Things to do in Plovdiv from Varna: Old Town, Roman theatre, Kapana and how to get there
Things to do in Plovdiv on a 2-day trip from Varna: the Old Town, Roman theatre and stadium, Kapana, Nebet Tepe and Alyosha hills, the museums, plus bus and car options.
Plovdiv is often described as Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city, and the best things to do in Plovdiv fit neatly into two days: the Old Town on the Three Hills, the Roman theatre and stadium, the Kapana creative district, sunset on Nebet Tepe and the view from the Alyosha monument, plus a couple of museums. At about 390 km from Varna it is too far for a comfortable day trip, so plan a weekend. Schedules and prices checked on 2 November 2026.
How do I get from Varna to Plovdiv?
| Option | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Direct bus | 6 h 50 min (back 7 h 15 min) | Union Ivkoni, Varna 15:10 → Plovdiv 22:00; Fri–Mon on the November 2026 board |
| Train | varies | BDZ; check razpisanie.bdz.bg for your date |
| Car | about 390 km | OpenStreetMap routing from Varna bus station; you need a Bulgarian e-vignette |
By bus. The Varna Central Bus Station board lists one direct Union Ivkoni bus to Plovdiv from sector 7 at 15:10, arriving at 22:00. In November 2026 it runs Friday to Monday. The return leaves Plovdiv at 06:45 and reaches Varna at 14:00. The board does not show fares, so check at the ticket desk (open 06:00–19:00) and look again a day before you travel.
By train. BDZ trains run between the two cities, but times and changes vary by date, so we do not quote a fixed duration. Check the BDZ timetable and buy tickets at bileti.bdz.bg.
By air. Plovdiv Airport near Krumovo mainly handles international and charter flights, so flying from Varna is not a practical option.
Make it a loop. Plovdiv is 144 km from Sofia, so you can continue to the capital and take the night train back to Varna; see our Sofia city guide and the 7-day Bulgaria itinerary from Varna.
What can I see in Plovdiv in 2 days?
Day 1: Roman Plovdiv and the Old Town. Start at the Roman Stadium on Roman Stadium Square, free to look at, with Dzhumaya Mosque beside it. Climb into the Old Town: the Ancient Theatre (built in the 90s of the 1st century AD), the Hisar Kapia gate, the Revival-era houses and the Ethnographic Museum in the Kuyumdzhioglu House. End the afternoon on Nebet Tepe, where the city began around 4000 BC, and have dinner in Kapana.
Day 2: mosaics, museums and hills. See the floor mosaics of the Bishop’s Basilica, then the Regional Archaeological Museum on Saedinenie Square (Tuesday to Saturday only). Walk down the pedestrian main street past the Ancient Forum, and in the late afternoon climb Bunardzhik to the Alyosha monument for a view over the whole city. In summer, finish at the Singing Fountains in Tsar Simeon’s Garden.
How much do the sights cost?
| Site | Adult ticket (as of 2026-11) |
|---|---|
| Ancient Theatre, Revival houses and other Old Plovdiv sites | €3.58 each |
| Combined ticket, up to 5 Old Plovdiv sites | €10.74 |
| Bishop’s Basilica | €7.57 |
| Roman Stadium (sphendone) | free; 3D hall €3.68 |
Prices are from the Old Plovdiv institute’s price list. Pupils, students and seniors get in free on the first Thursday of each month, and children under 7 are always free. The theatre and stadium are open daily (November–March 09:00–17:30, with a 12:30–13:00 lunch break). Check the Archaeological Museum and Ethnographic Museum sites for their own prices.
When is the best time to go?
Spring and autumn are best for walking the steep, cobbled lanes of the Old Town. The Ancient Theatre comes alive in summer with open-air opera and concerts, so check the programme on oldplovdiv.bg if you want to see a show. In winter the sights close earlier, so start your days early.
Practical tips
- Wear shoes with grip: the Old Town’s cobblestones are steep and slippery after rain.
- Cars are restricted in the Old Town; the Ethnographic Museum points drivers to the car park by the Holy Assumption cathedral on ul. Saborna.
- Arriving at 22:00 on the bus, book a room in the centre or Kapana so you can walk everywhere.
- Want more ideas for a longer trip? See the best places to visit in Bulgaria and our guide to hot springs and spa towns.
Tours and guided walks can be booked on external sites such as GetYourGuide; we do not sell them.
Coordinates © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Tours & tickets
Booking happens on the provider’s site.
Sources
- Varna Central Bus Station – departures to Plovdiv (board for 6 Nov 2026)
- Varna Central Bus Station – arrivals from Plovdiv (board for 6 Nov 2026)
- Old Plovdiv Municipal Institute – ticket prices (official)
- Old Plovdiv Municipal Institute – The Ancient Theatre (official)
- Old Plovdiv Municipal Institute – Roman Stadium (official)
- Old Plovdiv Municipal Institute – The Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis (official)
- Visit Plovdiv – The Ancient Theatre (capacity in antiquity)
- Visit Plovdiv – The Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis (mosaics)
- Visit Plovdiv – Architectural and Historical Reserve Ancient Plovdiv (official tourism site)
- Visit Plovdiv – Kapana (The Trap)
- Visit Plovdiv – The Hills
- Visit Plovdiv – Monument of the Unknown Soviet Soldier (Alyosha)
- Visit Plovdiv – Tsar Simeon's Garden and the Singing Fountains
- Visit Plovdiv – How to get to Plovdiv
- Regional Archaeological Museum Plovdiv (official)
- Regional Ethnographic Museum Plovdiv – visit and opening hours (official)
- Wikipedia – Plovdiv
- Wikipedia – Roman theatre of Philippopolis
- Wikipedia – Stadium of Philippopolis
- Wikipedia – Nebet Tepe
- Wikipedia – Plovdiv Airport
- OpenStreetMap contributors (coordinates and road distance via OSRM, ODbL)
The list 10
✨ Picked for the current time and weather in Varna
Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis✨ Good right now
Built in the 90s of the 1st century AD under Emperor Domitian and one of the best-preserved Roman theatres anywhere. It once held around 6,000 spectators; today it is a working open-air stage for opera, drama and concerts with seats for about 3,000.
Best for: An evening performance under the open sky
Roman Stadium✨ Good right now
Built in the early 2nd century AD under Hadrian, about 240 m long and with room for up to 30,000 spectators. Only the northern curve is uncovered, sunk below the main pedestrian street; the rest lies under the buildings, with a further section open beneath the shops at Knyaz Alexander I 11.
Best for: Roman history right on the shopping street
Old Town (Ancient Plovdiv reserve)✨ Good right now
About 35 hectares on the Three Hills with more than 200 listed monuments, from Thracian walls to colourful 19th-century merchants' houses in the 'Plovdiv Baroque' style. Over 20 of the Revival houses, such as the Balabanov and Hindliyan houses, are museums or galleries.
Best for: Cobbled lanes, painted houses and slow wandering
Kapana creative district✨ Good right now
The craftsmen's quarter has been a trading hub for more than five centuries; its streets are still named after the old trades. Since the 2019 European Capital of Culture year it has been Plovdiv's creative district of galleries, studios, bars and restaurants.
Best for: Dinner, craft beer and street art
Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis✨ Good right now
The largest basilica of the 4th–6th centuries in Bulgaria, about 83 m long, with more than 2,000 m² of floor mosaics of birds, flowers and geometric patterns in two layers. It is on Bulgaria's UNESCO Tentative List.
Best for: The finest mosaics of the trip
Regional Archaeological Museum✨ Good right now
Founded in 1882 and one of the oldest museums in Bulgaria, with collections from prehistory through Roman Philippopolis to the Middle Ages and one of the country's richest coin collections. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 09:30–17:00; tickets until 16:30.
Best for: Thracian and Roman finds on a rainy day
Regional Ethnographic Museum✨ Good right now
In the Kuyumdzhioglu House, built in 1847, with costumes, crafts, jewellery and interiors from the Plovdiv region, the Rhodopes and Sredna Gora. Winter hours from 25 October: Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–17:00.
Best for: Bulgarian folk culture in a Revival-era mansion
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Plovdiv as a day trip from Varna?
Not comfortably. Plovdiv is about 390 km from Varna by road and the direct bus takes 6 h 50 min one way, so plan at least two nights. The direct bus timetable (Fri–Mon in November 2026) fits a weekend: leave Varna on Friday at 15:10 and come back on the Monday 06:45 bus.
How do I get from Varna to Plovdiv?
The simplest option is the direct Union Ivkoni bus from sector 7 of Varna Central Bus Station (15:10 → 22:00 on the November 2026 board). BDZ trains also connect the two cities; check razpisanie.bdz.bg for your date, as times and changes vary. By car it is about 390 km. Plovdiv Airport mainly serves international and charter flights, so flying from Varna is not a realistic option.
How much are tickets for the Roman theatre and the other Old Town sights?
The Old Plovdiv institute charges €3.58 per adult for each site (Ancient Theatre, the Revival houses and others), €10.74 for a combined ticket to up to five sites, and €7.57 for the Bishop's Basilica (official price list, as of November 2026). Children under 7 go free.
Is the Roman Stadium in Plovdiv free?
Yes, the uncovered northern end (the sphendone) on Roman Stadium Square is free to see. The 3D projection hall next to it costs €3.68 per adult, and a combined ticket for the hall and the eastern sector under the shops on the main street is €5.11.
What is Kapana in Plovdiv?
Kapana ('The Trap') is the old craftsmen's quarter next to the Roman Stadium and Dzhumaya Mosque, with street names such as Zhelezarska (blacksmiths) and Zlatarska (goldsmiths). It was revived as a creative district for Plovdiv's year as European Capital of Culture in 2019 and is now full of galleries, workshops, bars and restaurants.