Sofia: metro from the airport, areas, museums and day trips to Boyana, Vitosha, Rila Monastery and Plovdiv

Sofia suits you if you want to combine churches, icons and archaeological finds with day trips into the mountains. Boyana Church has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1979, and Rila Monastery, around 120 km away, since 1983. By car you are in Vitosha in about 20 to 30 minutes; its highest peak reaches 2,290 m.

What is new in 2026 is above all the money. Since 1 January Bulgaria has belonged to the eurozone, and since 1 February the euro has been the sole legal tender. A journey by bus or metro has cost €0.80 since the start of the year, and the tourist tax is €0.51 to €1.53 per overnight stay.

Sofia suits you less if you are looking for sun in winter: in December it shines for a mean of only 69 hours in the whole month. The cable car from Simeonovo up Vitosha is also currently not running (as of September 2026).

Getting there and from the airport into the city

In 2025, with 725,188 passengers, Sofia ranked 35th among foreign destinations from the main German airports. Most boarded in Frankfurt (169,485) and Munich (139,460), and the busiest month was July. From January to July 2026 the figure was 6.3% lower than in the same period of the previous year (Federal Statistical Office; departure airports, months and 2026: own analysis, 2026 provisional).

Sofia Airport (SOF): two terminals, 10 km to the centre

It is around 10 km to the centre. According to the airport's airline list, Lufthansa, Bulgaria Air and Ryanair operate from Terminal 2, and easyJet's Berlin flights from Terminal 1; Wizz Air is listed for both. A free shuttle bus connects the terminals around the clock without an intermediate stop, every 40 minutes from 20:00 to 8:00 (as of September 2026). For the return flight the airport gives two hours' lead time, the Bulgarian Civil Aviation Administration at least two and a half (notice of 25 June 2026).

Metro M4: in just under 28 minutes to Serdika

To reach the metro you walk to the east end of Terminal 2; if you arrive at Terminal 1, take the shuttle bus first. The airport says about 20 minutes to the centre. According to the transport company's timetable data it is just under 28 minutes to Serdika (as of 27 September 2026, own analysis). There you change to the M2 for the Central Station and the Central Bus Station.

At the barrier it is enough to hold your bank card, phone or smartwatch briefly to the reader; you do not have to register for this. The journey costs €0.80, and two pieces of hand luggage travel free (as of September 2026). A single ticket from the ticket office must be used within 60 minutes at the same station, and you may not change lines with it.

According to the same timetable data, the first metro leaves the airport at 5:27 on weekdays and at 5:25 at the weekend. The last leaves at 23:33 and 23:46 respectively (as of 27 September 2026, own analysis). The summer timetable on the metro's page, valid from 27 July 2026, by contrast gives 5:21 and 23:38 on weekdays. The metro timetable changes with the season.

Bus 84 and night bus N4

Bus 84 stops at both terminals and, from Terminal 2, takes 30 to 32 minutes according to the timetable to Gen. Gurko Street in the centre. With traffic, the airport gives around 45 minutes on weekdays. At Terminal 2 it runs on weekdays from 5:10 to 23:45, mostly every 12 minutes. At the weekend it runs there from 4:30 to 23:20, mostly every 20 minutes (timetable data, as of 27 September 2026, own analysis). With “30 Plus” for €0.80 you can change for half an hour after the first tap at the blue reader, but you must tap again in each vehicle (as of September 2026).

At night the N4 serves both terminals, according to timetable data from Terminal 2 at 23:24, 0:24, 1:24, 2:24 and 3:24 (timetable data, as of 27 September 2026, own analysis). According to the airport, the night ticket for €1.00 is valid on all night lines for the given date (as of September 2026).

Taxi: Yellow! at the desk or taxi rank

The airport works with the taxi company Yellow!, which has a desk in the arrival halls of both terminals. According to the airport, its cars are also at the main taxi ranks. According to the airport, you should decline rides that someone offers you in front of the terminal or away from this desk (as of September 2026). The sources reviewed give no fixed price to the centre.

Where to stay: the areas compared

Five of the six areas are on the metro.

Where “—” appears, the sources reviewed name no drawback. The blue zone costs €1.02 per hour, Monday to Saturday from 8:30 to 20:00 (as of September 2026).

Sights: times, prices and rules in 2026

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and crypt

The Patriarchal Cathedral stands at 552 m, the highest point in Sofia, and was built from 1904 to 1912 to plans by the Russian architect Alexander Pomerantsev. It was consecrated in 1924. According to its own information, there is no larger Orthodox church on the whole Balkan Peninsula. It is open daily from 7:00 to 19:00, vespers begins at 17:00, and on Sundays the liturgy begins at 9:30 (as of September 2026).

In the crypt, the National Gallery shows works from the 4th to the 19th century in the Museum of Christian Art, including icons, fresco fragments and manuscripts. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, admission costs €10, reduced €4, and nothing under the age of 18 (as of September 2026).

National Gallery: Kvadrat 500 and socialist art

Kvadrat 500 is the largest building of the National Gallery: around 1,700 works spread across 28 halls and four levels. In the park of the Museum of Socialist Art, more than 70 monumental sculptures stand on 7,500 m², including the star from the former party headquarters. Both are open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 and cost €10 and €8 respectively (as of September 2026).

Archaeological Museum in the Büyük Mosque

The National Archaeological Museum is housed in the Büyük Mosque from the 15th century; hardly any surviving building in the city is older. On display are, for example, the Valchitran Treasure and a bronze head of the Odrysian king Seuthes III. From May to October it is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00, from November to April until 17:00 and not on Mondays. Admission costs €6, and nothing on the last Sunday of the month (as of September 2026).

Serdika, Rotunda of St George and Sveta Sofia

During construction of the second metro line, archaeologists uncovered parts of ancient Serdika in 2010 to 2012 under today's Maria Luisa Boulevard. On 6,000 m² you can see the remains of six streets, plus baths and two early Christian basilicas. You can enter the “Largo” zone under Nezavisimost Square freely daily from 7:00 to 22:00 (as of September 2026). In the courtyard of the Presidency stands the Rotunda of St George, which probably began as a pagan temple of the 3rd century.

The Sveta Sofia Basilica dates from the middle of the 6th century. In the basement, the Regional Museum shows the remains of three older churches and around 50 graves from the 3rd to 5th century that belonged to the cemetery east of the ancient city. It is open daily from 10:00 to 17:30, not on Mondays from November to April; admission costs €4, and nothing on the second Thursday of the month (as of September 2026).

Regional Historical Museum in the Mineral Baths

Since 2015 the Regional Historical Museum has told the city's history in the former Central Mineral Baths, whose large bath opened in 1913. It is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00, not on Mondays from November to April, and costs €5. On the first Thursday of the month admission is free (as of September 2026).

Day trips: Boyana, Vitosha, Rila Monastery and Plovdiv

Boyana Church: at most 9 visitors for 10 minutes

Boyana Church has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, and its frescoes date from 1259. In the narthex you find the donors Kaloyan and Desislava and St Ivan Rilski, of whom no earlier portrait is known.

The church admits no more than nine visitors at a time, and after ten minutes it is over. Tour groups need a reservation for fixed time slots; individuals and groups of up to five people can also get in without one at other times. Until the end of October it is open daily from 9:30 to 18:00, from November to March from 9:00 to 17:30 (as of September 2026).

Admission costs €10, and €3 for pupils and students. It is free on the last Monday of the month from 15:00 and on 18 May, 17 September and 1 November. Photos in the church are not allowed according to the Ministry of Tourism; buses 64 and 107 go there (as of September 2026).

National Historical Museum

Also in Boyana, at the foot of Vitosha, is the National Historical Museum. It holds over 650,000 objects, including the Panagyurishte Treasure, which dates from the 4th century BC. From 1 October to 31 March it is open daily from 9:30 to 18:00, and admission costs €9 (as of September 2026). According to the museum, buses 63, 111 and 304 go there.

Vitosha: buses instead of cable car

With Cherni Vrah (2,290 m), Vitosha is the fourth-highest mountain range in Bulgaria, and its nature park was the first in the country. A well-known route leads from Dragalevtsi via Aleko to Cherni Vrah. According to the park administration, the weather at the summit levels is harder to predict and more dangerous than in most mountains in Bulgaria, partly because of the dome shape.

The cable car from Simeonovo to Aleko and the chairlift from Dragalevtsi are currently not running (as of September 2026). The Vitoshko Lale 1 and 2 lifts last ran on 27 September, and from the 28th the operator is preparing them for the winter season. Bus 66 runs uphill from the zoo via Dragalevtsi and, according to the lift operator, now stops directly at Aleko hut. From November to March the last departure from the mountains is at 17:45, otherwise at 20:00 (as of September 2026). From 1 December to 31 March, driving up by car is restricted on weekends and public holidays from 11:00 to 16:00, according to the lift operator.

Rila Monastery: no public transport, tickets only on site

Rila Monastery lies at 1,147 m in the Rila Mountains and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. From Sofia you drive around 120 km, from Blagoevgrad 41 km.

According to the monastery, there is no longer any public transport to the monastery, although there were several attempts. Without a car, your options are an organised trip or bus or train to Blagoevgrad and from there a taxi. For 26 September 2026 the train timetable showed seven direct trains to Blagoevgrad with journey times of a little over 2 to a little over 3 hours. By car you take the E79, and from the turn-off at Kocherinovo it is still about 25 km.

The monastery's museums are open daily from 8:30 to 16:30, the main church from 30 September to Easter from 6:30 to 17:00 (as of September 2026). The combined ticket for all museums costs €12, and a guided tour of about 50 minutes in English or French €15.

Plovdiv: ancient theatre and old town

Plovdiv was European Capital of Culture in 2019, and its old town lies on three hills. The ancient theatre was built at the beginning of the 2nd century under Emperor Trajan and had room for 5,000 to 7,000 spectators.

According to the BDZ timetable, train ICF 8611 leaves Sofia at 6:30 and is in Plovdiv at 9:14; reservation is compulsory on this train. 2nd class costs €5.62 there, €7.16 on Saturdays, plus €0.51 for the reservation (price queries on 28 September 2026 for journeys up to 24 October). BDZ adjusts prices according to travel day and time.

The theatre opens from November to March daily from 9:00 to 17:30, from April to October from 9:30 to 18:00, in each case with a lunch break. With a film screening it costs €5.11, children under 7 pay nothing, and the Roman Stadium is free (as of September 2026).

Best time to travel: climate in Sofia month by month

The values come from the Sofia station (586 m, WMO number 15614) and are means for the years 1991 to 2020, reported by Bulgaria to the World Meteorological Organization.

May and September bring mean highs of 21.4 and 23.3 °C. June is the wettest month with 79 mm and has an average of 11.2 thunderstorm days. On 18.9 days a year more than 10 cm of snow lies on the ground, 7.7 of them in January.

Costs

The table gives only prices from operators and authorities. For the cathedral and the courtyard of Rila Monastery, the sources reviewed give no price.

Tourist tax: €0.51 to €1.53 per overnight stay

Sofia taxes every overnight stay; the accommodation remits the amount to the municipality and must show it separately on the invoice. The city council decided the euro rates on 18 December 2025, and they have applied since 1 January 2026:

• 1 to 3 stars: €0.51, €0.77 and €1.02 per overnight stay
• 4 and 5 stars: €1.28 and €1.53 per overnight stay
• Registered accommodation without stars (class V): €0.51 per overnight stay

Practical information

Local transport: tickets and passes

Since 1 January 2026 a journey with “30 Plus” has cost €0.80 and with “60 Plus” €1.10. The 24- and 72-hour cards for €3.00 and €7.60 count from purchase and are also valid on night buses. A single ticket from the ticket inspector is available, according to the price list, only for €20.00.

Money, time, emergency number and information

Since 1 January 2026 you pay with euros in Bulgaria, and the fixed rate is 1.95583 lev to the euro. The National Bank exchanges old lev indefinitely and free of charge, also in Sofia. In cities, supermarkets and hotels card payment is common, and smaller shops and restaurants often take cash only. Clocks run an hour ahead of Germany all year round, the emergency number is 112, and according to ADAC you do not need a travel adapter.

The city tourist information in the underpass at Sofia University is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00 and Sunday until 16:00 (as of September 2026). What applies to entry, safety and health you can look up at the German Foreign Office.

Who this is not for

• Anyone who wants sun and warmth in winter: in December the sun shines for a mean of only 69 hours, and in January the mean low falls to −3.9 °C.
• Anyone who wants to reach Rila Monastery without a car: according to the monastery, no public transport goes there; what remains are tours or train or bus to Blagoevgrad plus 41 km by taxi.
• Anyone who wants to take a lift up Vitosha: the Simeonovo cable car and Dragalevtsi chairlift are currently not running, and neither are the Vitoshko Lale lifts from 28 September until the winter season (as of September 2026).
• Anyone who wants to visit a museum on Monday: the National Gallery buildings are then closed, and from November to April so are the Archaeological Museum, the Regional Historical Museum and the museum under Sveta Sofia.
• Anyone who wants to look at frescoes in peace: in Boyana Church at most nine people are allowed at the same time, for ten minutes each.
• Anyone who wants to hike in June: June is the wettest month with 79 mm and has an average of 11.2 thunderstorm days.