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PTG Tours · Escorted tour

Classic Bulgaria and the Cherry Festival

Rail tour of central Bulgaria with narrow-gauge Alpine railway and Cherry Festival

Illustration of Classic Bulgaria and the Cherry Festival

PTG Tours' Classic Bulgaria and the Cherry Festival is a 10-day escorted rail journey through central Bulgaria, starting in Sofia and finishing in Kyustendil. Maria guides the group through a carefully routed itinerary that combines heritage rail lines, UNESCO monuments, and the Black Sea coast, arriving in Kyustendil in time for the Cherry Festival. Days alternate between train travel and coach transfers: an early leg climbs by rail to Veliko Turnovo and its 12th-century fortress; later, the group rides Bulgaria's 1866 Ruse-Varna railway line, one of Europe's oldest surviving routes. The centrepiece is the Septemvri-Dobrinishte narrow-gauge line, a 760mm railway through Balkan mountain villages and the region's highest station at Avramovo. Hotel stays range from Sofia and Plovdiv (two nights each) to single nights in Veliko Turnovo, Varna, Bansko, and the Zaara Estate winery near Kyustendil. Nine dinners, one lunch, wine tasting, and all site entrances are included. The tour suits history lovers, repeat rail travellers, and food-and-wine enthusiasts seeking guided comfort and cultural depth.

What to know before you look closer

  • Hotels are listed as 'or similar', so the final accommodation may differ from the named properties
  • Only one departure is listed for June 2026; confirm available dates with the operator before booking
  • Flights from the UK are optional; the price shown (from £1,550) is the land package only; air fares are booked separately

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Sofia (3 nights)

    UK - Sofia

    Flights from Heathrow, Stansted, Luton (direct) or Manchester (via Frankfurt). Overland by rail from St Pancras also possible with an included first-class Interrail ticket.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Veliko Turnovo

    Sofia - Gorna Oriahovitsa - Arbanassi - Veliko Turnovo

    Morning train to Gorna Oriahovitsa, transfer to Veliko Turnovo, tour of Tsarevets Royal Hill and fortress, Samovodska Charshia crafts street. Late afternoon visit to Arbanassi Museum Village and Nativity Church.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Varna

    Veliko Turnovo - Shumen - Varna

    Train to Shumen and Varna on the first Bulgarian railway line (Ruse-Varna, 1866). City tour of Varna with lunch and wine tasting, visit to the regional museum's Varna gold treasure (4200-4600 BC).

  4. Day 4railovernight: Plovdiv (2 nights)

    Varna - Karnobat - Nessebar - Stara Zagora - Plovdiv

    Train to Karnobat, coach to the UNESCO town of Nessebar for a walking tour, then coach to Stara Zagora and train to Plovdiv.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Plovdiv

    Plovdiv - Dimitrovgrad - Plovdiv

    Walking tour of Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria's first socialist city, built in Stalinist Baroque style. Train back to Plovdiv.

  6. Day 6overnight: Plovdiv

    Plovdiv - Bachkovo - Plovdiv

    Walking tour of Plovdiv's old town including the Roman theatre, St Constantine and Helena Church and the Ethnographic Museum. Afternoon visit to the 11th-century Bachkovo Monastery.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Bansko

    Plovdiv - Septemvri - Velingrad - Bansko

    Transfer to Septemvri, then the narrow gauge (760mm) railway to Dobrinishte via Velingrad, Avramovo (highest station in the Balkans), Yakoruda and Razlog, known as the 'Alpine railway in the Balkans'. Afternoon exploring Bansko and Pirin Mountain National Park (UNESCO).

  8. Day 8railovernight: Kyustendil

    Bansko - Rila Monastery - Kyustendil

    Morning visit to the UNESCO Rila Monastery, the largest in Bulgaria. Train from Blagoevgrad to Kyustendil via Radomir; afternoon at the Festival of Cherries or relaxing at the spa hotel.

  9. Day 9overnight: Sofia

    Kyustendil (Festival of Cherry) - Sofia

    Morning at the Festival of Cherries closing day or relax at the hotel. Transfer to Sofia; afternoon tour of Sofia including St Sofia basilica, Alexander Nevski Memorial Cathedral and the ruins of Ancient Serdica.

  10. Day 10

    Sofia - departure

    Free time and departure transfer to Sofia airport for flights back to Heathrow, Stansted, Luton, Birmingham or (via Frankfurt) Manchester.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Train from Sofia to Gorna Oriahovitsa, then tour Tsarevets Royal Hill fortress overlooking Veliko Turnovo
  • Day 3Travel on Bulgaria's first railway line, the Ruse-Varna route opened in 1866, with wine tasting and viewing the Varna gold treasure from 4200-4600 BC
  • Day 7Ride the narrow-gauge Septemvri-Dobrinishte railway, the Alpine railway in the Balkans, climbing through Avramovo, the highest station in the Balkans
  • Day 8Visit UNESCO Rila Monastery, Bulgaria's largest, and attend the Kyustendil Festival of Cherries

Included

  • 3 nights with breakfast at Hotel Triada 4* or Hotel Legends 4* in Sofia or similar
  • 1 night with breakfast at Grand Hotel Yantra 4* in Veliko Turnovo or similar
  • 1 night with breakfast at Hotel Cherno More 4* in Varna or similar
  • 1 night with breakfast at Zaara Estate (boutique winery) with use of its spa centre and swimming pool or similar
  • 2 nights with breakfast at Hotel Alliance 4* in Plovdiv or similar
  • 1 night with breakfast at Hotel Molerite 4* in Bansko or similar
  • City tax at the hotels
  • Services of guide and tour manager Maria
  • Entrances for the visited sites
  • Wine tasting at Zaara Estate winery or Soli Invicto winery
  • Train tickets (1st class where possible)
  • 8 dinners and 1 lunch (3-course menu + mineral water)

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?
Yes. All train tickets are included in the package price, first class where possible. Specific routes are Sofia-Gorna Oriahovitsa, Ruse-Varna (Bulgaria's 1866 first railway), Varna-Karnobat, the Septemvri-Dobrinishte narrow gauge, and Blagoevgrad-Kyustendil.
Is this tour escorted?
Yes. Maria serves as guide and tour manager for the entire 10-day journey.
What is included in the price?
Six four-star hotel stays with breakfast, nine dinners and one lunch, all train fares (first class where possible), site entrances, wine tasting at a winery, and city taxes. Flights and transfers to/from airports are optional and priced separately.
When does the tour depart?
One departure is confirmed for June 2026 at the listed price. Contact the operator for additional dates.
What is the highlight of the railway experience?
The Septemvri-Dobrinishte narrow-gauge railway (760mm), called the Alpine railway in the Balkans, climbs through mountain terrain including Avramovo, the highest station in the Balkans.
How much walking is involved?
Daily walking tours occur in Veliko Turnovo, Plovdiv, Dimitrovgrad, Nessebar, and Bansko. Most days involve moderate city walking with stairs and luggage handling.

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