Rila Monastery Getting there & around

Getting there & away

The most common starting points for trips to Rila Monastery are Sofia and the town of Blagoevgrad, administrative capital of southwestern (Pirin) Bulgaria. In Sofia, you can ask at the Ovcha Kupel bus station (02-955 5362) about direct buses, though it’s more likely you’ll need to connect in Rila village first. The same is true for journeys from Blagoevgrad.

Buses leave Rila village for the monastery at 7.40am, 12.40pm and 3.50pm and return at 9am, 3pm and 5pm. (In summer, the 3pm service may continue to Sofia, but not always.) From Dupnitsa, buses to Rila Monastery leave at 6.40am and 2.15pm and return from the monastery at 9.40am and 5.15pm.

A day trip from Sofia by bus involves taking any bus leaving before 8am to Dupnitsa (1½ hours) from the central bus station or Ovcha Kupel bus station. Then take the 10am or 11am bus to Rila village, and from there the 12.40pm bus to the monastery. You’ll then return on the 5.15pm bus to Dupnitsa, and from there take one of the hourly buses (or trains) back to Sofia.

Buses to Rila village from Blagoevgrad run four or five times daily, the last leaving at 8pm. A day trip to the monastery from Blagoevgrad is also possible, though again you’ll have to start early.

If you really need to accelerate things, take a taxi from Rila village to the monastery (about 15 lv). Rila village has several taxis, and usually one or two wait at the monastery.

Full-day tours of Rila Monastery from Sofia cost from around €60 to €70 per person for a group of two people, or less for larger groups. The resort hotels at Bansko and Borovets also offer organised day trips to the monastery, among other places, though prices fluctuate considerably.