Bulgaria
Winter Wonders in an Ancient Land
Jan 18-28, 2024
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Our final schedule could change due to weather, transportation difficulties or other reasons beyond our control. If you are registered for the workshop, we will notify you when we have reached the minimum number of participants so you can make your flight arrangements. Join us for this not-your-usual photo tour!
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Day 1: Thursday, Jan 18, 2024 Meet you in Sofia, Bulgaria
Day 2: Friday, Jan 19, 2024 Rila Monastery and Leshten (4 hrs total drive)
Day 3: Saturday, Jan 20, 2024 Walking Historical Kovachevitsa and Ribnovo (2 1/2 hr drive)
Day 4: Sunday, Jan 21, 2024 Through the Rhodope Mountains (3 1/2 hr drive)
Day 5: Monday, Jan 22, 2024 Discovering Plovdiv, the Oldest Still Inhabited City in Europe (30 min drive)
- Arrive at the airport and be picked up outside the baggage claim area.
- You will be taken to your hotel in the heart of the city.
- Evening introductions and first Bulgarian dinner with your fellow travelers.
- Accommodation in Sofia
Day 2: Friday, Jan 19, 2024 Rila Monastery and Leshten (4 hrs total drive)
- We begin with the largest and most important monastery in Bulgaria and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rila Monastery. Founded in the 10th century by a hermit named Ivan Rilski, it has been under UNESCO protection since 1983.
- The highest peaks in the Rila Mountains offer dramatic landscapes surrounding the monastery.
- We continue to the picturesque and fascinating Rhodope Mountains region. A mix of Christian and Muslim populations live in well-preserved traditional villages, including Leshten, a peaceful, authentic village surrounded by panoramic views of the Pirin Mountains.
- Check in for two nights in Leshten
Day 3: Saturday, Jan 20, 2024 Walking Historical Kovachevitsa and Ribnovo (2 1/2 hr drive)
- Today we walk along the narrow cobblestone streets of two typical Bulgarian villages. Kovachevitsa was founded in the 17th century during the attempts to convert the Rhodope Mountain Bulgarians to Mohammedanism. It is known for the typical stone houses from the Revival period (18-19th century) and has been named a historical and architectural preserve.
- The next stop is the isolated village of Ribnovo famous for its ancient wedding traditions. Unlike most of the remote places of Bulgaria, Ribnovo is known for having a lively traditional community. If we are lucky to witness a local wedding we will enjoy an amazing explosion of colors, sounds and unique customs.
- Accommodation in Leshten
Day 4: Sunday, Jan 21, 2024 Through the Rhodope Mountains (3 1/2 hr drive)
- Continuing through the magnificent Rhodope Mountains, there will be opportunities for winter landscapes including dammed reservoirs, picturesque reflective lakes and old pine forests.
- Many choices are available such as a short stop in the small village of Dolen offering more contact with a traditional Bulgarian mountain community and Batak, a village connected with the suppression of the April Uprising in 1876 against the Ottoman Empire.
- Check in for two nights in Plovdiv
Day 5: Monday, Jan 22, 2024 Discovering Plovdiv, the Oldest Still Inhabited City in Europe (30 min drive)
- Plovdiv displays 8000 years of history and was declared the European Capital of Culture for 2019.
- Our walking tour will take us through ruins from the Roman Empire (Antic Theatre, Stadium and Forum), an early Christian temple and many preserved mosaics.
- Old Town boasts colorful houses from the National Revival era and museums preserving Bulgarian culture through agriculture, clothing, furniture, religious items and art. A variety of farm markets and handcrafted artisan vendors enliven the city center and offer interaction with the Bulgarian people.
- Visit one of the oldest mosques in Europe and enjoy Turkish coffee in its cafeteria.
- As the "city of the seven hills" Plovdiv gives options for sunset photography in its dramatic setting.
- Accommodation in Plovdiv

Day 6: Tuesday, Jan 23, 2024 Journey Northward with Stops in the Balkan Mountains (4 hr drive)
Day 7: Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 Region of Koprivshtitsa (2 hr drive)
Day 8: Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 Return to Sofia (2 hrs drive)
Day 9 & 10: Friday & Saturday, Jan 26-27, 2024 Surva in Pernik town (2 hrs drive each day)
Day 11: Sunday, Jan 28, 2024 Time to go Home (30 min drive)
- Through the Shipka Pass in the Balkan Mountains, the view opens to the Buzludzha monument, an abandoned, enormous futurist communist building on top of the mountain. Although it is forbidden to enter the crumbling structure, its impressive massive construction is fascinating.
- In the afternoon we reach Kazanlak, the capital of rose oil production, an important Bulgarian export. A visit to the rose oil distillery offers info about this May-June harvest.
- Accommodation in Kazanlak
Day 7: Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 Region of Koprivshtitsa (2 hr drive)
- Near Shipka, we find a beautiful Russian Orthodox Church devoted to the victims of the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878)
- Walking the narrow streets of the small town of Koprivshtitsa, the picturesque houses are from the Bulgarian Revival period (18-19th century). The town was the hometown of many Bulgarian revolutionists during the April Uprising of 1876 against the Ottoman Empire and has been declared a historical and architectural district.
- Accommodation in the region of Koprivshititsa
Day 8: Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 Return to Sofia (2 hrs drive)
- Arriving in Sofia in the afternoon, we will walk the city center discovering Roman ruins, the cathedral church St. Alexander Nevski and old Byzantine churches.
- A visit to the Socialist Art Museum reveals monuments and statues from the communist era which were removed from public places. This fascinating stop will make an engaging photo setting.
- Various opportunities for architecture, street and night photography in this intriguing capital city.
- Check in for two nights in Sofia
Day 9 & 10: Friday & Saturday, Jan 26-27, 2024 Surva in Pernik town (2 hrs drive each day)
- These 2 days will be devoted to The International Festival of Masquerade Games "Surva" internationally also known as Kukeri.
- In the afternoon we will arrive in Pernik and will dive into the festival celebrations and different Kukeri groups' performances. The festival is a meeting of survakars, kukers, babugers, jamalars and many other masked groups from all ethnographic regions of Bulgaria and abroad.
- Groups will compete to demonstrate their group's colors and their unique masks and costumes. A dazzling spectacle, lights and illuminations will immerse us win the mystery of the festival. We'll be able to interact with the participants along the parade routes and on the improvised stages in the city. In 2014, Pernik and the Surva festival were included in the National Geographic magazine's ranking of the World's top Winter destinations.
- Our farewell dinner with be Saturday evening in a traditional restaurant in Sofia.
- Accommodation in Sofia
Day 11: Sunday, Jan 28, 2024 Time to go Home (30 min drive)
- You will be transferred from your hotel to the airport in Sofia. Time for your flight home.
Bulgaria, Jan 18 - 28, 2024, Deposit Only
DEPOSIT - Photo Tour of Bulgaria A lightweight, modern approach to our image making with photo critiques and classes all based on iPhones and iPads. Total cost is $5200.