Bulgaria Fly-Drive Holiday

Fly to Sofia and collect the car at the airport. Drive to the hotel in Sofia and check in for an overnight stay.

Drive to Melnik and stop at what is possibly Bulgaria's most famous landmark, Rila Monastery. Drive through green forests to this remarkable site, which is very important to the Bulgarians and played a key role during the centuries of Turkish rule, helping to keep traditional religion and culture alive. Try the delicious trout in one of the restaurants in the surrounding area and arrive in Melnik, where you can sample the renowned red wine. Check in to the hotel for an overnight stay. (B)

Drive to Plovdiv via Rozhen Monastery and admire the ancient murals and stained-glass windows. Continue to Plovdiv and check in to the hotel for 2 nights. (B)

Explore the Old Town with its mix of Roman remains, Byzantine churches and national revival examples and savour the oriental sweetmeats and sip slivovica, a tasty plum brandy. (B)

Drive to Tryavna via Kazanlak and through fields of roses, the trademark of this area, so-called the Valley of Roses. Perhaps make a stop off at a distillery that produces various rose oil products before heading to the world-famous Kazanlak Thracian Tomb - a UNESCO listed site. Continue the drive through the Shipka pass stopping at Shipka monastery and on to Etar, south of Gabrovo, a fascinating open-air museum which has recreated life in Bulgaria during the 18th and 19th centuries. Watch arts and crafts being produced, listen to live folk music and taste traditional food. Continue to Tryavna, a charming small town with unique Renaissance architecture set in beautiful countryside. Check in to the hotel for an overnight stay(B)

 

After time spent in Tryavna, drive to the village of Arbanasi, close to Veliko Tarnovo, visiting Dryanovo Monastery en route. The views are wonderful from here. Arrive Arbanasi and check in to the hotel for 2 nights. Arbanasi is a pretty village with more than 90 churches, old houses and the magnificent Nativity Church and is the perfect place to buy hand-made embroidery. (B)

This morning, visit the historical town of Veliko Tarnovo. Built over a series of precipitous hills divided by deep gorges and overlooked by the massive medieval Tsarevets fortress complex. (B)

Drive to Sofia via Troyan Monastery and Koprivshtitsa where you can rediscover traditions and folklore of old Bulgaria. Enjoy another overnight in Sofia. (B)

Free morning before returning the car to the airport. Fly to the UK. (B)