It's very easy to find Plovdiv Guesthouse because of its central location on the main street of the Old Plovdiv district. If you come from the Plovdiv city center, walking on its main pedestrian street you need to get to the Central Mosque with the underground remains of the Roman Stadium besides. From there, beyond the small garden (the so called "Mosque garden"), you need to take the pavement street going uphill into the Old town. You go only straight and up and in about 3-4 min. walk you'll find the guesthouse on your right.
If you come for the first time or by means of transportation below you'll find the easiest directions.
HOW TO GET THERE
By train
Once you walk out the Central railway station you'll see a bus station in front of you. You may catch buses ? 7, 20, 26 (bus ticket - 0, 30 EURO) or mini-bus shuttle ? 2 (shuttle ticket - 0, 35 EURO). You need to get off at the 6-th bus station, the one straight after the tunnel - travel time: 10 min. Then you walk back for about 30 m (passing by the subway on your left) and take the stone stairs to the left, leading uphill to the Old Plovdiv. In another 30 m walking on a cobbled narrow street you ignore the first street to the left and take the second one, again to the left. In 60 m you come to a crossroad with the Balabanov house on your left. There you continue straight ahead and uphill. About 60 m further up you get to another crossroad with a high church wall and a bell tower in front of you. There you turn right and in about 35 m you'll find the Plovdiv guesthouse on your left.
By bus
There are 3 bus stations in Plovdiv:
1. Bus station "South", serving passengers coming from South Bulgaria and Sofia. Just across the bus station street there is a public transportation bus station. From there you may catch buses ? 7, 20, 26 (bus ticket - 0, 30 EURO) or mini-bus shuttle ? 2 (shuttle ticket - 0, 35 EURO). You need to get off at the 5-th bus station, the one straight after the tunnel - travel time: 10 min. Then just follow the same directions as in the "by train "description above.
2. Bus station "North", serving passengers coming from North Bulgaria. In front of the bus station you'll see a public transportation bus station. You may catch bus ? 21 (bus ticket - 0, 30 EURO) or trolley bus ? 3 (trolley bus ticket - 0, 30 EURO). You need to get off at the 6-th bus station, the one just before the tunnel - travel time: 10 min. Then you take the subway which you'll find on your left after you get off the bus. After about 50 m walking underground you take the right stairs and get up on the ground surface. Immediately after you take the stone stairs to the left, leading uphill to the Old Plovdiv. Then you follow the same directions as in the "by train "description above.
3. Bus station "Rhodope", serving passengers coming from the nearby Rhodope Mountains. You need to get down the subway beside the bus station. In about 300 m. walking underground you take the left exit and arrive at the bus station in front of the Central railway station. There you just follow the same directions as in the "by train "description above-travel time on the bus: 10 min.
By taxi
Always check the taxi rates and the approximate amount for the drive before getting on a taxi!!!
The taxi rates in Plovdiv are:
0.22 - 0, 25 EURO - initial fee
0.22 - 0, 25 EURO per kilometer
0.08 EURO - waiting per minute
By plane
The closest airport is Plovdiv airport which is situated at about 10 km from the city (15 m drive) - http://www.plovdivairport.com/. The airport has specialized in international charter passenger flights only throughout the year. The busiest period is the winter time when a huge number of foreign tourists fly in to go to one of the top 3 Bulgarian ski resorts - Pamporovo (60 km), Borovets (90 km) and Bansko (160 km). No regular flights.
The second closest airport is Sofia airport, 150 km away from Plovdiv (1, 5 h drive) - http://www.sofia-airport.bg/En/index1.htm. The Bulgarian capital's airport is the largest international airport in Bulgaria with over 1.2 million passengers per year. There are many daily regular flights from the European capitals and cities.
We can arrange your transfer from both airports.
ONE-DAY TRIPS (Plovdiv Guesthouse)
(sample itineraries)
Plovdiv area offers great opportunities for different day trips, ranging from visits of historical and cultural sites of national importance and wine tasting experience to active tours like trekking, snowshoeing, cycling and mountain biking in the nearby Rhodope Mountains.
Our exciting and various day trips program will make you stay in Plovdiv for longer that you've planned. We guarantee that you'll spend an unforgettable time with our friendly and professional guides who will be pleased to show you around the amazing Plovdiv area.
1. Bachkovo monastery - Asen's fortress
From Plovdiv we head towards the beautiful Rodopi Mountains (the widest mountain massif in Bulgaria) passing through the pretty town of Asenovgrad. Nearby we will see the remarkable remains of King Ivan Asen's fortress - a wise ruler of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. There we are to find an ancient church dating from the 12th century painted with some authentic pieces of iconography as well as the stone made inscription carved by King Ivan Asen.
Next we go deeper in the Rhodope Mountains towards Bachkovo monastery (the second largest in Bulgaria, founded in 1083, one of the most sacred places in our history).
We'll have lunch near-by the waterfall and under the trees' shadows of the "Waterfall "restaurant near-by the Bachkovo monastery, enjoying local cuisine. After lunch we go on a little hike in the " Red wall " reserve where will see a beautiful waterfall, chapels, the miraculous icon as well as drink holy water out of the sacred well of a chapel.
Then we go back from Bachkovo monastery to Plovdiv.
2. Rodopi Mountains - sightseeing trip
We head from Plovdiv towards Chudnite mostove (The Wonderful Bridges). The Wonderful Bridges represent a unique nature phenomenon, consisting of two rocky bridges (height of 43 m) over a small river.
Then we'll visit the holy site with healing power Krustova Gora (Cross Forest), considered also one of the sanctuaries of Bulgaria. According to experts, the Cross Forest is one of the three places with a special energetic radiation in Bulgaria. According to the local history, a part of the Holy Cross was transferred from Istanbul and buried in a secret place in the area in the 15-th century.
Next we head towards Bachkovo Monastery (the second largest in Bulgaria, founded in 1083, one of the most sacred places in our history).
We'll have lunch near-by the waterfall and under the trees' shadows of the "Waterfall "restaurant near-by the Bachkovo monastery, enjoying local cuisine. After lunch we go on a little hike in the "Red wall" reserve where will see a beautiful waterfall, chapels, the miraculous icon as well as drink holy water out of the sacred well of the monastery.
On our way back to Plovdiv will see the remarkable remains of King Ivan Asen's fortress - a wise ruler of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. There we are to find an ancient church dating from the 12th century painted with some authentic pieces of iconography as well as the stone made inscription carved by King Ivan Asen.
3. Rodopi Mountains biking trip - Bachkovo monastery - Asen's fortres
We head from Plovdiv towards Biala Cherkva (a small ski resort in the Rhodope Mountains - 1700 m above sea level) by car. Few kilometers before the resort we get on the bikes into the forest. We go on a mostly downhill biking for about 3 hours until we get to the remarkable remains of King Ivan Asen's fortress - a wise ruler of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. There we are to find an ancient church dating from the 12th century rich in authentic pieces of iconography as well as the stone made inscription carved by King Ivan Asen.
On our way to the fortress we will enjoy some splendid views over the majestic Rhodope Mountains.
Then we head towards Bachkovo monastery (the second largest in Bulgaria, founded in 1083, one of the most sacred places in our history) for a few kilometers on the asphalt road.
Just before visiting the monastery we will have lunch near-by the waterfall and under the trees' shadows of the "Waterfall" restaurant near-by the Bachkovo monastery, enjoying local cuisine.
At the end we go back to Plovdiv by car.
4. Rodopi Mountains hiking or snowshoeing trip - Mineral bath in Narechen village
The Rhodope (highest peak - Goliam Perelik - 2 191 m) are the widest mountain massif in Bulgaria, being also the oldest land on the Balkans. Here one can find the loveliest coniferous woods in the country and the most preserved nature. This is the land of the legendary Orpheus where one can also find 70 % of the world minerals as well as 600 caves.
Depending on the season we go for a hiking amidst the greenery of the greatest massif of coniferous woods in Bulgaria or for a snowshoeing on the surface of the white array of the stunning Rhodope Mountains.
We head from Plovdiv to a place nearby Orehovo village (altitude: 1200 m). From there we start hiking (snowshoeing) to "Persenk "hut (altitude: 1750 m). We continue uphill to the highest point of the trip - the countryside "Grobite"(altitude: 1950 m). Then we hike only downhill to "Chudnite mostove "hut (altitude: 1500 m). There we'll visit the nature phenomenon "The Wonderful bridges "- a unique nature phenomenon, consisting of two rocky bridges over a small river - height of 43 m.
The best to do after an active walk in the mountain is to relax into the warm and nice waters of a mineral bath. The car will take us from The Miraculous bridges to Nerechen village where we'll have a mineral bath.
At the end we go back to Plovdiv by car.
5. Thracian temple at Starosel - Roman mineral bath in Hi