The ultimate Sofia city break: 1, 2 or 3 days in Sofia

Planning a quick Sofia city break for your next European getaway? This underrated city punches well above its weight in terms of culture, cuisine and history, here’s how to plan an epic two or three day Sofia itinerary.

Whether you’re wanting a cheap and cheerful weekend away or you’re planning a bigger Europe itinerary with some time in the Balkans, Sofia might just be the hidden gem you’ve been searching for.

Bulgaria’s capital city is often overlooked in favour of more well-known city breaks like Amsterdam, Budapest or Copenhagen, but with an innovative and affordable food scene, a patchwork of historical landmarks and some epic outdoor adventures within easy reach, a Sofia city break certainly deserves a spot on your Europe bucket list.

For me personally it’s my top pick for a foodie trip that’s easy on the wallet, the gastronomic scene here offers brilliant bang for your buck. It’s my go-to when I just need to spend a week somewhere catching up on work and eating good food! If travel and taste buds go hand in hand for you then Sofia is an absolute must-visit.

So whether you’re here for the cuisine, the culture or just want a weekend somewhere you can explore without hitting your overdraft, here’s all you need to know to plan the perfect Sofia city break.

A quick summary of the perfect Sofia city break

✈️ Find cheap flights on Skyscanner (from as low as €20 one way from other European hubs!)

🛌🏼 Stay at Hostel Mostel ($), Maria Luisa by INTROVERT ($$) or Oborishte 63 ($$$)

🚶🏼‍♀️ Do the free Sofia walking tour, free food tour and free graffiti tour

📸 See Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the ruins of Serdika, St George Rotunda, Sveta Nedelya Church and Boyana Church

🌄 Take a day trip to Seven Rila Lakes and/or Rila Monastery

🍝 Eat at Shtasteliveca for traditional food, Cosmos for innovative fine dining, Furna for home-baked treats, Rainbow Factory for brunch, Bistro Pesto for sandwiches and Skapto Burger for burgers

All you need to know to plan your Sofia city break

How to get to Sofia

✈️ By plane: Sofia Airport is well-connected to most major European hubs, and you can often find very cheap flights on budget airlines like Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air from as low as €20 one way. I use Skyscanner to find all my cheap flights.

🚆 By train: Though not as train-friendly as major cities in Central and Western Europe, Sofia does have a couple of handy railway connections if you’re trying to travel Europe without flying. There are direct trains to:

• Istanbul, Türkiye (a sleeper train)
• Bucharest, Romania (in summer, one change outside of summer), from here you can take a sleeper train to Budapest or Vienna and then easily connect to other cities in Europe

There used to be direct trains from Sofia to Belgrade in Serbia and also Sofia to Thessaloniki in Greece, but as of April 2024 neither of these are running and there’s no info on if they’ll be restarted.

🚌 By bus: Where it lacks in train routes, Eastern Europe makes up for with Flixbus! This budget-friendly bus company offers affordable seats between Sofia and loads of cities, including:

• Bucharest, Romania
• Istanbul, Türkiye
• Skopje, North Macedonia
• Belgrade, Serbia
• Tirana, Albania
• Ljubljana, Slovenia

You can find the best deals on bus tickets at Omio, and if you’re keen for bigger Balkan adventure you should check out my no-fly Balkans two week itinerary or my Bucharest city break itinerary for an easy add-on.

📸 On a group tour: Want to see more than just Sofia without spending too much time planning? I recently embarked on a Balkans adventure with Travel Talk Tours that took me to Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Phew! You can read my full Amazing Balkans & Transylvania tour review or check out the tour details here.

How to get around Sofia

Sofia’s city centre is easily walkable, but if you’re staying further out then the trams and metro are the best way to get around.

There’s no Uber in Sofia (which is funny because Uber has one of their European head offices here with a huge sign on the building!) but there’s a local app called TaxiMe which is easy to use.

How many days in Sofia is best?

Two days in Sofia is enough time to tick off the key landmarks and get a taster of the city’s history, culture and cuisine. If you’re looking for a quick European city break, I think you’ll be satisfied with what you can see and do with 48 hours here.

In saying that, there is much, much more to uncover if you are fortunate enough to have longer to spend (or if you come back for round two in the future!). Three days in Sofia gives you a day to get out of the city and into the mountains, and 4+ days lets you delve deeper into what the city has to offer.

When is the best time to visit Sofia?

This one really depends on your travel preferences.

☀️ Sofia in Summer (June to August): The summer months are warm and sunny in Sofia. It can get hottttt in the afternoons but use those hours to visit museums (with air con) and then enjoy the summer evening vibes when the sun starts to drop. This is the peak tourist season in Sofia but it’s nowhere near as busy as other cities like Dubrovnik, Budapest or Florence, so if you want a mid-summer city break without being overrun by millions of tourists, Sofia is a great option.

❄️ Sofia in Winter (December to February): If you can handle the cold, Sofia in winter is magical. Snow is common throughout the season, Christmas markets pop up from about mid-November, and you can ski at nearby Vitosha Mountain.

🍂 Sofia’s shoulder seasons (March-May and September-November): I’m a real sucker for shoulder season as a way to keep prices down and avoid the crowds, but Sofia’s already cheap and not too busy so I don’t think it matters as much here. Spring and autumn both offer pleasant weather, fewer crowds and good deals on flights and accommodation, so if it works for you in these months then I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic time!

How much to budget for a Sofia city break

Accommodation: Budget travellers can find hostel dorms little as €9-12 per night, there are well-rated basic hotels/guesthouses from €25-35 a night and there are 4* hotels from €50-60 per night.

Food and drink: You could live off €8-10 per day with bakeries and street food, for a nice restaurant expect to pay €10-15 for a hearty meal with an alcoholic drink, and even for fancy eateries you might pay €25-40 total for multiple courses (and world-class standard of food!).

Activities: Not much at all. Some landmarks including Alexander Nevsky Cathedral are free to enter, there are multiple free walking tours that I mention more about below, and most museums are very cheap. The main activity that might set you back is a day trip to Rila Monastery and/or Rila Lakes.

Transport: Next to nothing! You can walk most places, bus/metro tickets are about €0.80 for a 30 minute ticket or €2 for a day pass.

Where to stay in Sofia

I’ve listed the places I’ve stayed at personally (and would recommend) below with a star, other options I’ve mentioned are based on recent reviews online.

Best hostels for your Sofia city break

• ⭐ Hostel Mostel (iconic backpacker hostel with a super social atmosphere, back to basics but cheap cheap cheap)
• Green Cube Capsule Hostel (near the main railway station, capsule beds with access to comfortable shared facilities)
• No Party Many Rules Hostel (despite the hilarious and intimidating name, this place has fantastic reviews. As you might imagine, it’s best for travellers who are quiet and respectful rather than looking for a party weekend)

Best hotels for your Sofia city break

• ⭐ Maria Luisa INTROVERT Hotel (brilliant 4* hotel in central Sofia with modern and comfortable rooms + great facilities like a co-working space, PlayStation room and a gym, ideal for digital nomads)
• Hotel Cheap (aptly-named basic hotel near Central Station with very good reviews)
• Hotel House K21 (top-rated great value guesthouse hotel)
• Art ‘Otel (small 4* boutique hotel with excellent reviews)
• Oborishte 63 (super stylish boutique design hotel, on the pricier side but cheaper than if it was in almost any other European city!)
• Juno Hotel Sofia (best-rated 5* hotel in Sofia, stunning interior design)

Best apartments for your Sofia city break

• Apart-Hotels-Sofia (top-rated cosy apartments with full kitchen and laundry facilities)
• DOT Sofia Apart Hotel (beautifully designed studio apartments and suites)

Things to do during your 2 or 3 days in Sofia

There’s more to see and do in Sofia than you’d expect, but if you’ve just got two or three days in Sofia you probably just want to know the absolute highlights, so here’s a run down.

Do the free walking tour

Your first stop on your Sofia city break needs to be the Free Sofia Tour, a free walking tour that runs three times a day every day of the year (even public holidays). It’s rated as the #1 thing to do in Sofia on TripAdvisor!

The tour will take you around the city’s key sights with a passionate and entertaining local guide over two hours, it’s pretty much Sofia History 101 with the added bonus of getting your bearings without getting lost. I’ve done many, many walking tours in cities around the world and this one stands out for all the right reasons.

The tour is free but it’s expected that you tip your guide, €5-10 (about 10-20BGN) is typical but feel free to give more if you were really impressed.

You don’t need to book a spot, just turn up at the lion statues in front of the Sofia City Court (Palace of Justice) at 11am, 2pm or 6pm. More info here >>

The same company also run a weekly free Sofia Jewish tour to get an insight into the Bulgarian Jewish community, same meeting place at 11am every Friday.

Join the free Balkan Bites food tour

Sofia’s free stuff continues, with the top-rated Balkan Bites food tour! Yes, a FREE food tour.

The two hour tour includes visits to four different eateries serving up samples of traditional and modern dishes, as well as an expert guide giving you the low down on Bulgaria’s culinary history and customs. It doesn’t include a proper sit-down meal, more like snacks and small bites to let you taste a bit of everything, but it’s still absolutely worth a couple of hours during your two days in Sofia.

Tours run daily from 2pm (get there 10 mins before), you need to reserve a spot during the week, reservations aren’t required for Saturday and Sunday but they’re recommended to avoid missing out on a spot. You can find all the info here >>

Go inside Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Bulgaria’s most iconic building is as magnificent as you’d expect, with gold-plated domes, colourful stained-glass windows and intricate mosaics.

It’s free to enter but if you want to take photos you need to pay about €5 for a photo permit at the entrance. Don’t try taking photos without a permit, you will get yelled at by security (which is very embarrassing in a church).

This is an active place of worship so you’ll need to dress respectfully with shoulders and knees covered.

See all the major landmarks and museums

Most of the main tourist sights in Sofia are included in the walking tour, but if you choose to explore independently here’s a list of landmarks you’ll want to tick off during your 2 or 3 days in Sofia.

Landmarks you’ll see on the free walking tour:

• Sveta Nedelya Church (go back to go inside, the interior is stunning)
• Monument of Saint Sofia, the patron saint of the city
• Church of St Petka
• Roman ruins of Serdika (a lost city discovered in the 2000s, absolutely fascinating)
• Banya Bashi Mosque
• Sofia Synagogue
• Central Public Bath (now the Regional History Museum of Sofia, worth a visit for history lovers)
• Former Communist Party Headquarters
• The Presidential Palace
• St George Rotunda (free to enter if you want a look inside, but no photos allowed)
• City Garden
• Ivan Vazov National Theatre
• National Gallery (come back for a look inside if you’re into art)
• Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker
• Basilica of Saint Sofia
• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

The only other landmark in Sofia that I’d highly recommend visiting is Boyana Church, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed 10th century church with incredibly well-preserved frescoes. It’s on the outskirts of Sofia but is included in many Rila Monastery day trips, or it’s cheap to reach by taxi.

Admire the vibrant street art

Amongst ancient ruins, neo-Byzantine churches and harsh Soviet buildings, Sofia’s streets are home to loads of creative murals.

The best way to see this colourful side of the city is with the Sofia Graffiti Tour, it runs Thursday to Monday at 3pm and you need to book your spot in advance. And, in true Sofia style, it’s freeeeee (but tip your guide at the end).

There’s street art spread out right across the city, but some key areas are the Hadzhi Dimitar neighbourhood (quite an industrial area but with some multi-level murals), the carpark right next to Serdika II metro station (put ‘Izzy’s Coffee and Brunch’ in your maps and it’ll take you there) and the streets around Skapto Burgers Iskar.

Make every meal count

In a city like Sofia, I feel the pressure to make sure every breakfast, lunch and dinner is worthy of my time and money. There’s just too much good food here, and I can’t bare the thought of making a bad food decision.

Luckily for you I’ve eaten my way around the city once or twice and have some personal recommendations to share for any foodie-focused Sofia itinerary:

• Shtastlivetsa is my NUMBER ONE choice, I actually eat here 2-3 times each time I visit Sofia! They’re right on Vitosha Blvd which might make you think they’re a tourist trap but that couldn’t be further from the truth, they serve up delicious, hearty home-style meals with an impressive menu featuring loads of traditional Bulgarian food as well as more modern and innovative flavours. My favourite dish is the creamy cheese and black truffle dip with cotton pogacha bread 🤤
• Cosmos for innovative fine dining at a very affordable price

• Skapto Burger for burgers and retro handheld video games
• Furna (widely recognised as the best bakery in Sofia)
• Hadjidraganov’s Houses for traditional food
• Würstrasse for a cheap bratwurst
• Djanam Steak House for an iron boost
• Rainbow Factory for brunch
• Izzy’s Coffee for Australian-quality coffee (according to the Aussie girl sitting next to me!)
• Boho for loaded pancakes (yes, for brunch)
• Bistro Pesto for delicious paninis
• Unica for pasta
• Ribs Brothers for pulled pork toasted sandwiches
• Olio D’Oliva for pizza

Hike the Seven Rila Lakes

The Seven Rila Lakes offer some of Bulgaria’s most spectacular scenery if you want to include an outdoor adventure in your Sofia city break. They’re accessible by an easy day trip, so if you’ve got at least 2 days in Sofia you can fit them into your itinerary.

I’d highly recommend booking a tour, this way you’re not wasting time dealing with bus changes and you can maximise your time in the mountains. Some top-rated tours are:

• Seven Rila Lakes hiking & thermal spa private day tour (4.6/5 from 30 reviews) or the winter version of the same tour which includes snowshoeing (4.5/5 from 50 reviews)
• Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery group tour (4.6/5 from 130 reviews)
• Seven Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery self-guided day trip (4.5/5 from 700+ reviews, just a coach transfer but you’ll be hiking solo)

If you want to visit independently you could either rent a car to reach the hike starting point, or navigate the public transport system. Instructions online are very inconsistent and bus routes/timetables can change without warning, so the best thing to do would be to ask your hotel/hostel for help or go to the bus station and ask there.

Visit Rila Monastery

Another easy day trip (that you might have noticed is included in a couple of the tours I mentioned above) is the Monastery of Saint Ivan, a.k.a. the Rila Monastery.

This 10th century UNESCO-listed monastery is one of the most significant religious sites in Bulgaria, and on top of its spiritual importance, it’s also incredibly beautiful! Wander the expansive courtyard, marvel at the exquisite frescoes and enjoy the fresh mountain air at 1147m elevation.

It’s easiest to get to by a group tour, here are some options:

• Rila Monastery & Boyana Church day trip (4.7/5 from 1200+ reviews)
• Rila Monastery & Plovdiv day trip (4.6/5 from 300+ reviews, Plovdiv is the cultural capital of Bulgaria)
• Rila Monastery & Cave of St John day self-guided tour (4.6/5 from 140+ reviews)

Suggested Sofia itineraries

1 day in Sofia itinerary

• Brunch at Rainbow Factory
• Go to Sveta Nedelya Church to look inside
• Meet the free walking tour from 11am to 1pm
• Go inside Alexander Nevsky Cathedral after the tour
• Walk to Balkan Bites (10 mins) for the free food tour starting at 2pm (or go for the 3pm Graffiti tour if that’s more your thing)
• Free time early evening (Boyana Church is open until 5.30pm in winter and 6pm in summer if you think you can make it there)
• Dinner at Shtasteliveca
• Night out if you feel like it!

2 days in Sofia itinerary

Day one:

• Brunch at Rainbow Factory
• Sveta Nedelya Church
• Free walking tour at 11am
• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
• Balkan Bites or Graffiti tour
• Dinner at Shtasteliveca

Day two:

• Option 1: Day trip to Rila Monastery & Boyana Church
• Option 2: Day trip to Seven Rila Lakes
• Option 3: Slower pace city adventures, visit the History Museum, do the free Jewish walking tour, the street art tour or the National Gallery)

3 days in Sofia itinerary

• Day one as above
• Slower paced day two adventures
• Your choice of day trip

Sofia city break FAQs

I hope this Sofia city break guide has helped you plan your Sofia itinerary! Whether you’ve got just one day in Sofia as a whirlwind visit or manage to squeeze three days in Sofia to explore a little more in-depth, I’m sure this city’s charms will surprise and delight you.

MORE EUROPE CITY BREAKS AND SHORT ITINERARIES:

• Bucharest city break itinerary
• 2 day Budapest itinerary
• 2 day Milan itinerary
• 2 day Porto itinerary
• 5 day Switzerland itinerary
• 4 day Iceland itinerary
• 4 day Norway itinerary
• 2 day Marrakech itinerary (I’m absolutely aware this isn’t in Europe, but it’s an easy place to reach from most European hubs!)

SOLO TRAVEL CITY GUIDES

• A guide to solo travel in Porto, Portugal
• A guide to solo travel in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• A guide to solo travel in Marrakech, Morocco
• A guide to solo travel in Edinburgh, Scotland

MORE BALKAN TRAVEL INSPIRATION:

• A tour review of the Travel Talk Amazing Balkans tour
• A guide to sailing in Croatia
• Medsailors Croatia sailing tour review

MY GO-TO TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES

Flights ✈️ I use Skyscanner to find the best flights for my trip and then I’ll always book direct with the airline to protect myself from having to deal with dodgy third parties if anything goes wrong.

Trains 🚂 If I’m travelling through Europe, I try to travel by train wherever possible! For an extended trip (2+ weeks) I’ll calculate if a Eurail Pass is worth it, or I’ll book point-to-point tickets through RailEurope or the local train operator.

Accommodation 🛎️ I book almost all of my accommodation through booking.com, they have a user-friendly website + app and many of their options are free cancellation, easily cancelled with a simple click of a button.

Activities 🗽I use GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator to look for activities in the places I visit, or I just Google ‘things to do in [city]’! P.S. If you book anything on Klook you can use the promocode FINDINGALEXXKLOOK to get 10% off

Travel cards 💳 I’m a Wise gal through and through, they’ve been my chosen travel card for more than five years now. You can easily top up your card from your bank account or through Apple Pay, convert your money to local currency, and spend money with minimal fees and the best exchange rates around.

Travel insurance 🩺 I use Cover-More NZ travel insurance for my own trips, I have a comprehensive policy and I’ve only had good experiences with them. Cover-More also has an Australian company, but if you’re from elsewhere then two popular insurance options for global travellers are SafetyWing (cheaper policy, lower coverage) and World Nomads (more expensive but significantly better coverage).

Luggage 💼 I travel with Samsonite Cosmolite suitcases, one 75cm check in bag and a 55cm carry on bag, and I absolutely adore them and will never travel with anything else! They are SUPER lightweight (2.8kg and 1.9kg respectively) so I have much more space for my actual stuff.

Camera gear 📸 I use a iPhone 15 Pro Max for phone photos/videos, and my camera kit includes a Lumix S9 (incredible lightweight full-frame camera, a game changer for travel creators!) with a 20-60mm lens, a Lumix G9 with an 8-18mm and 12-60mm lens, a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone and a GoPro Hero 10. I do all my writing and editing on my ASUS Zenbook 14, it’s lightweight but powerful enough for photo editing and intense blogging sessions.