Rila Monastery and Melnik full-day guided tour from Sofia

Embark on a tour that combines a visit to Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with Melnik, Bulgaria's smallest town, famous for its wine and located amidst limestone pyramids.The Rila Monastery complex is impressive due to its size and decorations. Notable historical and artistic monuments within the complex include the 14th-century Hrelyo Tower, the five-domed Birth of the Blessed Virgin Church, and the original 19th-century monastery kitchen. A guided tour of the monastery — the largest in Bulgaria — and its museum collection will unveil its history.Following the exploration of the monastery, you'll head to Melnik. Once a tobacco and wine-producing centre during the 17th – 18th centuries, today Melnik is known for its charming white houses, cobbled streets, mild climate, and internationally recognised red wines. Here, you'll visit Kordopoulo’s house, the town's largest building. It features Venetian stained-glass windows, spacious rooms and salons, murals, a large wine cellar, and an iron door from where caravans once departed with Melnik wine destined for Athens, Vienna, and Rome.