SOFIA – RILA-MONASTERY- SOFIA
This morning we transfer to the Rila Monastery from the 10th century, one of UNESCO World Heritage site, the largest and the most impressive Bulgarian monastery. We will have a tour of the monastery complex, church and museum with its lavish collection of precious old manuscripts, icons, jewelry, masterpieces of woodcarving, ethnographic exhibition of fabrics and carpets.
In the afternoon return transfer to Sofia for another overnight in Bulgarian capital city.

SOFIA – BACHKOVO MONASTERY – PLOVDIV
Today we transfer towards Bachkovo Monastery, from the 11th century, one of the richest galleries of traditional Bulgarian religious art with exquisite murals and medieval icons. We reach the monastery after 2.5 hours drive. We enjoy the beauty of the surrounding nature with the warm and welcoming atmosphere of one of the biggest monasteries in Bulgaria.
Further transfer to Plovdiv, one of the most ancient cities in Europe and in the world. Sightseeing of the Old town of Plovdiv with National Revival architecture and excavations from Roman times. Visit of the ancient Roman theatre with impressive marble statues, decorative columns and arcades.
Dinner and overnight in Plovdiv.

PLOVDIV – KAZANLAK – TRYAVNA – VELIKO TARNOVO
Bulgaria is one of the biggest rose-oil producers in the world and a country that has been closely related to the beautiful flower for centuries.
Today we will have the opportunity to visit the rose valley, located in Kazanlak. Visit the Kazanlak Historical Museum to see the Thracian golden treasures.
Continue with one of the UNESCO’s sites, the Thracian Tomb dating back from the 4th century B.C. Visit the replica of the Thracian Tomb. Discovered in 1944, this tomb dates from the Hellenistic period, around the end of the 4th century BC. It is located near Seutopolis, the capital city of the Thracian king Seutes III, and is part of a large Thracian necropolis. The tholos has a narrow corridor and a round burial chamber, both decorated with murals representing Thracian burial rituals and culture. These paintings are Bulgaria’s best-preserved artistic masterpieces from the Hellenistic period
Departure to the town of Tryavna. The town of Tryavna is located in the northern folds of the picturesque Stara planina Mountain in the valley of Trevnenska River. Walking tour of Tryavna, where vaulted stone bridges, houses, churches and the square with a clock tower preserve the spirit and talent of the artists from Tryavna School of Art from the 17th century.
In the afternoon we reach the city of Veliko Tarnovo, where we will enjoy a traditional dinner and spend the overnight.

VELIKO TARNOVO – ARBANASSI
Today we spend the morning with a guided tour of Veliko Tarnovo, where we can take a walk on Samovodska Charshiya, the traditional arts and crafts street and visit to Tsarevets hill, an impressive sight with medieval fortifications and dramatic architecture. We will visit the Tsarevest Fortress, the symbol of Veliko Tarnovo. It is the former rezidence of the medieval tsars, and hosts the remains of more than 400 houses, 18 churches, the royal palace, an execution rock and more. Thracians and Romans used it as a defensive position, but the Byzantines built the first significant fortress here between the 5th and 7th centuries AD.
After the visits we transfer to the museum town of Arbanassi boasting a genuine gallery of religious art in its Church of Nativity. Visit the Konstantsalieva house, fine example of 17th century house of a wealthy merchant.
We return to Veliko Tarnovo for dinner and overnight.

VELIKO TARNOVO – MADARA – SVESHTARI – RUSSE
This morning we transfer to the city of Ruse.
Along the way we stop in Madara and visit the Madara Rider. The Madara Rider, representing the figure of a knight triumphing over a lion, is carved into a 100-m-high cliff near the village of Madara in north-east Bulgaria. Madara was the principal sacred place of the First Bulgarian Empire before Bulgaria’s conversion to Christianity in the 9th century. The inscriptions beside the sculpture tell of events that occurred between AD 705 and 801.
We continue driving towards Sveshtari, where we can visit the Sveshtari Thracian Tomb, another UNESCO monument. The unique architectural décor of the tomb includes 10 female figures carved in the walls and painted murals, a remarkable example of the culture of the Thracian people.
In the afternoon we arrive in Ruse and take a walking tour in the city center.
Ruse is on the most elegant cities in Bulgaria, with a belle époque architecture, its churches and its roman fortress. Overnight in Ruse.

RUSSE – IVANOVO – Bucharest
This morning we transfer to the valley of the Roussenski Lom River, in north east Bulgaria, a complex of rock-hewn churches, chapels, monasteries and cells developed in the vicinity of the village of Ivanovo. This is where the first hermits had dug out their cells and churches during the 12th century. The 14th-century murals testify to the exceptional skill of the artists belonging to the Tarnovo School of painting. They are an important achievement in the Christian art of South-Eastern Europe. Neo-classical in spirit and in elements of their subjects, the frescoes represent a departure from the canons of Byzantine iconography.
We visit the main church, before starting our transfer towards the capital city of Romania, Bucharest. Dinner and overnight in Bucharest.

Bucharest City Tour
Full day in Bucharest to explore the city. Known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a reputation for the high life (which in the 1900s earned its nickname of “Little Paris”), Bucharest, Romania’s largest city and capital, is today a bustling metropolis.
In the morning we take a guided tour, where we will see the Arch of Triumph, pass through Calea Victoriei which is Bucharest’s oldest most charming street, discover some of the most stunning buildings in the city, including the Cantacuzino Palace, the Revolution Square, the Military Club, National Savings Bank Palace and the National History Museum. We visit the old town, where at the beginning of 1400s, most merchants and craftsmen – Romanian, Austrian, Greek, Armenian and Jewish – established their stores and shops in this section of the city; Today, the area is home to art galleries, antique shops, coffeehouses, restaurants and night-clubs. At the centre of the historic area are the remains of the Old Princely Court, built in the 15th century by Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad Dracula
Later we enter to the Bucharest Parliament Palace.
Built at the special request of Nicolae Ceausescu, leader of Romania’s Communist Party, the colossal Parliament Palace
– formerly known as “People’s House” is the world’s second largest administrative building after the U. S. Pentagon.
It took 20,000 workers and 700 architects to build this masive structure that boasts 12 stories, 1,100 rooms, a 350-ft.-long lobby and eight underground levels, including an enormous nuclear bunker.
We visit also one of the oldest churches in Bucharest (with parts dating back to the 16th century and a steeple built in 1715), the Apostles’ Church. Dinner and overnight in Bucharest.

Bucharest – Sibiu
Today we will transfer towards the city of Sibiu, where we enjoy a guided tour of the city, including the Highlights: Craftsmen’s Square, Huet Square and Evangelical Church, Bridge of Lies, Goldsmith Square, Great Square, Orthodox Cathedral, Roman Catholic Church, City Hall Tower. Sibiu was the largest and wealthiest of the seven walled citadels* built in the 12th century by German settlers known as Transylvanian Saxons. The city is divided in two sections, the Upper town, home to most of Sibiu’s historic sights, and the Lower town, lined with colorful houses on cobblestone streets and bounded by imposing city walls and defense towers overlooking the river Cibin. Traditional dinner in Sibiu and overnight.

Sibiu – Sighisoara – Brasov
This morning we visit Sighisoara, an old town whose origin goes back to the Roman times
Sighisoara is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved medieval towns in Europe.
Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this perfectly intact 16th century gem with nine towers, cobbled streets, burgher houses and ornate churches rivals the historic streets of Old Prague or Vienna.
During the city tour of Sighisoara we will see the Church on the Hill with its 500-year-old frescoes, the 13th century Venetian House and the Church of the Dominican Monastery, the 14th century Clock Tower and the Sighisoara’s citadel built in the 12th century.
An interesting visit is also The Vlad Dracul House, located in the Citadel Square, close to the Clock Tower. This ocher-colored house is the place where Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s famous Dracula, was born in 1431 and lived with his father, Vlad Dracul.
Leaving Sighisoara, we drive further to Brasov, one of the most visited places in Romania.
We stroll around the old Town Hall Square where we admire colorfully painted and ornately trimmed baroque structures. Visit the Black Church, the largest gothic church in Romania. Its interior is impressive and well-kept, and it houses one of the largest organs in Eastern Europe. We will walk in one of the narrowest streets in Europe – The Rope Street, which is approximately 120 cm (4 feet) wide;
Dinner and overnight in Brasov.

Brasov – Bran Castle – Peles Castle – Sinaia – Bucharest
This morning we visit Bran Castle, one of the most important touristic attraction in Romania, due to its links with the legend of Dracula. The landscape in this area is a harmonious mixture of different landforms. high mountains, plateaus, the curvy shapes carved by the rivers along their banks and the valleys that cross the land. The castle was built between 1377 and 1388. We will visit the castle and pass through its narrow winding stairways that lead through some 60 timbered rooms, many connected by underground passages, which house collections of furniture, weapons and armor dating from the 14th to the 19th centuries. The castle overlooks the picturesque village of Bran, which offers an open-air Ethnographic Museum consisting of old local-style village houses complete with furniture, household objects and costumes.
Later on, we reach another castle, the Peles Castle located in Sinaia. Peles Castle is a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance architecture, considered by many one of the most stunning castles in Europe. Its 160 rooms are adorned with the finest examples of European art, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows and Cordoba leather-covered walls. Until 1947 it was a summer residence for the royal family. Peles Castle was the first European castle to have electricity, it even has its own power plant. It has 160 rooms and each room is decorated in a different style or theme.
There is a Concert Hall, Music Room (India), Turkish Salon, Great Salon (Italy),Council Room (Switzerland), Moor Hall, and so much more. The Royal Library has a secret door and the castle’s 60-seat Theater, with royal box, showed the first movie projection in Romania in 1906. After the visits we stop in Sinaia, a picturesque mountain resort in Prahova River valley.
In the afternoon we reach Bucharest, for our last overnight in Romania.

Bucharest – Return Flight
Breakfast at the hotel. Free time in Bucharst until airport transfer for the return flight.