Burgas is one of the two major cities on the Bulgarian Black sea coast. While lazy beach days are a given, why not spice up your summer holiday with some unforgettable day trips? From historic sites to natural wonders, here are the top day trips from Burgas that will add an extra layer of adventure to your vacation.
If you are on holiday in Burgas or have something to do there, this post will definitely help you find what to see and do in this beautiful region of the Bulgarian shoreline.
How to get to Burgas and nearby
There are plenty of direct flights available from various European cities. Some popular routes include Vienna, Budapest, Dublin, Warsaw, Krakow, Bratislava, and London.
Burgas is situated 382 kilometers east of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. You can get to Burgas either by car, or by public transport – by plain, by train from Sofia, and by bus.
You have two main options to travel from Burgas to nearby places:
- by car: if you need to rent a car, see here for rental car options and current prices;
- by bus: check the routes and schedules here.
You can also join an organized tour in order to visit some interesting places around Burgas.
Saint Anastasia Island: the perfect day trip from Burgas
Saint Anastasia Island is one of the newest tourist attractions in Bulgaria. During the tour there you will uncover pirate treasures and archeological wonders.
It is not only an interesting place to visit, also a real sea experience, because to get there you need a boat or a ship. Well, tourist ships are available at the Burgas port, Magasia 1, where there is also a tourist center.
Experience a truly unforgettable adventure by visiting this unique destination. Not only is it rich in history and culture, but it offers a genuine maritime experience. To reach the Island, a boat or ship is required, adding an extra element of excitement to your journey.
How to get there
Fortunately, tourist ships are available at the Burgas port, specifically at Magasia 1. See here for a tour option.
More information about the island and the way to get there you can find in the corresponding blog article.
Burgas: Aquae Calidae
Aquae Calidae is a recently open tourist attraction and is another great idea for a day trip from Burgas. Imagine stepping into a piece of ancient history as you soak in the same baths used by the Romans centuries ago. These sacred waters were first discovered by the Thracians who saw them as a sanctuary, and have since been rebuilt and preserved through the ages. They have been used nowadays until a decade ago. Now it is a museum.
How to get there
Aquae Calidae is located about 14 kilometers northwest of the center of Bourgas between the villages of Vetren and Banevo, now districts of Burgas. You can get there by car or you can take the bus line number 3 from the Burgas West Bus station.
You can learn more about the place in the post here.
Nessebar – the Old Town
Nessebar Old town is a place with a unique atmosphere that does not need a special presentation because it is already well-known. You can see there typical old houses, very old churches and temples, fortress walls, and charming sea scenery.
I advice you also to visit the Archaeological Museum in Nessebar. Located in a new building at the entrance of the Old Town in Nessebar, the museum presents exhibits from the history of ancient Messambria and Medieval Nessebar.
You can get to Nessebar or to Pomorie by bus from the Burgas South Bus station.
Pomorie
Pomorie is a town on a Black sea. It is located 19 km northeast of Burgas. There are a lot of tourist attractions in the town and around which makes it another great option for a day trip from Burgas. Let me tell you about some of tourists sites there you can visit.
Ancient-Thracian domed tomb
5 km west of Pomorie you can see a Thracian antique dome tomb dating from 2-4 century AD. The access is easy and convenient. You can reach it by car.
The tomb is a large circular room with a diameter of about 12 meters and a thick hollow column in the middle. A 22-meter-long dromos corridor leads to this circular room. The column is more than a meter in diameter and rises to the surface of the tomb. Inside the column there are traces of spiral staircase that led upwards in the very past.
Pomorie: the Historical Museum
It is located in the old part of the town in a building that is an architectural monument.
Pomorie Lake
The Pomorie Lake is a coastal lagoon, located 19 km northeast of Bourgas and 2 km north of Pomorie. Despite the nice view, what is interesting about the lake is that оne of the major airways of migratory birds from across Europe Via Pontica passes above the lake. Over 250 different bird species have been observed in the wetland area. There is a visitor center on the southern shore of Pomorie Lake. Close to the tourist center is the Salt museum.
Chernomorets: Akra fortress and museum exposition “St. Nicholas” – a day trip from Burgas to a little known place
Chernomorets is a small town located 25 km southeast of Burgas.Two interesting tourist sites can be visited there. The first one is a small museum. Its name is “St. Nicholas” and it is located in the center. It consists of two halls – archeological and ethnographic, and a lapidarium where you can see a rich collection of stone anchors – the oldest anchors found at the bottom of the Sozopol Gulf. Saint Nicholas is considered to be a patron of the settlement.
The second site is the Akra fortress which is situated on the Akra Peninsula (Cape Akin), the first peninsula after the town of Chernomorets in the direction of Burgas. The fortress can be reached in about ten minutes by car from Chernomorets on a dirt but stable road.
Akra fortress was built in the second half of the 5th century under the rule of the Byzantine emperor Anastasius. It served as a fortification of a settlement, remnants of which can be seen today on the seabed in low and clean waters. The fortress survived until the 90s of the 6th century, when the Avar invasions occurred.
Sozopol: the Old town
The old town of Sozopol is an architectural and archaeological reserve, one of the symbols of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. I strongly recommend you to go and have a walk there. You can see typical old houses from Strandzha region, fortress walls with towers, small shops and restaurants, amphitheater and all this surrounded by the Black Sea.
Sozopol – The Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum is located in the old town of Sozopol and contains interesting exhibits presenting the history of the town.
Sozopol: St. Ivan Island
The St. Ivan Island is located north of Sozopol. The name of the island comes from the monastery “St. John the Baptist”, whose remains can be visited nowadays (please, be aware that Ivan is the Bulgarian for John). The Monastery of St. John the Baptist is one of the first Christian monasteries. It dates back to the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 6th century. A lot of archives, preserving ancient manuscripts from this monastery, are kept in various European libraries today.
In 2010 the Bulgarian archaeologist prof. Kazimir Popkonstantinov found a coffin with bones at the base of the old church there. Analyzes and studies afterwards indicated that those bones were part of the relics of St. John the Baptist himself, the predecessor of Christ.
How to get to the St. Ivan Island
There are not currently organized trips to the island of St. Ivan. The cruise ships departing from the quay in Sozopol only pass along the two islands of Saint John and St. Peter. To get to the island, you have to use one of the fishing boats on the quay. The price is negotiable. We paid 40 BGN in total to get to the island and back.
It takes about 20 minutes to reach the St. Ivan Island. The return takes the same time. You will also need to plan at least 40 minutes to look around there.
Deultum – an ancient Roman colony
Deultum is the only colony of free Roman citizens on the territory of Bulgaria. The site is quite impressive for its reach history and its size. In 2011 Deultum was elected by national electronic vote for one of the Bulgaria wonders. It was found that there was a Thracian settlement at first. That was before the beginning of the new era. Later on, in the second half of the 1st century under the rule of the Roman emperor Titus Flavius Vespasian, the Roman colony Deultum was founded by the veterans of the August VIII Legion.
The national archaeological reserve “Deultum-Debelt” is situated in the eastern outskirts of the village of Debelt, about 20 km southwest of Burgas.
Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora is one of the oldest cities in the world. Oh, yes, in the world! It is a city more than 8000 years old, destroyed more than once or twice in the centuries and after each destruction it shone brighter than before.
As a result of its thousand-year history, the city and its surroundings preserve remnants from different eras.
There today you can walk along two completely authentic Roman streets and feel like you were in ancient times in the Augusta Traiana Ancient Forum Complex.
Stara Zagora is located 172 km west of Burgas. You can get there by car, by bus, or by train.
Read more about how and why visit Stara Zagora here.
Final thoughts
Burgas is not only a fantastic vacation destination in Bulgaria, but also a great starting point for exciting day trips. From ancient ruins and charming villages, to beautiful beaches and nature reserves, the possibilities for adventure are almost endless. By exploring the surrounding areas, you can gain a deeper understanding of the culture and history of my beautiful country while creating unforgettable memories.
