Wednesday, June 4
Depart USA. Overnight on the plane.
Thursday , June 5
Arrive in Sofia, the capitol of Bulgaria. Change money, rest or begin your exploration of Sofia at nearby sites. Dinner in a local restaurant and introduction to your tour guides and presentation of the final trip schedule. Early night in Sofia.
Friday, June 6
Departure for Plovdiv. In Plovdiv, we will visit the magnificent Roman coliseum, built around 200 AD when Plovdiv was still Philopolus. We will also visit the remains of a Roman house with preserved mosaic covered floors and at least one renovated house from the 19th century when Bulgaria was still occupied by the Turks.
Lunch on your own and time for shopping in old town Plovdiv
Drive to hotel for Rose Festival
Friday night is the opening of the Rose Festival. We will have reserved seats for the opening ceremony, usually a combination of modern rock and ancient Thracian rhythms, traditional singing and dancing and the crowning of the Rose Queen.
Group dinner. Overnight at Rose Festival.
Saturday, June 7
Kazanluk is in the center of the valley known as the Valley of the Roses and the Valley of the Thracian Kings. The land is basically flat so any hill you see is probably a Thracian tomb. We will tour 4000 year old Thracian archeological sites. In addition to the public site in the center of town, we will also visit at least two sites outside of time not usually open to the public. We will travel to Shipka and visit the Shipka Cathedral in honor of the Russian soldiers who helped defeat the Turks in 1978. Back in Kazanluk we will have dinner, site of the sunken roman ruins Seuthtopolis.
There have been spectacular finds of gold in just the last year. The first weekend in June is always the International Rose Festival.
Group dinner at the Koprinka Reservoir.
Overnight at Rose Festival
Sunday, June 8
We will spend Sunday morning in the Rose Fields. There will be singing, dancing, wine brandy, and the ritual picking of the roses. Mingle with the Bulgarian performers, pick your own roses, and enjoy the celebration culture. We’ll have a quick group lunch and head to the seacoast town of Nesebar.
Group dinner and overnight in Nesebar.
Monday, June 9
Nesebur, a beach resort as far back as the 5th century. There is a local museum of the area and 25 churches to visit. And the shopping is the best in the country from original artisans to tourist fare, from very expensive to very reasonable.
Lunch on your own (pick one of restaurants overlooking the sea). Take a boat trip around the peninsula or swim at a nearby beach.
Group dinner.
Overnight in Nesebar.
Tuesday, June 10
Departure for Varna, home of Ancient Romans leaders.
Lunch on your own. Spend the afternoon seeing more museums, swimming in the sea, walking in the large Sea Garden, resting, or shopping. Optional wine tasting of regional Bulgarian wines with colorful descriptions and folk stories about wine and wine growing in Bulgaria.
Group dinner and overnight in Varna.
Wednesday, June 11
We will spend the morning visiting two major archeological sites in Varna. The National Museum houses gold found in a nearby necropolis dating back 4000 years. Then on to the Roman Thermae, acres of ruins of these Roman baths with exercise fields; cold, warm, and hot baths; and social areas for Roman men (and it was only the men) to do the business of the empire.
Group dinner and overnight in Varna.
Thursday, June 12
Early departure for Veliko Tarnovo with a stop in Shuman to see the magnificent Monument to 1300 years of Bulgarian History, with huge (and I do mean huge – 75 feet) concrete monuments beginning with the first Bulgarian kingdom in 681 and ending with the impressive soft mosaic tribute to the Cyrillic alphabet. If it’s open we will also see the largest Muslim mosque in Bulgaria, Tombul Dzhamiya, built during the Turkism domination in 1744.
Lunch on your own and brief shopping and then on to Veliko Tarnovo.
Group dinner and overnight in Veliko Tarnovo..
Friday, June 13
Veliko Tarnovo is a city that tumbles down a hill to a statute honoring the four brothers who founded the second Bulgarian Kingdom in 1187. The key site here is the 12th century Tsarvets, a huge archeological site with ruins of the king’s domain, including ruins of private homes, soldiers, churches, the king’s castle, all topped off by the restored church at the top of the hill. The church, restored during the communist years, is unlike any you will see anywhere else in Bulgaria.
Lunch on your own and shopping on the old Samovodska Bazaar where original artisans compete with tourist traps for your leva.
Dinner and overnight in Veliko Tarnovo.
Saturday, June 14
Early departure for Sofia with a stop at the 15th century Troyan Monastery, with a graphic depiction of the day of judgement including the horrific punishment for sinners including rich people who do not donate to schools and libraries!
Sunday, June 15
We will spend most of the day touring archeological sites in and around Sofia. In the morning we will begin with an overview of Bulgarian archeological history with a guided tour of the Bulgarian Archeological Museum including the most recent 2000 year old gold found close to Kazanluk. We will then visit two ancient Roman sites, Serdica and St. Geroge Cathedral (watching the changing of the Presidential guard on the way). visit the ancient Roman sites of Serdica and St. Georges Church.
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN and afternoon free for packing, more shopping, or more museums.
GROUP GOODBY DINNER
Monday, June 16
Depart for the U.S.
Logistics
| Tour Price: | Double Room: $2365 Land cost only Single Room: $2525 Land cost only |
| Deposit: | $200 by February 1 will hold a spot. Full payment is due on April 15 5% discount if the amount is paid by February 1. |
| Air Fare: | People join our tours from around the country. We encourage you to work with your own travel and let us know when you are arriving in Sofia on June 4. |
| Included: | All transportation from airport to airport. All lodging (all include private baths). All breakfasts and dinners. Lunch is included as shown on the detail itinerary. All entry fees to museums and cultural institutions. Traditional Bulgarian beer, wine, and brandy at offered at dinner. All tips (except driver at the end). Water and soft drinks on the bus. |
| Busses: | All travel is on air-conditioned buses to accommodate the number of travelers. |
| Guides: | We will have trained guides and translators who can help interpret the culture of the country and translate your interactions with Bulgarian people. |
| Insurance: | We will provide accident insurance for all travelers as part of the tour price. This covers accidents only. It does not cover pre-existing health conditions or any dental work. We encourage you to get private trip insurance. |
| Refunds: | If we cancel the trip for any reason, we will refund your full amount. If you cancel, we will refund what has not already been expended. |
| Passport: | A U.S. Passport with six months remaining validity is required for U.S.citizens to enter Bulgaria. This is strictly enforced so please check your passport early. There is no visa or entry fee required. |
| Not included: | Airfare to Bulgaria. Personal items, souvenirs and crafts, alcohol beverages that are not part of dinner; gratuities to local driver. |
| Contact us for information about reduced rates for children. | |
| We will attempt to find you a roommate if you like. | |
| Make checks or money orders payable to Balkan Connections, Inc. | |
Contact:
Nancy Bolt
9018 Ute Drive
Golden, Colorado 80403
Voice: 303-642-0338
Fax: 303-642-0932
Cell: 303 905 9347
email: nancybolt@earthlink.net
www.balkanconnections.org
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