Rila Monastery + Cave of Saint John Day Trip

Discover one of the important locations in Bulgaria on this tour of the Rila Monastery from Sofia, which also includes a visit to the cave of Saint John of Rila.

Discover the History

Visiting Bulgaria without seeing the Rila Monastery is not advisable. Meet behind the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia to begin your journey. You will travel to the Rila mountain range, the highest in the Balkans, where key geographical and natural features important to Bulgarian history will be revealed.

At the Rila Monastery, you will have two hours to explore this World Heritage Site. The monastery features significant architectural achievements from the Bulgarian Renaissance, along with stunning frescoes. It is recommended to visit the cloister and museum to understand its role in Slavic cultural identity post-occupation.

After exploring the monastery, you will be taken to the cave of Saint John of Rila, located 4 kilometers away. The walk through the forest will lead you to a small church before reaching the grotto where Saint John spent over seven years. You will learn about his life and significance.

The tour concludes with a return to Sofia after approximately 8 hours of travel and exploration.

Itinerary Changes

In case of adverse weather conditions, the walk to the Cave of Ivan Rilksi may be substituted with a visit to Boyana Church or a longer tour of the Rila Monastery.

Languages

When booking, you can choose to do the tour in English or with an audioguide in other available languages (German, Italian, Russian, French, or Spanish).