The best things to do in Sofia, Bulgaria – according to a local resident!
Top Things to Do in Sofia
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Are you planning to travel to Sofia soon? Great choice! Sofia is an awesome travel destination. The city has a lot to offer. From long history to vibrant life and even a mountain in its backyard, there are plenty of things to do in Sofia.
Although the main tourist attractions are within a walking distance from each other and can be explored if not in one day in two, Sofia deserves to give it more attention and she will give you back endless opportunities to enjoy your time in the city and have lots of fun.
So, here’s a list of some of the best things to do in Sofia. If your time is short, you can see most of the sites on a guided tour including this half day tour or this full day tour.
Join a free tour
Like every other city, Sofia also has a free walking tour. Yes, but except for the free walking tour, Sofia also has a free food tour. Yes, this is absolutely true. This is the one and only I know so far free food tour. Also, there is a very nice and interesting graffiti tour, as well and a couple of other free tours.
Explore Vitosha mountain
Yep, one of the best things about Sofia is that it has a mountain in its backyard. Getting from the city center to Vitosha takes about 30 minutes. How awesome is that, huh?
Vitosha can offer many hiking trails and if you like you can also hike to the highest peak Cherni vruh, 2 290 meters.
If you don’t have a car, join a Vitosha tour.
Immerse yourself in the history of Sofia
Sofia has such a long history and the city has been through a lot. There are many Roman ruins all over the city and also many museums, which you can visit to learn more about the history of Sofia and Bulgaria in general.
Eat, eat, eat
Because the Bulgarian cuisine is delicious and you have to try as many traditional dishes as possible.
A must try are banitsa, bob chorba, tarator, moussaka, lytenitsa, stuffed peppers, shopska salad, mekitsi and the traditional Bulgarian spirit drink rakia, as well the unique Bulgarian wine.
Want to spend time enjoying a cafe? Here is a guide to the best cafes and coffee in Sofia.
Grab a beer and relax in one of the many parks
Sofia has many green and lovely parks. One of the biggest ones, which is also in the city center is Borisova Garden. All the parks gather people through the whole day (and night) and are a great place to have a beer and relax.
Experience the nightlife of Sofia
A must do. The Bulgarian, we love to have fun and party. Usually when we go out partying in Sofia, or anywhere else in Bulgaria, we party until the morning.
In Sofia, there are many different bars and clubs, which can satisfy everyone tastes. And on top of that partying in Sofia is cheap, especially if you stick to the beer, which will cost around 3 euro max. in bar and clubs.
Join an organised pub crawl to be taken on a tour of the best hidden bars!
Learn to dance horo
Horo is a traditional Bulgarian folklore dance. There are many types of horo, but you can start with the most simple one. In the city, there are plenty of groups, which you can join, or just a local to teach you in the park.
After you already know how to dance horo go to a traditional Bulgarian restaurant with live music and show what you have learned.
Try to learn some Bulgarian
Bulgarian is a difficult language to learn, but you have to try to do so. Every local will be more than happy to teach you some words or phrases. And it’s so cute when a foreigner is trying to talk in Bulgarian.
Go on a day trip to explore more of the beauty of the country
Sofia itself is great, it is but Bulgaria has a lot more to offer than Sofia. So, if you have some more time in the city, or you decide to do the last thing on that list (don’t jump to the end of the article yet, wait for it) you must go and explore some more of the country.
Places that are great for one day trip from Sofia are Plovdiv, Belogradchik rocks and fortress, Koprivshtitsa, The Seven Rila Lakes, Musala peak, Melnik, Prohodna cave, Devetaki cave and much, much more.
Related: Top Places to Travel In Bulgaria
With all of those things to do in Sofia that I mention so far, I’m sure you already have no doubts that your trip to Sofia will be awesome.
And if you still haven’t started planning your trip to Sofia then now it’s the time to start doing it.
Bilyana is a travel blogger, mountain lover, and full-time dream chaser. She follows her dreams and wants you to do the same. Her goal is to help you to travel more & worry less and inspire you to get out of your comfort zone and see this beautiful world we live in one adventure at a time. You can follow her adventures on her blog, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.
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Vitosha Mountain is right up my alley. I love hiking so it’s definitely on my list of things to do when I make it to Bulgaria.
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Sofia has been on my travel list and I love your list of things to do there. I would certainly take that food tour, make it up that mountain, and check out the street art. Will bookmark this for future reference.
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What an amazing list! All things that I would love to do, especially Vitosha mountain! I love it when people include outdoor activities in their list of things to do. We search that out and those views look amazing!
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I can’t get over that church, I’ve never seen a design with colours like that before! Sounds like there’s so much culture in Sofia, it’s on my list!
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Sofia looks amazing! I am terrible at exploring my own continent, I hope to be able to explore more of Europe in the winter, and Sofia is definitely on my list now!
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