Sofia & Rila Monastery & Melnik

First Day:

Early morning departure, picturesque drive inland to Sofia, lunch in Sofia, a walking tour of the main landmarks of the capital (St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, National Assembly building, St. Nicholas Russian church, the Royal Palace, the Presidency, St. Petka Church, Roman Rotunda and St. Nedelya Church); late afternoon departure to Rila Monastery; dinner and overnight in the vicinity of the monastery.

Second Day:

Attendance of the early morning service in the main monastery church, breakfast, sightseeing tour of the Rila Monastery – the biggest and the most beautiful one in the country, charming example of the Bulgarian Revival, visit to the monastery’s museum, which hosts a rich collection of icons, historical and ethnographic exhibits.

Departure to Rupite, a country veiled in the halo of the mystic energy of the Seer Vanga who chose to spend the last days of her holy life here. Free time to explore the complex around the temple “St. Petka of Bulgaria”; lunch, visit to the house museum where Seer Vanga lived until the beginning of the 1990s; afternoon departure and late evening return.