A friendly, good-value capital with golden-domed churches, Roman ruins under the streets and a mountain you can hike from the city edge. Here's what Sofia is like, when to go and how long to stay.
Bulgaria switched from the lev to the euro in 2026 and is in the Schengen area, so the new EU entry checks apply. Check entry rules on GOV.UK before you book.
Temperatures are the average daytime high in °C.
May, June, September and October are best, warm and sunny for walking and for hikes on Vitosha. July and August are hot but pleasant in the mountains. Winter is cold, but Sofia is close to the ski resorts of Borovets and Bansko and very cheap for a city break.
The huge golden-domed cathedral, with a gallery of icons in the crypt.
Roman streets and buildings uncovered beside the metro station in the city centre.
Take the bus or gondola up for walks to waterfalls and stone rivers above the city.
A small medieval church with remarkable 13th-century frescoes, on the edge of the city.
Bulgaria's most famous monastery, striped and painted in the mountains, about 2 hours away.
Daily tours from the Palace of Justice cover the city's layers of history.
Fill a bottle with warm mineral water from the public taps nearby.
Yes, especially for good-value food and drink, history from Roman to Soviet times and mountains on the doorstep. It's a good start for a trip to Plovdiv, Rila or the ski resorts.
Three days covers the city and a day trip to Rila Monastery. Add Plovdiv for another day or two.
May, June, September and October, around 17 to 25°C. Winter is cold but good for skiing nearby.
Fly into Sofia airport, which has flights from across Europe, then take the metro to the centre in about 20 minutes.
Not really. Most signs in the centre and on the metro are also written in Latin letters, and many younger people speak English.
Put Sofia on standby with everyone's other ideas. You each spread your points in secret, get one veto, and the draw picks where you go.