Sofia: Rila Monastery, St. Ivan Rilski Cave & Stob Pyramids

About this tour

Spend the morning at the Rila Monastery, one of Bulgaria’s most well-known UNESCO World Heritage sites and an absolute must-see for tourists. Visit the St. Ivan Rilski (St. John of Rila) cave, where the monastery’s founder lived as an anchorite, and take in the breathtaking rock formations of the Stob Pyramids as you meander through the ages-old forests of the Rila Mountains. For a fantastic full-day trip conducted by a professional, get away from the bustle of Sofia.

For a lovely excursion through the beautiful Rila Mountains, you will be picked up in the morning from your hotel or other location in Sofia. Within two hours, reach the Rila Monastery and proceed on foot to the St. Ivan Rilski cave. You can follow a fairy trail through the ancient woods of the Rila Monastery Nature Park to the cave where the monastery’s founder spent his final years as a hermit.

Visit the cave, then make your way back to the monastery for a guided tour and some free time to discover the site’s secret passageways from the 10th century. Following lunch, the trip will continue with a brief ride (about 25 minutes) to the village of Stob, where you will have to take a short walk to the sandstone Stob Pyramids, a natural wonder. Return to Sofia in the late afternoon, where you will be driven back to your home.