The 9 Best Rose Valley Tours in Bulgaria

1.The Rose Valley & Buzludzha Monument Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 77 reviews · 12 hours · from $70Our pick

Travel from Sofia with an English-speaking guide such as Martin or Maria to Damascena, Buzludzha Monument, and Shipka Memorial Church. Expect a long but rewarding day, about 12 hours, with mountain views, Bulgarian rose culture, Communist-era history, and a small group of up to 15 people.

“Maria the guide was wonderful. She took time to explain everything, and was very responsive. She accommodated special requests to take photos in certain spots, etc. We had a small group and she treated us like a big family, joining us for lunch and making introductions. It was a lovely, personal experience.”

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2.The Rose Valley & Koprivshtitsa 12 hrs Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 39 reviews · 11 hours · from $70

Travel from Sofia with an English-speaking guide such as Maria, Martin, or Lyubomir to Kazanlak’s Rose Valley, Damascena Complex, the Birth of Christ Memorial Temple, and Koprivshtitsa. Expect an 11-hour mountain day with rose products, Orthodox architecture, free time, and long drives.

“I was on a tour with Martin the guide. He was born there and so he was the most super-local guide I've ever met. He told us lots of stories about bulgarian life, the Rose valley and its history. He speaks a perfectly understandable English. The size of the group (we were only 6 tourists in the van) was comfortable to save time on organisational moments and spend more on the valley.”

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3.Buzludzha Monument and The Rose Valley Day Tour From Sofia 13 hrs

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 18 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $48Best value

Leave Sofia at 7:00 for Damascena, Bulgaria’s first private rose distillery, then visit Buzludzha’s UFO-like communist monument, Shipka Church, and Shipka Monument. Guides such as Maria and Martin lead small groups of up to 16, with online audio support and scenic photo stops.

“Maria, notre guide a été géniale ! À part ça, la visite est, on ne peut plus quelconque. En faut, c'est beaucoup d'heures de route pour des visites très "en surface". J'ai LAAAAARGEMENT préféré les 7 lacs de Rila que je recommande chaleureusement.”

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4.Rose Valley-Valley of the Thracian Kings – private tour from Plovdiv

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $144Top rated

Travel privately from Plovdiv to Kazanlak with a guide such as Kamen, Carmen, or Rusi. See rose-making displays, Thracian gold, a tomb replica, Seuthes III’s burial temple, and Shipka Memorial Church in about 7.5 hours.

“Had a great guide! Explained everything so well and was super friendly! The sights are beautiful. Also gave advise to see other things”

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5.Rose Valley Tour & UNESCO Site Kazanlak

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 12 reviews · 9 hours · from $175

Travel from Sofia to Bulgaria’s Rose Valley with an English-speaking guide, visiting Shipka Memorial Church, Seuthes III’s Goliama Kosmatka tomb, and Kazanlak’s UNESCO tomb. Add a rose garden and distillery visit, with guides such as Georgi and Ivan praised for personal, flexible service.

“Thracian tombs in Shipka. It would be even better if we could visit Buzludzha monument to see it from outside.”

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6.The Highlights of Bulgaria – Rose Valley and Buzludzha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 1 day · from $124

Travel from Sofia into the Rose Valley with an English-speaking guide, visit a traditional distillery in Skobelevo, see Shipka Monument, and explore Buzludzha. Small groups of up to 15, hotel pickup, transport, parking, and entry fees are included. Dobrin and Viktor are among the guides used.

“Eperienza fantastica, la nostra guida, Dobrin, ha dimostrato professionalità e competenza. Tour consigliatissimo.”

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7.Private Access Rose Festival Kazanlak 05-07.06.2025

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $105

You’ll spend about 12 hours in Kazanlak and the Valley of Roses, with festival admission, a private English-speaking guide, rose picking, parade access, museums, and rose-product tastings. Several bookings specifically praise guide Hristo for arranging front-row views and keeping the day on schedule.

“That was an amazing experience, where we got to experience all of the best what can offer Rose Valley! All of our group is especially grateful for Hristo who was an amazing guide throughout all day! Thank you once again!”

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8.Kazanluk Rose Valley & Oil Distillery Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3 reviews · 11 hours · from $115

Travel from Sofia to Kazanlak with guide Tsetso or another English or Russian-speaking guide. Visit Damascena’s rose distillery, follow the oil-making process, explore the Rose Museum, shop for gifts, and enjoy free time in town. Expect a long but scenic 11-hour day.

“Our guide Tsetso brought us to the rose valley in Kazanlak. We had a pit stop with some nice local flour pastry and grain drink along the way. We enjoyed the visit to the rose garden, distillery plant and bought some rose products. It will be great if our time coincide with the Rose Festival in early June. Lunch at a local tavern was good. On the way back, Tsetso introduced us to a beautiful Russian church with a rich history. The journey is almost three hours drive from Sophia. Tsetso is very enthusiastic and eager to explain the importance and facts about his country.”

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9.Picking Roses Workshop & Extracting Rose Oil in the Rose Valley

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

Start in Karlovo at 9:00 for a private, English-language rose workshop in Bulgaria’s Rose Valley. Pick roses in folk dress during the season, taste rose sweet and liqueur, learn oil and water extraction, and watch soap making at a rose factory.

“Really great activity with so much local flavor. Absolutely fantastic experience which I totally recommend. Suitable of everyone. Excellent staff and guides on the spot. I'm very pleased.”

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