Day 1: Sofia
Upon arrival at the airport, you'll meet your guide & then take a transfer to your hotel in the city of Sofia.

Day 2: Sofia
In Bulgaria’s capital city of Sofia, you'll learn about the country’s history & how the different architectural styles coincide with the era in which they were built. For example, see early Christian ruins & temples from the Roman Empire. As the Ottoman influence took over, see how the city’s architecture evolved into much of what you see in modern say Sofia.

You'll visit the Museum of St. Sofia & the Archaeological Museum, the oldest of its kind in Bulgaria, with an extensive collection, including Thracian artifacts & Apolon bronze. You’ll also have a chance to see the Banya-Bashi mosque, known for being an icon of Islamic architecture. Your next few stops are all in Boyana, a beautiful quarter in Sofia named for its centerpiece, the Boyana Church. The Church is a UNESCO World & Cultural Heritage site; it is made up of three different parts from three different eras.

Day 3: Sofia – Rila Monastery – Plovdiv
After breakfast, you'll depart for the Rila Monastery. The core of the monastery dates back to the 10th century & the building’s turbulent life cycle has become a symbol of Bulgarian history. Rila Monastery is listed among UNESCO’s cultural & natural heritage sites. It is the biggest compound of its kind in the country. This afternoon, you'll return to Sofia for a sightseeing tour. Among your stops are the Church of St. George, the Banya-Bashi Mosque & the Alexander Nevsky Golden-Domed Cathedral.

Day 4: Plovidv
This morning, visit Ancient Plovdiv, an architectural reserve. As you walk through the village, you’ll notice how multiple eras are captured in a single building as ancient edifices were retrofitted for modern life. You'll see many features dating back to the Roman age, including the Roman stadium, the ancient Forum & the Ampitheatre.
During the Revival, the houses built in Plovidv shared many common traits: they are colorful, ornate, symmetrical & have bay windows on the second floor. Inside, paintings & carvings cover the walls, ceilings & furniture. Some of the most well-known Revival landmarks are the house of Stepan Hindliyan, the Mavridi house, the Nedkovich house, the Kuyumdzhieva house & the Balabanova house.

Day 5: Plovdiv – Perperikon
This morning, you will head to Perperikon, an ancient megalith structure, entirely carved into rocks, located on East Rhodope Mountain on a cliff 470 meters high. Below, you’ll be able to see the river valley, which is strewn with archaeological sites, each looking for artifacts from different eras. Perperikon dates back to 5th century B.C as a center for religious activity & today is one of Bulgaria’s most popular tourist destinations. It is believed that two renowned prophecies were made from the altar of Perperikon – the conquest of Alexander the Macedonian & the power of Gaius Julius Caesar Augusts, the first Roman Emperor.

Day 6: Zheravna – Nessebar
Today you'll explore another one of Bulgaria’s architectural reserves in the town of Zheravna complete with many fountains and narrow cobblestone thoroughfares. Here you'll find that 172 houses, both preserved and restored, have been declared monuments of culture.  You are encouraged to take time to stop by Chorbadzhi Rusi’s house, the native house of Yordan Yovkov, the famous Bulgarian writer, or the home of publicist Sava Filaretov.

Day 7: Nessebar – Varna
Today you'll enjoy the day in Nessebar, an old fishing town on a small rocky peninsula. Nessebar is well-preserved & still has monuments from Thracian, Greek, Roman & Byzantine eras. After a visit to the archaeological museum & a walking tour, relax with some afternoon free time. From Nessebar, you'll continue to Varna for a sightseeing tour of the city. Among your stops will be the Varna Archaeological Museum which has one of Bulgaria’s richest collections including 55,000 exhibits ranging from the Old Stone Ages to the Late Middle Ages and features the Oldest Gold in the World.

Day 8: Varna – Devnja – Madara – Sveshtari – Ruse
Today you will head to Devnya and the Museum of Mosaics, where mosaics from Marcianopolis & the early-Byzantine period are displayed. During the archaeological project that uncovered the mosaics, researchers also uncovered the House of Antiope, a grand late-Roman house, dating back to the end of the 3rd century. The house was decorated with ornate mosaics but was destroyed during the invasion of the Gotts in 250 & 251 & later rebuilt.
Then you'll continue on to Madara to see a sculpture found during an excavation and originally built in the 8th or 9th century; the UNESCO world heritage site has become a symbol of an adolescent Bulgaria. From Madara, you will travel to Isperih for a visit to the Sboryanovo National Archaeological reserve. Here, there are over 100 mounds, believed to be maps of stars & evidence of the astronomical culture of the Thracian people. The most famous of the mounds is the Sveshtari Thracian tomb, also a UNESCO world heritage site. This afternoon, you’ll travel to Ruse for dinner & your overnight stay.

Day 9: Ruse – Ivanovo monastery – Tarnovo
This morning, explore the city of Ruse, also known as “The Small Vienna.”
Then you'll continue to Ivanovo to visit the Rock Monasteries, each with their unique frescoes. Learn about the long history of these medieval churches, chapels & monastic cells, from the time they were carved into the banks of the river Lom to the invasions of the Avars. This afternoon, you’ll arrive in Veliko Tarnovo where you will enjoy dinner in Arbanassi Village.

Day 10: Tsarevets – Kasanlak – Sofia
Today you'll begin at Tsarevets Fortress which is built on the spot where the palace of the medieval tsars once stood 800 years ago when Tarnovo was its capital. You'll explore the ancient rambling ruins and see the remains of over 400 houses and innumerable churches. The panoramic views of the surrounding landscape reveal how the location of the fortress was strategically placed at 206m above sea level to protect the kingdom from invasion for hundreds of years. Please note that the stronghold involves a lot of walking up steep slopes, but because the only access to the fortress is on foot you can wander the grounds and climb the old walls in peace.
Then you'll travel to the Valley of the Thracian Kings. Along the way, stop at the tomb of Kazanluk, a replica of the eponymous tomb decorated in 4th century frescoes. You may also have the chance to see other notable tombs, such as Golyama Kosmatka, Shushmanetz & Ostrusha. Feel free to take some time to peruse the archaeological museum in the town before departing this afternoon for Sofia.

Day 11: Sofia
After breakfast, you will transfer to the airport for your return flight home.