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This Plovdiv day trip from Sofia fits three very different places into one day: the Old Town of Plovdiv with its Roman theatre and painted Revival houses, the Thracian temple at Starosel, and Staro Zhelezare, a small art village whose walls are covered in murals. The bus collects you in central Sofia from 07:10, leaves the Vasil Levski Monument at 08:00 and brings you back around 19:30. You explore with a live English-speaking guide or an audio app, book and pay online in a couple of minutes, and real people on WhatsApp are there if you have a question.
A question? Ask us on WhatsApp"Maria was an excellent, friendly and professional guide! We absolutely recommend this tour and we loved everything we saw."
"We took the tour of Plovdiv, Starosel, and Staro Zhelezareya, which we found very interesting, but experiencing it with our guide Bibiana made it truly special."
"I absolutely loved my day in Plovdiv. I also appreciated that the tour offered different options during the day … Everything ran like clockwork."
"Plovdiv was such a beautiful city, definitely worth visiting! The tour was also nice, very understanding and flexible staff. I enjoyed my day trip; thank you!"
"A wonderful excursion to Plovdiv! Nature is simply exceptional, with splendid landscapes. Our guide was wonderful: very friendly, attentive, and passionate. A great experience that we would recommend without hesitation!"
On the live-guide option an English-speaking guide stays with you on the bus and at all three sites. The audio app option covers the same stops for the same price, but you listen on your phone, so bring headphones, a power bank and mobile data. Children aged 6 to 12 pay the same as adults. On some dates the calendar also shows our separate Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa day trip, which goes to Koprivshtitsa instead of Starosel.
Plovdiv is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe and was European Capital of Culture in 2019. The two-hour walk takes in the Roman theatre, which still hosts concerts, the Ancient Stadium of Philippopolis, the medieval Hisar Kapia gate, the 19th-century Revival mansions of the Old Town and the view from Nebet Tepe. Free time follows, for lunch in the Kapana quarter or on the long pedestrian main street.
Starosel lies in the hills of Sredna Gora, about 45 minutes from Plovdiv through vineyard country. Its Thracian cult complex, Chetinyova Mogila, is the largest royal Thracian temple found so far, dating from the 5th century BC. You walk through the monumental entrance into the round chamber where the Thracians held their rites.
Staro Zhelezare, ten minutes away, is a small village that turned its walls into an open-air gallery. Local people are painted next to famous faces from around the world, which makes it the most photographed stop of the day.
Wear comfortable shoes, as the Old Town is cobbled and steep in places. Bring at least €10 in cash for the entrance tickets (about €7) and in summer a hat and sunscreen, because Plovdiv gets very hot. The tour is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs, and there are no infant seats on the bus, so the minimum age is 6.
The main meeting point is the Vasil Levski Monument in the centre of Sofia, in front of the Embassy of Slovakia, where the bus leaves at 08:00. You can also be collected at Central Train Station, Vazrazhdane Square, Atanas Burov Square or Metro station 7 km; you choose when you book and your exact time is in the confirmation. Please be there 15 minutes early. If you take a taxi, use Yellow or Volt; Bolt does not operate in Bulgaria. Open in Google Maps →
€25 with a live English guide or the audio app, the same for children. From central Sofia at 08:00, back around 19:30.
