Bulgaria is a budget travellers dream location. The euro goes far and there is a lot of great things to see and do. During our time in Bulgaria we spent 4 nights in the countries second largest city Plovdiv.
We went into our time in Plovdiv with no expectations and no plans. We left feeling pleasantly surprised by our experience.
Click here for a breakdown of our Bulgaria budget
Accomodation
Accommodation in Bulgaria was very affordable so we decided to stay in an airbnb for our time. The apartment was clean and in a central location so we could go everywhere on foot. We found the airbnb to be cheaper than some of the hostels we came across in other European countries.
Things to do:
There were lots of free sights to see in Plovdiv which we definitely made the most of. Here is what we got up to over our time in the city.
Old Town Plovdiv:
Plovdiv Old Town is an archeological and historic reserve which can be found on one of the three hills within Plovdiv. Its streets are lined with beautiful old buildings that have been restored with a few shops scattered amongst them.
Click here to read more about the history of the Old Town.
Ancient Roman Amphitheatre:
Located within the Old Town is the Ancient Roman Amphitheatre. This Amphitheatre is still used today to host concerts and events. To tour the site it is 5BGN. Or if you are like us and didn’t want to spend the money you can clearly observe the theatre from the outside.
Tsar Simeon Garden Park:
We stumbled across this beautiful park on one of our days exploring located within the park is the Singing Fountain and the ruins of the Roman Forum of Philippopolis. We spent a few hours wandering around this park and enjoying the greenery.
Monument of Tsar Alexander II:
If you fancy a walk up to a great lookout over Plovdiv I would highly recommend going up to the Monument of Tsar Alexander II. There is a path that leads you all the way up to the top or you can drive.
Ancient Stadium of Philipopolis:
Beneath the main pedestrian street there is the ancient Stadium of Philipoplis. This area has some great shops and food places. If you pop into the H&M you can see parts of the stadium that is buried beneath the streets.
Eastern Orthodox Bachkovo Monastrey:
On our third day in Plovdiv we decided to venture out of the city to the second largest monastery in Bulgaria. This Monastry was free to enter and was absolutely breathtaking. There are a number of local stalls that are located on the walk up to the monastry and a few restaurants located down by the river side. We made a day out of it and enjoyed a beer by the water after exploring the monastery.
How to get there:
Head to the bus station “Rodopi” to catch the Smolyan bus. You will buy a ticket for the stop at Bachkovo. The driver was super helpful at making sure we got off at the right location. Ask the bus driver what time the bus comes back through as we found the bus timetables a little confusing so ensure you know what time the last bus is as you wouldn’t want to get stuck there.
Food Recommendations
We feel in love with the eatery and restaurant options in Plovdiv. By chance we stumbled across this gorgeous street that was lit up with fairy lights which was home to so many great restaurants and bars. Unfortunately it was on our last night that we found this gem otherwise we would hav been there everyday. The street was called ul. “Hristo Dyukmedzhiev”. Would highly recommend checking it out if you find yourself in Plovdiv.
Relevant as of October 2023
Thank you, very informative!
Thanks for reading, I hope you found some useful information!