Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Assenova krepost (Asen's Fortress), Asenovgrad 4000 Bulgaria
The remarkable Asen’s Fortress from 13-th century is located on a panoramic hill in the Rhodope Mountains som 30 min south of Plovdiv. There you’ll also find very well preserved Christian Orthodox church dating from the 13-th century painted with some authentic pieces of iconography. At the top of the fortress you’ll enjoy an awesome 360 degrees panorama all over the Rhodope Mountains, Asenovgrad town, The Thracian Valley and the imposing Balkan Range with its highest Botev Peak in the far distance.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Bachkovo Monastery, 10km south of Asenovgrad on the main road between Assenovgrad and Smolyan, Bachkovo 4251 Bulgaria
Founded in 1083 Bachkovo Monastery is the second largest in Bulgaria. Inside the monastery you’ll visit the main church of Virgin Mary built in 1604 where a valuable miracle working icon of Saint Mary from 11-12th century AD is being kept together with some very well preserved original frescoes. The monastery refectory is another jewel in the complex which has preserved colorful murals from 1643. The refectory’s visit is optional at an extra charge for a small entrance fee. Inside together with the Doomsday fresco, you’ll witness the images of many prophets, saint-monks, ancient philosophers and writers such as Socrates, Aristotle, Plato etc. In the second monastery yard you’ll finally visit the Saint Nikola church built between 1834 and 1837. Optionally, for the nature enthusiasts you may continue the tour with a short and easy walk in the Red wall nature reserve nearby Bachkovo Monastery where you’ll discover a beautiful waterfall, green meadows and lush forests.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: The Wonderful Bridges, Smolyan Bulgaria
The Wonderful Bridges are situated at 1450 m. a. s. l. in the heart of the lovely Rhodope Mountains. This unique nature phenomenon consists of two rocky bridges (height of 45 m) over a small river. The marble bridges were formed by an earthquake and the erosive activity of the once high-water river and winds. Together with the Bachkovo Monastery and the Assen’s Fortress these outstanding nature bridges are also on the list of the 100 national tourist sites of Bulgaria. In summer on the weekends the longest zip line on the Balkan Peninsula (240 m) stretching between the 2 bridges is available for the more adventurous travelers. The zip line ride takes place some 50 m above the river flowing through the 2 rocky bridges.
Duration: 45 minutes
See Availability.
Traveler pickup is offered
Travelers are collected from any hotel (accommodation) or location within Plovdiv city
09:00 AM
7 hours(approx.)
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Infant seats available
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Posted By : R3967CHlauram
This was one of several tours I booked with Plovdiv Tours - all excellent. Stoyan is a fantastic guide, his English is great and he has a good command of the history and culture of Bulgaria.
This tour is absolutely worth doing. We had a lovely authentic Bulgarian meal at a mountain hut at Wonderful Bridges before taking the hike down to the river to fully take in the immensity of these natural features. The sweeping views of the Rhodope mountains from Asen's Fortress are stunning and the Bashkovo Monastery is a jewel. Highly recommend!
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Posted On : 2024-01-29
Posted By : pete1156
We would highly recommend using Plovdiv trips, we used them on 4 occasions having emailed them direct to arrange bespoke trips around Bulgaria including transfers. Kamen and Stoyan are friendly and very knowledgeable about Bulgaria and the places we visited. We stopped at a number of restaurants and tried the local food. Kamen and Stoyan went out of their way to ensure we had the most enjoyable experience. We would definitely use Plovdiv Trips again when visiting Bulgaria.
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Posted On : 2023-09-24
Posted By : 475zacharyl
Kamen was a great tour guide and extremely knowledgeable. Also very personable and great to talk to on the drive. Would recommend him to anyone visiting Plovdiv.
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Posted On : 2023-08-14
Posted By : Lynn_HF
Kamen is a terrific tour guide and truly, one of the very best we’ve had anywhere. We went on two tours with Plovdiv Trips; the Wonderful Bridges, Bachkovo Monastery, and Asen’s Fortress, and to Kazanlak, Rose Valley and the Valley of the Thracian Kings. Each trip became a highlight of our visit to Bulgaria.
Kamen is everything a good guide should be; knowledgeable, efficient, and organized. However, on a tour with Kamen, we noticed right away how much he cares for both his country and his guests. His dedication to sharing Bulgaria’s rich history and amazing natural wonders makes his enthusiasm for this beautiful country contagious. We would love to come back to visit Bulgaria and if so, we hope to take another tour with Kamen and Plovdiv Trips. We wish him the very best.
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Posted On : 2023-01-09
Posted By : K_and_R_H
We arrived in Plovdiv and contacted Plovdiv Trips to book this at short notice. We received a prompt reply and everything was organised very quickly.
The trip itself was great! Kamen picked us up from our hotel and dropped us there at the end of the day. He speaks great English, very friendly, and is an extremely knowledgeable and engaging guide. Thoroughly enjoyable day for adults and kids, seeing three quite different sights and learning a lot.
Would highly recommend this tour and will do so to any friends visiting Bulgaria. The inclusion of the Wonderful Bridges is well worthwhile, some spectacular views. A bit of walking but would be fine even for younger children.
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Posted On : 2022-12-10
Posted By : 526philipw
Great trip. Very beautiful. Our guide was very interesting and spoke excellent English.
We did a private trip by car. Great and safe driver. I thoroughly recommend Plovdiv Trips.
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Posted On : 2022-12-08
Posted By : richardaS9705DE
Kamen's partner Stoyan was a terrific guide on this full day tour. This was an all day exploration of a major historical passageway through the Rhodope mountains between Greece to the south and the Thracian Valley in the north. From Plovdiv, we drove through the northern end gateway city of Asenovgrad (famous in modern times for its bridal gown industry) and within two miles reached the narrowing entrance to the Chepelare River valley. Towering above is the Asen Fortress with its two story Church dating back to late Roman times. We had an enjoyable 200 ft climb to the church and ramparts and then headed back to the car to drive south to the Bachkovo Monastery, dating from 1083, founded by Georgian -Armenian Christians. The buildings of this complex of churches and monastery facilities are most impressive. The interior mural paintings and exterior painted wall panoramas (dating from the 14th to 19th c) are spectacular and worth a full day in themselves. There is an ancient Jujube tree (Chinese red date) in the spacious courtyard, and we were able to see its ripening fruits. The monks make a rakia from it. We continued to the Wonderful Bridges, another 30 plus miles, winding deep into the mountains, ascending to 1400 m (4600 ft). These are must-see marble/limestone formations through which a mountain stream runs and then abruptly disappears underground. The Bridges are the remains of an enormous cave, with vaults 150 ft high and 120 ft wide, polished by millenia of water erosion. The area is sparsely populated, thickly forested with spruce, and beckons hardcore hikers. I would love to return some day. Needless to say Stoyan briefed us throughly on these areas and even helped my wife attain the summits despite some tricky footing. Highly recommended (except to the Acrophobic).
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Posted On : 2022-12-07
Posted By : 816anner
This was an excellent experience. Kamen is an expert with the history and knowledge of the area.
The Fortress was amazing and the views were just stunning 😍
We had a traditional lunch which was delicious and then off to the Bridges which are a site to see. Just beautiful. I highly recommend 👌
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Posted On : 2022-07-16
Posted By : petebkk
We initially booked an airport transfer, but we ended up also doing two tours and a final transfer with Kamen. Friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, and was also very flexible when I got sick and needed to change arrangements. We’ll be back to Plovdiv and I can’t imagine we’d use any other service.
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Posted On : 2022-04-11
Posted By : Sara_P
We had a great time! This tour is definitely worth it if you're looking for an adventure outside of Plovdiv. We started with the fortress, which was very impressive, then headed to the wonderful bridges, and ended with the monestary. We had a lunch as well which was delicious Bulgarian food at a nice restaurant. Highly recommend!!
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Posted On : 2022-03-26
