Full-Day Plovdiv and Asen’s Fortress Tour from Sofia
4.5
Full-Day Plovdiv and Asen’s Fortress Tour from Sofia
By V Travel
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About
Swap the bustling capital for an ancient city and mountaintop castle on this full-day tour to Plovdiv and Asen’s Fortress, with hassle-free round-trip transfer from your Sofia hotel. Let your driver handle navigation as you soak up views of the Bulgarian countryside, then immerse yourself in the history and culture of the landmarks with a city tour and virtual reality experience included in the price.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 3-99, max of 17 per group
Duration: 9h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Take a break from bustling Sofia on a day tour to Plovdiv and Asen’s Fortress
- Round-trip transfer from your hotel ensures a hassle-free trip
- Learn more about the historic landmarks on a city walk and virtual tour
- Benefit from the more personalized service of a small-group excursion
- Driver/guide
- Professional guide
What's not included- Food and drinks
- Lunch
- Hotel pickup
- Hotel drop-off
- Entrance fees in Plovdiv's old town and Asen's fortress
- Entry/Admission - Plovdiv Old Town
- Entry/Admission - Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis
- Entry/Admission - Assenova krepost (Asen's Fortress)
- Start:
- Serdika Meeting Point - V Travel Day Tours, Sofia Center, bul. "Knyaginya Maria Luiza" 2, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria9:00 Departure from Serdika meeeting point (2, Maria Luiza boulevard across McDonalds on the main street). Please show up at least 5-10 minutes earlier and look for a V Travel branded vehicle (car, minivan, van, minibus).
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 20487P2- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 17 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 20487P2
From
$31.58
per adult (price varies by group size)
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- Sofia Center, bul. "Knyaginya Maria Luiza" 2, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria9:00 Departure from Serdika meeeting point (2, Maria Luiza boulevard across McDonalds on the main street). Please show up at least 5-10 minutes earlier and look for a V Travel branded vehicle (car, minivan, van, minibus).
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- kathyD22740 contributionsMust see, one of a kind experienceGreat festival- so much to see, food to taste, bells to hear. Such a unique experience for someone from the States. Highly recommendWritten February 7, 2025
- Tim L0 contributionsDidn’t get to visit as trip was cancelled on the morning of the tripBooked our trip to the monastery and then the thermal baths Were disappointed to be told our trip was cancelled on the morning of the tripWritten January 26, 2025
- VololompitiaA0 contributionsWonderful monastery. Fantastic Sauna at snowing. Go there when you can. Kindly drive and guide.Wonderfull monastery and place. Sauna at the snowing time. Yeeee no need to drop in the cold water.( Lol) Money value. Fantastic and friendly drive and guide. Go there when you can.Written January 15, 2025
- CaptainCookieDaddy0 contributionsGreat companyThey were very easy to work with. We did the one day trip to North Macedonia. Our driver/guide Georgi was amazing. He was very accommodating, knowable, and friendly.Written January 8, 2025
- 24krzysztofz0 contributionsGreat tourIt is a professionally organized trip where you can enjoy the Rafting Tour and admire Bulgaria's wonderful Rila Monastery. Founded in the 10th century it is a unique Unesco Heritage site and in all of Europe can only be rivaled by Mesquita Cathedral in Cordoba, Spain, We had a great time.Written January 8, 2025
- Y6179GPmariag0 contributionsWonderful sport talk cultureA day full of sport, emotion, diving and culture, our guide Stefan was able to accompany us with anecdotes about current society and Bulgarian history throughout the journey. I also appreciated the stop at the typical kiosk for lunch. Wonderful experience, I recommend it!Written January 8, 2025
- Londoner58690 contributionsA Convenient and Amazing Day TripThis tour is a great way to experience another country while visiting Sofia. The guide was excellent, speaking both languages fluently, which made navigating border control a breeze—a process that could otherwise be a bit tricky. Once in Nis, there’s plenty of free time to explore the city on your own and enjoy a delicious lunch at a local grill house. It’s a perfect chance to wander around, soak up the atmosphere, and try some authentic Serbian food. The guided stops were well-organized and very informative. Highlights included the Nis concentration camp, the fascinating Skull Tower, and the Roman ruins of Mediana, each offering insights into Serbia’s rich and complex history. If you’re looking to add a bit of adventure and cultural discovery to your trip, this is a solid option. A well-paced and enjoyable way to see Serbia for a day!Written December 28, 2024
- Ankita S0 contributionsUnfulfilled tripCanceling my 'get your guide' activity for Serbia with less than 24 hours to go is the most unprofessional operator I have ever come across! I will complain against them to consumer law. People come solo from all over the world, it doesn't mean they inform solo traveler with less than 12 hours to go when people have planned trips 1-2 months before!Written December 3, 2024
- arezous6680 contributionsGreat experience. Highly recommendMy sister and I took this tour in Sofia. Lubo, our tour guide was great. The trip was well organised. I booked the trip via phone 2 hours before the trip by calling the number I found in google. Thank you team!Written November 25, 2024
- Mark H0 contributionsGreat trip. Highly recommended.Excellent day out to Nis, Philip our driver & guide was fun, informative & great company. He took us to a great Serbian restaurant for lunch and the day was full of interesting stops. Weather was perfect too which helped. Definitely worth it.Written November 11, 2024
- 734aland0 contributionsWonderful experience to see three countries in one day. Great service too.This was a highlight of our time in Bulgaria, in fact probably the highlight. The trip was wonderful, taking in a mainly Bulgarian town (Bosilegrad) in a remote mountainous part of Serbia, and the Osogovski monastery in North Macedonia. We enjoyed our time with our knowledgeable and friendly tour guide and driver Georgi, who went out of his way to accommodate us. The price seemed a little high when I booked, but it was certainly worth it as just about everything in the trip was included. We also enjoyed a lovely coffee shop in Bosilegrad and a fantastic restaurant just outside the town of Kriva Palanka (close to the monastery), although usually the lunch is at the monastery (it was closed the day we went, but we loved the alternative venue). Even the border crossings add a sense of uncertainty and adventure to the trip. Based on this experience I would certainly book another tour with V Travel.Written November 2, 2024
- alisonrM2071TR0 contributionsGood introduction to Serbia! Nis is v interesting.Good day out of Sofia to get a quick introduction to Croatian history & more of the Balkans. Ivan our driver-guide was an excellent communicator who enthusiastically regaled us with information & answered all questions. The van was comfortable; attention was paid to our needs. We saw loads of interesting things.Written October 24, 2024
- N1564OUaliceh0 contributionsLovely day trip from SofiaThe monastery was absolutely beautiful. The drive to get there also had lovely scenery. We only spent 30/40 minutes there, but that was enough. We then went to a restaurant that served very nice traditional food. The spa was a lovely end to the day. It could do with some refurbishing but was a relaxing spot.Written October 22, 2024
- dagmar19570 contributionsLong dayThe meeting point was hard to find,no number to orient by.They should weight it is next to moskee and opposite Mac Donald.But we had driver Stefan,very good driver,friendly and service minded.Skopje is beautiful town,lots of culture and art.Go for it!But the best is ask for pick up at your hotel.Written October 13, 2024
- WayfaringLibertarian0 contributionsUnreliable and unresponsive tour companyIf you plan to book a trip with this company, I suggest you do so at your own risk. If you look at their reviews for their various trip offerings, you will see that they have a pattern of canceling at the last minute. If you decide to give them a chance (like I did) and run to into any issues with your booking or have any questions for them - don’t expect to get a response. I wish I had just paid an additional $30 for this day trip and booked with a competitor. I suppose that $30 might have gotten me professionalism and responses to my inquiries.Written October 2, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
23 reviews
Excellent
16
Very good
4
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
1
LynsFrostee
London, UK552 contributions
Our tour guide was great. He had a lot of knowledge and took us to some really niche parts of Plovdiv that I don’t think we’d have seen without a guide.
He also had an Italian couple to cater for so had to constantly switch from English to Italian to keep us all happy and he did this with impressive skill.
Plovdiv is definitely worth the daytrip. It’s very different to Sofia and has a slightly bohemian artistic vibe.
He also had an Italian couple to cater for so had to constantly switch from English to Italian to keep us all happy and he did this with impressive skill.
Plovdiv is definitely worth the daytrip. It’s very different to Sofia and has a slightly bohemian artistic vibe.
Written June 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ciarancummins2019
County Dublin, Ireland1 contribution
Jul 2019 • Solo
Superb guide who handled both the driving and the commentary. Exceptionally friendly and highly educated. I enjoyed her take on all things Bulgarian.
Written July 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the great feed back, we wish you many great trips like this one!
Written July 23, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Craig O
Cork, Ireland31 contributions
Our tour guide was fantastic in giving us a history of Plovdiv and Bulgaria in general. We had plenty of time to look around and take pictures of the ruins and houses. We were brought into a small distillery where you could sample the alcohol and buy some. We were also brought into a rose oil shop for about 5 mins to look around but were not pressured to buy anything. Then we were brought to assens fortress where we had plenty of time to look around and enjoy the view and even make a quick extra stop to take a photo of the fortress from further away. Highly recommended.
Written December 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Craig O,
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us. We are always happy when we meet our tourists' expectations. Our guides try to give as much information as you need but at the same time to give you space and privacy to enjoy the attractions as you wish.
We wish you all the best,
Iliana Kostova
Manager V Travel
Written April 25, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DERICK S
Los Angeles, CA529 contributions
Nov 2018 • Solo
I had an excellent tour of Plovdiv with my guide. Turns out I was the only one on the tour, so I got a private tour. My guide safely drove me to Plovdiv (about 2 hours), and walked me through the town explaining the historical significance of the various sites. We stopped for a lunch at a popular restaurant in the city center that had great food and great prices. After, we went to Assen's fort, where there was hardly anybody so we had the place to ourselves. He then drove me back to Sofia. The guide was knowledgeable and friendly and I really enjoyed the tour.
Written November 10, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Derick,
Thank you! Yes we have our Plovdiv and Assen Fortress tour open all year round even for just 1 person and we will not cancel your tour if you are to remain the only in our group!
Best regards,
Victor
Written November 26, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
M S
Kissimmee, FL57 contributions
Driver and guide were polite and caring.
The 7 passenger mini-van was not very comfortable.
We were disappointed because we expected more depth in the historic explanations from the guide.
We would have preferred to have more time in Plovdiv (only 2.5 hrs), instead of spending 2 hrs to drive to/and back to visit Asen’s Fortress/church.
Overall we felt that we were just paying for the ride there and back, there was some information given but it wasn’t what we had expected at all.
We recommend to find a day tour just for Plovdiv - there is plenty to see.
The 7 passenger mini-van was not very comfortable.
We were disappointed because we expected more depth in the historic explanations from the guide.
We would have preferred to have more time in Plovdiv (only 2.5 hrs), instead of spending 2 hrs to drive to/and back to visit Asen’s Fortress/church.
Overall we felt that we were just paying for the ride there and back, there was some information given but it wasn’t what we had expected at all.
We recommend to find a day tour just for Plovdiv - there is plenty to see.
Written May 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alanthebairn
Falkirk, UK822 contributions
We booked our tour on line in the UK and were pleasantly surprised that what we anticipated would be a group tour was just my wife and I.
Our guide arrived at the designated time and spoke good English.
We drove to Plovdiv which was a wonderful historic town and well worth a visit.
It has a fascinating history which was well explained to us.
After the walking tour, we had adequate time to explore the the main shopping area of the town and have lunch before reconnecting with our guide for the trip to the fortress.
Asen's fortress is on a quite hilly area and it would good to go at our own pace.
We then returned to Sofia, our guide managed to miss the worst of the rush hour traffic and we were back at around 6 pm
Our guide arrived at the designated time and spoke good English.
We drove to Plovdiv which was a wonderful historic town and well worth a visit.
It has a fascinating history which was well explained to us.
After the walking tour, we had adequate time to explore the the main shopping area of the town and have lunch before reconnecting with our guide for the trip to the fortress.
Asen's fortress is on a quite hilly area and it would good to go at our own pace.
We then returned to Sofia, our guide managed to miss the worst of the rush hour traffic and we were back at around 6 pm
Written March 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Alanthebairn,
Thank you very much for booking your Plovdiv tour with us. Indeed, our guides always try to make an extra step for making our tourists feel good. It is always a pleasure when tourist appriciate our efforts.
We wish all the best and wonderful places to visit in the future.
Written April 25, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dirk G
2 contributions
Sep 2019 • Couples
Nice tour guide and great overall tour. Plovdiv is a nice old city with lots of culture to offer. Worth the trip.
Written October 21, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sueoldham6
Wanstead, UK1 contribution
Sep 2019 • Friends
We had a great day out.
Well looked after by Michael. Plovdiv certainly worth a visit. Lots to see and enjoy.
Well looked after by Michael. Plovdiv certainly worth a visit. Lots to see and enjoy.
Written October 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karin
8 contributions
Aug 2019
This tour is really worth your time and money. After a 2 hr drive (with short sanitairy and coffee stop just before Plovdiv) we arrived with Sveto (guide) and Bobby (driver) in Plovdiv. Walking through town Sveto told interesting facts about the history of this beautiful city. After some time for ourselves we left for Assen's Fortress at 14.30 hrs. Just a short drive, and despite the temperature of 36 °C we really enjoyed the walk, the scenery and historical background stories. A tour worth taking!!
Written August 31, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravellerDW66
York, UK3 contributions
May 2019 • Solo
Travelling on my own and only having a couple of days to sightsee in and around Sofia, I booked this trip hoping to make the most of my limited time. I am so glad that I did! The journey each way was about 2 hours, including a quick break, but went quickly. The itinerary was well planned (1.5 hours of guided tour of Plovdiv then 2 hours of free time, plus an hour at Asen Fortress on the way home.) Both the driver and tour guide were excellent, providing a friendly and relaxed atmosphere for the group (there were 7 of us - one pair, one threesome and two solo travellers). Would certainly recommend this trip, and would have done others with the same company if I had had longer.
Written May 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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