Get to know a country on the edge between modern spirit and traditions, where traditions and modern style always meet.

Day 1. Arrival
Arrival at Sofia Airport. The guests will be welcomed by a professional tour guide. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Sofia.

Day 2. Sofia, Troyan
Sightseeing tour of Sofia city center with visit to the St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral. Follow the route to visit the Troyan monastery, founded in 1600, famous for its church with outstanding frescoes from the 19th century and the rich decorations of the carved church altar. Continue to see the nearby exhibition of fine arts and crafts in the village of Oreshak where carpets, rugs, embroideries, fine wood carvings and smithery are on display. Performance in a pottery workshop, weaving, wood craft and a brandy distillery. Get acquainted with the Bulgarian Bagpipe and further folk music instruments. Overnight in Troyan.

Day 3. Veliko Turnovo, Arbanassi, Preobrazhenski Monastery
Antiquity is an inseparable part of the image of the modern town of Turnovo, known in history as one of the most beautiful towns after Constantinople. Visit the Medieval fortress of Tsarevets with the relics of the former king’s palace and the reconstructed patriarchal church. Take a short tour of the old town of Turnov and see the old cobbled streets of crafts. Enjoy a wine tasting in the nearby wine cellar of Lyaskovets and a visit the picturesque Preobrazhenski Monastery. End with a visit to the old museum town Arbanassi – a monument of Bulgarian architecture from the 17th-18th century featuring interesting ethnographic houses, old churches and monasteries. Overnight in Veliko Turnovo/ Arbanassi.

Day 4. Open-Air Museum Etura, Sokolski Monastery, Tryavna, Kilifarevo Monastery

Engulf yourselves in the life-style of the National Revival Period by visiting the open-air museum Etura and experiencing its vivid atmosphere: see the forming of souvenirs in the craftsmen’s workshops, taste the local treats in the old restaurant and cafe. Follow the route and relax in the verdancy and tranquility of Sokolski Monastery. Enjoy a pleasant experience in Tryavna, witness the fine art of woodcarving and icon painting. See the Kilifarevo monastery - a cultural centre from the past. Overnight in Veliko Turnovo/ Arbanassi.

Day 5. Old capitals of Pliska and Preslav, stud farm Kabiyuk, piano concert Pantcho Vladigerov in Shoumen

Continue to the north-east part of the country to see the region, where Bulgaria was “born” in the 7th century. A visit to the remains of the old capitals Pliska and Preslav. Enjoy the visitor’s program in the oldest stud farm in the country – Kabiyuk, situated nearby the town of Shoumen. Follow the route to see Shoumen and to visit the Tombul mosque – the biggest one in Bulgaria. End with a nice piano concert in the ethnographic house of the Bulgarian national composer Pantscho Vladigerov. Overnight in Shoumen.

Day 6. Stara Zagora, Old Plovdiv

Follow the route to the southern part of Bulgaria and enjoy a drive through the picturesque gorges of the Balkan Mountains. A short visit to the town of Stara Zagora with the antique forum Ulpiya Trayana and spare time in the downtown. Continue to the second largest city in Bulgaria – Plovdiv – the antique capital of Thrace and medieval commercial centre. Visit and enjoy the romantic atmosphere in Old Plovdiv - the eternal town on three hills with amazing architecture and beautifully decorated houses, ruins from the thracian and roman settlements and the impressive Roman Theater. Overnight in Plovdiv.

Day 7. Rila Monastery, Folk Style Evening in Sofia
Drive to the south-west part of the country via the mountain resort of Borovets to the major Bulgarian cultural centre – Rila Monastery (UNESCO). Enjoy the unique wall-paintings, master-pieces of woodcarving and original architecture of this magnificent monument of Bulgarian culture and architecture from the period of the Bulgarian National Revival (18th and 19th century). See the monastery church, the museum and the old monastery kitchen. Continue to Sofia. End with a Folk Style Evening out in Sofia. Overnight in Sofia.

Day 8. DepartureDepending on flight schedule spare time in Sofia downtown. Transfer to the Sofia airport.