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Travel guide · Monasteries, mountains and the Black Sea

Travelling to Bulgaria

Rila Monastery, Roman Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo above its river, mountains for skiing and Black Sea beaches. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: from March to November
  • Where to eat: a mehana (traditional tavern)
Photo: CHILIEV · CC BY-SA 4.0

Bulgaria in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Bulgaria are from March to November.
  • To eat like a local: a mehana (traditional tavern). Don’t leave without trying: Shopska salad, Banitsa, Tarator.

Bulgaria in November

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Bulgaria. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Bulgaria

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Bulgaria are from March to November.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec with warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in March · where to travel in April · where to travel in May · where to travel in June

  • from December to February

    Cold winter

    It’s cold and it snows inland; the Black Sea coast is closed to tourism.

    What to do: It’s ski season in Bansko; for cities and monasteries, spring and autumn.

What to see in Bulgaria

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Sofia

    Sofia

    The capital, with Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Roman ruins in the metro and Mount Vitosha next door.

    • Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
    • Boyana Church
    • Rotunda of St George
    • Serdica
    Sofia guide
  • Plovdiv

    Plovdiv

    One of the oldest cities in Europe, with a Roman theatre and an old town of painted houses.

    • Roman theatre
    • Old town
    • Kapana
    • Roman stadium
    Plovdiv guide
  • Varna

    Varna

    The Black Sea capital, with beaches, the oldest Thracian gold in the world and the Sea Garden.

    • Archaeological Museum
    • Sea Garden
    • Cathedral of the Assumption
    • Roman baths
    Varna guide
  • Burgas

    Burgas

    A city of beaches and lakes, the base for Nesebar and Sozopol.

    • Sea Garden
    • St Anastasia Island
    • Burgas Lakes
    • Central beach
    Burgas guide
  • Nesebar

    Nesebar

    A peninsula with Byzantine churches and wooden houses, a World Heritage Site.

    • Church of Christ Pantocrator
    • Church of St Sophia
    • Wooden houses
    • Windmill
    Nesebar guide
  • Veliko Tarnovo

    Veliko Tarnovo

    The old medieval capital, with its fortress above a bend in the Yantra River.

    • Tsarevets Fortress
    • Gurko Street
    • Craftsmen’s street
    • Asenevtsi Monument
    Veliko Tarnovo guide
  • Bansko

    Bansko

    The ski resort of the Pirin Mountains, with a village of stone houses and taverns.

    • Skiing
    • Old town
    • Pirin National Park
    • Holy Trinity Church
    Bansko guide
  • Rila Monastery

    Rila Monastery

    Bulgaria’s most important monastery, with colourful frescoes in the mountains.

    • Main church
    • Hrelyo’s Tower
    • Arcaded courtyard
    • Museum
    Rila Monastery guide
  • Sozopol

    Sozopol

    The oldest town on the Bulgarian coast, with wooden houses on the rocks and beaches.

    • Old town
    • City walls
    • Beaches
    • Archaeological Museum
    Sozopol guide
  • Ruse

    Ruse

    The “Little Vienna” of the Danube, with elegant buildings and rock monasteries nearby.

    • Neo-baroque centre
    • Danube promenade
    • Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo
    • Pantheon
    Ruse guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Sofia

From Plovdiv

From Varna

From Burgas

From Nesebar

From Veliko Tarnovo

From Bansko

From Rila Monastery

From Sozopol

From Ruse

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What to eat in Bulgaria

To eat like a local: a mehana (traditional tavern), and order shopska salad or kavarma. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Shopska salad

    Tomato, cucumber, pepper and grated sirene cheese.

  • Banitsa

    Filo pastry filled with cheese and egg.

  • Tarator

    A cold soup of yoghurt, cucumber and walnuts.

  • Kavarma

    A pork stew in a clay pot.

  • Kebapche

    Grilled minced-meat sausages.

  • Rakia

    Fruit brandy.

The typical dish of Bulgaria, at home

Shopska salad
Photo: Popo le Chien · CC0

Shopska salad

Bulgaria’s national salad, in the colours of its flag: tomato, cucumber, roasted pepper and onion, covered in grated sirene cheese. It’s eaten with a rakia.

  • Serves 4
  • 15 min

Ingredients

  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1 cucumber
  • 2 roasted (or raw) peppers
  • 1 onion or spring onion
  • 150 g sirene or feta cheese
  • Parsley
  • Sunflower oil, vinegar and salt

How to make it at home

  1. Dice the tomatoes, cucumber and peppers.
  2. Chop the onion and parsley.
  3. Mix everything in a bowl with oil, vinegar and salt.
  4. Grate the cheese over the top so it covers everything.
  5. Serve straight away, well chilled.

The trick: The cheese grated over the top like snow: that’s its trademark.

The typical food of each city, with a recipe

Curious facts about Bulgaria

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • Bulgarians nod to say “no” and shake their heads to say “yes”.
  • The Cyrillic alphabet was born in Bulgaria.
  • Plovdiv is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Europe.
  • Bulgarian rose oil is used in perfumes all over the world.
  • Bulgarian yoghurt has its own bacterium: Lactobacillus bulgaricus.
  • It has used the euro since 2026.

Traditions of Bulgaria

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • 1 March Martenitsa

    Red and white bracelets to welcome spring.

  • June Rose Festival

    In the Valley of Roses at Kazanlak.

  • January and February Kukeri

    Masks and bells to scare off evil spirits.

  • June Nestinarstvo

    Fire-walking dances in the villages of Strandzha.

What not to do in Bulgaria

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t get confused by the gestures for yes and no: ask out loud.
  • Don’t enter monasteries with bare shoulders or knees.
  • Don’t change money on the street.
  • Don’t forget the electronic road vignette if you hire a car.
  • Don’t expect open beaches in winter: the Black Sea coast shuts down.
  • Don’t miss a mehana with live music.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Bulgaria

What people search for most before travelling to Bulgaria.

What’s the best time to travel to Bulgaria?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Bulgaria are from March to November.

What to see in Bulgaria in a week?

The essentials of Bulgaria: Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas and Nesebar. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Bulgaria?

Shopska salad, Banitsa, Tarator, Kavarma, Kebapche, Rakia. To eat like a local: a mehana (traditional tavern).

What is the typical dish of Bulgaria?

Shopska salad. Bulgaria’s national salad, in the colours of its flag: tomato, cucumber, roasted pepper and onion, covered in grated sirene cheese. It’s eaten with a rakia.

What should you not do in Bulgaria?

Don’t get confused by the gestures for yes and no: ask out loud. Don’t enter monasteries with bare shoulders or knees. Don’t change money on the street.

Is it worth travelling to Bulgaria in November?

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Bulgaria. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, CHILIEV (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sofia, Deensel (CC BY 2.0). Plovdiv, Klearchos Kapoutsis from Santorini, Greece (CC BY 2.0). Varna, MrPanyGoff (CC BY-SA 3.0). Burgas, Alicia Fagerving (CC BY-SA 3.0). Nesebar, © Utilisateur:Ratigan (CC BY-SA 3.0). Veliko Tarnovo, Mark Ahsmann (CC BY-SA 4.0). Bansko, Ненко Лазаров (CC BY 3.0). Rila Monastery, Droben (CC BY-SA 3.0). Sozopol, Nenko Lazarov (CC BY 2.5). Ruse, StefkaVasileva (CC BY-SA 4.0).