Romania · DAY TRIPS TO BULGARIA
The border is an hour south and Veliko Tarnovo is a different country in every sense. The 15 below compare the long days over the Danube on what they include and how much of them is the drive.
Review of Gray Line Romania’s Bulgaria day trip from Bucharest, with Veliko Tarnovo, Tsarevets Fortress, Arbanasi, Ruse, costs, and tips.
“Not too exciting: Bulgaria seems to be a poor country with not enough resources for its people. It was interesting but the drive was really long and the van was not comfortable.”
Review of a Bucharest to Bulgaria day trip covering Ivanovo, Tsarevets Fortress, and Arbanasi, with practical tips on fees, borders, and timing.
“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.”
Review of a private Bucharest to Bulgaria day trip, visiting Basarbovo Monastery, Arbanasi, Tsarevets Fortress, and Veliko Tarnovo.
“DREAMLIKE JOURNEYS is not a reliable tour who gives these kinds of tours in Romania, including the Dracula tour. They charge so high and the guides are not experts and doesn't give thorough knowledge on the scenic spots and sights. If you wish to change the tour they can do that but won't give you back the refund or even the price difference. What a lousy tour operators.”
Review of the $71.20 Bucharest day trip to Ivanovo, Veliko Tarnovo, and Arbanasi, with practical advice on timing, costs, guides, and border crossings.
“Uncomfortable and disappointing experience overall. The tour felt less like a guided experience and more like being loosely chaperoned across the border with very little added value. The tour operator, Sęrban, made several comments that came across as racist and made multiple people of color in the group visibly uncomfortable. Instead of creating a welcoming or respectful environment, his remarks created tension and awkwardness throughout the day. He was also personally rude to me, calling me a child because I look young, which was unnecessary, unprofessional, and disrespectful. I understand humor can vary culturally, but this did not feel like humor—it felt dismissive and insulting. There w...”
Review of a private Bucharest day trip to Bulgaria, with Basarbovo Monastery, Veliko Tarnovo Fortress, Arbanasi, costs, tips, and value.
“Wow, in 30 years of traveling internationally to 40+ countries this is the worst tour experience I’ve ever had. Our tour operator was rude, didn’t introduce himself, laughed at our questions, didn’t give an overview of the day, had us pay for his lunch, and didn’t cover the outlined itinerary. Bulgaria is a lovely country, and I highly recommend just renting a car and exploring yourself. This tour was the biggest rip off ive experienced while traveling, save yourself”
Review of a private Bucharest to Bulgaria day trip, with Veliko Tarnovo, Tsarevets Fortress, Arbanassi, costs, timing, and practical tips.
“Excellent experience, highly recommend the day trip Bulgaria. The tour guide was early, accommodating, and knowledgeable. We had a fantastic day and loved exploring Bulgaria. The Rock-Hewn Monastery & Tsarevets Fortress was stunning to see. Great way to see a new Country if short on time.”
Review of a private Bucharest day trip to Tsarevets, Shipka, and Buzludzha, with practical advice on price, timing, sights, and value.
“If you're a fan of beautiful nature, abandoned buildings and good food thank this tour is a perfect choice.”
Explore Bulgaria from Bucharest on a private day trip to Ivanovo churches, Krushuna Waterfalls, and Devetashka Cave.
“Octavian was our host and we enjoyed spending the day learning from him. He is very experienced and caring (he bought lots of bread for the dogs/cats and was always ensuring our safety). I would highly recommend this tour to anyone that is not afraid to open their boundaries to explore and learn.”
Review of a private Bulgaria day trip from Bucharest, with rock monasteries, Veliko Tarnovo, practical tips, costs, and safety advice.
“Such an unpleasant experience that I’m not even sure where to begin. As we neared the Bulagarian border, our guide, Valerica, “needed to share something” and said he “is not our guide, only our driver and friend.” This seemed weird but the reasons became obvious through the the day. First, this was a lie he wanted us to all join in on so he didn’t have to pay entrance fees as the sites. Second, he had never been to 2 of the 3 sites we visited, which means he did not know where to park or where to enter/exit. This was most disturbing at Tsarnavets, where he became very frustrated…”
Review of a private Bulgaria day trip from Bucharest to Tsarevets Fortress and Buzludzha Monument, with costs, timing, and practical tips.
“Such a wonderful day in Bulgaria. Bogdan was prompt, had a comfy car, took care of any requests and tailored the day to show me more of what I wanted. He explained the history of the spots we visited, but we also just chatted away about other topics too (for a whole day that is so important!). Highly highly recommend.”
Review of a private Bucharest day trip to Ivanovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanassi, and Ruse, with practical tips on cost, pace, sights, and visas.
“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”
Review of a private Bulgaria day trip from Bucharest, with Ivanovo Churches, Tsarevets, Arbanassi, Ruse, guide tips, and value advice.
“This is was a fabulous experience as a day trip from Bucharest. My tour company was Eastern European Experience. I am very fortunate because Adrian was my private guide and driver. He was very punctual and a very safe driver. I learned a lot about the history of Bulgaria Read more”
Visit Bulgaria from Bucharest on a small-group day trip to Basarbovo Monastery, Veliko Tarnovo, and Arbanasi with a guide.
“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.”
Review of a private Bucharest to Bulgaria day trip, with Basarbovo Monastery, Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanassi, costs, timing, and tips.
“Ian was an amazing guide and made it a very nice day exploring Bulgaria!”
Explore Bulgaria from Bucharest on a private day trip to Basarbovo, Arbanasi, and Veliko Tarnovo with transport and a guide.
“We had a fabulous trip with Dan, stopping at the Monastery of the rocks in Basarbovo, the town of Arbanasi and the beautiful Mecieval town Veliko Tărnovo - where he recommended a superb restaurant for lunch.”
Pick a castle, a mountain road or a table.
