This article details about excursions outside the wonderful country of Bulgaria — for instance, the bordering countries such as Turkey. The information is accurate and valid for holidaymakers in 2019.
Carefully browse on excursions you are interested in, as some of them require additional documents.
Excursions abroad
You want to combine pleasant with useful excursions from Bulgaria to other countries. Arm yourselves with physical strength, patience, good humor and of course loads of money, because traveling from Bulgaria to Istanbul, Romania or Greece will be by bus.
Aside from the cost of travel expenditures, you also have to mind about bringing the proper documents. Visa is issued right at the border (if not a framed double Bulgarian visa) when traveling to Turkey, while you will have to provide an additional Schengen visa.
Most travel agencies, in default, issue dual Bulgarian visa (it is needed to get from Bulgaria to Turkey). Ask about this when you make a visa and inform about your wish to visit the East in advance. For travelers with a dual visa, multivisa or open Schengen visa, you may not be required to pay extra at the border.
Istanbul – the city of two continents – 2 days
Our opinion: it is interesting, informative. You have free time for shopping and recreation.
The price of the excursion:
189 levs – for adults
96 levs – for kids
Do not forget: Money, comfortable shoes, outerwear, motion sickness pills, mineral water and a camera. The tour price does not include the price of a visa.
Days of the week: Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun
The beginning of the excursion: 21:30
The end of the excursion: 21:30
The program:
- The Sultan Ahmed Mosque
- A hippodrome
- Egyptian obelisk and the snake column
- The Topkapı Palace and a hammam
- A museum — Kariye Müzesi
- The Hagia Sophia Museum
The description of the excursion – “To Istanbul for 2 days”:
During this excursion you will plunge into the luxurious world of Turkey and will see two sides of the same country: Eastern and Western. Hospitable guides will not let you get bored, and comfortable buses will help to relax and feel comfortable.
Day 1: From the early morning you will find a rich program. The first guide will take a small bus tour to the heart of Istanbul, after which you will find yourself in front of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the most important and beautiful mosque in the whole city). Then is planned a visit to Hippodrome Square, where there is an ancient Egyptian obelisk and a subtle snake column. During this excursion, you will have time to visit the Asian part of Turkey (during the journey through the Bosphorus Strait). Before dinner is expected a visit to the Center of the skin. After that, you will be given the opportunity to eat at the hotel (a buffet). After a short leisure, you will see the Topkapı Palace and a hammam. Day will end nourishing dinner in a restaurant with colorful folklore program.
Day 2: After breakfast you will find a fascinating excursion to the church complex “Kariye”, an amazing park layouts “Miniaturk” and the mysterious Ecumenical Patriarchate. Then – you will go boating along the Bosphorus gradually spill over into visiting the Hagia Sophia Museum. After the eviction from the rooms and before 20:00 you will have free time. At the end a dinner is provided at the hotel.
Tourists are accommodated in three-star hotels in the city center.
Istanbul – the city of contrasts for 1 day
Our opinion: If you are not constrained in finances, prefer a two day excursion.
The price of the excursion:
139 levs – for adults
70 levs – for kids
Do not forget: money, comfortable shoes, outerwear, motion sickness pills, mineral water and a camera.
Days of the week: Tue, Wed, Fri
The beginning of the excursion: 21:30
The end of the excursion: 21:30
The program:
- The Sultan Ahmed Mosque
- A hippodrome
- Egyptian obelisk and the snake column
The description of the excursion – “To Istanbul for 1 day”:
Before lunch excursions in Istanbul are identical to the option of the first day of stay in Turkey with a two-day excursion. The difference makes a program in the afternoon. You will be presented a choice of optional trips:
- to the Topkapı Palace
- a boating trip along the Bosphorus
- the Hagia Sophia Museum
- independent visits to museums or shops
After a dinner at the hotel restaurant, the excursion program will end.
Istanbul — a panoramic view
Our opinion: It is better to pay a little extra and get a full-fledged program.
The price of the excursion:
107 levs – for adults
54 levs – for kids
Do not forget: money, comfortable shoes, outerwear, motion sickness pills, mineral water and a camera.
Days of the week: Tue, Wed, Fri
The beginning of the excursion: 21:30
The end of the excursion: after lunch
The program:
- a private time to visit various excursions
The description of the excursion – “Istanbul — a panoramic view”:
After arrival to Istanbul, you will be offered leisure time to visit two types of excursions:
- Classic – you will see not only the street of the city, but also the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the Hippodrome Square, the Topkapı Palace. At the end of the excursion a delicious lunch is served.
- Simplified — a boating along the Bosphorus, a visit to a shopping center and the Grand Bazaar and then lunch.
Istanbul – Shopping
Our opinion: Not a bad option of quality shopping in Turkey, although if you do not know places and miss a season, it can be expensive.
The price of the excursion:
85 levs — for adults
43 levs — for kids
Do not forget: money, motion sickness pills.
Days of the week: Tue, Wed, Fri
The beginning of the excursion: 21:30
The end of the excursion: 18:00
The program:
- a private time to visit markets and shops
The description of the excursion – “Istanbul – Shopping”:
You will find a huge market in Istanbul and nearby shops. In Turkey there is a good selection of high-quality fur coats and leather products.
You can also get to Turkey independently: by train, bus, plane or car.
For more daring tourists, who would like to explore Istanbul on their own, we recommend to take care about accommodation in this city in advance. Especially for you, we have made a selection of the most optimal, in our opinion, options of hotels. You can see for yourself:
Romania for 2 days
Our opinion: A very interesting and exciting journey to the castle of Count Dracula.
The price of the excursion:
225 levs — for adults
113 levs — for kids
Do not forget: money, comfortable shoes, a camera.
Days of the week: Mon, Tue, Wed
The beginning of the excursion: 5:30 on Mon and Wed or 22:00 on Tue
The end of the excursion: 17:00
The program:
- Bucharest
- Bran Castle
- Sinaia with Peles Castle
- The Sinaia Monastery
The description of the excursion – “Gods and vampires”:
You will find an informative sightseeing tour around the capital of Romania, Bucharest. Then you will travel to the mysterious and mystical city of Bran, where you will learn everything about the ancient castle of Count Dracula and see it in person. Then on the plan – there is a resort of Sinaia, or the “Pearl of the Carpathians,” which is well known beyond Romania. Here you will find an exquisite Peles Palace, which is a must visit. Then the excursion ends with a visit the Sinaia Monastery.
The cost of excursions in addition to relocation includes accommodation and meals.
If you have an open Bulgarian visa, additional documents are not required.
Romania will meet independent tourists from Bulgaria, regardless of how they get to the country: train, bus, car. If you want to stay in one of the Romanian cities (for example, in Bran where Dracula’s Castle is located or in the capital – Bucharest) for a few days, we suggest with our selection of the most comfortable hotels:
Our selection of hotels in Bucharest
Our selection of hotels in Bran
Greece for 2 days
Our opinion: It is better to visit Greece separately, but not during vacation in Bulgaria.
The price of the excursion:
210 levs – for adults
105 levs – for kids
Do not forget: money, comfortable shoes, a hat and a camera.
Days of the week: Mon
The beginning of the excursion: 22:00
The end of the excursion: 17:00
The program:
- Kavala
- Thasos
The description of the excursion – “Greece for 2 days”:
You will find an interesting and romantic trip to the Greek city of Kavala. This important port city is very beautiful. Here is boiling modern life with all its manifestations. Then you will go to the amazing island of Thassos – the greenest of all the Aegean Sea. It is rich in ancient sights. To Thasos arrive lovers of quiet measured life, to plunge into a long-awaited vacation.
We remind you once more: for those who want to visit Greece, the presence of an open Schengen visa is required.
For those tourists, who decided to go to the Greek city of Kavala, or even the island of Thasos independently, we have chosen good options of hotels for a modest fee. We recommend to see our selection:
A selection of hotels in Kavala
Interesting hotels of Thassos
More articles about excursions around Bulgaria:
- The list of excursions, prices and schedules in Bulgaria.
- In what cases is it better to travel around the country independently and in what to buy excursions?
- Our experience of independent walking tour along the waterfront of Bulgaria – 20 km on foot.
- Attractions of the country. What will any tourist be able to see without the high cost of labor and money?
- The variety of Bulgarian resorts and their major attractions.