Penguin Travel

The sightseeing tour we offer you differs from the other tours on the tourist market: in order to save the long drive to and from the Black Sea coast, we have chosen to fly to Sofia. We have traveled widely and have found good two and three star hotels with bathroom/toilet in beautiful historical towns. The group includes maximum 18 people, which gives a better chance of coming closer to the local people and their everyday life. On the way, we visit some large cities: Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Turnovo. Bulgaria is known as the land of magnificent monasteries. They are not only important historical monuments, but are often beautifully situated in gorges or at the foot of the mountains. Our tour takes us up in the Rila, the Pirin, the Rhodopi, the Balkan Mountains and to some of Bulgaria's most interesting monasteries: Rila Monastery, Bachkovo Monastery, Rozhen Monastery.

We are able to provide a self-drive option (using our rent a car services) or offer you to make use of local public transport (we will take care of the hotel accommodations, tickets and inform you on the schedules). This type of tour gives you a possibility to explore Bulgaria at your own pace. You might visit the same places of interest, included in our standard program or chose some others. And of course you can take local guides (normally English, German or French speaking) in the museums, monasteries, ethnographic and historic reserves. We can arrange the accommodation at any of the places mentioned and many others and we could provide you with some initial directions and maps, which will help you get the best out of your holiday. It is important to bear in mind that the self-drive option makes you absolutely independent while the local transport is more time-consuming and not that predictable. A timetable can be changed, for instance, a route can be closed or opened, for transport infrastructure in Bulgaria is not as well developed as it is in Western Europe. These options cannot compare with a guided tour - you will have to handle challenges yourself and act like a local most of the time, but you will be free to chose where, when and which way to go, which makes the experience a rather exciting one!
 

Tour highlights:

• Plovdiv - the second Bulgarian city in population and size after the capital, Plovdiv is famous for the Old Town with charming houses decorated with colourful ornaments • Veliko Turnovo - situated along the historical hills of Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora on the two banks of Yantra River. The houses of the old town are like withe birds on the cliff side above Jantra river and create a magnificent view • Arbanasi - Austere houses that resemble minor fortresses on the outside, with high, solid walls and heavy gates, richly decorated and traditionally furnished on the inside.• Sofia – the capital of Bulgaria, the second oldest city in Europe • Rila Monastery - the most popular tourist site among all monasteries in Bulgaria. The legendary monastery lies in fantastic surroundings • Melnik (380 m a.s.l.) - the smallest and one of the most fascinating towns-museums in Bulgaria, known for wine and sandpyramids. •Rozhen Monastery - one of the few Bulgarian monasteries of the Middle Ages, which has survived relatively intact up to present days. •Yagodina Cave - a magnificent cave with stalactites and stalagmites which have shaped pearls and mystic figures.

Departure dates:
12 June 2010
10 July 2010
21 August 2010
09 October 2010

Country region:   Around Bulgaria

Price without flight ticket:   529.00 EUR

Trip plan:
Day 1: Arrival at Sofia, Plovdiv or Burgas airport. Transfer to Plovdiv for overnight (transfer time: 20 min from Plovdiv Airport , 2 hrs from Sofia Airport, 3 hrs from Burgas Airport).

Day 2: After breakfast we head towards the town of Shipka, where we visit the renovated Memorial “Birth of Christ” russian church. The background of the mountain makes prominent the gilt of the domes and the multi-colored decoration of the church façade and attracts people’s attention. Then we drive north, up in the Balkan Mountains to the Shipka Pass. In 1877 this pass was the site of the most important battle in the liberation war against the Turks. Further to the north we visit the Etur - an open-air Ethnographic Heritage Museum near the town of Gabrovo, with houses from the Bulgarian National Revival period and workshops for ceramics, copper and other handicrafts. After some 25 km more we reach the town of Tryavna, where we stay overnight.

Day 3: In the morning we head to Veliko Turnovo, considered to be the most beautiful Bulgarian town. There we have a sightseeing trip. Veliko Turnovo was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (13th C.). Remains of the medieval fortifications, churches and the palace still stand on Tsarevets Hill (the King's Hill). The journey continues with a visit to the museum-town of Arbanasi with houses looking like fortresses. In the late afternoon we head to Troyan where we stay overnight.

Day 4: Departure from Troyan. A guided sightseeing on foot of the city of Sofia comprising visits to some of the most interesting sites in the town: the National Library, Sofia University, The Parliament, St. Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral with its golden domes, the National Theatre, St Sofia Church, Sofia's oldest building - St George Rotunda, the houses of the Council of Ministers, Presidency and the former Communist Party Headquarters, the ruins of the ancient city of Serdika (dating from the 5th-6th C). Free time for shopping and relax.

Day 5: After breakfast we go southwards to the biggest and most famous monastery in Bulgaria – Rila Monastery. It is situated in Rila mountains and is included in UNESCO World heritage list. Next we have a transfer through the town of Sandanski to the picturesque Rozhen Monastery dating from the 13th c. - the only Bulgarian monastery that remained unharmed during the Turkish domination. The next stop in the program is the old town of Melnik - Bulgaria's smallest town famous for its unique red wine and the natural sandstone pyramides. Thracians, Romans and Byzantines have written its history. Overnight in hotel.

Day 6:  We continue our trip further through Pirin Mountains towards the Rodopi Mountains – the oldest ones in Bulgaria. The rounded green slopes of the Rodopi stand against the sharp rocky peaks of Pirin. En-route we pass by Dospat dam-lake – one of the mountains’ blue pearls, where we have lunch. The highlight of the day is the visit to Jagodina Cave. The cave is among the longest ones in Bulgaria (with more than 10 000 m mapped so far). After a cave tour there we continue to the town of Devin, famous for its mineral springs. We stay overnight in Devin.

Day 7: After breakfast we drive northwest to the city of Plovdiv, situated in the Thrace plain in Central Bulgaria. Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria. It is also one of the oldest on the Balkan Peninsula - it was the capital of Ancient Thrace and a big trade centre in the Middle Ages. The Old city of Plovdiv with its museums, historical sites, ancient houses and paved streets is a nice play for sightseeing. In the evening we have dinner at a traditional restaurant in the old quarter of Plovdiv. We stay overnight in Plovdiv.

Day 8: Transfer to Sofia or Plovdiv airport for departure (transfer time: 20 min to Plovdiv Airport or 2 hrs to Sofia Airport).
 

Accomodation and food:   You stay in 3-star hotels with private facilities (days 2,3,4,5,6) and guesthouses (days 1,7) based on HB (breakfast and dinner included). One dinner with traditional Bulgarian folklore singing and dancing is also included.

Price of extra services:   Single supplement: 135 Euro

Included in the price:   Transfer from/to the airport and throughout the whole journey; guiding, accommodation and boarding as per program; all entrance fees; flight from Copenhagen to Sofia and back, VAT and all local taxes.

Excluded from the price:   Flight tickets, tips, insurances, alcohol drinks, cigarettes and other personal expenses

Practical information:    EXTENSION AT THE BLACK SEA COAST: we have a unique proposal, which gives you the opportunity to stay on a sea holiday for extra week after your active tour at an incredibly low price! We can offer a great variety of means of accommodation - from home stays to 4-star hotels in Sozopol, Nessebar, Sunny Beach, Lozenets, St. Vlas, Golden Sands etc. and all this with arranged transportation right after your tour and before your departure flight (prices vary between 100 and 400 Euro per person per week depending on the hotel category and the meal plan; transportation is included). For more information please check "Vacation extensions" below. LOW COST FLIGHTS TO BULGARIA: please check: Wizz Air - http://wizzair.com/; Sky Europe - http://www1.skyeurope.com/; Easy Jet - http://www.easyjet.com/; Germanwings - http://www.germanwings.com/; My Air - http://www.myair.com/; Penguin Travel – http://www.flybulgarien.dk/; Norwegian Air Shuttle - http://www.norwegian.no/. CONNECTING THE TOUR: in summer time there are loads of opportunities to book a cheap flight to Bourgas or Varna Airport instead of landing at Sofia Airport. We can arrange for you a bus or train ticket to the starting point of the active tour with transfer to the central bus/railway station in these towns, picking you up at the airport upon arrival or vice versa at the end of your tour (this would only cost you appr. 20-30 Euro per car + the bus/train ticket price itself). For longer private transfers or rent a car services please check our offers from the menu “Rent-a-car and Transportation”

Recommended travel period of the year:   June - October

Links to additional information:   
http://www.bulgariacarrent.com

 

Tour difficulty:   A 

No special experience is needed; everyone who is in condition to cope with long Saturday walks in the forest can also cope with these tours. As a rule, the trips are short and at a low altitude. Often, it is your choice to join or skip a day-tour. The routes follow a hilly terrain without steep ascents and descents. Normally we walk 3/5h a day.

Group Size:   Min. 4, max. 18 people

Vacation Extensions:
Sozopol (Bulgaria)
Sunny Beach (Bulgaria)
Lozenets (Bulgaria)
Nessebar (Bulgaria)
Varna / Golden Sands (Bulgaria)

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