Plovdiv day trip from Sofia

Updated: October 29, 2026

Plovdiv is about 145 km south-east of Sofia, around 1 h 50 min to 2 h by car on the Trakia motorway. Leaving at 08:30 gives you about six hours in the city: the Roman theatre, the Old Town’s 19th-century houses, the Roman stadium on the main street and lunch in Kapana, back in Sofia by 19:00.

Train, bus or driver?

Plovdiv is one of the easier day trips to do on public transport. Trains and buses run several times a day and the journey takes around two to three hours. If you are happy with stations and a fixed return, that is a sensible choice.

A driver makes sense when you want a door-to-door day, when you are travelling with children or older relatives, or when you want to add a stop outside the city such as Bachkovo Monastery or a winery. It is also worth comparing with car hire; our article on renting a car or hiring a driver sets out the trade-offs.

	Train or bus	Private driver
Door to door	No, station to station	Yes, from your address
Journey time	About 2 to 3 h each way	About 2 h each way
Return time	Fixed by the timetable	When you are ready
Extra stops on the way	Not practical	Bachkovo, Asenovgrad, a winery
Best for	Solo travellers, tight budgets	Families, groups of 3 to 8, mixed plans

Use the booking form above to send your route and date, the number of passengers and any child seats. A return trip can be added in the same form.

One day in Plovdiv: a walking order that works

Ask to be dropped near the top of the main pedestrian street, Knyaz Alexander I. Everything below is within a 20-minute walk.

1. Roman stadium at Dzhumaya Square. Part of the curved seating is visible below street level, and the Dzhumaya Mosque stands next to it.
2. Old Town, uphill on cobbled lanes. Look at the painted merchant houses; several, such as the Balabanov House and the Ethnographic Museum, can be visited inside.
3. Ancient theatre, a 2nd-century Roman theatre with a view over the city and the Rhodope mountains behind.
4. Nebet Tepe, the hill at the top of the Old Town, for the oldest remains and the best view.
5. Kapana, the small grid of streets north of the main street, for lunch, coffee and craft shops.

Time	Plan
08:30	Pick-up in Sofia
10:30	Drop-off in central Plovdiv
10:30 to 11:00	Roman stadium and main street
11:00 to 13:30	Old Town houses, ancient theatre, Nebet Tepe
13:30 to 15:00	Lunch in Kapana
15:00 to 16:30	Free time, a museum or the Roman Forum near the post office
16:30 to 18:30	Drive back to Sofia

The Old Town is on three hills with uneven cobbles. Comfortable shoes matter more than anything else on this trip.

Opening hours and tickets

The theatre, the Old Town houses and the museums each have their own hours, and some close one day a week. Check the opening times on the Plovdiv municipality or museum websites a few days before your trip, especially out of season. Some Old Town houses offer a combined ticket.

Variations

• Via Rila Monastery: a long but rewarding one-way day if you are moving on to Plovdiv. See Sofia to Plovdiv via Rila Monastery.
• With a local guide: the Old Town is far richer with someone explaining it. Our article on combining a driver and a guide explains how to arrange it.
• Overnight: if you want evenings in Kapana or a trip to Bachkovo the next morning, consider staying one night.