The 15 Best Day Trips to Bulgaria from Bucharest

1.Full Day Trip to Bulgaria from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 343 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $96Our pick

Full-day Bulgaria tour from Bucharest to Veliko Tarnovo, Tsarevets Fortress, Arbanasi, and Ruse, with pickup and guided history.

“Depending on the time of year the traveling takes place (autumn, winter) make sure to have warm clothes, because even though it may be a bit fresh or cool enroute to Bulgaria, the weather changes unexpectedly, especially when visiting the Fortress at such a high elevation. Add the fact that while visiting other places of interest or shopping, all tourism will be done outside with a few places to keep warm if the cold weather sets in.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.From Bucharest: Experience Bulgaria Small-Group Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 80 reviews · 1 day · from $74

One day from Bucharest into Bulgaria to see UNESCO Ivanovo Churches, Veliko Tarnovo City of Tsars, and Arbanassi village.

“We had such an amazing day. Group of only five (us, another couple and our guide) picked up on time by a lovely guide. Had enough time in each place to explore but not too much that we were bored. Had time to buy souvenirs, try the local food and see the history, was very good value for money and we were back by 7 in the evening. Fantastic experience would recommend to anyone. 10/10 our guide mathew”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Day Trip to Medieval Bulgaria- Small group tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 75 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $78

Cross into Bulgaria from Bucharest for UNESCO rock churches, Tsarevets Fortress views, and Arbanassi traditional houses, with hotel pickup.

“Nope. Don’t do this one. It’s a time waster because they include a trip to a monetary in the cliff. Silly. And some merchant house. I had almost no time to visit Veliko Tranovo which I wanted. There is another tour company that offers tour of Veliko Tranovo And Ruse. Should have done that one. Also, the guide was awful with a halting monotone voice that no one could understand.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Bulgaria -Private Tour- Basarbovo, Arbanasi, Veliko Tarnovo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 72 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $170Top rated

Private day trip from Bucharest to Basarbovo Monastery, Arbanasi, and medieval Veliko Tarnovo, with hotel pickup and an English guide.

“Great tour, our guide Bogdan was very knowledgeable about the sights on our tour. He was jovial and positive despite being such a long day (11 hours). He even customized our tour to include a winery visit in Vellika Tsarnovo. Highly recommended!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Small-Group Day Trip to North Bulgaria

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 60 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $71Best value

Small-group day trip from Bucharest to Northern Bulgaria. English guide, Ivanovo rock churches, Tsarevets and Arbanasi in one long day.

“The leader and the driver were very good and we had a great time on this long trip. People may consider very long lines at each boarders.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Visit Bulgaria – Veliko Tarnovo Medieval Fortress – Private tour from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $178

Private 12-hour day trip from Bucharest to Veliko Tarnovo, Tsarevets Fortress, Arbanasi, and Basarbovo Rock Monastery in Bulgaria.

“We really enjoyed this tour. The guide was knowledgeable, and very friendly. It was easy to ask questions and felt this the tour was catered to our needs. We were taken to a fantastic restaurant for lunch. The food was delicious and the guide was able to recommend traditional dishes. The medieval fortress was incredible, a must see. The guide was very helpful offering to take our photo at the sights and buy tickets. Highly recommend this trip.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Private Day Trip to Bulgaria and Veliko Tarnovo from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · 10 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $299

Private day trip from Bucharest to Veliko Tarnovo, Tsarevets and Arbanassi murals, with Danube crossing, pickup, and guided history.

“This is an excellent tour. Constantine was extremely professional and knowledgeable. He showed me some incredible sights in Bulgaria. I would definitely recommend this private tour to anyone interested in seeing the northern region of Bulgaria.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Private Daytrip to Buzludzha Monument and Veliko Tarnovo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $360

Private daytrip from Bucharest to Veliko Tarnovo, Shipka, and the Buzludzha Monument, with snacks, drinks, and tickets included.

“If you're a fan of beautiful nature, abandoned buildings and good food thank this tour is a perfect choice.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Bulgaria -Private Tour – Caves, Waterfalls, Hiking, National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $179

Private 11-hour Bulgaria nature and history day trip from Bucharest, with UNESCO churches, waterfalls, and caves plus an expert English guide.

“The tour guide Octavian is knowledgeable and friendly. He is patient to take photos for us and makes us feel comfortable and enjoyable for the trip.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Bulgaria Day Trip: Private Tour from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 11 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $172

Private Bulgaria day trip from Bucharest with hotel pickup, an English guide, rock-hewn monasteries near Ruse, and Veliko Tarnovo.

“Lovely day trip visiting Bulgaria from Bucharest. The mountain monasteries were amazing and the visit to Veliko Tarnovo was great. Claudiu was a great guide, friendly and knowledgeable.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Buzludzha Monument and Tsarevets Fortress in Bulgaria Private

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $227

Private Bulgaria day trip from Bucharest to Veliko Tarnovo’s Tsarevets and the otherworldly Buzludzha Monument, with English guide and pickup.

“I had booked this tour because it was going to Bulgaria and the monument was there. I had a low bar set as we were not really knowledgeable or interested in Bulgaria….Enter in; Sebastian! Sebastian was punctual, professional, informative, personable and a very good driver. Right from the start, Sebastian started providing deep insight into Romania as we drove through the country on our way to Bulgaria. He kept us well informed about expectations throughout the tour so there were Z E R O “bad” surprises, which was greatly appreciated. We traveled and talked, got through the border with no issues and after a couple hours arrived at Tsarevets Castle.…”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Private Day-Trip to Medieval Bulgaria from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · from $206

Private Bulgaria day trip from Bucharest with a guide, A/C transport, UNESCO Ivanovo rock churches, Veliko Tarnovo’s Tsarevets, and Ruse.

“We had a fabulous driver Andreii but the towns we visited were not worth going to. We traveled from Bucharest to Arbanassi and basarabov monastery and another small town. Not much to see in the towns. A lot of driving (about 8 hours) with little to see. The trip coRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Private Day Trip to Medieval Bulgaria from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $272

A private 12-hour day trip from Bucharest to Bulgaria’s Ivanovo Rock Churches, Veliko Tarnovo, Tsarevets, Arbanassi, and Ruse.

“Wow, what a wonderful day trip to see the beautiful Bulgaria!! This tour inspired us to want to spend more time in Bulgaria in the future. Gabi was a phenomenal tour guide. He picked us up promptly and did a great job weaving historical stories and personal stories throughout the day. We loved learning so much about the land, the people, the architecture, religion, and groups in power through the centuries. Tour was a good balance of free time and dedicated learning time. I thought the stops along the way were thoughtfully designed and made for a great trip.Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Day Trip to Bulgaria and Veliko Tarnovo from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 11 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $83

Day trip from Bucharest to Bulgaria with a cave monastery, Veliko Tarnovo capital views, and Arbanasi village time on a small group tour.

“We found ourselves with a day to spare in Bucharest and this was a very good option. Although the journey is quite long, the views into Veliko Tarnovo gorge are beautiful. For us, the real highlight was Arbanasi's Church of the Nativity with its simply stunning frescoes. We had to find our own way there, but it's only 10 minutes' walk and not to be missed.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Explore Northern Bulgaria Day Trip from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $220

Private English-guided day trip from Bucharest to Basarbovo, Veliko Tarnovo, and UNESCO Arbanasi, with pickup, transport, and free stops.

“Ian was an amazing guide and made it a very nice day exploring Bulgaria!”

Check availability →Read our full review