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Plovdiv Travel Guide

the streets of plovdiv, bulgaria
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria and is located in the middle of the country. It’s famous for its Roman ruins and historical churches. I found the city a peaceful oasis with wonderful parks and ruins that lacked the large tourist crowds Sofia, Velinko Tranvovo, and the coast get. Since the city is in the middle of the country, it’s easy to stopover and visit. It’s a must for any historic buff and someone looking to see the quieter side of the country.

 
Plovdiv Placeholder
Plovdiv

Top 5 Things to See and Do in Plovdiv

1. Attend the Night of the Galleries

Every year on September 28th, every single gallery in Plovdiv opens early and stays open into the wee hours of the night. The best part is that admission is free no matter where you go. There’s over 200 years worth of work to see.

2. See the Roman Amphitheater

Originally built in Plovdiv during the 2nd century, it wasn’t discovered until 1972. It has since been restored and is now host to various large-scale events and concerts. It’s open daily from 9am-6pm, except in the winter when it closes at 5pm.

3. The Archaeological Museum

This museum has over 60,000 items in its collection, including things like Thracian and Roman Pottery and jewelry, icons and liturgical paraphernalia, and ecclesiastical artifacts. Admission is 5 BGN and it’s open daily (except Mondays) from 9am-6pm and in the winter it closes at 5pm.

4. Walk the pedestrian street

This main street is wide and lined with cafés and shops and always filled with people. It’s perfect anytime of day and, when the weather is nice, you can sit outside and watch the world go by. I love relaxing here.

5. Visit Assenovgrad

This is a great day trip from Plovdiv. It was an important agricultural and religious area and is still dotted with monasteries and churches. Check out Asen’s fortress for great views of the region. A bus or train there costs 2-3.50 BGN and takes about 30 minutes.

Other Things to See and Do

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1. Tour Hindlian House

This house was once owned by merchant Stepan Hindlian, but is now open for tours. There is an amazing collection of period furniture in relatively good condition. The walls are painted with beautiful landscapes, many of which took more than six months to complete. One of the highlights of the architecture is the high, domed ceiling. Admission is 5 BGN and it’s open daily from 9am-6pm, except in the winter when it closes at 5:30pm.

2. Visit the Philipopolis Art Gallery

This is Bulgaria’s first private art gallery and is host to work from some of the 19th and 20th-century Bulgarian masters. You can see work by Vladimir Dimitrov, Anton Mitov, and Dimitar Gyudzhenov. Admission is free and it’s open daily from 10am-7pm, except in the winter when it closes at 6pm.

3. Attend the International Folklore Festival

During the first weekend in August, you can attend Bulgarian folklore performances at this popular and very unique five day festival. There are tons of parades, singing, and dancing.

4. Go wine tasting

For those who enjoy wine, the Hindlian House cellar is host to wine from the Bulgaria Museum and Oenology Collection and conducts wine tastings for a mere 13 BGN. That includes three wines. They also offer a full ten wine tasting for 50 BGN.

5. Check out the Cultural Center Thrakart

In the Tsar Obedinitel Underpass, you can find this neat attraction. The building has floor-to-ceiling windows which show off the beauty of the interior. There is an extensive amount of Roman floor mosaics to see, as well as various Roman artifacts. Admission is 5 BGN and it’s open daily from 9am-7pm, except in the winter when it closes at 6pm.

6. See Sveta Marina Church

Originally built in 1561, this church burnt down in 1611 and was rebuilt in 1783. It has been repaired once since its reconstruction and is quite an interesting piece of history to see. There is a beautiful 56 foot high wooden, pagoda-shaped bell tower, and an intricate 170-year-old iconostasis.

7. Wander the Tsar Simeon Central Garden

It is always nice to know about a place to escape to when the hectic street and shopping atmosphere becomes overwhelming. This is a great place to relax under some trees or on a nice park bench.

8. Make a trip to Bachkovo Monastery

This monastery lies around 40 minutes outside of Plovdiv, by minibus — a bus ticket will cost around 5 BGN. It is not a large complex but is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the chapel and the grounds are worth a visit. The monastery dates back to the 11th century. (You can combine this with a day trip to Assenovgrad to make a great filled day.)

Typical Costs

Hostel prices – Dorm rooms with 6-8 beds are about 20 BGN per night. Private rooms that sleep 2 range are about 55 BGN per night. Most hostels include linens, WiFi, and breakfast in the price.

Budget hotel prices – Rates for a centrally-located double room with a bathroom at a 1-2 star hotel start at 50 BGN. Most offer free WiFi and many offer free breakfast. On Airbnb, shared rooms start around 18 BGN and average about 25 BGN. Entire homes start around 45 BGN and average about 60 BGN.

Average cost of food – The cheapest fast food can be between 1.8-3.6 BGN USD along the main street. There are plenty of places offering pizza, traditional food, and kebabs, as well as low-end restaurants that will be fairly affordable, as low as 10 BGN and up to 18 BGN for a full meal (salad, main course, dessert, drink). The priciest places are located in the old town, on top of the hill. Expect to pay a bit more when you eat here. Meals are usually between 25-36 BGN. Groceries are about 70 BGN per week for basic groceries like pasta, vegetables, chicken, and other basic foodstuffs. LIDL will have the cheapest groceries.

Transportation costs – A bus ride from Sofia to Plovdiv is 14 BGN. The city center of Plovdiv is pretty walkable, but there’s also good coverage for taxis and buses. Public bus tickets cost around 1-2 BGN. An average taxi ride within the city costs around 3.6 BGN. If your taxi ride costs more than 6.30 BGN, you are entitled to a 20% discount off the fare.

Suggested daily budget

65 BGN / 35 usd (Note: This is a suggested budget assuming you’re staying in a hostel, eating and cooking, and using local transportation. Using the budget tips below, you can always lower this number. If you stay in fancier accommodation or eat out more, expect this to be higher!)

Money Saving Tips

  1. Stay at Hostel Mostel – Staying at this hostel can lower your costs because not only do they offer free breakfast, but they also have free dinner (which also comes with a free beer). Basically, staying here gets you two meals a day. They also have locations in Sofia and Velinko Tarnovo.
  2. Eat at the bakeries – Bakeries in Bulgaria have a great, inexpensive range of pastries and foods which will fill you up in the morning. Two of my favorite snacks there are banica and krenvirshka.
  3. Do a free walking tour – For a great introduction to the city, consider taking a free walking tour. Free Plovdiv Tours offers tours that begin at 6pm from May-September, at 2pm the rest of the year, and cover the highlights of the old town.
  4. Couchsurf – If you plan ahead, you can usually find really nice Couchsurfing hosts all throughout the country as there are a lot of them. This way, you not only have a free place to stay, but you’ll have a local host that can tell you the best places to go and things to see.

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