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Private Sofia City Tours

Explore the country’s cultural capital
and other sights from central Bulgaria

Accredited and private tour guides
Flexible itineraries, built around you
See local insights that most tourists miss

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Top rated on TripAdvisor

You could spend forever trying to discover all the Bulgarian capital’s secret treasures and hidden gems. But in one day, We can certainly give you a Sofia city tour that you’re unlikely to forget quickly! Our Sofia city tour is guaranteed to leave you in love with this colorful, quirky capital.

We’ll be able to show you the best-kept secrets of the city – the bars, cafes, restaurants, and parks that tourists usually miss – and fill the day with background information, history, and local perspectives. What we offer is more than just a Sofia walking tour… it’s the full Sofia sightseeing experience.

Sofia is a city where history is layered, one age built upon another… which means that your tour in Sofia can take whichever direction you like. You could check out the vibrant contemporary arts scene, or immerse yourself in ancient churches and the stone walls of the old Roman settlement, Serdica.

You could enjoy the sights and sounds of Bulgaria under the tsars, or explore the brutalist relics of the former communist regime. With so much to choose from, no two Sofia tours will ever be the same!

During one of the Sofia walking city tours below you will be able to get closer to the local life of Bulgarians. To visit some neighborhoods and hidden places which are unknown to tourists.

Usually, we either walk or use cars as transportation during our city Sofia tours, but if you want we can include a ride with the public transportation in the Bulgarian capital. Let us know if you have any specific requirements and I will build the program around them.

Our Most Popular Sofia Walking Tours

Sofia Walking City Tour

Discover the Bulgarian capital and its local life. On this walking tour, you will see the National Art Gallery, the most important museums, the Cathedral St. Alexander Nevsky, The mosque, The Parlament, the old ruins of Serdika, and the mineral springs – a patchwork of attractive features worth touring.

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Sofia & Boyana Church Tour

The route during this Sofia city tour includes all the highlights listed in the regular walking city tour of Sofia plus a few more. During this tour, you can also visit the Boyana church, the National Palace of Culture, some of the local markets, shopping streets, parks, or bars.

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Sofia Communist Tour

Combining a walking exploration of the city with visits to key buildings and museums by car, this journey will bring the history of communist Sofia to life. Explore iconic sites, learn about significant historical events, and understand how the regime shaped the city and its people.

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Sofia City Tour Reviews

Kiril picked up Us at our hotel with a comfortable mini bus.He accompanied my family to visit the National History museum and was full of information especially about the Thracian era. After the visit, we went to visit Boyana Church and was fantastic to discover that little pearl. It was a very cold and snowy day but vehicle was warm and Kiril very friendly like a part of the family.

Monia, Italy

I’m from Bulgaria, but I’ve never lived in Sofia, so when we decided to go there with friends from France, I knew I wouldn’t be good enough guide for them. I asked Adriana for references and she put us in contact with Yana: a history teacher with fluent French! Our 3 hours trip in the city centre and more made my guests feel as they’d been living in Bulgaria for months. For me it was a spectacular experience to rediscover what I had learnt in school decades ago.

Iliana, Bulgaria

Diane picked us up at our hotel and took us around her city. She is very proud of her Bulgarian heritage and has a vast background in history of her country. After visiting the city center sites we enjoyed the national museum and then the great view from the Vitoshi mountain outlook. Great way to visit Sofia.

Leslie, USA

What will See During the Sofia City Tour

There are over 200 Orthodox churches and chapels, some of them built in ancient times, the 4^th century. The largest one is the Saint Alexander Nevski memorial church. The Synagogue in Sofia is among the largest and most exquisite synagogues in Europe. Another sight you will see during the Sofia city tour is the mosque, comprising a bath using the warm mineral spring nearby.

One of the most interesting landmarks you will see during the walking Sofia city tour is the Saint George Rotunda which lies between the Sheraton hotel and the Presidential complex and was constructed in the time of Constantine the Great.

The Sveta Nedelya church is a medieval building, destroyed several times but afterward reconstructed, and the murals date from the period 1971-1973. The Saint Sophia church was built on the site where several older churches stood in different periods but were destroyed by Goth and Hun invaders. In the 2^nd century, there was a Roman theater as the earliest known building, where now Saint Sophia rises. The Boyana church is located out of the Sofia city center and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Constructed in the Middle Ages, in the Boyana area, at the foot of Vitosha, it first served as a chapel for the local ruler.

Among the monuments that you will see during the city tour Sofia the Tsar Liberator, on horseback, is universally known and impresses with its imposing grandeur. It commemorates the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878 and the gratitude of Bulgarian people towards the Russian tsar Alexander II. The Bulgarian parliament is just on the opposite side.

Another highlight in Sofia which you will be able to visit during the Sofia city tour is the monument Vasil Levski, a bronze structure with a bas relief of Levski’s portrait. Inaugurated in 1895, it was built in the course of 17 years, because the plans changed frequently, even including a bronze statue. The National Palace of Culture hosts a plethora of cultural events. The most famous bridges are Lavov (or Lion’s Bridge, because there are lion figures guarding it on both sides) and Orlov (Eagle’s Bridge, with eagle figures on top of columns).

More Information about Sofia, Bulgaria

Ranking as the 15^th largest city in the European Union, Sofia welcomes not just as the capital, but also as a center replete with sites to visit where the country’s history and culture are shown off. Its location amid mountains is a great advantage for avid mountaineers, who can go to Vitosha, Lyulin, and the Balkan Range. In the center, as well as in several other areas like Knyazhevo and Gorna Banya, there are mineral springs. The mineral baths in the central area were constructed in the beginning of the 20^th century, where old Turkish baths previously stood. The statue showing the city’s patron Saint Sophia rises in the central part. There, too, tourists and citizens can see remains of Roman time buildings and structures.

To move around for a Sofia city tour in the fastest way and see the sights and monuments in Sofia, people can use the underground, which has been functioning since 1998.

Here you can find some ideas for private tours around Bulgaria and the Balkans:

Day trips from Plovdiv
Multi-day private tours around Bulgaria
Balkan Tours
Bulgaria and Balkan Travel Ideas

tours@privateguidebulgaria.com
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