Bulgarian monasteries motorcycle tour

Tour highlights: Participants in the Monastery motorcycle tours will ride to the best of Bulgarian monasteries. You do not have to be a person devoted to religion to appreciate the beauty and the cultural value of Bulgarian monasteries and to take part in these motorcycle tours. Situated in secluded mountain locations and surrounded by virgin nature, they are simply great riding destinations and the history of each monastery is quite intriguing and full of heroic moments. Having survived the times with the self-confidence of the most zealous guards of the Bulgarian culture and language, the Bulgarian monasteries still fascinate the present-day visitor with the pure and harmonious line of the buildings' exquisite colonnades, arches and vaults, spacious rooms richly decorated with mural paintings and fretwork.

Tour starts in Sofia. Meeting at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Welcome dinner.

In the morning we take the road through the winding Iskar gorge to the Cherepish monastery. After a short tour of the monastery, we will ride eastwards to the secluded Glojen monastery. Lunch on the way. Afterwards  we continue to the Ribaritsa vacation village where we will spend the night.

On the next morning, we will be heading to the city of Troyan and the nearby Trojan monastery. On the way we will made a stop in the Chiflik spa complex to enjoy the mineral waters of the local outdoor swimming pool and to have a lunch in one of the fine restaurants of the complex. In the afternoon we will continue our ride to the Trojan monastery. After a short tour of the monastery we will continue to the village of Apriltsi and spend the night in the Tihia kat family hotel.

Next morning, after breakfast we will be heading east to Batoshevo monastery - located in the heart of the Balkan Range and founded in the 13th century under the reign of King Mikhail Asen. Our next top in the afternoon on day five of the tour, is the architectural reserve of Arbannassi which has a splendid view over the medieval castles of Trapezitsa and Tsarevets. In 17th-18th century the village reached its "Golden age" and richly ornamented monumental houses and churches were built during this period. The Arbanassi house has no equivalent in building and style in other parts of the country. We will visit the oldest and the most interesting church in the village - Rojdestvo Christovo "Nativity" church. Dinner in a traditional Bulgarian restaurant using domestic organic products.

On the next morning after breakfast, our next stop is the city of Veliko Tarnovo and Tsarevets fortress. After lunch a ride to Kapinovo monastery and Dryanovo monastery. We will spend the night in the charming Fenerite hotel complex - some 7 km from the architectural reserve of Bojenci. Dinner at the complex.

On day five, we ride to the town of Gabrovo, visit Etara Open Air Ethnographic museum and then take the scenery Shipka pass. On our way we will visit Shipka monument and the picturesque Shipka church. From the village of Shipka we ride southwards to the city of Plovdiv, the town of Asenovgrad and Bachkovo monastery. Overnight stay in the village of Bachkovo. Next morning after breakfast, a visit to the monastery, followed by a full day ride in the Rhodope mountains heading to Rila monastery. The road passes through Peshtera - Lake Batak - Velingrad - Razlog - Blagoevgrad - Dupnica - Rila monastery. After sightseeing of the Rila monastery, we have 2-hour ride to Sofia. Transfer to the airport.