Day 1 Plovdiv – Hisarya - Koprivshstitsa
9:00am - We start our tour with a 2-hour walking tour of Plovdiv, the 2nd largest city in Bulgaria and oldest, continuously inhabited city in Europe.
Leaving Plovdiv, we take a short drive to Hisarya, home to ancient mineral springs and favourite spa residence of Roman emperors. Today it’s a famous spa resort. We’ll pause for lunch in Hisarya and then proceed to the largest of the Thracian Temples in the village of Starosel. Time permitting, we can also stop by the largest winery in the region to sample and buy some Bulgarian wine.
We end our first day in Koprivshstitsa, a charming, preserved 19th c. village, national heritage site and one of the centers of the Bulgarian fight for Independence.
Overnight accommodation in Koprivshtitsa.
Day 2 Koprivshstitsa , Kazanlak, Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo
In the morning we’ll meander the narrow, cobbled streets of Koprivshtitsa, admire the picturesque Revival houses .
Next, we’ll drive to the town of Kazanlak in the heart of the Rose valley and valley of the Thracian kings. We’ll stop to buy some rose products and then visit the most impressive Thracian tomb in Bulgaria, and a spectacular Russian church connected with Bulgarian history.
Overnight accommodation in Veliko Tarnovo.
Day 3 Veliko Tarnovo, Shumen, Varna
Morning - Walking tour of Veliko Tarnovo, once capital of Bulgaria from the 12th to 14th c. We’ll visit the cathedral, a castle, churches and other buildings from this period.
After the tour we’ll continue to Shumen, a city rich in attractions. We’ll visit the memorial monument ‘Founders of the Bulgarian State’ carved into Madara rock, and the Shumen Fortress, a prominent archeologic site used continuously from the 12th c to the Middle Ages.
Overnight accommodation in Varna.
Day 4 Varna, Nesebar, Pomorie, Burgas
We’ll begin the morning with a walking tour of Varna, visiting the popular Roman baths, the Sea Garden, an expansive seaside park with landscaped gardens & promenades, and the Archaeological Museum, housing a sizable collection of ancient Roman marbles and artefacts, and the oldest gold treasure in the world, dating from 4,600 BC to 4,200 BC.
Continuing our drive down the Black Sea coast, we arrive at the old town of Nessebar, a UNESCO World Heritage site and known as ‘The Pearl of the Black Sea’. Nessebar is an ancient town with 3000 years of history including Thracian, Greek, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance. In the afternoon we will stop in the historic town of Pomorie and visit the fascinating Thracian tomb there and different from the tombs in Kazanlak. Overnight accommodation in Burgas.
Day 5 Burgas, Plovdiv
City walking tour Burgas visitn high street sea garden. Lunch then drive to Plovdiv 3 hours.