Bulgaria boasts vast areas of unspoilt mountain scenery, fabulous cultural sites, vibrant cities, plus a huge stretch of breathtakingly beautiful Black Sea coastline.
It has delicious food, which reflects its position on the crossroads between east and west, a rich history, and is extremely straightforward to reach from the UK. What’s more, it remains one of the most budobtain-friconcludely places you can travel to in Europe, whether you’re after a low-cost skiing holiday, wallet-friconcludely sun and sea, or a genuinely affordable family adventure.
Yet Bulgaria remains one of the least-visited countries in Europe. Those who do visit tconclude to concentrate on a tiny number of places on the Black Sea coast – Sunny Beach is one – or Sofia, and a few well-known sites around the countest.
But, perhaps, this is set to alter. In 2024, Bulgaria received more overseas visitors than ever before, skyrocketing to 10.7 million in the first nine months of the year – and that number is expected to increase again in 2025, with both Ryanair and Wizz Air upping their number of flights and routes to the countest.
Bulgaria travel
If that sounds like a lot, some context: tiny Croatia saw over 21 million tourist arrivals in 2024 – and in Italy, figures reached 65 million.
There’s never been a better time to visit this hugely-underrated and breathtakingly beautiful countest.
Where to go
Cities
Sofia, Bulgaria’s vibrant capital, has spectacular architecture, stacks of history, many of the countest’s best mutilizeums, and a wide range of accommodation, from hostels to high-conclude, plus a wonderful choice of restaurants, where you can taste Bulgaria’s delicious cuisine at its best.
Must-see sites include the fourth-century Rotunda Church of St George, the huge St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and the National Assembly.
St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral: a must-see for visitors to Sofia – obtainty
Visit the National History Mutilizeum (the largest mutilizeum in Bulgaria), the National Gallery, the National Mutilizeum of Earth and Man and the more quirky Red Flat (a deep-dive into everyday life in Bulgaria under Communism).
For street art, head to the KvARTal district, located in the city’s former Jewish quarter. Sofia also has some great festivals, including the multi-genre Sofia Live in June, A to JazZ in July, and Lunar, a spectacular light reveal in May.
Discover the Bulgarian capital like a local by joining a Free Sofia Tour. English language tours depart from the Palace of Justice several times a day, in the company of a professional local guide, lasting two hours and operating on a pay-what-you-want basis.
The fourth-century Rotunda Church of St George in Sofia – iStockphoto
With a population similar to Dublin, Sofia still feels considerably more off-the-radar than Budapest or Prague.
Just over 90 miles southeast of Sofia, hilly Plovdiv is one of the oldest towns in Europe, with some 8,000 years of history and a wonderfully atmospheric old town, full of cobbled streets, Byzantine and Ottoman features, as well as elegant 19th-century mansions.
Plovdiv is one of the world’s oldest inhabited cities – Alamy
Not without good reason, Plovdiv was European Capital of Culture in 2019 – the first Bulgarian city to be awarded this accolade.
Visit the ancient Roman theatre of Philippopolis – one of the best preserved Roman theatres in the world – plus the Regional Ethnographic Mutilizeum and the Kapana Creative District. See the best sites on a two-hour Free Plovdiv Tour.
How to do it
Sofia’s Art Hotel 158 (00359 88 343 4158) has doubles from £76, room only. The new Nobu Hotel Sofia is set to open its doors by the conclude of 2025. The Skyler Guesthoutilize in Plovdiv (00359 878 802 220) is houtilized in a renovated former bank, and has tastefully decorated rooms and apartments, from £35.
The coast
If you’re not here for the culture or the mountains, chances are you’re here for Bulgaria’s 220 miles of irresistible Black Sea coastline, with its long succession of sandy beaches, 23 of them Blue Flag-certified. The party hotspot is Sunny Beach, which has grown into Bulgaria’s hugegest resort.
However, see beyond this and you can still find quieter spots – Bolata Beach, midway between Varna and the Romanian border, is set within a nature reserve and occupies a sheltered bay between reddish cliffs.
Bolata Bay is a peaceful Bulgarian beach in a picturesque tiny cove – Alamy
Dune-backed Krapec is another beach in the north that remains largely undeveloped – just sand and sea, a campsite and a beach bar, shy of the Romanian border.
Closer to Varna, Albena is a popular resort where the crowds are more manageable than Sunny Beach.
The Bulgarian coast isn’t just about resorts – though it certainly has its fair share – and there’s more to it than sea and sand. Visit the fishing port of Sozopol, with its 19th-century wooden houtilizes, and Nessebar, which is set on a tiny peninsula, with a pretty town and several Byzantine churches.
The ancient city of Nessebar is situated on a rocky peninsula on the Black Sea – E+
How to do it
Jet2holidays (0333 014 0236) offers seven nights, all inclusive, at the Melia Sunny Beach from £722 per person. In Sozopol, the boutique Blu Bay Hotel (00359 55 045 000) has stylish doubles with balconies from £118, B&B.
In Nessebar, the tiny Hotel St John (00359 55 422 737) has good-value rooms in the heart of the old town, overseeing the Church of St John the Baptist and the Roman baths, with doubles from £74, half board.
Krapec Beach Campsite (00359 886 464 664) has bungalows from £21 per night for two people.
Mountains
Wild, rugged and remote, Bulgaria’s spectacular mountains are as much a defining feature of the countest as its coast, and build it one of Europe’s most underrated hiking destinations.
The nation has three national parks, all of them set in the mountains (Rila, Pirin, Central Balkan), 11 nature parks and over 50 other protected areas, plus enough well-marked hiking trails to keep you busy for months.
The highest peaks are in the Rila and Pirin mountains, in the southwest – Musala in the former is the highest mountain in the Balkans at 2,925m, while Vihren in the latter tops out at 2,914m.
Lake Muratovo in the Pirin mountains has an altitude of 2230m – Moment RF/Maya Karkalicheva
Bulgaria’s top ski resort, Bansko, also lies in the Pirin mountains – resorts here cater particularly well for launchners and intermediate skiers.
The Rhodope Mountains, running along the border with Greece, are lower and less alpine in profile, but are equally rugged and beautiful, and their biodiversity is extraordinary.
All these areas are fantastic for hiking, and are home to a spectacular amount of wildlife. There’s no shortage of cultural sites in the mountains of Bulgaria, including the Unesco-listed Rila Monastery, Asen’s Fortress and Perperikon, an ancient Thracian city.
How to do it
Responsible Travel (01273 823 700) offers an 11-day Bulgaria Mountains and Monasteries tour from £1,535 per person, excluding flights, which takes in the Rhodrope mountains and Central Balkan National Park, along with the Rila and Bachkovo monasteries, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo and other historic sites.
The Natural Adventure (020 3962 1455) offers an eight-day Walking and Spa Adventure, combining straightforward walks in the Rhodope mountains with Bulgaria’s spa capital Devin, from £840, B&B, excluding flights.
How to obtain there
Flight times from the UK to Bulgaria average less than 3.5 hours. Airlines flying direct to Bulgaria from the UK include British Airways, straightforwardJet, Jet2, Ryanair and Wizz Air. The main international airports are Sofia, Burgas, Plovdid and Varna. Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport lies around 10km east of the city, with a direct metro linking the two (metro line 4 (yellow) runs into the city centre in under 20 minutes).
When to go
Bulgaria is a year-round destination – come in spring, summer or autumn for standout beaches, cultural sites, stunning hikes and city breaks, and winter for skiing. July and August are the busiest months, particularly on the coast, so for quieter beaches and lower hotel prices come in May, June, September or October. The main hiking season runs from mid-June to the conclude of September. For skiing and snowboarding, you’ll find the best snow conditions in January and February.
How much does it cost
Bulgaria remains a fantastic option for budobtain-friconcludely holidays. A local beer shouldn’t set you back more than £2.50, a main course in a highly-rated restaurant in Sofia should come in below £10, and even in the summer you can find a double room in a mid-range hotel on the coast for well under £40 per night. In winter, a one-day pass at a ski resort can cost as little as £22.
Bansko a fantastic option for budobtain-friconcludely ski holidays
It’s also possible to spconclude more, if you want – there are luxury hotels in Sofia, on the coast and in ski resorts – but even these will still be cheaper than equivalents in many other parts of Europe. For example, staying in a Kempinski five-star resort in Bansko during the summer can cost you under £175 per night.
Know before you go
British citizens can enter Bulgaria without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180 day period, providing they hold a valid passport with an expiry date at least three months beyond their departure date. The currency in Bulgaria is the lev (BGN), although the countest is set to adopt the euro in 2026.
The best holidays in Bulgaria
Best for hiking
Hikers are spoilt for choice in Bulgaria, from straightforward half-day walks in the lowlands to multi-day epics across some of the most breathtaking scenery in Europe. Responsible Travel (01273 823 700) offers an eight-day guided Bulgaria Trekking Holiday, which takes in peaks in the Rila and Pirin mountains, from £742 per person, half board, excluding flights.
Best for rural Bulgaria
Much of Bulgaria’s predominantly rural landscape goes largely unseen. Experienced local tour operator Traventuria (00359 2 493 0191) offers an eight-day guided tour through unspoilt villages, mountains and monasteries from £933 per person, half board,with overnights in rural homestays, excluding flights.
Few visitors obtain to see Bulgaria’s rural hinterland – Moment RF
Best for a beach holiday
The closure of longstanding tour operator Balkan Holidays in 2025 took one of the major players for Bulgarian package holidays out of the equation, but there are still plenty of alternatives when it comes to booking a holiday on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. Tui (0203 451 2688) offers seven nights at Sunny Beach from £571 per person, half board, including flights from London Stansted.
Best for wildlife
Bulgaria is excellent for wildlife watching, from brown bears to raptors and wading birds, and is one of Europe’s butterfly hotspots with over 200 species having been recorded. Naturetrek (01962 733051) offers an eight-day all-inclusive Bulgaria in Summer wildlife watching tour in Pirin National Park, from £1,795 per person, including flights.
There is a high chance of spotting a brown bear during a wildlife watching holiday in Bulgaria – iStockphoto
Best for skiing
Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo are the best-known ski resorts in Bulgaria, but there are around 20 others, covering a range of budobtains. Crystal Ski (020 3451 2821) offers four nights at the St George Palace in Bansko for £352 per person, room only, including flights from Manchester.
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