Discover the unknown treasures of Bulgaria including unforgettable unique wine varieties that you have probably never tasted before. Although Bulgaria has been producing wine for 5000 years it is still relatively unknown to the rest of the world. Now a rising new generation of Bulgarian boutique winemakers who are devoted to the craft and bringing new attention to the country. First, arrive at a small boutique wine shop in the heart of Sofia. During your personal tasting experience, be guided through the distinctive world of Bulgarian wines. Taste 5 local wines from regions across Bulgaria. The wines will be paired with Bulgarian craft cheeses and artisanal bread.

Begin your tour in front of the 5-star Grand Hotel Sofia, where you’ll meet your guide. Visit the beautiful National Theater, the former Royal Palace, and the Presidency. On this 3-hour afternoon walk your guide will take you next to the Art Club café, a favorite spot of many locals. Try the world famous shopska salad, prepared from fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, and spices, and taste traditional Bulgarian cold soup, called tarator, prepared from yogurt and cucumbers. See the Rotunda St. George, St. Nedelya Church, St. Joseph Catholic Cathedral, the Banya Bashi Mosque, and the Sofia Synagogue, all around a square known as Small Jerusalem. Visit the historic Central Hali Market that dates from the beginning of the 20th century. Taste typical sweets such as baklava and tolumbichki, or buy fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, or sausages. Head to Europe’s newest underground and travel 1 stop to Lions' Bridge. Near the stop is a typical Bulgarian restaurant, created from 4 houses with a common garden. The restaurant features the architecture and furnishings of the 19th century, representing the 4 corners of Bulgaria. Taste fantastic Bulgarian wines together with different meze of meats, including lukanka, babek, fillet Elena, and pastarma. The tour ends at this point, but you may want to continue sampling different hot or cold appetizers, traditional dishes, and Bulgarian desserts.

Enjoy a panoramic 4-hour evening tour of Sofia, traveling by comfortable air-conditioned minivan to all the main sights. Pass Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Bulgaria and the second biggest in the Balkans. Continue to the main square of Narodno Sabranie to see the Parliament building and magnificent statue of Bulgaria’s King Liberator, Tsar Osvoboditel. Marvel at the onion domes of the Russian Church and pass the ornate façade of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. See the serious buildings of the Presidency and Council of Ministers. Continue to the National Palace of Culture and National Stadium of Vasil Levski, located in Sofia’s expansive Borisova Garden near Lake Ariana. Then, go to the Veselo Selo restaurant, situated in the beautiful forest of Borisova Garden. Here, enjoy a delicious dinner from a menu of typical Bulgarian dishes. As you sip local wines, enjoy a fantastic show of traditional music and dance.

Your tour begins at 7:00PM from the reception of your hotel. From there you'll board a car that will take you on a pleasant drive through the central part of the city as you learn the history behind some of the oldest monumental buildings of Sofia. The first interesting monument you will encounter will be the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, which is the largest cathedral in Bulgaria and the second largest in the Balkans. From there you'll encounter the National Library, the monument of Vassil Levski (a great Bulgarian national hero), the Administration of the President and the Council of Ministers, the former Royal Palace, and the Russian Church. You'll then pass the Military Club, the National Parliament, and the National Palace of Culture, stopping for pictures at some of the main points of interest along the way. For dinner you will be able to choose from different set menus depending on your preferences. There are options for menus based on meat, fish, or vegetarian/vegan. Your delicious Bulgarian dishes will be combined with magic and folk dances, which will create an authentic dining atmosphere for you to enjoy. Following dinner your return journey will be via a different route, before you are dropped off back at your hotel.

Begin your guided walking tour at Alexandar Nevski Cathedral, the biggest Orthodox basilica in Bulgaria and one of the most notable symbols of Sofia. The route transects the compact and colorful city center and passes by the Holy Sinod, St. Sofia Church, the Monument of Alexander II, the Parliament, the Russian Church St. Nicolas, the former King’s Palace, the Presidency, St. George Rotunda and St. Nedelia Church. From here you will be transported to one of the most famous restaurants in Sofia to taste typical Bulgarian food (3-course menu)  and enjoy an exhilarating Bulgarian dances called hora.

Melnik overview Melnik is a declared architectural reserve and one of the most famous wine region in Bulgaria. The first to settle in the area were the Thracian tribe Medi (the famous rebel Spartacus belonged to this tribe). The Slavs who came later in these parts, named the settlement Melnik after the sand formations surrounding it on all sides. Melnik became a part of the First Bulgarian Empire under the rule of Khan Presian I (836-852) and prospered greatly in the period. Melnik became the capital of an independent feudal principality ruled by Despot Alexius Slav in 1209 and had an economic and cultural prosperity. The town continued to flourish under Tsar Ivan Assen ІІ because of the duty-free trade with Dubrovnik (ruled by Venetians). In the late 18th century, the town had 1300 houses, seventy churches and a population of some 20, 000 people. Your wine day in Melnik region Your guide will pick you up from your hotel in Sofia at 8:30 AM and after a 2 hours and 30 minutes drive through various landscape (highway, mountains, river canyon and valleys). The first stop will be town of Melnik. You will visit one famous house, owned by a very rich family in middle 18th century, who was dealing with wine trade, including export to Venice. You will enjoy some time in the private cellar of the house. Then you will have a little walking in the smallest town in Bulgaria, option to visit the Wine museum. After that you will head to a nearby village - Rojen, where you could have nice lunch and a glass of excellent local wine. Next to the village is a old monastery, which you can visit. The final stop will be one of the good wine cellars of Bulgaria - Villa Melnik. You will have a guided tour in side, by member of the family, that owns the cellar. After wine tasting of their products you will head back to Sofia. 

Your tour starts at 12:30PM from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. From there, your guide will take you around all of the interesting sites in the center of Sofia. You will visit sites such as the Cathedral, the Basilica, the Presidency, the Rotunda, the Roman heritage, and more. They will also tell you about the history of the sites, as well as about the overall history of Sofia and Bulgaria. While you enjoy the sightseeing tour, your guide will also take you to some "hidden" places, which you would have difficulty finding on your own. In these places you will have the chance to try some of the most famous Bulgarian drinks and foods such as ayran: a salty yogurt drink, banithsa: pastry with white cheese, shopksa salad: a traditional Bulgarian salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, local meze, home-style bread, local beer, and some sweets. Overall there are 3 stops for such food tastings, and generally the food is enough to get you satisfied. The tour eventually ends between 3:30PM-4:00PM next to the covered market, near the Serdica metro station in the city center.

This tour starts with visit of Plovdiv, considered to be one of the oldest settlements of Europe, with more than 7000 years of history. Plovdiv is situated on the crossroads between the West and the East, amid the fertile plain of Thrace, where history and modernity go hand in hand, whereas since the ancient times until today culture and art thrive within a vivid medley of shapes, styles and colors. The city is home of the fabulous remains of the Ancient Roman Empire – the Roman Stadium, Roman Forum and the Amphitheatre. The tour also explores the town Perushtitsa, a symbol of heroism and sacrifice in the name of Freedom because of its inhabitants – who preferred death to slavery. It is situated in the outskirts of the Rhodope Mountain, at a distance of 21 km from Plovdiv. In Perushtitsa we will visit the Church St Archangel Michael – the last stronghold and refuge of insurgents in April 1876 against the Ottoman domination, as well as Danov School from the National Revival Period and we will take a look around the Historical Museum. An important site that you will visit is The Red Church, some 2 km from Perushtitsa. It is among the most remarkable monuments of Early Christian architecture. The next stop will be the winery Villa Yustina, situated in the vicinity of Perushtitsa. There you will have the chance to taste typical for the region Bulgarian wine.

Medi Valley Winery is a classic winery complex located at the crossroads of a multi-directional touristic compass. The winery will be an unforgettable experience that will provoke the senses and stimulate the mind, learning about local history and traditions. The Rila Monastery private tour includes a wine tasting of five different local wines, produced in the vicinity of Rila Monastery. The full-day tour of this UNESCO site in Rila includes an exclusive 60-minute wine tasting tour. You'll be impressed by the knowledge and energy of your guides as you learn about Bulgaria.  Rila monastery is the holiest place for the Bulgarian orthodoxy, where past, present and future are interlaced. To make your day tour of this magnificent monastery unforgettable, after spending two hours at this holy place, you will be taken for a unique wine tasting to a wine cell in the feet of Rila mountain. Before the Bulgarians, The Thracians were the rulers of these territories. Their remarkable culture and warrior dignity are woven in the wine of the region, called after one of their greatest tribes, The Medi. The great Spartacus itself originated from here. Your tour will start with pick-up from your accommodation in Sofia. After a 2-hour drive you will reach the Monastery in the Rila Mountain, at an altitude of 1147 meters (3763 feet) above sea level. The introduction of the UNESCO site will begin with brief history of the founder and the construction of the monastery. After that you will visit the church and medieval 14th century defense tower. After you finish exploring the monastery complex you will have lunch at a cozy restaurant and sample some local food (grilled trout specialty). Then you will make your way to Medi Valley winery where you will have the possibility of trying five different types of wines. A short story about the history of the region, the winery and the current products will be followed by a question-and-answer session. 

The tour starts with pick-up from your accommodation in Sofia. From there, you will go around all the important sightseeing places in the city center and you will be able to stop for pictures as you visit some of them. A professional guide will be by your side and will tell you about the history, the culture and the nature of Bulgaria. After the tour, you will go to a great winery where you will try the Bulgarian wine, which has over a thousand years tradition. The Bulgarian lands are rooted in ancient civilizations and have left an indelible imprint on modern Bulgaria. The ancient Thracians, who populated the land worshipped the gods Zagreus and Dionysius and used the wine during religious rituals. Nowadays Bulgaria is a proud producer of high-quality red wines, which are famous all around the world.