Day 1: SOFIA

Arrival transfer from airport to hotel. Accommodation. Overnight.
Meals: no

Day 2: SOFIA – GAY TOUR

Buffet Breakfast and enjoy a full-day tour of Sofia with a LGBT Friendly Tour Guide, who will take a great care for your company, providing interesting information and pleasurable approach. The tour will include the most interesting sites in the historical centre of the Bulgarian capital such as the largest Orthodox Church on the Balkan Peninsula - Alexander Nevski cathedral, “Ivan Vazov” National Theatre, The National Assembly, and The Central Baths, “Kliment Ohridski” University of Sofia, “St. Nikolai” Russian Church, “St. Nedelya” Church and others. You will be amazed to see the holy buildings of fourdifferent religions located together within a small area of 1 sq. km right in the heart of the historical city – a mosque, a synagogue, a catholic church and a couple of orthodox churches. They stand in their full beauty and architectural styles, creating a diverse and multireligious look of the Bulgarian capital – a proof that Bulgarians have always been tolerant to the people’s region, visions and self-consciousness. Lunch on your own to taste specialties like “Banitsa” (pastry with cheese and eggs), “Moussaka” (meat and potatoes delicious dish) and or “Shopska” salad. In the afternoon we will take a walk to see thebuilding of the National Palace of Culture – an example of the typical socialist architecture in size, dimensions and style. The area around the building is a preferred place for people to meet and gather. Behind it is located another popular place – “The Lovers’ Bridge”. A lot of couples in love enjoy sitting on the bridge at sunset admiring the beautiful panorama of Vitosha Mountain, taking a look also at the various open-air exhibitions on the bridge. Dinner on your own. The night is at your disposal to enjoy the gay clubs in Sofia. Your guide will give you some suggestions and guidelines. Overnight in Sofia.
Meals: B

Day 3: SOFIA – VELIKO TARNOVO

Buffet Breakfast and free time for individual visits and shopping through Vitoshka trade street in Sofia. Time for lunch on your own. Don't miss the opportunity to try a “tarator” - cold cucumber soup with Bulgarian yoghurt. Transfer to the Train/Bus station for your ride to Veliko Tarnovo. Accommodation. Dinner on your own and free night for party. Overnight.
Meals: B

Day 4: VELIKO TARNOVO – VARNA

Buffet Breakfast and morning tour of Veliko Tarnovo with your knowledgeable LGBT friendly local Tour Guide, which will turn your tour into a lively mixture of history facts, modern urban culture, hidden places, graffiti meanings, not so known stories and legends, and all sorts of visiting tips. You will start with the rich heritage from the Middle Ages and the remains of the fortress, occupying Tsarevets hill at the edge of the town. It is still standing strong, being a silent witness of its history for over 15 centuries and remembering its glory past back from the time when the city was capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. The Tsarevets Fortress is enormous with its remains from around 400 houses, 18 churches, the royal palace, the execution rock and the Patriarchate church with its very alternative interior wallpaintings. The site itself offers a breathtaking view over the town of Veliko Tarnovo and the smooth meanders of Yantra river. You will continue with a walk down the main street to the former market quarter – Samovodska Charshiya. You will feel like you have just used a time machine back to the 1880s, because the houses along this street still keep the architectural style from the National Revival at its best. In the lower part of the street you can find numerous souvenir shops, restaurants and traditional workshops but the higher you go the more authentic the views are, getting you back to the old times Transfer to the train/bus station for your ride to Varna – the pearl of the Bulgarian seaside. Accommodation and dinner on your own. Live the night partying around the city clubs or to take a cab to the nearby Golden Sands summer resort to get into “the eye of the party storm”. Overnight.
Meals: B

Day 5: VARNA

Buffet Breakfast and enjoy a nice full-day tour of Varna with a LGBT friendly local Tour Guide including its most famous places of interest – the Sea Garden, The Roman Thermae, The Cathedral and the Archaeological museum. The Sea Garden is the emblem of Varna, situated on an area of 85ha along the seaside line. There is a sun-dial representing a flying swan at the entrance of the sea garden. The Roman Thermae remains are located in the southeast part of the contemporary city of Varna. It was the biggest social building from the past discovered in Bulgaria till now. A lot of graphic drawings and inscriptions were found in the galleries. It was the biggest in the European part of the Roman Empire. The Varna Archaeological Museum keeps more than 100 000 objects-monuments of past epochs from Varna and region. The museum houses exhibits of the oldest gold treasure in Europe. Another pretty interesting landmark of Bulgaria’s “summer capital” is the lovely cathedral and the charming buildings clustered around the pedestrian main square. The beach is within walking distance but if you are into slightly more secluded locations then you can hop on a bus and head to any of the surrounding beaches. The city also has a diverse sports and cultural life. If you are a fan of the ballet, you need to come in July, when Varna hosts the annual International Ballet Competition. Dinner on your own and night at your disposal to further explore the hidden “treasures” of the city and the surroundings. Overnight.
Meals: B

Day 6: VARNA – PLOVDIV

Buffet Breakfast and leisure time to enjoy the city and the beach ! In the afternoon transfer to the Train/Bus station for your journey to Plovdiv. Arriving late in the evening at Plovdiv and transfer to your hotel for accommodation. Overnight.
Meals: B

Day 7: PLOVDIV

Buffet Breakfast and meeting with your LGBT friendly Tour Guide to start your Full-day tour of Plovdiv - the second largest city in Bulgaria. The city is one of the most ancient towns in Europe. Being almost a contemporary of Troy, Plovdiv is a town built upon layers of towns and a culture developed upon layers of cultures. It is a place where Thracian, Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Bulgarian Revival art meet. The city is located on seven hills, just like Rome. Walking along narrow, paved streets full of art galleries and museums creates a pleasurable atmosphere. The Roman stadium is located in the middle of the main shopping street, and while only one part of it is visible (the rest is still underground), it’s still a very interesting site. A bit further uphill is the beautifully-preserved Roman theatre. It is still used for open-air performances such as concerts, opera, ballet, etc. A number of other Roman remains and mosaics can be seen all around the today’s Central Post Office, the excavations are still going. Plovdiv’s Old Town offers you a look to the pretty wellpreserved appearance of the town from the time back to 19th century, when rich Bulgarian, Greek and Armenian merchants built large houses with bay-windows over the cobbled streets. The best example is probably Kuyumdzhiev House, now hosting the Ethnographic Museum. Lunch on your own. Don't miss to taste some local wine since Plovdiv and the region of the Thracian valley are proud to produce some excellent quality wines, especially the unique sort red wine – mavrud. Apart from offering archeological treasures, Plovdiv is one of the most culturally vibrant sites on the Balkans with a number of cultural festivals, full of art neighborhoods and cool bars. Plovdiv is scheduled to be European Capital of Culture in 2019 and it really deserves this title for its vibrant cultural buzz. September is when the energy bursts into a number of theatre, arts and music festivals, as well as the Night of Museums and Galleries, transforming the city into a lively art party, taking all night. Afternoon at leisure for individual visits and shopping. Night time at your disposal to visit some of the best clubs in the town. Overnight.
Meals: B

Day 8: PLOVDIV – SOFIA

Buffet Breakfast and free time for a further exploration of the vibrant city of Plovdiv with a visit to Kapana district (meaning “trap” in English). And this former bazaar quarter really “traps” you with its trendy art look – a world of its own full of craft shops, cafes, small healthy food stores,
bars, etc. There is something here for everyone. Lunch on your own. In the late afternoon you will be transferred to the station for a ride back to Sofia, accommodation and dinner on your own. Make sure to do a proper celebration of your last night in Bulgaria. Overnight.
Meals: B

Day 9: SOFIA

Breakfast in the hotel and transfer to the Sofia airport.
Meals: B