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Ancient Bulgaria round tour – Thracian and Roman heritage

Dates, Rates, Details Itinerary
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Ancient Bulgaria Tour

Summery:

Bulgaria is the land, where the Thracian tribes lived – one of the oldest civilization in Europe. Here are discovered Thracian tombs of the greatest Thracian kings, cult complexes dated since 6th century BC – Perperikon, Tatul, Starosel, Kazanlak Tomb, Alexandrovo Tomb.

Bulgaria also was favorite land of the Roman Emperors. Here amazing remains like Roman stadium, Roman amphitheater in Plovdiv, the remains of Ulpia Serdika in Sofia, Mezek fortress are discovered.

The tour duration is 6 days and 5 nights.

2016 – Fixed starting dates:

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

7

21

5

19

2

16

30

14

28

11

24

8

22

6

20

Prices:

  • Person in DBL / TRPL – 396 euro

  • Person in SNGL – 456 euro

  • Child 2 – 11.99 y.o. – 198 euro (in room with minimum 2 full paying)

  • Infant 0 – 1.99 y.o. – FREE

* Valid for minimum 2 tourists

Included in the prices:

  • 5 BB in high quality 3* centrally located hotels in Sofia, Kardzhali, Stara Zagora

  • 2 Urban Adventures tours in Sofia with visiting all main sights in Sofia

  • Tasting of typical Bulgarian food (banitsa, baklava, shopska salad, meze) and beverages (ayran, boza, wine) during Urban Adventures tours

  • Tours of Perperikon, Tatul, Starosel, Kazanlak Tomb, Alexandrovo Tomb, Plovdiv, Sofia, Mezek, Kazanlak

  • English speaking guide

  • All entrances in the sites visited during the tour

  • Arrival and departure transfer

  • Seat in modern vehicle – car, mini-van or mini-bus

Supplements – optional:

  • Lunch – 8 euro per 3 course meal in local restaurant, without beverages

  • Dinner – 11 euro per 3 course meal in the hotel, without beverages

  • Accommodation in 4* and 5* – upon request

Additional nights in Sofia, per person, per night:

  • Hotels 3* – DBL / TRPL – 20 euro / SNGL – 30 euro

  • Hotels 4* / 5* – DBL / TRPL – 45 euro / SNGL – 70 euro

Optional excursions:

  • Wine tasting in Stara Zagora area, Midalidare Estate – 20 euro

  • Folklore night with dinner in Sofia – 40 euro

  • Full day tour to Boyana church (UNESCO), National Historical Museum, Rila Monastery (UNESCO) – 50 euro

Notes:

All dates of departure above are guaranteed.

Zelanos tours guarantees highest quality of the tour.

 

phone: +359-2-4911892Book Chat with me

Ancient Bulgaria Tour

Itinerary

Day-1

Arrival at Sofia airport. Transfer to the hotel.

Overnight in Sofia.

Day-2

Driving duration: 4 hours, 320 km

Today we will explore the most beautiful and second biggest Bulgarian town – Plovdiv. Here we will find well-preserved remains from Roman times. Also we will visit Old Plovdiv – architecture reserve.

After that we will visit the Thracian tomb near Alexandrovo village.

Roman Stadium, Plovdiv

Roman Stadium, Plovdiv

Overnight in Kardzhali

Plovidv is considered as one of the oldest cities in Europe. Here you will see remains for the Thraci fortress (5th century BC) and well preserved remains from Roman times to our days.

The Old Town is a marvelous site, with picturesque churches, the mosque and many houses with architecture, specific atmosphere and the spirit of Bulgarian Revival period.

Your guide will show you the fabulous remains from Ancient Roman Empire – Roman Stadium, Roman Forum, Amphitheater.

Alexandrovo tomb – one of the oldest tombs. This Thracian tomb is one of the most important archeological discoveries ever made in Bulgaria.

It was built during the second half of the 4th century BCE as a final resting place for a wealthy Thracian ruler whose name is not known.

Day-3

Driving duration: 4 hours, 260 km

Today we will see the the sacred place for the Thracians, where is the temple of the God of the wine Dyonis – this is Perperikon. Perperikon and Tatul are the oldest megalith sites in the Balkans.

Today we will visit also Mezek, where we will see at one place Thracian Tomb and remains from Roman Fortress. At the end of the day we will visit the Roman Forum Augusta Trayana.

Overnight in Stara Zagora.

Perperikon, Kardzhali

Perperikon, Kardzhali

Perperikon Religious activity at the top of the cliff began in the 5th century BC. It is associated with the beliefs of the Copper Age people, who started the cult of the sun god. Here they established the first sanctuary and started leaving food containers for the gods.

Mezek (where the famous wine Mezek is made) – The Thracian Beehive Tomb is dated 3rd – 4th century BC

Tatul The Thracian sanctuary near Tatul Village, is one of the most imposing megalithic monuments discovered on the territory of Bulgaria.

The sanctuary is a massive rock structure and its top is a truncated pyramid. The complex comprises two sarcophagi, a rectangular bed for the main altar, and a three-metre-deep well. It dates back to the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 4th centuries BC.

Augusta Trayana Forum is the forum of the antique Roman town Augusta Trayana is an archaeological site in the central part of the town of Stara Zagora

The antique forum complex is one of the most monumental installations in the Roman town of Augusta Trayana. The founder of the town was Emperor Trayan (98 – 117), where the name of the town comes from.

Day-4

Driving duration: 4,5 hours, 290 km

Kazanlak Tomb

Kazanlak Tomb

After a short drive from Stara Zagora we reach the UNESCO heritage protected Thracian Tomb in Kazanlak and after a short visit we continue to the Valley of the Thracian Kings, where is the tomb of the mighty Thracian king Seuthes III. In the afternoon we will visit the Thracian cult complex near Starosel.

We finish the day with a tour of the well-preserved Bulgarian town-museum Koprivshtitsa.

Overnight in Sofia

The Kazanlak Tomb, UNESCO world heritage site is based on its architectural outlook, it belongs to the dome tombs, typical for the Thracian funeral architecture from the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC.

The Valley of the Kings is full of remains. There you will see different tomb of different kings ruled the Thraci territories during the ages

The Thracian Temple Complex at Starosel covers six underhill temples, four of which are unique, as well as a few royal burials. The entire hill is surrounded by a wall made of processed granite blocks. Its length is 241 meters and its height reaches 3.5 meters. The wall is called krepis and outlines a circle which according to the Thracian religious believes symbolizes the Sun. The entrance of the temple has a parade staircase and two pedestals, on which statues of lions were sitting.

Day-5

St. George Rotunda, Sofia

St. George Rotunda, Sofia

We have full day dedicated to the Bulgarian capital – 2 walking Urban Adventures (sofiaurbanadventures.com) tours in the program – in the morning and in the afternoon. We will see all major sights of Sofia and during the tours we have 4 stops for tasting typical Bulgarian food (banitsa, baklava, shopska salad, meze) and beverages (ayran, boza, wine).

Overnight in Sofia.

Day-6

Transfer to the airport. Departure.

*It is great idea to add one more day, with Rila Monastery (UNESCO heritage site) tour for 70 euro.