik - Sandanski
After enjoying your morning coffee in the exceptionally calm atmosphere of Leshten village,
travel through the picturesque southern parts of Pirin Mountain to reach the most famous wine-growing regions in Bulgaria, Struma River valley, where you will get to do some wine tasting in a family-run winery in Harsovo village. Descend to Melnik, the town of the sand pyramids. This is a unique unforgettable place. Visit the Kordopulova museum-house, which is the biggest house from the time of the Bulgarian National Revival, followed by some lunch.
Continue your journey to Sandanski. The mountain air and the mineral water are fantastic for the health here, with the town being found outskirts of Pirin, the second highest mountain in Bulgaria.

Stay at the SPA Hotel Spartak (4 star) or similar
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

DAY 7 Sandanski - Rila Monastery - Sofia
The Rila Monastery is on the order for the day, Bulgaria's largest spiritual center since the Middle Ages, located in a picturesque mountain area. The Rila Monastery has a rich collection of icons and wall-paintings. Whilst here have lunch at the nearby restaurant, famous for its dishes of mountain trout, and afterwards continue back to Sofia.

Stay at the Coop Hotel (4 star) or similar
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

DAY 8 Sofia
Your trip has now come to an end with our transfer to the airport for your onward journey.

Meals included: Breakfast