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      Monasteries and mellow wine                                                                           8 days escorted tour  
 

Itinerary: Varna - Veliko Tarnovo - Trojan - Sofia - Rila monastery - Bansko - Melnik - Plovdiv - Nessebar - Varna

Day 01: Varna
•Meeting by the local guide at Varna airport
•Transfer to the hotel in Varna, check-in, dinner and overnight

Day 02: Varna - Madara Horseman - Arbanassi -Veliko Tarnovo
•After breakfast depart from the hotel
•Panoramic tour through the Bulgaria`s Summer capital Varna
•Visit the Cathedral, the symbol of the city
•On the way to Arbanassi visit the famous Marada Horseman, a mysterious relief, carved into the rock face, at a height of 23 m (UNESCO Site)

 
•Continue to Arbanassi - a picturesque medieval settlement and an architectural reserve near Veliko Tarnovo
•Few minutes before entering Arbanassi visit one of the numerous monasteries in the region - the Petropavlovski Monastery
•Upon arrival in Arbanassi lunch with glass of wine from the region
•Walking tour through the museum village Arbanassi and visit the church Birth of Christ.
•After arrival in Veliko Tarnovo starts the sightseeing tour on-foot through the medieval town - the capital of the Second Bulgarian State
•Visit the Tsarevets Fortress and the craftsman’s street Samovodska Charshia
•Dinner in the hotel, overnight.
 
     
  Day 03: Veliko Tarnovo - Trojan monastery - Koprivstitsa - Sofia   
 
•After breakfast continue to the Trojan monastery
•Lunch with glass of wine in a folkstyle restaurant near the monastery
•Continue to one of the most charming small Bulgarian towns Koprivshtica - a museum town, known for its old houses and historical monuments
•Visit the Oslekov`s House (built in 1856), decorated with exquisite painted facades and sunny verandahs, with carved ceilings and stylish European furnishings
•Arrival in Sofia, check-in your hotel
•Dinner in the hotel, overnight
 
     
  Day 04: Sofia - Rila monastery - Bansko   
 
•In the morning starts the walking tour through the very center of the capital, including one of the finest pieces of architecture on the Balkans and certainly Sofia's crowning glory - the Alexander Nevski Memorial Cathedral, the Rotunda St. George, the church St. Sofia
•Continue to the Rila Monastery, the biggest and the most impressive monastery in Bulgaria, situated amidst the beautiful Rila Mountain
•Lunch next to the monastery
•Depart to Bansko - the newest Bulgarian winter resort, which combines the virgin nature of the Pirin Mountain and the atmosphere of the ancient Bulgarian towns
•Walking tour through the old part of Bansko
•Dinner in a typical Bulgarian restaurant with folklore performance and wine from the region
•Overnight in Bansko
 
     
  Day 05: Bansko - Melnik - Rozhen monastery - Bansko   
 
•After breakfast depart to Melnik, the smallest Bulgarian town - a flourishing tobacco and wine-producing center during the 17th-18th centuries, well known in the European countries
•Visit one of the attractions in the town - the Kordopulov`s House, the biggest house on the Balkan Peninsula, dating from the Revival period.
•Lunch with wine from the region
•Depart to the Rozhen monastery, situated about 6 km northeast from Melnik
•Later on return to Bansko
•Dinner and overnight in the same hotel
 
     
  Day 06: Bansko - Bachkovo monastery - Plovdiv    
 
•Continue to Plovdiv through the beautiful Rhodope Mountain
•Lunch and wine tasting in Brestovitsa cellar (in a village near Plovdiv)
•Depart to the second largest monastery in Bulgaria - the Bachkovo monastery, built in 1083
•Arrival in Plovdiv, an ancient Thracian capital and big medieval trade center
•Sightseeing walking tour through the old town
•Visit the Ethnographical museum
•Check-in the hotel, dinner and overnight
 
     
  Day 07: Plovdiv - Nessebar - Varna     
 
•The route continues to Nessebar, a beautiful town, situated on a small peninsula, world wide famous for its numerous churches (11th-14th centuries)
•Walking tour through the old part of the town, regained its original romantic atmosphere
•Lunch in the Old Nessebar
•Continue to Varna
•Dinner and overnight
 
     
  Day 08: Varna - departure flight  
  •After breakfast transfer to the Varna airport
 
     
  Services included:  
 
•6 overnights on FB and 1 overnight on HB according to the program
- 2 in Varna-hotel 3+/4*
- 1 in Veliko Tarnovo-hotel 4*
- 1 in Sofia-hotel 4*
- 2 in Bansko-hotel 4*
- 1 in Plovdiv-hotel 4*
•Lunch with glass of wine in Arbanassi
•Lunch with glass of wine near the Trojan monastery
•Lunch next to the Rila monastery
•Dinner with wine and folklore performance in Bansko
•Lunch in Melnik with sample wine from the region
•Lunch and wine-tasting in Brestovitsa cellar
•Lunch in the old part of Nessebar
•Guides`services and entrance fees to the attractions: Varna, Madara Horseman, Petropavlovski monastery, Arbanassi - The church Birth Christ, Veliko Tarnovo - Tsarevets Fortress and the Craftsman’s street, Trojan monastery, Koprivstitsa, Sofia - The Cathedral Alexander Nevski, Rila monastery, Bansko, Melnik - Kordopulov`s house, Rozhen monastery, Plovdiv - the Old town and the Ethnographical museum, Bachkovo monastery, Nessebar
•Licensed guide during the whole itinerary (from/to Varna airport)    
•Transfers and ground transportation by air-conditioned coach