Day trips

The 15 Best Day Trips from Plovdiv

Drive times, distances, what to see, and a sample day plan for every place worth the trip.

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There are 15 good day trips from Plovdiv, Bulgaria, led by Sofia, Stara Zagora, Pleven. The closest is Asenovgrad, about 25 min by car, and 2 of them fit into half a day. Below: drive times, distances, what to see, and a sample day plan.

Day trips from Plovdiv at a glance

DestinationDistanceDrive timeBest as
Sofia132 km NW2 hr 5 minFull-day trip
Stara Zagora80 km NE1 hr 15 minFull-day trip
Pleven141 km N2 hr 10 minFull-day trip
Sliven142 km NE2 hr 15 minLong day or overnight
Pernik149 km W2 hr 20 minLong day or overnight
Blagoevgrad137 km W2 hr 10 minFull-day trip
Haskovo71 km E1 hr 20 minFull-day trip
Yambol148 km E2 hr 20 minLong day or overnight
Veliko Tŭrnovo126 km NE2 hrFull-day trip
Pazardzhik35 km W40 minHalf-day trip
Asenovgrad18 km SE25 minHalf-day trip
Kavála138 km S2 hr 10 minFull-day trip
Xánthi114 km S1 hr 45 minFull-day trip
Gabrovo93 km NE1 hr 25 minFull-day trip
Kazanlak74 km NE1 hr 25 minFull-day trip

Drive times are estimates from the distance. Check live traffic before you leave.

The best day trips from Plovdiv

  1. 1

    Sofia, Bulgaria

    Full-day trip
    About 2 hr 5 min by car132 km north-west of Plovdiv4 hr 10 min round trip

    Known for Софийски римски амфитеатър.

  2. 2

    Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 15 min by car80 km north-east of Plovdiv2 hr 30 min round trip
  3. 3

    Pleven, Bulgaria

    Full-day trip
    About 2 hr 10 min by car141 km north of Plovdiv4 hr 20 min round trip
  4. 4

    Sliven, Bulgaria

    Long day or overnight
    About 2 hr 15 min by car142 km north-east of Plovdiv4 hr 30 min round trip
  5. 5

    Pernik, Bulgaria

    Long day or overnight
    About 2 hr 20 min by car149 km west of Plovdiv4 hr 40 min round trip
  6. 6

    Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria

    Full-day trip
    About 2 hr 10 min by car137 km west of Plovdiv4 hr 20 min round trip
  7. 7

    Haskovo, Bulgaria

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 20 min by car71 km east of Plovdiv2 hr 40 min round trip
  8. 8

    Yambol, Bulgaria

    Long day or overnight
    About 2 hr 20 min by car148 km east of Plovdiv4 hr 40 min round trip
  9. 9

    Veliko Tŭrnovo, Bulgaria

    Full-day trip
    About 2 hr by car126 km north-east of Plovdiv4 hr round trip
  10. 10

    Pazardzhik, Bulgaria

    Half-day trip
    About 40 min by car35 km west of Plovdiv1 hr 20 min round trip
  11. 11

    Asenovgrad, Bulgaria

    Half-day trip
    About 25 min by car18 km south-east of Plovdiv50 min round trip
  12. 12

    Kavála, Greece

    Full-day trip
    About 2 hr 10 min by car138 km south of Plovdiv4 hr 20 min round trip
  13. 13

    Xánthi, Greece

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 45 min by car114 km south of Plovdiv3 hr 30 min round trip
  14. 14

    Gabrovo, Bulgaria

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 25 min by car93 km north-east of Plovdiv2 hr 50 min round trip
  15. 15

    Kazanlak, Bulgaria

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 25 min by car74 km north-east of Plovdiv2 hr 50 min round trip

A sample day trip: Plovdiv to Sofia

A realistic pace for Sofia, 132 km from Plovdiv. Packy AI builds this for any place on the list, with a route, opening hours and timings you can edit.

  1. 07:30Leave Plovdiv
  2. 09:35Arrive in Sofia (2 hr 5 min drive)
  3. 09:50Софийски римски амфитеатър
  4. 11:50Lunch
  5. 13:05Explore the old town, markets and cafes of Sofia
  6. 15:35Head back to Plovdiv
  7. 17:40Home in Plovdiv

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What are the best day trips from Plovdiv?
The best day trips from Plovdiv are Sofia, Stara Zagora, Pleven, Sliven, Pernik. The closest is Asenovgrad, about 25 min away by car.
What is the closest day trip from Plovdiv?
Asenovgrad is the closest, 18 km south-east of Plovdiv, roughly 25 min by car. Best as a half-day trip.
Where can I go within an hour of Plovdiv?
2 places are within about an hour's drive of Plovdiv: Asenovgrad (25 min), Pazardzhik (40 min).
What is the biggest city near Plovdiv for a day out?
Sofia is the largest city in day-trip range, 132 km north-west of Plovdiv and about 2 hr 5 min by car. With that much to see, start early or stay the night.
How far is too far for a day trip from Plovdiv?
Up to about two hours each way keeps the day relaxed. The farthest place on this list is Pernik at 149 km, around 2 hr 20 min by car, which is better as a long day or an overnight stay.

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