15 Massage & Relaxation in Bulgaria That Are Worth the Day

1.Rila Monastery UNESCO Site & Outdoor Mineral Spa

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 400 reviews · 9 hours · from $42Our pick

Rila Monastery and Sapareva Banya mineral spa in one 9-hour small-group day trip from Sofia, with audio guidance and free time.

“Our guide Mihail was brilliant. He spoke clearly and his English was very good. Despite having an issue with the vehicle, this was resolved very quickly and we were comfortable at the service station. Mihail answered any questions we had and ensured we all had access to the audio guides. We particularly enjoyed the personal tip of where to get the best snacks in Bulgaria just outside of the monastery.”

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2.Rila Monastery and Optional Museum, Cave or Spa

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 270 reviews · 8 - 9 hours · from $35Best value

A full-day trip from Sofia to UNESCO Rila Monastery, with optional museum, Saint John cave hike, or mineral spa time for a mountain reset.

“If you have some interest for Bulgarian culture and history, you must see both these places... and the bus & guide is perhaps the best option to reach them (particularly in case of mountain-located Rila Monastery). Both monastery and church are first-class monuments of Bulgarian Orthodox architecture and art. Must see.”

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3.7 Rila Lakes Hiking & Thermal Spa Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 46 reviews · 1 day · from $129

Seven Rila Lakes hiking from Sofia, with an optional long-peak route and a relaxing Sapareva Banya thermal spa soak.

“We had a fantastic time on our trek Mari was a wonderful guide and tailored the trek for we two older Aussies. we have fond memories of the trek and particularly Mari, she is a most wonderful person and was a pleasure to spend the day with.”

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4.Half Day Tour around Sofia and the mountains with Thermal Spa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 43 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $210Top rated

Half-day Sofia tour with Vitosha mountain stops and UNESCO Boyana Church, finished with Korali outdoor thermal pools and lake views.

“The excellent service provided by the guide Dimitry, his English was excellent, he was knowlrgable, helpful, and extremely pleasant. We enjoyed the whole day out and the attractions visited , although we gave the dip in the thermal pools a miss two of the party in their eighties, one in her seventies and the fourth at the wrong end of her sixties.”

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5.The Best of Bansko: Magical Snowshoeing Adventure & SPA

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $124

Snowshoe through Pirin National Park from Bansko, then unwind in Dobrinishte mineral pools, with pickup, equipment included, and English guides.

“This was very unique and fun hike!! The snow and forest are truly beautiful and the guide Dobrev was very nice and explained everything to us and provided a lot of info! The booking was fast and easy, and the hot pools at the end perfect after a cold walk!”

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7.Rila Monastery and Hot Mineral Bath Spa Complex Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 27 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $71

Visit Rila Monastery then soak in Sapareva Banya hot mineral pools on a small-group day trip from Sofia with transport, WiFi, and free time.

“Apostolos, our driver, was very nice. Everything was punctual and the day developed as described. The monastery is beautiful and the spa very complete and relaxing. Thank you for a wonderful day! My 3 stars are due to the price of the spa. Be aware that the price of the spa on the weekends is not the one announced in the description. To enter the inner and outer pools with bathrobe rental costs 51 euros per person. The cheapest entrance was 30 euros just for the outer pools and no bathrobe. You need to leave 20 euros deposit in cash at the entrance for locker key and bracelet. This should…”

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8.Seven Rila Lakes Day Trip from Sofia Guided Hike Lunch & Spa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 8 hours · from $116

Guided hike to the Seven Rila Lakes, traditional lunch, then Sapareva Banya geyser and thermal spa time on a small-group day trip from Sofia.

“I was the only one on the tour so the guide was flexible with the length and difficulty of the snowshoeing trail, which I was very happy about as I prefer as long/difficult as possible. we did a 6km loop with 300m elevation which took 3hrs. then we enjoyed lunch in the hut's canteen and then enjoyed the thermal spa (just over 1.5hrs which was enough for me). I was back in Sofia at 6.30pm. it was a fantastic day out. the only extra cost is the chairlift (16 euro for a return). Simeon is a great and accommodating guide”

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9.Easy snowshoeing Pirin National Park & thermal spa

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 19 reviews · 6 hours · from $100

Easy snowshoe in UNESCO Pirin Park, then soak in Banya hot spring pools. Morning pickup from Bansko, return to your hotel.

“The whole experience was perfect from start to finish. We cannot thank Mari enough for the most amazing day. The hike up the mountain was really good fun. We stopped half way on the mountains for some lunch, which was a perfect location with amazing views. We learned lots of facts about the area and its history from Mari, she is extremely knowledgeable and speaks great English. As a group of 4 friends, this was a great activity, which ended at a thermal spa before being dropped back to our hotel. We highly recommend! MASSIVE THANK YOU TO MARI, YOU REALLY MADE THE EXPERIENCE PERFECT FOR US AND WE ALL…”

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11.Rila Mountain Winter Day Trip – Nature and SPA!

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 8 reviews · 9 hours · from $35

Winter day trip from Sofia to Rila: Tsarska Bistritsa snow scenery, Borovets stop, then Sapareva Banya SPA with 5 panoramic mineral pools.

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12.Private Day Trip to Sapareva Banya for SPA

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $119

Private day trip from Sofia to Sapareva Banya for hot mineral-spring spa time, with pickup, Wi-Fi car, and flexible relaxation.

“It was a nice trip . It is not a big place with a few pools with different temperatures of mineral water.We were able to relax and get ready for more activities . It was also easy and picturesque ride from Sofia. Our driver , Krassimir, was in time and very helpful.”

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13.Half Day Tour – Sofia and the mountains with Thermal Spa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 6 hours · from $196

Sofia in 6 hours, including Nevsky Cathedral, Boyana Church, Vitosha views from Kopitoto, and outdoor hot springs at Pancharevo Lake.

“Sehr schöne Kombination verschiedener Sehenswürdigkeiten rund um Sofoa, die ohne Auto nur sehr aufwändig zu erreichen sind”

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14.Infinity spa

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4 reviews · from $75

Relax at Infinity Spa in Varna with pickup and return transfer, English or Russian care, and choices like Turkish bath and aromatherapy.

“I love spa hotels and this one - Infinity is one of my favorite in Sunny Beach. The food is nice. The swiming pool is large.”

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