3 Must-Visit Places for a First Timer in Bulgaria

Three days is enough time to fall for Bulgaria on a first visit: a day and a half exploring Sofia’s Orthodox cathedrals, then a full day at the UNESCO-listed Rila Monastery and Boyana Church. Here is our itinerary, our 3-day budget of 828 BGN for a family of four, and what stood out most from a short stay.

Bulgaria is a descendant of the Slavs and the medieval Bulgarian Empires, long ruled by the Ottomans before falling under a communist regime, and its cultural richness reflects this layered past. Our time there became, above all, a discovery of Orthodox Christianity: we were struck by the sheer number of religious icons filling its churches, and by how Orthodoxy persisted and survived through decades of a regime openly hostile to religion. We found Bulgarians proud of their Christian roots, and practical and devout in their faith — a real contrast with what we’re used to seeing in Western societies.

3 Must-Visit Places for a First Timer in Bulgaria

Sofia

Among the sights in Sofia, the Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral and St. Nedelya Cathedral stood out most. We hadn’t visited many Orthodox churches before, but both are strikingly impressive from the inside. Catholic iconography can already feel elaborate, but it’s nothing compared to Orthodox iconography, where the figurative representation of saints or biblical characters must follow very strict rules tied to the dogma. Without calling it idolatry, we admit it puzzled us a little. Still, we admired the sincerity of Orthodox worshippers in their practice of religion, and their churches are beautiful without being extravagant.

Rila Monastery

Rila Monastery is the heart of Bulgarian Orthodox Christianity and culture, and the country’s most visited site. In short, it ties Bulgaria’s history intimately to that of Christianity: its founder, Ivan of Rila, who established it in the 10th century, is honored today as the patron saint of Bulgaria.

Boyana Church

UNESCO lists the buildings of Boyana Church among “one of the most complete and perfectly preserved monuments of east European medieval art.” The church is tiny, and only 8 people can enter at a time, for 10 minutes maximum.

How to Plan a First Trip to Bulgaria

Itinerary

We spent a good day and a half getting to know Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. The second day was for visiting the medieval Boyana Church and Rila Monastery, two UNESCO World Heritage sites.

1. Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral
2. Boyana Church
3. Rila Monastery
4. Saint Nedelia Cathedral

Accommodation and Getting Around

Our apartment was in the heart of Sofia, and we explored the city centre on foot. The main attractions sit within a small perimeter, so it didn’t take more than half a day to see everything.

For the day trip to Boyana and Rila, we hired a private guide and driver rather than renting a car. We were taking a night bus to Istanbul that same evening, so we didn’t want the added hassle of a rental.

Expenses

Our small 3-day trip to Bulgaria isn’t representative of the extremely low cost of living in this country, since flight tickets and the guided tours of Boyana and Rila made up a large share of the total. Our expenses in Bulgaria for 3 days were:

• 828.00 BGN in total
• 276.00 BGN per day
• 69.00 BGN per person per day

2026 update: Bulgaria adopted the euro as its official currency on January 1, 2026, replacing the Bulgarian lev at a fixed rate of 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN (source).

In detail:

Expense Category	Amount Spent
Plane	306,00 BGN
Accomodation	191,00 BGN
Transport (including gas, toll, parking)	15,00 BGN
Eating out	69,00 BGN
Groceries	66,00 BGN
Activities	181,00 BGN
Total	828,00 BGN

Conclusion

Our world tour was starting to take on a new flavor as we left our comfort zone further behind. The next destination on our world tour is Turkey!