Rila Monastery Self-Guided Tour

The top Bulgarian sight to be explored all around with our self-guided tour.

Enjoy a day out at the Monastery of Saint Ivan of the Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. The Rila Monastery is located at 1147 meters in the middle of the fragrant coniferous forests of Rila Mountain. The monastery is a complex of cultural, dwelling and farming buildings which take up about 8800 square meters.

The Rila Monastery has a unique architecture. Outside, the monastery looks like a fortress. It has 24-meter stone walls which form an irregular pentagon. That’s why when a tourist enters the monastery’s yard from one of the two iron gates, he is surprised by its architecture: arches and colonnades, covered wooden stairs and carved verandas, and the 300-400 monastic cells.

Enjoy a self-guided tour with an E-guide, an electronic guide. We have a state-of-the-art system which provides itinerary notes, guide notes, and details about the sights to your phone, tablet, or electronic device. This system is simple to use and allows you to enjoy the tour at your own pace. All you need to do is follow the online link that you will receive, which is available 24 hours before the service date and is valid for the day of the tour for the whole day.

Languages

E-guide is available in English

Important information

This is only an e-guide. Please note that the entrance fee to the Rila Monastery is not included.