Arda river, Eastern Rhodopes, Bulgaria

Wine tour in Bulgaria October – November 2024

The Thracian Valley and Sakar region of Bulgaria

Wednesday 30th  October to Sunday 3rd November 2024

We have now run two successful tours to Bulgaria and been so impressed with the wines and culture we have devised yet another trip to explore more of the wine regions.

Wine making in Bulgaria dates back to Thracian times more than 5 000 years ago. In the 1970s, Bulgaria became one of the largest wine exporters in the world. Demand, however, for Bulgarian wine declined after the fall of the Soviet Union.

On this 5-day tour of The Thracian Valley and Sakar Region, we will discover the largest wine region in Bulgaria (The Thracian Valley) and a micro-region in the southeast corner of the country called Sakar & The Eastern Rhodopes. The days are filled with wine tastings, delicious local meals and some cultural sites are visited along the way.

We will discover local grapes such as Mavrud, Rubin and Tamianka and visit large, modern wineries as well as small family wineries. Our tour includes a stay in the cultural city of Plovdiv, which is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe and European Capital of Culture in 2019, as well as in a rural boutique hotel surrounded by peace and nature.

For those that have already visited the country this is a natural extension of what Bulgaria can offer and if you have never been before why not find out what you have been missing, you will be surprised!

    Outline itinerary

    Itinerary is as follows:

    Day 1 - Wednesday 30th October 2024

    Arrival at Sofia Airport. Your Tour Leader will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall of Sofia Airport to welcome you to Bulgaria. The tour is timed to meet the British Airways 09:25 fight from Heathrow that arrives at Sofia at 14:35. We will then transfer to our 4 star hotel in Sofia and check in. A walking tour of Sofia will be followed by our welcome dinner.

    Day 2 – Thursday 31st October 2024

    After breakfast we depart for the Zaara Estate stopping on the way for a wine tasting with small appetizers at the Bratanov Winery, winners of the most prestigious Bulgarian wine contest the DiVino top50 in 2022 with their 3-Blend Cabernet Franc/Merlot/Rubin 2018. We check in at Zaara Estate and will dine in the exquisite Estate restaurant sampling their wines.

    Day 3 – Friday 1st November 2024

    After breakfast, we check-out of the hotel and head to the small family owned Kolarovo winery for a BBQ lunch with home-made salads. We will then transfer to the delightful town of Plovdiv, check in to our hotel and embark on a walking tour. Your evening is free to explore one of the many good restaurants or wine bars in town.

    Day 4 – Saturday 2nd November 2024

    Today we head out to explore the wine region surrounding Plovdiv. Our first visit is to Zagreus Winery for a tour, tasting followed by a light lunch. Our second visit is to the Dragomir winery for a tasting. We will arrive back in Plovdiv late afternoon and the evening is free.

    Day 5 – Sunday 3rd November 2024

    After breakfast we leave our hotel for the onward transfer back to Sofia Airport for arrival at 14:00 to tie in with the 15:55 British Airways departure to London Heathrow. On the way back we should have time to visit either the Georgiev/Milkov Winery or the Neragora Winery, an organic winery project by Italian investors.

    Changes to the itinerary: Please note that, on rare occasions, we may have to make changes to the itinerary.

    Reserve a place

    Tour cost

    £1350.00 (guide price) per person sharing a twin or double-bedded room (excluding flights). There is a supplement for single occupancy of £350.00 per person.

    What's included

    • 4 nights bed and breakfast accommodation in 4 star hotels
    • Coach travel to all destinations from and to Sofia Airport
    • 3 lunches, and 2 dinners with wines in good local restaurants
    • Six wine visits and tastings
    • The services of a Wine Guide from Bulgaria and a UK Tour Leader

    Not included

    • Telephone calls and other items of personal expenditure
    • Drinks not included in the itinerary

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