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Introducing the Enchanting Rila Monastery!
Nestled amidst the Rila Mountains of Bulgaria lies a wonder of faith and architecture – the Rila Monastery. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, dating back to the 10th century, is the largest and most famous monastery in Bulgaria and a captivating destination for travelers seeking cultural immersion, historical intrigue, and breathtaking scenery. This monastery is many people’s sole purpose for venturing into Bulgaria, and you can even spend the night here in one of the many rooms surrounding the courtyard! Whether you’re a history buff, a spiritual wanderer, or simply someone who appreciates stunning architecture, Rila Monastery promises an unforgettable experience, so read on to find out all of our tips and tricks for visiting it on your next trip to Bulgaria!
Rila Monastery Quick Tips
- It’s free to visit, but there are museums and a tower on the property that you can pay extra to visit.
- Year round, the monastery grounds and the main church and are open from 7am to 7:30pm. The history museum is open daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm (from June through September, the museum is open until 7:30pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays).
- You can stay overnight at the monastery. Read on for more about this!
- Try to visit on weekdays to avoid the large weekend crowds.
- You should dress conservatively when visiting the monastery, making sure that your knees and shoulders are covered.
Cost to Visit the Rila Monastery
The Rila Monastery courtyard and the main church are free to enter, as well as the Cave of St. Ivan Rilski which is a short hike from the complex. Costs for other areas are as follows:
- Tower of Hrelyo: 5 BGN (~2.75 USD)
- Ethnographic Museum: 5 BGN (~2.75 USD)
- History Museum: 8 BGN (~4.5 USD)
- Parking: 5 BGN (~2.75 USD) for the monastery lot; however, you can park on the side of the road right before this lot for free
- Guided Tours: 25 BGN (~14 USD) for English; 15 BGN (~8.5 USD) for Bulgarian
If you’re a student, make sure to bring your student ID card – you’ll get discounted rates of 2 BGN/1.1 USD for entrance into the museums and the tower!
How Long to Spend at the Rila Monastery
You can spend anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours at the Rila Monastery. The best thing to do is simply walk around and simply admire the beauty of the courtyard, which is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. You can also tour the ethnographic and history museums, go up in Hrelyo’s tower, explore the main church, hike to the Cave of St. Ivan Rilski, stop at the monastery’s bakery, and eat at the Drushliavitza restaurant. The great thing about the Rila Monastery is that you go at your own pace!
Staying at the Rila Monastery
If you’re looking for a unique experience, you should definitely think about staying overnight at the Rila Monastery. The rooms are basic but comfortable, and staying the night gives you the opportunity to experience the pure tranquility of the monastery after all the tourists have left for the day.
You can check the room rates to stay at the Rila Monastery on their website. To book a room, call the monk brotherhood between 2pm and 6:30pm at +359 896 872 010.
How to Get to Rila Monastery from Sofia
The best way to get to Rila Monastery is renting a car or going as part of a tour (see the below section for our favorite tours, which combine multiple experiences into one!). We decided to rent a car in order to do the 7 Rila Lakes hike, the Rila Monastery, and visit Bansko all in one go. This option gave us the most flexibility, and it was pretty cheap as well! However, if you’re going to be low on time and want to see as much as possible, we definitely recommend booking a day trip.
How to Get to Rila Monastery by Bus
Getting to the Rila Monastery by public bus is definitely possible (and cheaper than a rental car or tour), but this is also the least convenient method. Once a day, a bus to the monastery leaves from the Ovcha Kupel bus station (located a 15 minute drive/30 minute metro ride away from the center). This bus departs from Sofia at 10:20 am and from the Rila Monastery at 3:00 pm, which will give you about 2 hours at the monastery.
How to Get to Rila Monastery by Shuttle
A more convenient alternative to the bus (but also more expensive) is to take the Rila Shuttle that leaves once a day from the Knyaz Aleksandar I Square (right near The Palace – National Art Gallery). This is definitely a more convenient location than the bus station discussed above, and the trip is faster by shuttle than by bus. The shuttle leaves at noon and arrives around 2:30 pm, giving you about 2 hours to explore the property before it leaves for Sofia at 4:30 pm. It costs 25 euros for a roundtrip ticket.
Rila Monastery Tours
If you don’t want a rent a car, you can easily book a day trip that leaves from Sofia. The majority of tours also include other popular destinations. By the way, the views on the drive from Sofia are gorgeous. Our favorite tours add in the following experiences/destinations:
The Seven Rila Lakes
Get ready to hike and explore the absolutely stunning Seven Rila Lakes on a beautiful, moderate difficulty hike that starts and end with a magical chairlift ride. We did this hike on our trip to Bulgaria, and it topped our list of favorite activities in the country. Check out this tour in order to experience this hike and the monastery!
Read about our trip to the 7 lakes here!
Boyana Church
Boyana Church is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and although it is not as famous as the Rila Monastery, it is definitely worth a visit! If that sounds interesting to you, check out this tour!
Melnik
Melnik is a cute, picturesque town known for its sandstone pyramids and wine production that dates back to the medieval age. The combination of this and the Rila Monastery makes for a day well spent in rural Bulgaria! Check out this tour to combine Melnik and Rila Monastery from Sofia!
The Stob Pyramids
Lace up your sneakers to embark on a hike through one of the most unique spots in Bulgaria. The natural landscape is stunning, and well worth a visit when you’re in the area. Check out this tour to combine these two spots!
That’s a Wrap on the Ultimate Guide to the Rila Monastery
The Rila Monastery is absolutely worth visiting. While it is a bit out of the way, the monastery’s uniqueness and history makes this a bucket list item for any traveler. We strongly recommend stopping at other locations mentioned in the tours section of this article while you’re in this area – the Bulgarian countryside and charming towns of this area are stunning.
Keep Exploring Bulgaria….
- The Best Things to do in Plovdiv
- 7 Rila Lakes Hike: The Best Outdoor Adventure in Bulgaria
- The Most AMAZING Things to Do in Bansko in the Summer
- The Best Things to Do in Nessebar and More
Our Favorite Travel Resources
Accommodations: We use Booking.com for hotels and HostelWorld for hostels. We also use VRBO or TrustedHousesitters for longer stays.
Flights: We recommend using Skyscanner to find the cheapest and best flights.
Ground Transport: We use 12Go and Omio for buses and private transfers, and rentalcars.com and Discover Cars for rental cars.
Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are the best websites for booking organized tours.
International Medical Insurance: We highly recommend SafetyWing for Digital Nomads and HeyMondo for those not traveling full-time, or who frequently engage in higher-risk adventure activities.
eSIM: We recommend Airalo or Holafly for getting data internationally.
Check out our Travel Resources Page for more of our favorite travel-related products and services!
