Hire a driver for a day in Sofia: how it works

Updated: October 29, 2026

To hire a driver for a day in Sofia, decide where you want to go and roughly how long you need, then send your route, date and number of passengers through the booking form. A typical day from Sofia, such as Rila Monastery (about 120 km, around 2 hours each way), lasts 7 to 9 hours.

A driver for the day is simply a car and a driver at your disposal for a trip you choose. You set the route and the pace. It suits people who do not want to drive in Bulgaria, couples and families who want more freedom than a coach tour gives, and travellers who want to visit two or three places that public transport does not link.

Hourly hire or a full day?

Option	Typical use	Example from Sofia
A few hours	City sights and nearby places	Boyana Church and Vitosha, 3 to 4 h
Half day	One nearby destination	Stob Pyramids or the Iskar Gorge, 5 to 6 h
Full day	One distant sight or two to three stops	Rila Monastery, or Koprivshtitsa, 7 to 10 h
One-way with stops	A sightseeing day that ends in another town	Sofia to Plovdiv via Rila Monastery

The one-way option is often overlooked. If you are moving from Sofia to Plovdiv, for example, a stop at Rila Monastery on the way turns a travel day into a sightseeing day; see Sofia to Plovdiv via Rila Monastery.

How it works, step by step

1. Choose the destinations. Our page on the best day trips from Sofia ranks the options by drive time.
2. Check opening hours. Monasteries, museums and caves set their own hours and some close one day a week.
3. Send the request. Use the form on this page: your pick-up address, the main destination, the date, the number of passengers and any child seats. Write the extra stops and your preferred start time in the notes.
4. On the day. The driver collects you from your address. Entrance tickets, meals and guided tours are separate and paid by you on site.
5. Changing plans. A stop added on the day makes the day longer, so list every stop you want when you book.

What to include in your request

• Exact pick-up address, including the hotel name.
• Start time. For distant sights, an early start gives you more time on the ground.
• All the stops you want, in order.
• Number of adults and children, and the age of each child so the right seat is fitted.
• Luggage, if the day ends at another hotel.

Write the route in the notes as a simple list: Sofia, Boyana Church, Rila Monastery, back to Sofia. It avoids misunderstandings about the order and the end point.

Good to know

• The driver drives. A licensed guide who explains the sites is a separate service; read do you need a guide as well as a driver to decide.
• Sedans take up to 4 passengers, minivans up to 6 and vans up to 8. Larger groups need a minibus.
• Mountain roads near Rila and the Rhodopes are slower than the motorway; allow for that in your timings.
• In winter, daylight ends early. A 9:00 start lets you see most sights in daylight.

Is it right for you?

If you are two people visiting one big sight, a group tour can be cheaper per person. If you are three or more, have children, want to stop where you like or combine places that coach tours do not combine, a private car is more practical. We compare the two honestly in private day trip or group tour from Sofia, and explain what affects the cost in how much a private driver costs.