Sofia in One Day: From Serdika to Alexander Nevsky

This tour shows you the places that define Sofia in a single day: the layers of a city that began as Roman Serdika, grew under Ottoman rule, and became the capital of a new state in the 19th and 20th centuries. Almost everything lies close together in the center, so you can comfortably walk most of the routes.

The morning begins at the Central Market Hall and leads to remains of the Roman city wall and the square in front of the Central Mineral Baths, where mineral water flows from public springs. At the Archaeological Museum, housed in a former mosque, you get an overview of the Thracians, the Romans, and medieval Bulgaria. After lunch, you head to the excavated amphitheater, past the Church of St. Sofia to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with its icon collection in the crypt. City mansions and the Battenberg Mausoleum lead into a stroll toward Vitosha Boulevard.

The evening belongs to Bulgarian cuisine in old cellar vaults, and the day winds down over a cocktail. The tour suits your first visit to Sofia if you want to see the main sights at a normal pace while leaving time for breaks and good food.