Bulgaria's Rose Festival has a history of more than a century. Firstly, it was founded in 1903 in Kazanlak. Since then, for 120 years, the festival gained popularity all over the world.
Presently every year, during the first weekend of June, local community in Kazanlak organizes the annual Bulgaria Rose Festival. At the beginning of the rose harvesting season, local people enjoy annual celebrations. Karlovo and Pavel Banya- also known for their rose production, started organizing local rose festivals, too. Manufacturers from the whole valley gather dressed up in rose flowers. Mummers, called “koukeri” take part in the street parade. People sing and dance in the streets during the whole fest.
Bulgaria Rose Festival Tour
2023 Bulgaria Rose Festival Tour will reveal the secrets of producing Rose Oil. It includes visits to 4 Rose Oil distilleries. You will meet the local producers and discuss with them the quality of the Rose Oil produced in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria.
2023 Rose Festival Tour
Itinerary - Rose Festival Tour 01 - 05.06.2023
5 day/4 night tour: Join a small group
01 June 2023 /Day 1: Sofia
Our guide will meet you at Sofia International airport and assist for a transfer to hotel. Check in. After a short break for refreshment, a short familiarization with the city and hotel vicinity will follow. Rest of day at leisure, to overcome jet lag.
Accommodation in Sofia at Hotel Niky, 3* or similar, 2 nights.
02 June 2023/Day 2: Sofia - Rila monastery – Sofia
After breakfast, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Sofia, which is a city with 7000-year long history and includes a visit to the impressive Alexander Nevski memorial Cathedral. Tour proceeds with panoramic sightseeing of the University, the National Assembly, the Banya Bashi Mosque, the Rotunda of St. George, Roman ruins, National Palace of Culture. You will continue to Rila Monastery - the largest in the Balkans, included in the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage. It will captivate you with its unrivaled architecture and murals. Enjoy a tour of the monastery, including the 14th century Hrelyo Tower, the five-domed Birth of the Blessed Virgin Church and the original monastery kitchen from the 19th century. In the late afternoon return to Sofia.
Accommodation in Sofia
03 June 20232/Day 3: Sofia - Kalofer - Karlovo - Kazanlak - Stara Zagora
Following breakfast, continue east towards the Rose Valley.
Your first visit to a local rose-oil distillery will be just one-hour drive from Sofia. Continue via Karlovo to the village of Tarnicheni, close to Kalofer. Visit the local distillery and attend a lecture on rose water and rose oil distillation. Meet the local producers and taste the aroma of natural oils, produced here: rose oil, lavender oil, etc.
03 June 2023/In the afternoon
You will continue towards Kazanlak to visit the Rose museum. This small museum will tell you the story of rose production and more about the industry standards, set by the Bulgarian producers centuries ago. Time permitting, you will visit yet another rose-oil distillery in Kazanlak before driving to Stara Zagora for dinner and overnight.
B,D, Accommodation in Stara Zagora at a 3* hotel La Roca or similar
04 June 2023/Day 4: Kazanlak - THE ROSE FESTIVAL IN KAZANLAK - Plovdiv
Early morning breakfast at hotel. Then you will drive to visit the rose fields and participate in rose picking in the rose fields of Kazanlak. Proceed to the village of Skobelevo and visit the Ethnographic complex “Damascena ”with its rose gardens and distillery. At noon proceed to Kazanlak to attend the street Rose parade, before driving to the picnic place in an open-air restaurant.Here you will enjoy traditional food, wine, music and folklore dance show.
Bulgaria Rose Festival tour proceeds to Plovdiv
In the afternoon you will continue onto Bulgaria’s second ranking town, Plovdiv(1,5 hrs. drive). It is set within the Thracian plane with the Maritsa River flowing through the city. Plovdiv is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe, which is located on six hills. No one can tell exactly when the foundation stone was laid here, although it must have been over 5000 years ago. Old Plovdiv on Trimontium hill is the centre of Bulgarian national revival architecture at its height. You will take in a brief walking city tour and explore the Roman Theatre which is one of the world’s best preserved ancient theatres.
B,L, Accommodation in Plovdiv at a 3* hotel .
05 June 2023/ Day 5: Plovdiv - Sofia Airport
Following breakfast, you will enjoy the rest of Plovdiv’s sights. Take a visit to the Old Town, the Roman Stadium, the Byzantine and mediaeval fortifications, the 15th century mosque. Walk along the narrow cobbled streets and admire the silence and tranquillity of this historic town. In the early afternoon you will continue the journey back to Sofia - a 2-hrs drop-off transfer to Sofia airport, where tour ends.
We are two American ladies who would like to go on the June 4-7,2020 Rose Festival tour. We would need two individual rooms – what is the single room supplement price?
We would not mind being in a small group tour with others, as long as it was an all English speaking group.
Could we get tickets for the Rose parade? Any chance of sitting arrangements to see the parade, as we both have bad backs?
Thank you.