Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Private Tour

69 € / per person

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Your Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Private Tour

We begin our tour with a visit to Boyana Church, the only UNESCO World Heritage monument near Sofia, where, despite its small size, the frescoes offer an immense contribution to the world history of art. Afterward, we head to the National History Museum, where you will be guided through Bulgaria’s 14-century history. By now, our hunger for knowledge and a delicious local meal grows, so we will stop at a hidden gem of a restaurant, established in 1927, to continue discussing topics like communism, the Soviet era, the Turkish occupation, and Bulgaria’s involvement in both World Wars. In the afternoon, we will park at Alexander Nevsky Square to visit the largest church in the Balkans before exploring the catacombs of St. Sofia Church from the Byzantine era. Our walk will continue through landmarks such as the Russian Church, the National Theater and its garden, the Rotunda St. George, Roman remains, and conclude at the Bania Bashi Mosque with the nearby thermal springs.

Quick information

Duration:

Start: 9:00 h
End: 18:00 h
Driving time – 4h. approx.

Accessibility:

Quite accessible

Important:

All year round women need to have kneels and shoulders covered. Warm clothes and low heel shoes

Overview

Itinerary

Itinerary for Rila Monastery & Boyana Church Private Tour

The start of your day begins with pick up from your hotel/accommodation in Sofia. After 2 hours drive we reach the Monastery in the Rila mountain at an altitude of 1147m (3763 feet) above sea level. You have 2 hours for a visit of the complex. If you wish to have more time, you can skip the lunch and spend more time in the Monastery.

Our guide will introduce you to the UNESCO site for about 40 min and then you will visit the beautiful Monastery museum with wonderful treasures. At 13:00 h you will meet your guide again at the parking lot and if you wish you will go to a nice restaurant for a local grilled trout and shopska salad lunch or you will go straight to Boyana church.

This UNESCO World Heritage church is a precious medieval example of Bulgarian Orthodox art. Due to special humidity and temperature regime the visit inside is limited to about 10 minutes but you can hear a lot of explanations from our guide outside. After another 20-30 min drive we will return to your Sofia hotel/accommodation.

More details

Rila Monastery Overview

The Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. Founded in the 10th century, the Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and is a must-visit tourist attraction for both Bulgarians and foreign visitors. It was built at its present place in the 14th century. The oldest buildings in the complex date from this period – the Tower of Hrelyu (1334–1335) and a small church just next to it (1343). However, the arrival of the Ottomans in the end of the 14th century was followed by numerous raids and a destruction of the monastery in the middle of the 15th century.

The monastery complex, regarded as one of the most impressive masterpieces of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, was declared a national historical monument in 1976 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. On 25 May 2002, Pope John Paul II visited Rila Monastery during his pilgrimage to Bulgaria. He was greeted by the Monastery’s igumen (hiero monk), Bishop Ioan, who had been an observer at the Second Vatican Council.

Boyana Church Overview

The Boyana Church is a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church situated in the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The east wing of the two-storey church was originally constructed in the late 10th or early 11th century, then the central wing was added in the 13th century under the Second Bulgarian Empire, the whole building being finished with a further expansion to the west in the middle of the 19th century.

The church owes its world fame mainly to its frescoes from 1259. They form a second layer over the paintings from earlier centuries and represent one of the most complete and well-preserved monuments of Eastern European medieval art. A total of 89 scenes with 240 human images are depicted on the walls of the church.

Activity map

Departure point

Departure point for this tour is from your hotel or accommodation within Sofia city limits. You will be notified for the exact pick up time from our agents approximately 2 days before your tour.