Free Tours in Sofia

Of all countries, my first European adventure was Bulgaria, a country 99% of the world couldn’t pinpoint on a map if their life depended on it. I didn’t know much about Bulgaria other than it was in Eastern Europe and was known for yogurt. When I checked in my hotel, I stumbled across a brochure for two free tours in Sofia. The “Free Sofia Tour” and “Balkan Bites Tour.” Seeing how I didn’t have any plans, I figure I’d take advantage.

Free Sofia City Tour

Departure Time: November-March 11 AM and 6PM. Three times a day 10 AM/11 AM/6PM the rest of the year.

Meeting Place: Palace of Justice

Duration: 2 hours.

Here are some of the main sights you’ll see for the day.

1) St Nedelya Church: a medieval church that has suffered destruction through the ages and been rebuilt many times.

2) Statue of Sofia

3) Bath / Museum of Sofia

4) Mineral Water

5) Council of Ministers

6) Presidency

7) Rotunda of St George: Oldest building in the city, built by the Romans in the 4th century.

8) National Theater Ivan Vazov

9) St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

This will be your last stop of the day.

and the next tour…..

The Balkan Bites Tour

Departure Time: Everyday from 2-4 except holidays.

Meeting Place: Park Crystal (in front of the Big Head Statue of Stefan Stambolov)

Duration: 2 hours.

Here are the foods you’ll try…sorry vegans, there is dairy, and lots of it.

1) First stop was a small café where we sampled a yogurt drink with onions.

2) You’ll head to an underground bakery next to try some sweets.

3) Next was a restaurant where we tried some bread topped with some tomatoes, onions, and other Bulgarian spices. Initially, we were supposed to eat something with pork, but many of the group members were vegetarians.

4) Our fourth spot was a sandwich shop, which was probably my favorite part. They have great cheese in Bulgaria.

5) The final stop was a traditional Bulgarian restaurant, which had a pretty cool design inside. We each sampled some cheeses with olives. By this point of the tour, I was pretty tired of dairy, so I just ate one.

You can’t really beat these free tours in Sofia, especially if you’re traveling alone. It’s a great investment of four hours and the guides are very friendly and open to answer any questions. Just make sure you tip them at the end of your tour! Enjoy!