During the day the place is over run with tourists, but after about 6pm they all leave and you are left felling like you have the entire monastery all to yourself which makes for a special feeling and some lovely tourist free photos at sunset....More

The Rila Monastery is beautifully maintained and all buildings are restored really well. It is a small place and one does not need more than half an hour to walk around. It tends to get very crowded so it is not really a peaceful place...More

Did the monastery as part of a prepaid shuttle that took us to the rila mountains (which we spent 5 hours climbing - amazing!) and then 2 hours at the monastery. Thought 2 hours was way too long and went round the back of it...More

Worth the visit, that's not a question, but expect herds of non-religious selfie-bot tourists swarming the place in season. The buildings and frescos are stunning, but don't expect too much tranquility and spiritual atmosphere due to all the tourists. The road to the complex is...More

Placed up in the mountains, about two hours from Sofia is this architectural pearl. Magnificent building well worth visiting. We took the bus from Sofia western bus station, departing once per day to Rila 10:20am (12 lev per person). Once there you have two hours...More

It was an easy place to get to via bus, no need to take a tour. The monastery is set near a beautiful wooded area and is so serene. The frescoes are a wonder to see. If you get a mental picture of Bulgaria, this...More

Beautiful place in the mountains. Make a day of it, we were supposed to go to Vithusha mountains as well but the communication with the agent and driver got lost so we didn't get to go. The monastery is beautiful, and very historic. The scenery...More

We travelled with VTravel, I recommend the company, Mihail, our guide was really friendly and helpful, speaking great English. The Monastery is breathtaking, you can actually feel the divine powers there, and it is interesting to hear its history, and how important it is for...More

Beautiful,peaceful,historic Monastery.............glorious outside.....and fabulous inside. Did we appreciate the frescoes: outside and inside. Our V Travel guide gave us much background info to really appreciate what we were seeing/experiencing. YOU MUST go to Rila: independently or on a tour! A true UNESCO World heritage Site.

This is the most iconic place in Bulgaria, and a visit to Sofia without taking the time to come would be a waist. Its free to enter and the place is beautiful and serene. A must!