Bulgaria on National Geographic’s “Best Tours of Europe” List for 2012

A 12-day comprehensive tour of Bulgaria is one of the ten prime European tours for 2012 according to National Geographic‘s “50 Tours of a Lifetime” list.

The tour features a spectacular itinerary and is a good bargain at ~5000$ (minus airfare). Food, wine tastings, 4- and 5-star hotels, and visits to Bulgaria’s foremost sights are included.

The description, from the National Geographic site:

Bulgaria: Land of Dionysus and Orpheus

This trip digs into the cultural heritage of Bulgaria, from the era of the Thracians, who venerated Dionysus and originated the legend of the musician Orpheus, to the present day. Listen to a chamber concert at the ancient Serdica amphitheater in Sofia. Tour the tenth-century mountaintop Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Make banitza—phyllo filled with cheese—in the riverbank village of Gabrovo, and taste the fruit of thousands of years of winemaking. Cultu­ral Crossroads: “Cultural Splendors of Bulgaria: Art, Wine, and Traditions,” 12 days; $4,695.

Stops along the journey (some of which I’ve written about) include:

• Sofia, Boyana church and Rila Monastery
• Troyan, Troyan Monastery, Gabrovo, Lyaskovec, Arbanassi and Veliko Tarnovo
• Arbanassi, the Thracian tomb of Sveshtari, Sreburna natural reserve, Silistra
• Balchik, Varna, Nessebar, Pomorie
• Nova Zagora, Karanovo, Stara Zagora
• Kazanluk, Plovdiv

Is it time to put the wealth of knowledge acquired here to good use? You can book trips starting on Sep. 23, 2012, June 2, 2013 or Sep. 8, 2013.

Note: I have not been on this tour and I am not affiliated with National Geographic or Cultural Crossroads in any way.