5 Days in Sofia, Bulgaria
Things To Do, See & Eat
Sofia is the capital city of Bulgaria; an Eastern European country next to Greece, Turkey and Romania.
In the last couple of years, it has developed a lot and digital nomads are slowly discovering this rough gem in Eastern Europe. Aside from its wide range of excellent restaurants and its many historic and cultural sites, there’s also a growing international community.
Let’s have a look at what you can do, see and eat in Sofia, for 5 days.
Quicklinks:
Things to do & see
Walking Tours to explore the city
A walking tour is perhaps the best way to explore any city and all it has to offer and the same is true for Sofia. We did the Free Sofia Walking Tour, which was very fun and interesting. For example, did you know that Sofia is one of the oldest cities in Europe? You’ll hear this fact and many more on the walking tour!
Visit the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
One od the most iconic buildings in Sofia is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is an orthodox church right in the centre of the city. It was finished in 1912 and was built to honour the Russian soldiers that died during the Russo-Turkish war in 1877.
From the outside it looks beautiful - from the inside it is grand, but not very big. Note that you’re not allowed to make pictures inside this church; if they see you taking any, they might come and ask you for a so-called ‘fee’! 😅
Go hiking (or skiing!) on Vitosha mountain
If you love hiking, or just enjoy being in the mountains, then you should definitely visit Vitosha Mountain when you’re in Sofia. It’s just about a 30-40 minute drive up the mountain or you can also get there by public transportation. It’s lovely to see the view on Sofia from the top of the Vitosha mountain! And in the winter, it’s also a great place to do some skiing.
Day trips to nearby cities
Cities such as Plovdiv and the digital nomad favourite Bansko are both about a 2 hour drive from Sofia and are well worth visiting as a day trip or even a weekend trip. You can get there by train or by car.
Plovdiv is a very picturesque, smaller town and many people seem to actually like it more than Sofia.
Bansko is a mountain village and ski destination that somehow attracts a lot of digital nomads each year so you can find a cool community of nomads in this town.
Stroll on Vitoshka Boulevard
The main shopping and walking street in Sofia is the Vitoshka Boulevard, right in the heart of Sofia. You can find a plethora of restaurants and shops along this street, and if you walk all the way up you will find the Cathedral of Saint Nedelya, one of the main churches in the city.
Do a day trip to the Rila Lakes and Monastery
The Rila Lakes and the famous Monastery are just a few hours drive from Sofia. They are one of the Unesco World Heritage sites, so it’s definitely worth traveling there. If you don’t want to rent a car to get there yourself, you can easily book a tour to get there.
Check out some of the day trip tours to the Rila Lakes on GetYourGuide:
Where to eat
Sofia is quite a foodie destination as there are loads of restaurants, cafes and bars. Bulgarian cuisine is also excellent - you can see that there’s an influence from Turkey and Greece here, with grilled meats, fresh vegetables and salads and loads of cheese. Also their pastry game is amazing - my new favourite pastry is a banitsa, which is a flaky breakfast pastry (usually filo dough) filled with Bulgarian cheese and egg, though they have different fillings too.
Here’s a list of my favourite restaurants and cafes I’ve tried (or heard of) while visiting Sofia:
Bulgarian cuisine
Moma Bulgarian Food and Wine, Bulgarian restaurant - Not only serves Bulgarian traditional food with a modern touch, but also serves excellent wines.
Under the Linden Trees, Traditional restaurant - This traditional restaurant was right next to my accommodation and I really enjoyed the rustic vibe and the traditional food there. They’ve got all sorts of local Bulgarian dishes, and the menu is extensive.
Shtastlivetsa restaurant Vitoshka, Bulgarian restaurant - This restaurant sits right on Vitoshka boulevard and serves traditional Bulgarian dishes. Also, the interior decor is pretty unique so definitely recommend having a dinner here, not just for the food but also the ambiance.
HleBar, Bulgarian pastries and bread - If you’re looking for traditional Bulgarian breakfast pastries, look no further, because this place has amazingly delicious Banitsas! I especially loved the one with apple, cinnamon and walnuts and the one with lamb filling 🤤
International Cuisine
Emesa Restaurant - Syrian Food, Syrian restaurant - We randomly found this place one evening and decided to give it a go. And we were blown away by the amazing food! They serve very delicious and fresh Syrian dishes.
Caruso Pizza Center, Neapolitan Pizza - For authentic Neapolitan pizza, go to this little place, It’s mostly a take-away place, but they have a few tables too.
Electro Camel, Middle Eastern food - If you feel like a delicious and easy meal then grab a bite at Electro Camel, for some great Middle Eastern food.
SATSANGA Vegetarian, Indian restaurant - This buffet-style restaurant was surprisingly good and a great mid-week lunch. How it works: Take a plate, load it up with any Indian food at the buffet and you pay for the weight of the food. Simple as that!
CRAFT Bistro Sofia, Mediterranean restaurant - cute and boutique restaurant with a lovely quaint garden terrace. They serve excellent, Italian-inspired dishes.
Mezza, Turkish restaurant - A little restaurant in the heart of Sofia that serves Excellent Turkish dishes.
Specialty Coffee & Breakfast
Aside from the great food scene, Sofia is also home to quite a few nice specialty coffee places. Here are a few of my favourites that I’ve tried:
Coffee Syndicate, specialty coffee - This was my all-time favourite specialty coffee spot in Sofia, partly because they had this amazing Espresso Tonic drink that was astonishingly good. And all their other coffee drinks were excellent.
The Family Coffee Roasters, specialty coffee - A specialty coffee shop in the heart of Sofia, that also roasts their own coffee.
sabale, brunch and coffee - probably my favourite brunchcafe in Sofia, sabale makes really amazing breakfast and lunch dishes. It’s simple food but super high quality. I had a french omelette that was cooked to absolute perfection 🍳
Where to stay
While visiting the city and especially for a 5-day visit, I would recommend you to stay in or around the city centre.
Here are some great hotels to stay at:
Mid-range options
B1 City Hotel - For a more mid-range option, check out this hotel that looks very modern and has really good reviews.
Boutique Hotel Aurora - a really cute and modern hotel, right in the city centre of Sofia. It has high reviews and also rent out apartments, if you’re looking for a bigger place for your stay.
High-end options
Hyatt Regency - For a more upscale stay, check out the Hyatt Regency, which is close to the Alexandre Nevsky Cathedral, so very central.
Intercontinental - Intercontinental is in a great location in Sofia, as it’s just steps away from all the major sights and the city centre.
Maison Sofia MGallery - Located in the hip neighbourhood of Lozenets, Maison Sofia is a luxury boutique hotel, that aside from its stylish decor, also has a really swanky indoor pool.
Budget stays
Check out Hostelworld for more budget-friendly stays in Sofia
Another option is Airbnb, which is pretty affordable (for now) in Sofia
When to go
Sofia gets pretty cold in the winter, because it sits at an elevation of 595 meters. However, if you like winter sports and are not afraid of the cold (like I am 😅), then visiting Sofia in the winter can be very nice, as you can also go to ski up in the mountains.
The best time to visit in my opinion, would be spring and fall, as temperatures are moderate and the sun is shining. The summer is also nice, but it can get a bit hotter, with temperatures around 26-33C.
How to get around
I read somewhere the other day that Sofia has one of the best metro systems in Europe! Which I thought was peculiar, because I didn’t think Eastern European countries were known for their great public transportation systems 😅.
However, I have to admit that the metro and trams are quite good and reliable, albeit a bit old. It’s also amazingly cheap AND they accept credit cards for checking in and out, which is pretty advanced for a European country.
It’s also really easy to get to the city from the airport, as there is a direct connection with the metro. It just takes about 20-30 minutes to get from the airport to the city centre, and all you need is your credit/debit card!
How to get there
Sofia is easily accessible by airplane within Europe, and most main European hubs have flights to Sofia. It’s still a relatively small airport though and one terminal is still very old. As the city develops, it will likely expand as well.
Check out the best flights to Sofia below via Omio:
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