A 9-day, 7-night tour of Romania and Bulgaria timed for the 121st Rose Festival in the Valley of Roses, with Bran (Dracula's) Castle, Plovdiv and Rila Monastery.
Trip highlights
- Experience life in Bulgaria and Romania, especially the Rose Harvest Festival
- Comfortable stays and Mediterranean-style dining
- See UNESCO World Heritage sites and the famous Dracula's Castle
Led by historiansEvery trip travels with an expert history lecturer who brings each site to life in plain language.
Off the beaten pathCentral Asia, the Middle East, the Himalayas — places most tour companies never go.
Private groups, no rushingRight-sized groups and unhurried time at the places that matter most.
Beyond ordinary travelEvery tour is designed by writers and professional travellers to create experiences that reflect who you are — for travellers who want more than an ordinary holiday.
About this tour
This 9-day, 7-night tour by The Wild Chronicles combines Romania and Bulgaria around the Rose Festival of Kazanlak in Bulgaria's Valley of Roses. The 2024 edition marked the 121st anniversary of the festival, and the trip ran once, from 29 May to 6 June 2024.
The route runs from Bucharest to Peles Castle in Sinaia and Bran Castle, the castle linked to Dracula, then to Veliko Tarnovo, Kazanlak, Plovdiv, Koprivshtitsa and Sofia, ending at Rila Monastery. UNESCO sites include the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak and Rila Monastery, and you also see Plovdiv Old Town and its Roman theatre.
The tour was led by Pap, owner of The Wild Chronicles page, who also gives the history of each place. Hotels are 4-5 star, and breakfast, lunch and dinner are included except for dinner on 5 June.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1Bangkok – Istanbul – Bucharest
Meet at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 04:30. Fly Turkish Airlines TK 59 at 07:40, arriving in Istanbul at 14:00, then TK 1045 at 19:00 to Bucharest, landing at 20:20. Bucharest, the capital of Romania, was once called "Little Paris" and is the fourth largest city in the EU.
Day 2Sinaia – Peles Castle – Bran Castle
Drive to Sinaia, a small town in a mountain valley.
- Peles Castle, built by King Carol I in the pine forests of the Prahova valley in German Renaissance style, with 168 rooms of which 35 are open to visitors
- Bran Castle in Transylvania, a fortress built in 1211 by the Teutonic Order and believed to have inspired Bram Stoker's Castle Dracula
Day 3Bucharest – Veliko Tarnovo
Visit the People's Palace, Romania's Palace of the Parliament, begun in 1984 on the orders of Nicolae Ceausescu and taking 13 years to build at a cost of about 3 billion euros.
- Drive to Veliko Tarnovo, the former capital of Bulgaria, spread over three hills along the Yantra River
- Tsarevets Archaeological Reserve, the ruins of the medieval fortress and palace of the Second Bulgarian Empire
- Free time to stroll and shop for souvenirs
Day 4Kazanlak and the Valley of Roses
Drive to Kazanlak, the centre of the Valley of Roses between the Stara Planina and Sredna Gora ranges. Damask roses have been grown here since the 17th century and rose oil has been distilled since 1680; Bulgaria is now the world's largest producer and exporter of rose oil.
- Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak, a UNESCO site with frescoes that still keep their colour
- Damascena Ethnographic Complex, set among rose fields and rose-oil production
Day 5The Rose Festival
Join the Rose Festival, first held in 1903 and celebrated every year. It includes a beauty contest open to young women who graduated from secondary school in Kazanlak, and the winner is crowned "The Queen of Roses".
Day 6Plovdiv
Drive to Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-largest city and one of the oldest in Europe, founded by the Thracians around 6000 BC.
- Bachkovo Monastery, built in the 11th century, the second-largest monastery in Bulgaria, above the Chepelarska River valley
- Plovdiv Old Town, settled for more than 8,000 years, beginning at Nebet Hill
- The Roman Theatre of Philippopolis, seating about 5,000 and still used for performances
Day 7Koprivshtitsa – Sofia
Visit Koprivshtitsa, a historic town in central Bulgaria full of authentic Bulgarian architecture, used by Bulgarian nationalists to assert their identity in the push for independence from the Ottoman Empire.
- Continue to Sofia, the capital, for a city walk
- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Bulgaria's most important church
Day 8Rila Monastery – Sofia – Istanbul
Visit Rila Monastery, the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria, in the Rila Mountains south of Sofia. Founded in the 10th century and named after Ivan of Rila, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Transfer to Sofia airport for TK 1032 at 15:45, arriving in Istanbul at 17:15, then TK 64 at 21:00 to Bangkok
Day 9Arrival in Bangkok
Arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 10:50.
Included
- All international flights as specified
- All accommodation as specified
- All meals as specified
- Entrance fees as specified
- Transport as specified
- Tour leader and driver throughout the trip
- Local English-speaking Romanian and Bulgarian guides
- Travel insurance
Not included
- Personal expenses
- Business class seats
- Single room supplement
- Romania and Bulgaria entry visa fees
- Excess baggage charges
- Other drinks during the trip, meals ordered separately, and hotel minibar drinks, except drinking water
- Tips for the guides, driver and Thai tour leader (90 USD for the whole trip)
- 7% VAT, 3% withholding tax and all other taxes
About this tour
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Romania & Bulgaria: The Rose Harvest Festival
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