Pick up at Sofia airport

Overnight at Sofia

Visit the 3000 years old ancient Thracian sanctuary and sacred site Utrobata cave (womb's cave), an hand carved cave dedicated to the Mother Earth (about 1.5 hours hiking), you will see an abundance of wild flora and maybe able to identify some aromatic plants that are native in the mountain.

Transfer to Plovdiv. City tour of Plovdiv, one of the oldest cities in Europe: walk through the labyrinth of the Old Town, visit the luxurious villa of a rose oil trader from 1800s, the ancient Roman amphitheater and stadium, Kapana art district 

Overnight at Plovdiv 

Transfer to Kazanlak. "Rose picking" ritual in village near Kazanlak. 

Transfer to Rose Valley. Visit to the Rose Oil Museum and Distillery - the only one in Bulgaria where part of the produced oil is made using the oldest technology known in Bulgaria.

Visit to the Rose Museum in Kazanlak, where you will learn the history of rose oil trading and various types of roses.

Festive parade of the rose.

Transfer to Pavel Banya and overnight in a SPA hotel to enjoy the famous Bulgarian natural healing springs.

Transfer to Karlovo - visit to The Old Town, visit to an old house of the Rose Oil producers family, tasting of rose liqueur and rose jam.

Visit to rose field in Sopot, private time in rose field, enjoy a glass of refreshing rose drink and traditional bulgarian pastry, listen to the rose production story from local farmer. You will also find various aromatic plants growing in the field. 

Visit to a private botanical garden with over 500 species of plants at the foot of Stara planina mountain.

Overnight at Hotel Perla Beach Club, or hotel on the Black Sea coast

Transfer to Balgari village. Inclusion in the fireside rituals (preparation of firedance) of moving the icons and consecrating them.

Trekking in Strandzha mountain - Eco-trail "In the kingdom of the Rhododendron ponticum”. Walk into an ancient mysterious forest survived since the ice age. You will discover an abundance of wild flora and medicinal plants with the mountain guide, some are unique to this area. 

In the evening - Nestinar fire dancing in the village of Bulgari, part of the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

Overnight at Hotel Perla Beach Club, or hotel on the Black Sea coast

Click to see more

Walking tour in the ancient village and architectural reserve Brashlyan and presentation of a traditional folk ritual.

Visit to the mysterious Thracian cult megalithic complex Begliktash, built in alignment with astronomical events, where sacred rituals to the Mother Earth goddess and Father Sun god were performed 3500 years ago.

Click here for more

Transfer to Varna. Overnight at Varna Golden Beach Park Hotel

Visit the Varna Archeological Museum, where the oldest gold artifacts of the world is displayed (4600 - 4200BC).

Visit Museum of Medical History in Varna. Discover the medicinal herbs garden, from ancient folk magic to modern medicine, and the mysterious ancient human adult skulls with frontal lobe fissure and elogated skulls from early bronze age (3000BC).

Transfer to Balchik and visit the Palace of the Romanian Queen in Balchik and the Botanical Garden of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and put your plant identification skills to the test. 

Wine tasting at the award winning royal winery. 

Visit Cape Kaliakra, capital of Thracian King Lysimachus, succesor of Alexander the Great. Enjoy the stunning sunset overlooking the Black Sea.

Overnight at Varna Golden Beach Park Hotel.

Transfer to Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of the medieval Bulgarian Empire. Walk back through time at the Tsarevets fortress and the ancient craft street Samovodsa bazaar. 

Visit to the ancient Renaissance village and Arbanasi architectural reserve.

Transfer and visit to ancient sacred site Prokhodna cave (The God's eyes cave) 

Sunset closing circle.

Transfer to Sofia. Overnight in Sofia.

** Depart to Hong Kong or join extended tourTwo Days Extended Tour