Best day trips from Varna: 15 places by car, bus or tour
The best day trips from Varna, grouped by direction: Balchik, Kaliakra, Nessebar, Burgas, the Madara Rider, Shumen, Veliko Tarnovo, the Stone Forest and more, with buses and distances.
The best day trips from Varna take you north to Balchik and Cape Kaliakra, south to Nessebar and Burgas, inland to the Madara Rider, Shumen and Veliko Tarnovo, or just outside the city to the Stone Forest and Aladzha Monastery. Below are 15 places grouped by direction, each with one or two lines, how to get there by bus, train or car, and a link to our detailed guide where we have one. Bus times from Varna Bus Station’s timetable checked on 2 November 2026; road distances from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), without stops.
Day trips from Varna at a glance
| Direction | Places | Getting there |
|---|---|---|
| North coast | Aladzha, Albena, Balchik, Kaliakra, Shabla, Durankulak | Buses to Balchik, Kavarna and Shabla; car for the capes |
| South coast | Kamchia, Nessebar, Burgas, Sozopol | About 10 buses a day to Burgas and Sunny Beach |
| Inland history | Madara, Shumen, Pliska, Veliko Tarnovo | Buses to Shumen and Veliko Tarnovo; train to Madara |
| Varna province | Stone Forest, Provadia, Beloslav, Devnya | City bus 43, train or a short drive |
North coast: monasteries, palaces and cliffs
Start close: Aladzha Monastery is a rock-cut monastery in the forest above Golden Sands. Further north, the beach resort of Albena and Balchik Palace are easy by bus. Beyond Kavarna the coast turns wild: Cape Kaliakra, Tyulenovo and Durankulak are best done by car in one loop, with the Shabla lighthouse on the way.
South coast: Kamchia, Nessebar and Burgas
The Kamchia reserve, about 25 km south, is the nearest stretch of wild river forest and dunes. Nessebar and Sunny Beach are the classic bus trip south; Burgas has the most buses, and Sozopol, 35 km beyond it, is better with an overnight stay.
Inland: Bulgaria’s first capitals
The Madara Rider and Shumen make the easiest history day from Varna, and Pliska, the first capital, is a short drive from both. Veliko Tarnovo, capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, is the longest trip here.
Varna province: close and quiet
The Stone Forest is 18 km west. Near it, the Museum of Glass in Beloslav, on the lakeshore where the first Bulgarian glass factory opened in 1893, shows glassblowing (Wednesday–Sunday 10:00–14:00, adults €7.16, per Visit Varna). In Devnya, the Museum of Mosaics stands over a Roman villa and shows mosaics from ancient Marcianopolis. Provadia, with Ovech Fortress and the Solnitsata salt site, fills half a day.
Guided tour or do it yourself?
Buses cover Balchik, Shumen, Burgas, Sunny Beach and Veliko Tarnovo well, and trains reach Madara and Provadia. A car or a guided tour makes more sense for Kaliakra and the far north coast, for Pliska, and for combining Madara, Pliska and Shumen in one day. If you prefer a tour, you can compare day trips from Varna on GetYourGuide through the link on this page; we do not sell tours ourselves. Check what is included (transport, entry tickets, guide language) before you book.
Tips before you go
- Timetables are seasonal. In November there are no buses from Varna to Kamchia and only one direct bus a day, on four days a week, to Nessebar. Varna Bus Station asks passengers to call 24 hours before travelling (0700 200 24) to check for changes.
- Out of season, check opening days on the official pages: several sites on this list close on Monday and Tuesday.
- For a national overview, see our best places to visit in Bulgaria.
Coordinates © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Tours & tickets
Booking happens on the provider’s site.
Sources
- Varna Bus Station – departures by destination (timetable checked 2 Nov 2026)
- Visit Varna (Varna Municipality) – Around Varna
- Visit Varna – Aladzha Monastery
- Visit Varna – The Stone Forest (Pobiti Kamani)
- Visit Varna – The Palace and Botanical Garden, Balchik
- Visit Varna – Cape Kaliakra and archaeological reserve
- Visit Varna – Kamchia reserve and Longoza protected area
- Visit Varna – Madara Rider
- Visit Varna – Ovech Fortress, Provadia
- Visit Varna – Provadia-Solnitsata prehistoric salt-production centre
- Visit Varna – Museum of Glass, Beloslav
- Wikipedia – Kaliakra
- Wikipedia (bg) – Shabla Lighthouse
- Wikipedia – Durankulak
- Wikipedia – Albena
- Wikipedia – Nesebar
- Wikipedia – Burgas
- Wikipedia – Sozopol
- Wikipedia – Madara Rider
- Wikipedia – Tombul Mosque
- Wikipedia – Shumen Fortress
- Wikipedia – Pliska
- Wikipedia – Veliko Tarnovo
- Wikipedia – Museum of Mosaics, Devnya
- OSRM route service (OpenStreetMap data) – driving distances from Varna
- OpenStreetMap contributors (coordinates, ODbL)
The list 15
✨ Picked for the current time and weather in Varna
Aladzha Monastery✨ Good right now
A medieval cave monastery cut into an almost 40 m limestone cliff in Golden Sands Nature Park, home to hermit monks in the 13th and 14th centuries. The early Christian 'Catacombs' lie 600–700 m to the west. About 17 km from the centre: city bus, taxi or a short drive. Check the winter opening times before you go.
Best for: A half day, easily combined with Golden Sands
Albena✨ Good right now
A purpose-built beach resort opened in 1967, about 30 km north of Varna, with its own uniform architecture and little resort trains. In November 2026 one direct bus a day runs from Varna Bus Station (09:30, about 35 minutes).
Best for: A beach day in summer with children
Balchik Palace and Botanical Garden✨ Good right now
The summer residence of Queen Marie of Romania, built from 1924 to 1936 in a mix of styles, with a park first laid out in 1926 that is now Sofia University's botanical garden. Varna Bus Station lists 7–8 buses a day to Balchik, taking 45–57 minutes (November 2026).
Best for: Gardens, sea views and an easy bus trip
Cape Kaliakra✨ Good right now
A narrow headland running about 2 km into the sea, with cliffs up to 70 m, a nature and archaeological reserve since 1960. Walk past the walls of the 14th-century capital of Despot Dobrotitsa and look out for dolphins; Bolata Cove with a small beach lies just north. Buses go to Kavarna (6 a day, 1 h 20 min–1 h 30 min); the cape is 12 km further, so a car is easiest.
Best for: Cliffs, sunsets and birdwatching in spring and autumn
Shabla Lighthouse and Durankulak✨ Good right now
Shabla lighthouse, opened in 1857, is the oldest on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and, at 32 m, the tallest in the country; it stands on Cape Shabla about 4 km east of the town. Further north, Durankulak is the last village before the Romanian border, with a coastal lake beside it. Buses reach Shabla 4 times a day in about 2 hours.
Best for: A quiet coastal drive, ideally combined with Kaliakra
Kamchia Reserve and the Longoz forest✨ Good right now
The lower valley of the Kamchia, a 46 km river that enters the Black Sea at Kamchia resort, about 25 km south of Varna. Its flooded longoz forests have been part of UNESCO's biosphere reserve network since 1977, and 258 bird species have been recorded. Visit Varna mentions buses to the resort, but the November 2026 timetable lists none, so go by car out of season.
Best for: Forest walks, birds and wide dune beaches
Old Nessebar✨ Good right now
An ancient town on a former island joined to the mainland by a narrow isthmus, full of medieval churches, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. In November 2026 about 10 buses a day run from Varna to Sunny Beach (around 1 h 45 min); the only direct bus to Nessebar leaves at 15:10 on four days a week.
Best for: History and sea views; go early in summer
Sozopol✨ Good right now
An old seaside town 35 km south of Burgas, founded as the Greek colony of Apollonia and known for its Apollonia arts festival in early September. There is no direct bus from Varna in the November 2026 timetable: go via Burgas, or drive about 160 km. Better with a night away.
Best for: Old-town walks and beaches; long day or overnight
Madara Rider✨ Good right now
An early medieval relief of a life-size horseman, a lion and a hound carved into the cliffs of the Madara plateau, dated to around the reign of Khan Tervel and on the UNESCO list since 1979. The national reserve around it also has a museum and the Madara fortress. Visit Varna suggests the train to Madara village.
Best for: The closest UNESCO site to Varna; pair with Shumen
Shumen✨ Good right now
Home to the Tombul Mosque, the largest mosque in Bulgaria, and to Shumen Fortress on the hill above town, a stronghold from Thracian to medieval times destroyed by the Ottomans in 1444. About 10 buses a day, most taking 1 h–1 h 15 min and most of them on the way to Sofia (November 2026).
Best for: History, views and an easy bus trip
Pliska✨ Good right now
The first capital of the First Bulgarian Empire, 20 km north-east of Shumen. By the early 9th century an outer earthwork 21 km long enclosed it; today you walk among palace foundations and the Great Basilica. Varna Bus Station lists no direct bus, so drive (about 80 km) or join a tour that combines it with Madara.
Best for: Bulgarian history fans with a car
Veliko Tarnovo✨ Good right now
The capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, built on three hills above the meanders of the Yantra; the palaces and Patriarchal church stood on Tsarevets. Ten buses a day take 2 h 45 min–4 h (November 2026), so it is a long day; many people stay a night.
Best for: A full day or a weekend
Stone Forest (Pobiti Kamani)✨ Good right now
Groups of natural stone pillars rising out of the sand 18 km west of Varna, whose origin scientists still debate. City bus 43 goes to the 'Razklon Banovo' stop in Slanchevo; entry is €3 for adults and €2 for students (Visit Varna, November 2026).
Best for: A short trip, best at sunset
Provadia: Ovech Fortress and Solnitsata✨ Good right now
Ovech sits on a cliff-ringed plateau above Provadia, inhabited from the 3rd to the 17th century, with a 79 m deep well. About 7 km south, Provadia-Solnitsata is described as Europe's oldest salt-production centre (5600–4350 BC). Ovech entry €2.05 adults, open Wednesday–Sunday. In November two buses run on weekdays only; Visit Varna also suggests the train.
Best for: Off-the-beaten-track history
Frequently asked questions
What are the best day trips from Varna without a car?
Balchik (7–8 buses a day, about 50 minutes), Shumen (about 10 buses, most taking 1 hour to 1 h 15 min), Burgas and Sunny Beach (about 10 buses each), Veliko Tarnovo (10 buses, 2 h 45 min to 4 h) and the Stone Forest by city bus 43 all work by public transport (Varna Bus Station and Visit Varna, November 2026). The Madara Rider and Provadia are reachable by train.
Can you do Nessebar as a day trip from Varna?
Yes. The road distance is about 100 km. In the November 2026 timetable there are about ten buses a day from Varna to Sunny Beach (around 1 h 45 min) and only one direct bus to Nessebar (15:10, four days a week), so for a day trip most people take a Sunny Beach bus and continue the last few kilometres locally. Our Nessebar guide has the details.
How do you get from Varna to Cape Kaliakra?
The official Varna tourism site says the easiest way is by car; it is about 75 km by road. Buses run from Varna to Kavarna (6 a day, 1 h 20 min to 1 h 30 min), and the cape lies 12 km east of Kavarna, with no bus listed for that last stretch.
Which UNESCO sites can I visit from Varna in a day?
The Madara Rider, about 75 km west of Varna and on the UNESCO list since 1979, and the old town of Nessebar, listed in 1983, about 100 km south. The Kamchia reserve south of Varna is part of UNESCO's biosphere reserve network (1977).