Vincent was a fantastic guide, enthusiastic, very knowledgeable, very approachable. He took the trouble to find us as we weren't at the prearranged pick-up point due to National celebrations and increased security in the area.He gave us options for the day and was a good driver. He warned us that Boyana church visits were restricted to 10 minutes for all, but managed to cram a huge amount of interesting information into our visit. His knowledge and enthusiasm about Rila Monastery and the frescoes left us looking at other church interiors in a different light!. We wondered if he was a history graduate as he was so good. The cave was a nice short but fairly strenuous climb which was worth doing, and he checked throughout that we were all managing it. It was also interesting to see the countryside as we drove to and from Rila as a contrast from Sofia. I would definitely recommend.

Vincent was an very informative guide with excellent English, full of enthusiasm and great company. Boyana Church visit is short but worth it, every visitor/group only gets 10 minutes. Rila Monastery is an amazing set of buildings in a beautiful setting, we had plenty of time there and then after a short drive did the hike (which is fairly steep and rocky in places) to the cave of St Ivan which was worth it. There was only 4 of us on the trip so the mini bus didn’t feel cramped. The only downside were the nasty toilets at the Rila Monastery.

Alex was the perfect tour guide. He had a PhD in history and easily shared his knowledge with the group. The tour was like taking a walking history class but without an exam at the end. Super friendly and flexible to the needs of the group. Highly recommend a tour with Alex. Be sure to dress warm with hiking boots if you visit Rila monastery in the winter. There is snow on the ground and the weather is cold.

Thanks Alexander for the Tour! All the tour was great, he takes his time and explains everything during the way to the church and to the monastery. Architecture pure! The cave is also nice to see! We had a great time! A must when u visit Sofia :)

Overall pleased with the trip. Rila Monastery was very impressive and worth the drive. However, we went with a group of 6 and we had to all agree to go to the cave or go to lunch. The majority choose lunch. I selected this tour because it specifically mentioned the cave. Very disappointed that I was not able to go. We were not informed that it would be a group decision until we arrived at the monastery. Lunch was good and the drive back to Boyana was pleasant. The Boyana church was very fascinating. Would caution you to be aware regarding of the cave situation.

This was time well spent. Guide was knowledgeable. Helps to better understand the religious background of Bulgaria.

It takes less then 1 hour to stroll around. The wall painting are extraordinary.Dont forget to taste the Makitza.

we had a private tour to the rils monastery and the boyana church.its worth the cost .we also went to the caves and tried to come out from the small passage from the cave.

We had a lovely tour to Rila Monastery and Boyana Church. Our guide Wenzelslav (hopefully I spelled that correctly) was great: friedly, füll of interesting facts, very open and trying to accomodate all Out wishes and needs, gave us options how to spend the day and die not only recommend a lovely restaurant in Sofia but also made a reservation dir us, so that the group (there was only 4 of us) could meet again in the evening!!! Would definitely go on a tour again!

Vincent the driver and guide drives safely, speaks english fluently and explains very well. Rila monastery is a great site, definitely worth visiting but boyana church visit lasts only 10 minuts per group, and is a very small place, although interesting but not worth the long trip.

I emailed ahead to say I needed to be on a flight later that day, so I got a separate bus to make sure I was back in time for my flight :-) I got a private 1-2-1 tour with Ventsislav, who's incredibly friendly and most importantly, informative. I got into an in-depth discussion on most things related to Rila, Boyana, Bulgaria, Brexit and world travel. It was a fascinating day out for me, thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend (and do it again) in a heartbeat.

We visited Rila monastery and the Boyana church with George at Exploria. It was a small group of just 7 tourists, which was perfect and for a much more personal tour. George was very knowledgable abd professional but also very warm and engaging. He knows his stuff!!!

A great tour with a knowledgable and friendly guide. Arrived before almost all other tourists, and included scenic walk through the forests to the cave.

It is truly a wonderful guided tour to explore significant spiritual and cultural sites in Sofia region. The tour with Vincent was like a travel back to the ancient time of Bulgarian. I definitely recommend it.

The guide was very friendly and we had a small group of 4 people, which was amazing and provided with a very personnalized tour. The Monastery is absolutely beautiful and you have a lot of time to walk around, visit the museum and have a typical bulgarian lunch. We then went to the Medi Valley wineyard because one of our passengers had taken the wine tasting option. This surprise was absolutely great. The wines were delicious and Chris gave us a great visit of the installations. We ended the tour in the Boyana Church, which was breathtaking and very cheap for students. The roads are bordered by majestic mountains : you won't want to sleep in the mini van! Great tour, I absolutely recommend it.