Rila Monastery by car

The monastery

Founded in the first half of the 10th century, the monastery is linked to St Ivan of Rila, the first Bulgarian hermit, who died in 946; his relics were brought back in 1469. It stands at 1,147 m, between the Rilska and Drushlyavitsa rivers. Hrelyo’s Tower dates from the 14th century.

Declared a national museum in 1961 and a national historical reserve in 1976, it returned to monastic life in 1991. In the museum, the carved cross of the monk Rafail, finished in 1802, holds 36 biblical scenes and more than 600 miniature figures.

The route

• From Sofia, take the Struma motorway (A3) south, past Pernik and Dupnitsa, to the Kocherinovo junction.
• Then road III-107 through the town of Rila: about 25 km to the monastery. The road continues to Kirilova Polyana.

Allow about 125 km and 2 h 15 from central Sofia, as a guide. Both the motorway and road III-107 are part of the network that requires a vignette, already included on every one of our cars.

Parking and opening hours

Car and coach parks are located outside the monastery’s two gates. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the monastery is open to visitors from 7:00 to 20:00.

The exhibitions open every day, with no closing day. Tickets are sold at the entrance to each exhibition, only at the monastery, which states that tickets bought online are not valid there. Guided tours of about 50 minutes are available in Bulgarian, English and French.

Dress and visitor rules

• Covered clothing: the monastery does not admit short skirts, shorts or tank tops.
• No photos or video in the church and the museum.
• No smoking, no pets, no noise; the upper floors of the residential buildings are not open to visitors.
• In the church: silence, men bareheaded, no pushchairs or large backpacks.

Around the monastery

The cave where St Ivan of Rila lived is about 4 km away along a marked path. The monastery also offers accommodation.

The monastery lies within the Rila Monastery Nature Park, established in May 2000, which covers more than 27,000 hectares of forest, meadows and peaks.

Driving tips

Most exhibitions close at 16:30, so it is worth leaving Sofia in the morning. The last stretch is a mountain road; from 15 November to 1 March, the winter rules apply (winter tyres or at least 4 mm of tread), as explained in our winter driving guide.

With our cars

We hand over the vehicle in Sofia or at the airport, for a day or longer. South of Kocherinovo, the Struma motorway leads towards the Greek border: our vehicles do not leave Bulgaria.