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Sofia, Bulgaria on a Budget.

In case you haven’t been here before, throughout 2024 I gave myself the challenge to visit a new country every month. However, each trip had to cost around £250 (total cost per person). Also, I was trying it make all the trips through the year fit within a standard 28 day holiday allowance. Part 2, in February, was a 4 day trip to Sofia, Bulgaria 🇧🇬. This trip included time spent in the capital, and the beautiful city of Plovdiv. So, if you’re looking for a cheap holiday in Bulgaria, keep reading.

Here I will breakdown exactly how much I spent and what I spent it on and. So, hopefully you will have all the details you would need to embark on your own cheap holiday to Bulgaria.

There are a few things to note before we get started. Firstly, I mainly fly out of Bristol (BRS) airport, as this is my local. Fortunately, it is also one of the cheapest airports in the UK. Secondly, every expense for the holiday is included in the £250 budget (flights, accommodation, transport, activities and food and drinks). Equally, one thing I do not include in the cost is the cost of transport from my house to the airport, and back. This is because, it is impossible for me to make it relevant to everyone, as everyone’s situation is so different. Finally, for this trip I travelled with somebody, so the costings are per person. Obviously, the only thing that is made cheaper because of this is the accommodation and any taxis used (only 1).

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Cheap Flights to Sofia, Bulgaria

I think we should always try to make the most of the time we’re booking of work. So, when I book a day off to travel somewhere I try to get the earliest flight possible that also fits within the budget. Fortunately, for this trip I found the perfect flights leaving Bristol. We left at 6.30am on Sunday 25th Feb, with a return at 9.10pm on Wednesday 28th. This allowed me essentially 4 whole days for the cost of three nights accommodation. I flew with Ryanair both ways, using just the ‘small bag’ luggage allowance. This meant the flights were a total of £47.22 for the return journey!

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that some people want the comfort of taking more luggage and knowing that they have a seat they like. Equally, I’m here to show you that the more efficiently you can be with your money, the more opportunity you have. This means you have more money for additional trips because you’re not spending unnecessarily.

Flights for this price are a lot easier to find and more common than a lot of people think. If you struggle to find these prices, and want to guarantee best prices on flights, check out my expert guide. Click here and use the code BLOG for another 25% off the marked price.

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Roman Theatre, Plovdiv

Accommodation

Sofia

For my stay in Sofia, Bulgaria, I stayed in a reasonably large, two bedded Airbnb apartment. This gave me access to a double bed, a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom. Alongside a large living and dining area, a balcony and a second room with a single bed and a computer. To be honest, I had no need for the second room but this was just an example of what you can get! Something to note is that this was not a plush apartment. Actually, it was a very traditional Bulgarian place in a communist era block. For me, this was fine, it had everything I needed and caused no problems.

Personally, I think the important thing is that it was exactly as advertised. Equally, the location was away from the centre but was right near the main train station, railway station and a metro station. This made it incredibly easy to access everywhere. So, this cost £63.91 for two nights (split between two as I travelled with somebody), meaning a cost of £31.96 per person for the two nights. There are accommodations available for less if you are travelling solo!

Plovdiv

For my one night in Plovdiv, the accommodation was somewhat nicer but had similar amenities within a pleasant one bedroom apartment. The cost of this was £31.71.

Therefore, the total cost of accommodation was £95.62 but this was split between 2 people and so, cost £47.81 per person. The accommodation in this area is a lot cheaper than western Europe. Obviously this goes a long way to having a cheap holiday in Bulgaria.

Some great places to check for accommodation are TripAdvisor. Or, if you’re happy to use hostels for even more savings, try Hostelworld.

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Rila Monastery, Bulgaria

Activities

Day 1

After getting to the city centre in Sofia, Bulgaria, we got to the accommodation for around 1pm. We then went to join the ‘Balkan Bites’ free food tour at 2pm.

The food tour was a delightful insight into the food and drink scene. We were taken through a history of the food scene in Bulgaria, what has shaped it and what to expect in the modern day. So, the tour finished around 4.30pm which took up a good portion of the afternoon! Although the food tour is free, the tour guides work on tips so I also tipped 20 Lev (£9.28). Also, finding activities like this is a great way to help with a cheap holiday in Bulgaria. Following this, we went for dinner and then spent an hour or so exploring Vitosha Boulevard. This area is the main street in Sofia for shopping, drinking and eating. We then went for an early night due to planning an early start for day 2.

Day 2

So, for day 2 we opted to go on a tour out of the city. This tour was to a different area of Bulgaria (Rila), to the Rila Monastery and Ivan’s Cave. Honestly, the monastery was incredibly beautiful, set with the back drop of the Bulgarian mountains. The cost of this tour was £21.36 plus a 10 Lev (£4.64) tip for the tour guide, totalling £26.00. You can book this trip here. Oh, and entry to the monastery was free.
When we got back from the tour, we briefly walked back to the apartment before talking a stroll through a different area of the city to find a place for dinner. The tour took up most of the day so it was quite late after we finished dinner, so that ended day 2.

Day 3

Day 3 started with a 3 hour train ride from Sofia to Plovdiv, Bulgaria. When we arrived, we got our bearings and found this beautiful little side street called ul. ‘Hristo Dyukmedzhiev’. This street was full of amazing coffee shops and lunch spots! We didn’t eat because we had made sandwiches to bring which we ate on the train. However, if you’re looking for somewhere to eat, this would be a cosy place to visit. After this we briefly walked to the old town, which is one of the main attractions in Plovdiv. Honestly, I love old town areas and this one did not disappoint. The old town here takes you through the history of Plovdiv in a very authentic way.

Following this, we dropped our bags off and then went to explore more of Plovdiv. Firstly, we went to the Tsar Simeonov Garden, a wonderful park and a haven of local and authentic culture. As you’re walking through the park, you will find locally handcrafted items for sale whilst elderly people play at communal chess tables. Also, there is a large fountain which hosts an incredible light show in the summer months.

Although the park was a nice stop, it was simply a route through to the ‘Monument of the Red Army “Alyosha”‘. The Alyosha monument is a 36-feet high concrete statue sat on a large hill, which pays homage to a soviet soldier. Despite it being on a hill, it is an easy climb up the steps and is well worth it for the views across Plovdiv. Subsequently, watching sunset from this monument is an absolute must if you’re in Plovdiv. Anyway, once the sun had set and we found a dinner spot, this brought day 3 to an end with no money spent specifically on activities.

Day 4

So, for our fourth and final day, we started by packing up our stuff and having a coffee in the apartment. We then walked into the main town of Plovdiv as we hadn’t spent much time here yesterday. First stop was the Roman stadium which was free (I’m not sure if it supposed to be but nobody stopped us or asked us for money on the way in so I’m assuming it was). Following this we headed back towards the old town as they have a huge Roman amphitheatre which cost 5 Lev (£2.30) for entry. Honestly, sitting here and eating lunch was really incredible. You can just imagine what it was like when they used it in the past, and it is actually still used for shows to this day. After lunch, we had to catch the train back to Sofia, Bulgaria to get our flight home.

So, as you can see, the four days were packed full of things to do, despite this being a quick and cheap trip to Plovdiv and Sofia, Bulgaria, with the total cost of activities being £37.58. Another reason why you can easily have a cheap holiday in Bulgaria.

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Rakia Bar in Sofia, Bulgaria

Food and Drinks in Plovdiv and Sofia, Bulgaria

Just so you know, I am a bit weird and find it quite easy to go all day without food and I also don’t eat breakfast, which I know isn’t possible for everyone. Anyway..

Day 1

Firstly, we ate breakfast at home and had planned to have lunch once we arrived. However, we arrived late so we went straight to the Balkan’s Bites free food tour. Now, if you decide to do this tour, please be aware that it is definitely not enough to replace a meal. Anyway, the last stop on the tour was to a place called Hadjidraganov’s Cellar’s. Coincidentally, I had been suggested to eat here before arriving to Sofia. Therefore, we decided to stay here and have some dinner and a couple of drinks. Between the two of us we ordered the following – a mixed grill sharing platter, 2 garlic flat breads, 2 baklava (dessert), 2 ciders, a cup of tea, a coke and a gin and lemonade. This totalled to 107 Lev and then we tipped 13 Lev. Subsequently, the total for this was 120 Lev (£55.68) so £27.84 per person.

Day 2

For day two, we knew we would be spending the day out we decided to make a packed lunch for today. Also, we would do the same for day 3 and 4 so for the three days, we spent a total of 59.61 Lev (£27.66) and bought the following – 1 pack of sliced turkey ham, 1 pack of thick sliced ham, 2 packs of Emmental sliced cheese, 9 bananas 6 x 1.5l water, one loaf of bread, 6 bread rolls, 2 bags of mixed nuts (200g each), one protein shake, 2 croissants and 2 protein yogurts. Obviously, this price was split between 2 people, so the total cost per person for three lunches was £13.83.

For dinner we went to a restaurant called ‘Raketa rakia bar’. Here, we spent 120 Lev (£55.68) for a starter of bean stew (which was shred), 2 mains of pork neck and pork ribs, 2 x desserts of caramel cake, 1 beer, 1 coke, 1 litre of mineral water plus a tip. £55.68/ 2 = £27.84 per person for dinner. Other than this, we had additional costs of 9.10 Lev (£4.22) for some coffee throughout the morning.

Day 3

Day 3 in Plovdiv, included a coffee (3 Lev/ £1.38), a traditional sweet snack called Mekitsa, similar to a donut or churros, which cost 4.60 Lev (£2.13) and we had a picnic for lunch, as described above. Then, for dinner, we made our way to a restaurant called Smokini which was a very nice place with even better food! The food we ordered was; 1 bruschetta starter, 1 olive bread starter, 1 main traditional meat rolls, 1 main slow cooked pork, 2 desserts of new York cheesecake, 2 drinks of lemonade plus a tip. The entire meal totalled – 110 Lev (£51.04), so averages as £25.62 per person. The only other money spent on day 3 was for a coffee in the train station which Was 1 Lev (£0.46).

Day 4

For our final day, we had sandwiches for lunch and, as with my Romania trip, I used my amex preferred gold card for complimentary access to the airport lounge for food in the evening. Almost anyone can get one free for the first year and have 4 free lounge visits per year!

This brought the total costs for food and drink to £74.19 per person.

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Views over Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Transportation

We landed at Sofia airport in Bulgaria at around 12pm and caught the metro to the city centre which was 2 trains and cost 3.20 Lev (£1.48). Then, on day 2, we spent 1.60 Lev (£0.74) to use the metro to get to town in the morning. Later, we opted for the tram home in the evening which was 1.60 Lev (£0.74) (there is a standard price for public transport).

On day 3 we caught the train to Plovdiv which cost 17.05 Lev (£7.91) for a return. Once we arrived in Plovdiv, we caught the bus to the main town. The bus system is great, it is 1 lev (£0.46) for everybody and then you just jump off where you need to.

On the final day we caught the bus back to the train station which cost 1 Lev (£0.46), again. Finally, we had to get a metro to to the airport which was 1.60 lev (£0.74).

Therefore, the total for transportation for this cheap holiday in Bulgaria was £12.53

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Roman Theatre in Plovdiv (Photo by Denitsa Kireva)

Conclusion

This trip also used 3 days of my holiday from work (Sunday – Wednesday). Therefore, the total days used so far for my £250 challenge is 4 days, for two trips.

So, as you can see, a second trip done for under £250 whist working full time and you can see it is quite easy to find a cheap holiday in Bulgaria. Thank you for reading this article, I hope you can take some tips or even follow the itinerary to help with your budget trips! The overall breakdown of spending is below –

Flights – £47.22

Accommodation – £47.81

Activities – £37.58

Food & Drinks – £101.94

Transportation – £12.53

Total for 3 cheap days in Bucharest – £247.08

If you enjoyed reading about this cheap holiday to Bulgaria and want to see more, you can see all of my £250 trips here. So far, I have published my first trip to Romania, but have a whole year’s worth that are coming. If you enjoyed this article, let me know in the comments and join the email list at the top of the side panel to stay updated!

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