Sofia In 1 To 3 Days: Guide To Only The Best Things To Do

Bulgaria’s capital had much more to offer than I expected. Here’s how to get a perfect impression in one or more days…

Before my visit to Sofia, I’d read several online guides that suggested spending merely 24 hours in the Bulgarian capital. While you can tick off the absolute highlights in a day, you don’t need to rush as a curious traveler will find plenty more things to do in Sofia.

I spent 6 nights in Sofia, helping me get a complete picture of this itinerary. However, for the average visit, I would suggest 2 or 3 nights. You can spend one or two days exploring the city and one day on a day trip, such as to the Rila Monastery.

I found it refreshing to wander around a city where not every other shop is an H&M or a Zara — or worse, an Ale Hop or Flying Tiger (those annoyingly ubiquitous European gift shops). Sofia is mostly still doing its own thing.

Sofia may be less developed in some respects, but it’s also wonderfully authentic and blissfully free of the typical tourist crowds. Approach the city with an open mind — and accept an occasionally grungy aesthetic — and you can experience the best of Sofia.

I found it a fascinating city to explore with so much contrasting architecture, street life, and interesting museums, not to mention easy access to the Vitosha mountains.

I won’t overfill this guide with unimportant sights, but share only what I think are the things definitely not to skip in Sofia. Let’s go!

DAY 1

Take a walking tour

I strongly suggest kicking off your Sofia visit with a walking tour, as this lets you see the city in a different light.

Sofia may not impress that much at first glance and in a superficial sense, being mostly a modern city still suffering some architectural hangovers from the communist era, but knowing the stories behind the city will quickly bring it to life.

Free Sofia Walking Tour runs at least thrice daily, led by enthusiastic local guides. While it’s advertised as free, as is usually the case, these tours are pay-what-you-want. The tour I’ve linked is part of a non-profit organization that does a lot of projects in Sofia.

A walking tour will pay off hugely in terms of appreciating Sofia overall. Alternatively, you can also stroll around the center in a self-guided way.

Pin these on your map and go explore:

• The Roman Ruins at Serdika II Metro Station
• The ancient Orthodox rounda church from the 4th century
• Central Baths Square
• Church of St. Nicholas the Miraclemaker
• National Theater Ivan Vazov

Immerse yourself at the Red Flat

This was seriously my favorite activity in Sofia. If you have any interest in Bulgaria’s more recent 20th-century history, especially on a human level, then you really need to do this!

The Red Flat transports you back to the 1980s, faithfully capturing life in Bulgaria at the height of the Cold War. This typical residential apartment has been kept just as it would have looked during communist times.

Mind you, this is not a museum, but more of an immersive experience. It’s very insightful and, best of all, relatable.

The excellent audio tour provides dozens of vignettes told from the perspective of a fictional but representative Bulgarian family. The coolest thing is that you can photograph, touch, or examine anything — giving a truly tangible sense of what ordinary life was like.

Since space is limited inside the Red Flat, you do need to reserve a spot in advance. The ticket sale and meeting point is at the Gifted shop. Exploring all the rooms takes about 90 minutes.

Visit the National Archeological Museum

I didn’t see this mentioned in other blogs but was positively surprised by the National Archeological Museum, which is housed in a former mosque dating back to Ottoman times.

Many of Bulgaria’s most prized archaeological possessions are on display here. Given the many empires and civilizations that came and went in this region, you’ll see a diverse range of impressive artifacts. This includes pieces from the Romans, Ottomans, Bulgarian Empire, and Byzantine Empire (the late Romans).

One of the upstairs rooms displays the Thracian treasures, a collection of objects from the civilization that existed in Bulgaria before the arrival of the Romans. It includes a beautiful gold mask and a stunningly lifelike bronze head of a Thracian king.

The museum is modestly sized, so it will take about 60 minutes to see it.

See the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky

Cap off your first day in Sofia by visiting its most iconic sight!

The Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Church, finished in 1912, is a fine example of neo-Byzantine architecture. It’s worth going inside to see the impressive interior, which features large chandeliers and Byzantine-style art.

Sample the Bulgarian food

By now, you should probably have an appetite after all this sightseeing, so it’s time to try Bulgarian cuisine.

It can be somewhat crudely described as a mixture of Eastern European, Mediterranean, and Turkish food. Grilled meat is featured heavily, but so are veggie dishes such as the Shopska salad, which bears some resemblance to a Greek salad, and snacks like sarma — vegetable leaves rolled around a filling of minced meat.

Some well-rated traditional restaurants include Bistro Lyubimoto (map), Hadjidraganov’s Houses (map), and Manastirska Magernitsa (map).

DAY 2

Day 1 was about focusing on the absolute essentials. Today we’re going to widen our aperture to see more of Sofia and its surroundings.

Explore the Art Quarter (KvARTal)

I loved wandering around this neighborhood that’s filled with cute cafes and arty shops.

This neighborhood doesn’t seem to be marked on any maps, but it’s known informally as the KvARTal (which translates to QuARTer). You can easily find it southeast of Lavov Most metro station and north of Knyaz Alexander Dondukob Boulevard. (Can’t find it? I’ve put this map pin at its center.)

The area is perfect for some urban exploring, especially since it’s known for its street art. Keep an eye out for some impressive multi-story artworks.

I enjoyed kicking off my days in KvARTel with some specialty coffee and yummy breakfast. At the &bread bakery, you can find some unusual treats, including croissants in cuboid form. If you need to sit out a rainstorm (as I had at one point), you can take shelter at the cozy board game pub serving several varieties of homemade mead.

None of the blogs about Sofia that I’d read actually mentioned the Art Quarter, but I found it a much more fun area for a wander than the restaurant-lined Vitosha Boulevard high street (though it is also nice).

Visit the National Museum of History

Okay, so this museum is strangely far removed from the center. However, if you’re into your museums, you’ll probably find it worth the trip.

It’s not so well connected to public transport so it’s best to get a taxi. There’s no Uber but you can download the local TaxiMe app to easily hail a cab. Unless there’s traffic it will take about 20 minutes from the Serdika station area, which is really not so bad!

The National Museum shows Bulgaria’s history all the way from Neolithic times up to the communist period. Don’t be put off by the 1970’s style building — it’s actually very beautiful on the inside.

Boyana & Vitosha Mountain hike

Now that you’ve gone all this way south, it’s only another 10-minute drive or so to Boyana, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Sofia.

Here you can visit the Boyana Church, a small Medieval church known for its more than millennium-old frescoes. It’s a small sight and one that’s usually offered as an extra on organized tours of the Rila Monastery, but it’s worth having a look if you haven’t yet.

Walk a bit more south, and you’ll hit the trail to Boyana Waterfall. This moderately challenging hike goes up the green mountains, which you can often see distantly from Sofia’s center. While the waterfall is not exactly Niagara Falls, it provides a good excuse for a hike, not to mention some of the city’s vast vistas.

Be warned, it can take about 3 hours to hike your way up, so it’s not a stroll in the park. I love to hike, so I enjoyed spending the afternoon surrounded by green.

An easier alternative is to take the bus up the mountain and hike your way down. Several bus lines go to this exact stop where you can see the Golden Bridges, an area with large stone boulders, and then hike down to Boyana Waterfall.

People-watch at the National Palace of Culture

As the day comes to an end, sit among the fountains in front of the National Palace of Culture (NPC). Here you can watch as Sofia residents walk, cycle, and skateboard around this public space, which is one of the city’s liveliest.

On the adjoining Vitosha Boulevard, you’ll have your pick from numerous restaurants serving Bulgarian and international cuisines.

DAY 3

Perhaps by now, you feel ready to explore other parts of Bulgaria. However, you could still stay another night in Sofia to use it as a base for an organized day trip.

You can find a lot of day trip options on GetYourGuide or Viator.

I suggest four options for day trips, each of which I’ve done myself.

Option 1: Rila Monastery & 7 Lakes

This is my default suggestion; you can book the exact tour that I did here, which I highly recommend. It’s a self-guided tour that you can do at your own pace, though you’re provided with a lot of useful information and even tips via a Whatsapp group. Pickup is conveniently near the Serdika II metro.

The Rila Monastery (pictured further below) is very impressive and so is the seven-lake area in the Rila mountains. The hike can take up to 5 hours, but depending on your fitness level you can simplify the route greatly to take about half this time, so it can be appropriate for most hiking levels. You go up by ski lift to 2,196 m (7200 feet), so you’re treated to epic views right away.

On this tour, you’ll get to see a beautiful cultural sight and some stunning scenery. It’s a full-day experience though the driving times aren’t too long, making it an ideal trip to do from Sofia.

Option 2: Rila Monastery & Boyana Church

If you don’t like to hike, then this is an alternative day trip that includes Rila Monastery along with the small Boyana Church on the outskirts of Sofia. Did you know? Both the Boyana Church and Rila Monastery made it to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Option 3: Full-Day Tour to Belogradchik

Belogradchik was actually the best thing I did in Bulgaria! This unique ancient fortress is built inside natural rock pillars, looking like something straight out of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. The views from the top are absolutely jaw-dropping.

It is a bit of a chewy trip from Sofia though, taking about 3 hours of driving one way. The road follows the Iskar Gorge through the Balkan Mountains, so you’ll have some amazing views along the way. Not many people make it up to Belogradchik, so this is a more unique off-path experience.

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0894.JPG

I took a train and stayed overnight myself, but with limited time the only way to really do this as a day trip is by using a tour.

Option 4: Lovech, Devetaki Cave, and Krushuna Waterfalls Tour

This is another lovely trip outside of Sofia. It takes you to the charming town of Lovech, famed for its covered bridge, but the real highlight is the stunning Devetaki Cave.

It’s an absolutely enormous cavern with multiple gaps in the ceiling through which light beams enter the space. This cathedral-like cave is sure to leave you in awe!

Consider booking this tour for a guided experience.