• Accommodation 3* hotels
• Entrances to all the sites per the list above.
• HB basis ( 7 dinners )
• Transportation
• Tour Guide
• 1 person FOC in single room as a tour leader for 10+ PAX.

Day 1

Sofia arrival transfer, dinner, accommodation.

Day 2

Sofia full day to visit the National Museum of History as an introductory. Visits in Sofia for all the Roman period remains. Afternoon departure to Veliko Turnovo. En route - Visit Nicopolis ad Istrum archaeological reserve neat Nikyup village.
Nicopolis ad Istrum - the City of Victory was founded by Emperor Trayan at the beginning of the second century in honour of his victory over the Dacians.

Day 3

Short panorama tour including visit to Tsarevets Royal Hill. Departure to the Black Sea coast. En route stop at the small town of Devnia ( the Old Roman city of Marcianopolis ) to visit the Mosaics museum. Proceed to Kaliakra cape and its fortress. Overnight in the small picturesque town of Balchik – hotel just 30 meters to the sea, sea view rooms. Kaliakra cape stretches 2 km deep into the sea and consists of 60-70m-high limestone rocks, the inaccessibility of which has been the main reason for the construction of an ancient fortress named Tirisis there. The fortress was successively used by Tracians, Romans, Byzantines and Bulgarians. According to legends, the fortress was guarding the treasuries of Lyzimah, successor of Alexander the Great. Today there are quite many remains of those ancient settlements, which can be seen exhibited in a small museum. One can also read there a legend telling the story of several Bulgarian girls who chose to jump from the high cape into the sea but not to be captured and converted to Islam by the Turks.

Day 4

Departure south to Varna – the biggest Bulgarian Black Sea city. Visit the 2nd century Thermae - the remains of the largest Roman public building in Bulgaria. Visit the Archaeological museum of Varna, to see the oldest gold, processed by a human being found on the Earth ( Varna Necropolis, 4th millenium BC ) and the Cathedral of the Assumption. Varna was an inhabited place even before the Greeks established the colony of Odessos there about 580 B.C. Later, under the Romans and their successors, the Slavs, Varna became a major port trading with Constantinople, Venice and Dubrovnik. Afternoon departure to Nessebur. Tour of the Old Nessebur and visit the Archaeological museum. Overnight in the region of Nesebur-Burgas. According to Strabo, the town was named Messambria ( later altered to the Slavonic Nessebur ), after the legendary founder – a Thracian by the name of Melsa and the Thracian name for city “bria”. It exists since the 2nd millennium BC, the Hellenic colony on this site was founded in 510 BC by Dorian settlers. Having captured Messambria in 72 – 71 BC, the Romans preserved the city intact, leaving there a permanent garrison. During the Roman epoch, new temples dedicated to Demeter, Asclepiad, Hecate, Isis, etc. were erected. On the northern shore of the peninsula rose the Temple of Zeus. At the big local theatre, drama, music performances and poetry readings were arranged. Since the 4th c AD, Messambria maintained close links with Constantinople, during the 7th c it became one of the “special” locations where out of favour politicians and courtiers were exiled from Constantinople.

Day 5

Depart further south for a short visit of Sozopol - the oldest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Sozopol was founded by the Thracian tribes of Nipsei and Skirimian. In the 7th c BC Greek colonists settled there and called the town Apollonia, after the God of Arts. The town fell under Roman domination in the 1st c BC and was severely ruined by the legions of Marcus Lucul. They sent to Rome the statue of Apollo – one of the wonders in Antiquity – 13 meters high, weighting 13 tons as an example o9f the arts of this particular Roman province. The Romans quickly restored the ruins and built new temples. As early as the 6th c AD, Apollonia minted coins of its own. Proceed to Plovdiv – en route visit Stara Zagora with the remains of the Antique Forum of Augusta Trayana city and the Gates. Evening arrival in Plovdiv. Check in at the hotel.

Day 6

Full day Plovdiv for all the Roman period remains ( walls, amphitheatre, stadium, etc ) + Hisarya ( Augusta, Dioklecianopol ). Overnight at the same hotel. During the age of the Roman Empire, Hisarya as a wealthy resort center with Emperor’s palaces, wide stone streets, marble baths, a lot of statues of Roman Gods and a luxuriant vegetation. After being burnt down by the Goths in the 3 rd century, it was rebuilt in the beginning of the 4 th, this time with high defensive walls.

Day 7

Departure to Rila Monastery UNESCO site ( short stop with a tour ) to Sofia. Overnight.

Day 8

Sofia free time and departure transfer

The package prices are valid before June 01st and after Sept 01st ( because of the seaside season ).