Day 1–2: Sofia → Day 3: Rila Monastery → Day 4: Plovdiv → Day 5: Rose Valley (Kazanlak) → Day 6: Veliko Tarnovo → Day 7: Varna or return to Sofia for departure. The entire journey can be done by bus or train, or by self-driving. Most legs take around 2–3 hours, with a total distance of approximately 900 km.
Take an early bus or join a day tour to Rila Monastery (Rila Monastery) in the Rila Mountains: admire the painted corridor, the gold-domed Nativity of the Virgin Tower, and the Hrelyu Tower. The round trip takes about a full day. If you're fit, you can add a half-day hike to the Seven Rila Lakes or the Ivan Rilski Cave. Booking a monastery room in advance by phone is recommended, or you can return to Sofia the same day.
Take a train or bus (around 2 hours) to one of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited cities: Roman Theatre, the painted houses of the Old Town, the Ethnographic Museum, and the Kapana Creative District. In the evening, enjoy dinner at a rooftop restaurant with views of the illuminated Old Town. Stay overnight in a guesthouse in the Old Town.
Travel to Kazanlak: visit the Rose Museum, the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (UNESCO World Heritage Site, limited entry), and rose distillation workshops. In June, you may catch the rose harvest and the Rose Festival parade. In other seasons, visit essential oil factories and shop for authentic Bulgarian rose oil.
Take a bus (around 2.5 hours) to Veliko Tarnovo: explore Tsarevets Fortress, enjoy the evening sound-and-light show, wander the artisan street Samovodska Charshiya, and admire the layered old houses along the Yantra River valley.
If you have more time, continue east for about 3 hours to Varna to see the Black Sea and the archaeological museum’s golden treasures. Otherwise, take a bus back to Sofia (around 3 hours) and depart in the evening.