The 15 Best History Tours in Bulgaria

1.History And Heritage – Small Group Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 309 reviews · 2 hours - 150 minutes · from $18Our pick

Explore Sofia’s cathedrals, Roman ruins, royal sites, and communist past on a small-group English walking tour for $18.

“I had an excellent tour and I learned a lot about the history of Sofia and Bulgaria more generally. Vasil helpfully stopped in places that were great for photos, and was good about adjusting our stops slightly when the rain started so that we could avoid getting too wet! It was a great introduction to the city.”

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2.Full-day Nis and Serbian History Tour from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 90 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $83

Cross into Serbia from Sofia for Roman ruins, Skull Tower, a Nazi camp, Nis Fortress, local food, and Balkan countryside views.

“This is a don't miss excursion. We visited the Red Cross Concentration Camp, the birthplace of Emperor Constantine, as well as Old Town. We rode in nine passenger van and had an amazing experience.”

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3.History and Heritage – Small Group City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 84 reviews · 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $19Top rated

Explore Sofia’s major churches, Roman remains, royal landmarks, and local tips on a small group walking tour priced at $19.31.

“This tour is a great tour covering all major sights and gems of Sofia. Our tour guide Vasil was great. He was very knowledeable about all sights and history. At the end of the tour , he submits a list including all the best museums, restaurants and bar to make your stay more enjoyable in Sofia. This tour is definiyely the utmost of Sofia. Higly recommended”

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4.Special History And Wine Tour including Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $24

Tour DiVes Winery near Nessebar, hear the Battle of Aheloy story, taste six Bulgarian wines, and enjoy Black Sea views for $24.14.

“Absolutely lovely experience! Our tour began with a lavender smelling part of the different types of lavender growing on the premises, including a history lesson. Since we were already outside we were shown the process of the wine making as well. Afterwards we started tasting 6 different wines, which included award winning wines! The whole tour was given by the lovely Vasi! Would absolutely recommend this experience to friends and family! P.S: Of course we bought a couple of wines to enjoy at home!”

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5.Sofia Communist History 2-Hour Tour in a Classic Trabant

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $240

Tour Sofia’s communist past in a classic Trabant, with NDK, Socialist Art Museum, secret police history, and hotel pickup.

“Excellent tour - cool, interesting and knowledgeable guide. Adapted tour to suit our interests. Highlight of trip to Sofia. Loved our Trabants 💜💜”

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6.Rila Monastery and St. Ivan Cave History & Nature Trip from Sofia

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 25 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $24

Review of Sofia’s Rila Monastery and St. Ivan Cave tour, with practical advice on timing, transport, walking, cost, and what to expect.

“With my husband I visited the monastery of Rila and the cave, nothing short of perfect organization and a special thanks to Viator and especially to the guide Zechariah very professional and at the same time nice and pleasant It will remain a beautiful memory of the. Bulgaria, Sofia and the beautiful monasteryAuto-translated”

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7.Bulgarian Food tasting, cullinary-historical tour, Cooking class

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 15 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $138

Cook three Bulgarian dishes, shop Sofia’s Women’s Market, and share a private meal with local host Mariela.

“Mariela was so generous with her time, experiences, history of Sofia and friendship. Of course the cooking was superb, delicious and left us wanting more.”

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8.Private Sofia Half Day Tour with Boyana Church and National History Museum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $126

Review of Sofia’s private half-day tour to Boyana Church, the National History Museum, and central landmarks, with pricing, timing, and practical tips.

“Excellent guide, showed us parts of Sofia we would have missed. He was very knowledgeable about Sofia and Bulgaria history, and very educated in his explanations. Boyana and the National History Museum were impressive and worthwhile Only negative was the small, uncomfortable car.”

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9.Hiking in Pirin- the UNESCO World Heritage Natural Park with a visit of Bansko

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $114

Hike Pirin’s Banderishka Lakes, then explore Bansko’s Revival-era streets on a small-group day trip from Sofia.

“The drive from Sofia to Bansko was very comfortable. The hike was incredible; especially the views from above the lakes. Definitely the most beautiful scenery I have seen. Bansko is also a must-visit place in Europe - very charming little town. My guide, Georgi, was the best - definitely ask for him.”

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10.Half-Day Private Tour: Sofia, Boyana Church & History Museum

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 7 reviews · 5 hours · from $123

See Sofia’s National History Museum, Boyana Church, and historic center on a private five-hour tour with hotel pickup.

“Le seul point fort de cette activité était la guide au musée d’histoire. Le reste est vraiment de piètre qualité, en commençant par la guide. Elle ne parlait presque pas et à chaque question, elle devait se référer à son téléphone car elle ne connaissait pas les réponses. La visite de l’église est ultra-rapide, environ 5 minutes seulement à l’intérieur avec une guide qui parle vite comme l’éclair.”

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12.Communist History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 3 hours · from $140

Explore Sofia’s communist-era buildings, monuments, trolley buses, and relics on a private three-hour walking tour with an English-speaking guide.

“Amazing guide! Had the best time learning a rich history on this walk through the city.”

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13.Experience Bulgarian Yogurt Tasting and Cultural History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $29

Taste four Bulgarian yogurts beneath Sofia’s Roman ruins while learning about Lactobacillus bulgaricus, family traditions, and local history.

“I usually don’t write reviews, but this experience was really amazing. I learned so much about Bulgarian culture from the tour while tasking some delicious yogurt. It’s a family run tour, and you can really feel the love and effort they put into the tour. This was my favorite experience in Sofia and recommend it to everyone!”

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14.Audio Guide for Museum Paleontology and Historical Geology

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 3 reviews · 1 day · from $4Best value

Explore Sofia University’s fossil museum with an affordable audio guide, including a 90% original Deinotherium skeleton and four language options.

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15.Koprivshtitsa History and Architecture: From Plovdiv

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 6 hours · from $134

Explore Koprivshtitsa from Plovdiv, with 19th-century homes, April Uprising history, museums, and lunch beside the Topolnitsa River.

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