Bulgaria Travel Guide: Where to Go, Costs and Euro Rules

A Bulgaria trip fits into 7 to 10 days: 2 or 3 days in Sofia with a day trip to the Rila Monastery, 2 days in Plovdiv, 2 in Veliko Tarnovo, and 2 or 3 on the Black Sea coast or in the Rhodope mountains. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 and has been a full member of the Schengen Area since 1 January 2025, so any guide that still quotes prices in lev or warns you about border checks is out of date. May, June, September and early October give warm weather, open mountain roads and prices below the July and August coast season.

Bulgaria sits in south-east Europe between Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece, Turkey and the Black Sea, with the Balkan range splitting it across the middle and the Rila and Rhodope mountains filling the south-west. It is one of the cheapest countries in the European Union for food, transport and accommodation, it has a 378 km (234.9 mi) coastline, and it has been inhabited since the Thracians, whose tombs and gold you can still see.

This guide is written by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team for independent travellers, and it routes you to our own Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo and Bulgarian food guides wherever they go deeper. Founder Sofie Couwenbergh travelled Bulgaria herself, and her notes on the food and the people are linked below.

Bulgaria quick facts

The Bulgaria quick facts below cover what a trip needs, from currency and plugs to driving, tap water and the emergency number.

The table stops at the practical facts. Trivia such as why Bulgarians shake their heads for yes sits in our 59 fun facts about Bulgaria post.

Bulgaria guides on Wonderful Wanderings

The Bulgaria guides on Wonderful Wanderings go deeper than this hub on the cities, the food and the people. The 7 guides are listed below, most useful first.

1. 30 things to do in Sofia: the capital’s churches, museums, markets and the mountain on its doorstep.
2. 18 things to do in Plovdiv: the Roman theatre, the Old Town houses and the Kapana creative quarter.
3. 20 places to visit in Bulgaria: the towns, monasteries and mountains to build a route around.
4. 17 things to do in Veliko Tarnovo: the medieval capital, the Tsarevets fortress and the Yantra gorge.
5. 24 things to do in Varna: the Black Sea city, its Roman baths and the world’s oldest gold treasure.
6. Traditional Bulgarian food: 20 dishes, what they taste like and where to order them.
7. The people of Bulgaria: first-hand impressions of a country that smiles less and means it more.

One more is pure trivia: 59 fun facts about Bulgaria.

Where to go in Bulgaria: the regions and the 28 provinces

Bulgaria divides into 28 provinces, each named after its capital city, and they group into 5 areas that plan as separate trips. The 5 are listed below, most useful to a visitor first.

1. Sofia and the south-west (Sofia City, Sofia Province, Pernik, Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad): the capital, with its Alexander Nevsky cathedral, Roman ruins and the Vitosha mountain 10 km (6.2 mi) from the centre, plus the Rila Monastery in Kyustendil province, the largest Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria and the country’s single most visited sight. Blagoevgrad adds the Seven Rila Lakes, the ski resort of Bansko, the museum town of Melnik and the spa town of Sandanski. Our 30 things to do in Sofia guide covers the city itself.
2. Plovdiv and the Rhodopes (Plovdiv, Pazardzhik, Smolyan, Kardzhali, Haskovo): Plovdiv, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe and the 2019 European Capital of Culture, with its Roman theatre still in use and the Kapana quarter for food and bars, and behind it the Rhodope mountains with the Wonderful Bridges, the Devil’s Throat cave, the Yagodina and Uhlovitsa caves and the rock formations of Kardzhali. See our 18 things to do in Plovdiv guide.
3. The Black Sea coast (Varna, Burgas, Dobrich): Varna for the Roman baths and the 6,000-year-old Varna gold treasure, Burgas for the lakes and the old towns nearby, and a coastline running from Balchik’s palace and botanical garden in the north to Sozopol and Nessebar, a UNESCO-listed peninsula of wooden houses and medieval churches, in the south. Sunny Beach next door is the party resort, and most of these places close down between October and May. Our 24 things to do in Varna guide covers the city.
4. The Balkan range and the centre (Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Lovech, Stara Zagora, Sliven, Yambol): Veliko Tarnovo, the medieval capital, with the Tsarevets fortress above the Yantra river, the open-air museum of Etar near Gabrovo, the Central Balkan National Park’s waterfalls and trails, the Valley of the Thracian Kings around Kazanlak with its UNESCO-listed tomb, and the Rose Valley, where the harvest festival runs in late May and early June. See our 17 things to do in Veliko Tarnovo guide.
5. The Danube north and the north-west (Ruse, Silistra, Razgrad, Shumen, Targovishte, Pleven, Vratsa, Montana, Vidin): Ruse’s belle-époque architecture on the Danube opposite Romania, the UNESCO-listed Madara Rider carved into a cliff in Shumen province, the Srebarna biosphere reserve near Silistra, Vidin’s Baba Vida fortress and the Belogradchik rocks, and the Pleven wine museum. The north-west is among the poorest regions in the European Union by GDP per head according to Eurostat, and you will pass through emptied villages, which is worth knowing before you drive it.

Our 20 places to visit in Bulgaria guide ranks the individual towns and sights across all of these.

How many days do you need in Bulgaria

Plan 7 days for Sofia, Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo, and 10 to 14 days to add the coast or the Rhodopes. The 3 routes below cover the trips most people take.

1. Days 1 to 7, the classic loop: 3 days in Sofia including a day trip to the Rila Monastery and Boyana Church, the bus or train to Plovdiv for 2 days, and 2 days in Veliko Tarnovo, returning to Sofia.
2. Days 1 to 10, adding the coast: the same loop, then Varna or Burgas for 3 days with Nessebar and Sozopol as day trips, flying home from Varna or Burgas in summer.
3. Days 1 to 10, the mountains: Sofia, then Bansko and the Seven Rila Lakes, then Plovdiv and 3 days in the Rhodopes around Smolyan and Devin, which needs a hire car.

Two habits save a Bulgarian itinerary. Book coastal accommodation early for July and August, when the resorts fill, and check that a mountain road or a coastal hotel is open at all if you travel between November and April. Check hotel availability in Bulgaria on Booking.com once your dates are fixed.

Best time to visit Bulgaria

May, June, September and early October are the months to visit Bulgaria, when the weather is warm, the mountain trails are open and the coast has not yet filled or already emptied. Bulgaria has a continental climate inland and a milder one on the coast, and the 4 seasons are described below.

• Spring (April to June): green, wet and the strongest hiking window in the low mountains, with the Rose Festival at Kazanlak in late May and early June and the coast still quiet.
• Summer (July and August): hot, with inland temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F) and the Black Sea coast tempered by a sea breeze; the resorts are full, the festivals are at their peak and the mountains offer the escape.
• Autumn (September and October): warm into early October, with the sea still swimmable in September, wine harvests inland and the Rhodope forests turning.
• Winter (December to March): cold, with heavy snow in the mountains and hard frosts inland; the ski season runs December to April at Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo, and lasts into spring at the higher resorts, while the coastal resorts close almost entirely.

How to get to Bulgaria

You get to Bulgaria by plane to Sofia, Varna or Burgas, by coach from the neighbouring countries, or by train from Romania, Serbia or Turkey. The 4 routes in and the entry rules are described below.

Flights to Bulgaria

Sofia takes the most flights, mainly from European cities with some Middle Eastern routes, and Varna and Burgas fill with summer charters from northern Europe between May and September, with Plovdiv the fourth international airport. Check Trip.com for a clear overview of your flight options and prices; it lets you set flight alerts and shows which month is cheapest, and our guide to what to do when a flight is cancelled covers the rest.

Coaches and trains to Bulgaria

Coaches run into Sofia and Plovdiv from every neighbouring country and from most of Europe, and they are the cheapest way in. Flixbus offers cheap bus travel to Bulgaria, and you can also compare Flixbus routes and prices for Bulgaria against the local operators.

Trains reach Bulgaria from Romania, Serbia and Turkey rather than from every neighbour, with Ruse the crossing point from Romania and services that change seasonally, so check the current timetable rather than an old guide. Check train routes and prices across Europe before you plan a rail arrival.

Ferries and driving to Bulgaria

Two Danube ferries cross from Romania, Calarasi to Silistra and Bechet to Oryahovo, alongside the road bridges at Ruse and Vidin. Driving in from Greece, Romania or Serbia is now straightforward, because these are internal Schengen borders; the Turkish crossings are external EU borders and can still involve long queues, particularly in summer.

Entry requirements for Bulgaria

Check the current entry rules for your passport before you book, because they change. Bulgaria has been a full member of the Schengen Area since 1 January 2025, when land border checks were lifted, having joined for air and sea borders on 31 March 2024. EU and EEA citizens enter with a national ID card, and visa-exempt visitors such as US, UK, Canadian and Australian passport holders get 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen Area. The US State Department’s Bulgaria page says American tourists need no visa for stays under 90 days and a passport valid for at least 3 months beyond departure, which corrects the 6-month rule that older Bulgaria guides still repeat. Two EU systems matter at the border: the Entry/Exit System (EES) began its phased rollout on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, replacing passport stamps with a record of your fingerprints and photo, and the ETIAS travel authorisation is not yet in operation, with the European Commission saying it will announce the start date several months in advance and confirming a €20 (about $23, £17) fee when it does. The official sources are travel-europe.europa.eu for EES and ETIAS and travel.state.gov for the US advisory.

Getting around Bulgaria

You get around Bulgaria by coach, which is faster and more frequent than the train, and by hire car for the mountains and the monasteries. The 5 options are listed below.

1. Coaches: the backbone of Bulgarian transport, running between every city and out to small towns and villages, cheap and frequent, with comfort that varies a great deal between operators. Sofia’s central bus station is next to the railway station.
2. Trains: Bulgarian State Railways is cheaper and slower than the coach on almost every route, with the Sofia to Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas lines the useful ones and a scenic narrow-gauge line from Septemvri to Dobrinishte through the Rhodopes.
3. Hire car: the way to reach the Rila Monastery on your own schedule, the Rhodope villages, the Belogradchik rocks and the smaller Black Sea towns. Bulgarian drivers are assertive, potholes are common and rural back roads can be rough, so stick to main roads where you can. An electronic vignette is compulsory on motorways and main roads and is bought online, at petrol stations or at border crossings. Check car hire prices here and read the excess and deposit terms before you accept the keys.
4. City transport: Sofia has a 2-line metro plus trams and buses, and a single ticket costs about €0.80 (about $0.90, £0.70); Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas run buses and trolleybuses.
5. Domestic flights and coastal ferries: Bulgaria Air links Sofia with Varna and Burgas in about an hour, which is worth it only if the coach’s 6 or 7 hours does not fit, and a few coastal towns are linked by boat in summer.

What a Bulgaria trip costs

Bulgaria is one of the cheapest countries in the European Union to travel in, and a mid-range traveller spends roughly €60-100 (about $70-116, £52-86) a day outside the summer coast season. Bulgaria’s prices below are approximate and move with the season.

The table covers a typical tourist day. The café, beer and restaurant figures come from Numbeo’s Bulgaria data for September 2026 and the Sofia transport figures from its Sofia data for the same month. Prices rose noticeably around the euro changeover in January 2026, so figures from 2024 and 2025 guides understate what you will pay.

Money in Bulgaria: the euro, cards and tipping

Bulgaria uses the euro, which replaced the lev on 1 January 2026 at the fixed rate of 1.95583 lev to €1, making Bulgaria the 21st member of the euro area. The lev was withdrawn from circulation during January 2026, and the European Central Bank arranged for euro-area national central banks to exchange lev banknotes free of charge in the weeks after the changeover. Any guide that tells you to change money into lev, or that quotes a hotel in lev, is describing a country that no longer exists.

Cards work in Bulgarian cities, resorts and chain shops, and cash still matters in villages, at markets and for small purchases. The 3 money habits that save you money are listed below.

1. Withdraw from a bank’s own ATM rather than the standalone machines in tourist streets, which charge higher fees.
2. Decline “dynamic currency conversion” when a terminal offers to bill you in your own currency, because its rate is worse than your bank’s.
3. Carry €30-50 (about $35-58, £26-43) in cash if you are heading into the mountains or the villages, where an ATM can be a long drive away.

Tipping in Bulgaria is expected rather than optional, because restaurant wages are low, and around 10% is the norm. Our guidelines on who to tip what in Bulgaria sit inside the wider tipping in Europe guide.

Where to stay in Bulgaria

Stay in central Sofia near Serdika or Vitosha Boulevard for the sights and the transport, in Plovdiv’s Old Town or Kapana for the atmosphere, in Veliko Tarnovo along the gorge for the view of Tsarevets, and in Sozopol or Nessebar rather than Sunny Beach if you want the coast without the nightclubs. Bulgaria also runs on family guesthouses in the mountain villages, which are cheap, warm and usually booked by phone or email.

Booking sites do the filtering. Sofie books hotels and guesthouses through Booking.com, because its filters turn hundreds of listings into a short list that meets her criteria, so check there first; she uses Vrbo when an apartment suits the trip better. If you book on Airbnb as well, our how to use Airbnb guide covers its filters and fees.

What to eat and drink in Bulgaria

Bulgarian food is grilled meat, garden vegetables, white brine cheese and yoghurt, and it is one of the cheapest good cuisines in Europe. The 5 dishes to order on your first day are listed below, with the Bulgarian name first.

1. Shopska salata: tomato, cucumber, onion and roasted pepper under a snowfall of grated sirene, the white brine cheese, and the dish every meal starts with.
2. Kebapche and kyufte: the grilled minced-meat roll and patty that anchor every grill menu, usually with chips and a beer.
3. Tarator: cold cucumber and yoghurt soup with garlic, dill and walnuts, which is what Bulgarians eat when it is 38°C (100.4°F).
4. Banitsa: the coiled filo pastry with sirene and eggs, eaten for breakfast with a glass of boza.
5. Kiselo mlyako: Bulgarian yoghurt, made with a bacterium named after the country, and thicker and sharper than anything sold as Greek yoghurt.

The list stops at 5 on purpose. Our traditional Bulgarian food guide covers 20 dishes properly, including gyuvech, sarma, moussaka, shkembe chorba, lyutenitsa, tikvenik and what to drink with them, from rakia to Bulgarian wine.

Festivals and public holidays in Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s festival calendar runs from the fire-dancing of the Strandzha villages to the rose harvest and a summer of music. Dates shift each year, so check the programme before you book around an event.

The table shows the events visitors plan around. Bulgaria’s public holidays are 1 January, 3 March (Liberation Day), Orthodox Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, 1 May (Labour Day), 6 May (St George’s Day and the Day of the Bulgarian Army), 24 May (Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slavonic Literature Day), 6 September (Unification Day), 22 September (Independence Day), 24 December (Christmas Eve), 25 and 26 December. Orthodox Easter usually falls later than the Western one, and when a public holiday lands on a weekend the following Monday is a holiday too, which is worth knowing before you plan a long weekend.

Is Bulgaria safe?

Bulgaria is safe for travellers, including solo women: it ranked 26th of 163 countries in the 2026 Global Peace Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, ahead of Spain, Germany and Italy, and the US State Department has it at Level 1, “exercise normal precautions”. The 4 risks worth knowing are listed below, most common first.

1. Pickpocketing and bag snatching in Sofia’s underpasses, on crowded trams and around the coastal resorts in summer: keep your bag closed and in front of you.
2. Taxi overcharging: use a metered taxi from a marked rank or a ride-hailing app rather than a car that approaches you, and check the per-kilometre rate printed on the window before you get in.
3. Card skimming and unofficial exchange offices: use ATMs attached to bank branches, and now that Bulgaria is in the euro area there is no reason to change money at a bureau at all.
4. Rural driving: potholes, unlit roads, horse carts and livestock after dark, and mountain roads that are not cleared quickly after snow.

Dial 112 for police, fire or ambulance.

What to pack for Bulgaria

Pack for a continental climate, which means real heat in summer and real cold in winter, and for mountains that are colder than the plain at any time of year. The 3 seasonal lists follow.

• Summer (June to September): sunglasses, sun cream, a swimsuit, light clothing, good walking sandals, a hat and a reusable water bottle, because the tap water is safe; add a fleece for the mountains, which are cool in the evening.
• Winter (December to March): a hat, a scarf, gloves, a warm and waterproof coat, thermal layers, waterproof shoes, snow boots if you are going to the mountains, and the same reusable water bottle.
• Spring and autumn (April, May, October and November): layers and a waterproof jacket, because late autumn and early spring can feel like winter while late spring and early autumn can feel like summer, and comfortable shoes for cobbled old towns.

One extra finishes the list. A universal adapter covers the type C and F plugs.

Staying connected in Bulgaria

You stay connected in Bulgaria with your EU SIM, which works at home rates under the EU’s roam-like-at-home rules, or with an eSIM or a portable hotspot if you come from outside the EU. The 3 options are listed below.

1. An EU SIM: no roaming charges for calls, texts or data in Bulgaria; UK plans have varied by operator since Brexit, so check yours before you fly.
2. An eSIM bought before you land: data from the moment you switch your phone on, with no shop visit; our eSIM for travel guide explains how they work.
3. A portable hotspot: if you want to budget your phone use in advance and be sure of a connection, compare Airalo eSIM data plans, which sells day passes and monthly plans.

Travel insurance for Bulgaria

Travel insurance for Bulgaria covers what a health card does not: a cancelled flight, a stolen phone, a skiing accident at Bansko and repatriation. EU citizens should carry their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and UK visitors their Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), which give access to Bulgarian state healthcare, but neither pays for a mountain rescue or a flight home on a stretcher, and Bulgarian public hospitals are underfunded. Check that winter sports are covered if you are going to Bansko, Borovets or Pamporovo, and compare the options in our best medical travel insurance guide. The insurer Wonderful Wanderings uses is SafetyWing, whose plans can be bought before you leave or while you are already travelling, so check out SafetyWing for a quote.

Bulgarian customs and basic phrases

Bulgarians shake their heads for yes and nod for no, which is the single most disorienting thing about the country and causes real confusion in shops and restaurants. The 4 customs and phrases that matter are listed below.

1. Watch the head gesture, and fall back on the words: “da” (dah) for yes and “ne” (neh) for no, said clearly, settle every misunderstanding.
2. Take the chocolate when a box is offered, because it is a form of congratulation and refusing it is read as a snub.
3. Do not read a lack of smiling as unfriendliness. Bulgarians smile at people they know rather than at strangers, and the warmth arrives once you are past the first exchange; our people of Bulgaria post goes into this properly.
4. Learn 4 phrases: “zdraveyte” (zdrah-VEY-teh, hello), “blagodarya” (bla-go-da-RYAH, thank you), “molya” (MO-lya, please) and “govorite li angliyski?” (goh-VOH-ri-teh lee ahn-GLIY-ski, do you speak English?). Bulgarian uses Cyrillic, so street signs in the cities are usually transliterated but rural ones are not.

A short history of Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s history runs from the Thracians through Rome and Byzantium to two Bulgarian empires, five centuries under the Ottomans, communism and the EU. The 6 periods that explain what you see are listed below.

1. Thracians and Romans (about 1000 BC to 4th century AD): the Thracians leave the gold of Panagyurishte and Varna and the tombs of the Kazanlak valley, and Rome absorbs their lands, building the theatre still standing in Plovdiv.
2. The First Bulgarian Empire (681 to 1018): Khan Asparuh founds the state in 681, the Bulgars and the Slavs merge, Boris I adopts Christianity in 864, and the Cyrillic alphabet is developed at the Preslav literary school.
3. The Second Bulgarian Empire (1185 to 1396): Veliko Tarnovo becomes the capital and Tsarevets its fortress, until the Ottomans complete their conquest in 1396.
4. Ottoman rule (1396 to 1878): five centuries under the Ottoman Empire, during which the monasteries, above all Rila, keep the language and the liturgy alive, and the National Revival of the 18th and 19th centuries produces the painted houses of Plovdiv, Koprivshtitsa and Tryavna.
5. Liberation and the wars (1878 to 1944): Russia’s defeat of the Ottomans in 1878 gives Bulgaria its independence and its 3 March national day, the Balkan Wars and both world wars follow, and Bulgaria’s 48,000 Jews are saved from deportation in 1943.
6. Communism and after (1944 to now): four decades of one-party rule under Todor Zhivkov end with his fall in 1989, a new constitution follows in 1991, and Bulgaria joins NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, Schengen in stages in 2024 and 2025 and the euro area on 1 January 2026.

Bulgaria travel FAQ

Does Bulgaria use the euro?

Yes, Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, becoming the 21st member of the euro area; the lev was withdrawn at the fixed rate of 1.95583 lev to €1, so guides that still quote lev prices are out of date.

Is Bulgaria in the Schengen Area?

Yes, Bulgaria has been a full Schengen member since 1 January 2025, when land border checks were lifted; air and sea borders opened on 31 March 2024, so there are no longer passport checks arriving from Greece or Romania.

How many days do you need in Bulgaria?

Plan 7 days in Bulgaria for Sofia, Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo, and 10 to 14 days to add the Black Sea coast or the Rhodope mountains.

Is Bulgaria expensive?

Bulgaria is one of the cheapest countries in the European Union to travel in, and a mid-range traveller spends roughly €60-100 (about $70-116, £52-86) a day, though prices rose noticeably around the euro changeover.

Is Bulgaria safe for tourists?

Yes: Bulgaria ranked 26th of 163 countries in the 2026 Global Peace Index and the US State Department has it at Level 1; the realistic risks are pickpocketing, taxi overcharging and rural roads.

What is the best month to visit Bulgaria?

May, June, September or early October is the month to visit Bulgaria, for warm weather and open mountains without the July and August coast crowds; go from December to April for skiing at Bansko, Borovets or Pamporovo.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the first-hand notes in this post, from the food she ate to the impressions of the people she met, come from her own trip to Bulgaria. The team covers Bulgaria for independent travellers, including the hotels and guesthouses, the grill restaurants and bakeries, the coaches and hire cars, the packing gear and the travel insurance worth booking, and updates this page when prices, dates and rules change.