Sofia – Boboshevo Village – St. Dimitar monastery – Medi Valley Winery – Rila Monastery – Sofia
Morning transfer towards Boboshevo village on Struma River, only 75km from Sofia. The architecture and the murals of Virgin Mary church and the St. Dimitar monastery church are among the best preserved art of Bulgarian Medieval Orthodoxy.
We enter the monastery, before continuing our drive towards Medi Valley Winery in the small village of Smotschewo, at the southwest foot hills of Rila Mountain.
The valley offers breathtaking views to Kalin peak (2668m). This modern producer is clearly dedicated to excellence in the winemaking. After a major renovation it was recently reopened and welcomes its guests warmly for wine tasting that enliven the senses. One of the famous Bulgarian winemakers has been engaged in the project since 2010.
The air here is influenced both by the Struma river valley and the mountain. The outcome is the fleshy, full-bodied, harmony wines that are worth a try and will surprise you!
After the wine tasting and lunch we transfer to Rila Monastery, the biggest and most important symbol of Bulgarian Orthodox church. The Monastery has been founded in the 10-th century and rebuilt in 13-th and 14-th centuries. It is one of Europe’s oldest and included in UNESCO’S list in 1983. Behind the 20 meters walls lie impressive monastery buildings, a church and a chapel with valuable murals.
Afternoon return to Sofia for another dinner in a local restaurant, and overnight.

Sofia – Plovdiv Walking Tour with wine tasting
Morning transfer to Plovdiv (2h). After check in we will start a guided walking tour of Plovdiv and Old Town Plovdiv, and stop for wine tasting in a wine bar in city center. We can try 3 to 4 different wines, and local snacks.
Plovdiv is Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city, and the second biggest city in Bulgaria
During the city tour we will visit its most important sites, such as the Roman Stadium located in the heart of the city; the Ancient Theatre – one of the best preserved in the World; Roman mosaics in the Small Basilica and the Old Town of Plovdiv with its splendid Bulgarian Revival-style wooden-frame houses dating back to 18th and 19th century,
Dinner and overnight in Plovdiv.

Plovdiv – Manastira Winery – Villa Yustina – Plovdiv
This morning we take a scenic drive towards Manastira Winery.
Manastira winery is specialized in producing high quality wines. It is located in Thracian Valley – a region known for its rich culture and historical heritage. Proof of this are the remains of Christian center,which gave the name of the area – “The Monastery”.
Wine production in the area dates back to different historical periods when Thracians Romans, Byzantines and Slavs lived there.
Wine cellar “Manastira” has 300 decares high standard vineyards from the following varieties: red grape varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Mavrud, Merlot, Syrah, Ancelotta and white grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Muscat.
We take a walk through the vineyards and cellars, and finish the tour with the degustation of wines and snacks, before transferring to Villa Yustina, another winery in this area.
We enjoy lunch and wine tasting, with more walks through the vineyards, follow the journey from grape-to-bottle and the cellars.
Established in 2006, Villa Yustina is a prime example of modern wine production in Bulgaria with quality wines, winning awards at international wine competitions. Pure varietal or blended, the wines made from their white grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, Aligoté, Gewürztraminer and from the red:Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Mavrud and Rubin.
Afternoon return to Plovdiv for dinner and overnight.

Panagyurishte & Rumelia Wine Cellars
Morning transfer to the town of Panagyurishte, where we visit the Rumelia Wine Cellar for a tour and wine tasting. The cellar had production area, underground barrel cellar, bottling line, laboratory, cozy testing area and unique atmosphere. Rumelia wine cellar processes grapes with high quality that have gathered the sun rays of Golden Thracia – prerequisite and guarantee for the high level of quality of the offered wines. The cellar is equipped with state-of-the-art technology for elite red wines production, the style and exquisite taste of which are a result of the strict control of every grape batch. The wine cellar can process 500-600 tons of grapes per year, which is enough for the production of 400-500 thousand bottles of wine per year. The underground cellar has barrels, produced by French, American and Bulgarian oak with the capacity of 1000 barriques.
We enjoy lunch before visiting Panagyurishte Museum to see the famous golden treasure. The Panagyurishte golden treasure is a masterpiece of Thracian craftsmanship consisting of a phiale, an amphora and seven rhytons made out of 24 carat gold. It is one of the most valuable symbols of the town– a unique monument of the ancient Thracian civilization. The Thracians were known as famous and crafty wine makers. Afternoon return to Plovdiv for another overnight and delicious dinner.

Zagreus Winery, an Organic Wine Producer – Bachkovo Monastery – Plovdiv
This morning we visit Zagreus Winery, a high quality organic wine producer.
Zagreus Winery was established in the autumn of 1998 and currently has 120 hectares of vineyards. The varieties of grapes cultivated include Mavrud, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. Since 2010 the vineyards have been cultivated under European Union specifications for organic wine production, and in 2013 after a three-year probation period, the winery became a certified organic wine producer. In the cultivation of grapes, the winery does not use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers or genetically modified organisms. Everything is natural. During the tour we will taste a selection of 5 wines.
We enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and further transfer to Bachkovo Monastery, the second largest monastery in Bulgaria. Founded in the 11th century, it is one of the oldest monas-teries in the Balkan Peninsula.It was connected with three cultures: Byzantine, old Georgean and Bulgarian. It has preserved unique and highly valuable monuments of architecture and painting, typical of Eastern Orthodox culture. The monastery ossuary (11-12th century) is a two-storied chapel with murals in both stories. It is unique in the entire Eastern Orthodox world. The Church of the Holy Archangels is a rare example of a two- storied building from the 12th-14th centuries. The refectory (17th century) contains a picturesque ensemble wholly and splendidly preserved which could be compared to only one or two similar monuments in the territories of the Eastern Orthodox regions. The main monastery Church of Our Virgin contains murals of the 17th century which are very well preserved. Afternoon return to Plovdiv for farewell dinner and overnight.

Sofia – Return Flight
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Sofia airport for the return flight.