Bulgaria Tours & Holidays

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

While most larger hotels will include a gratuity, restaurants rarely add a service charge and a 10% tip is the custom.

Travellers should be able to access the internet at cyber cafes and Wi-Fi hot spots in Bulgaria's major cities and towns. Remote and rural areas will have less internet availability, so be prepared for this when travelling out of the city.

Western-style, flushable toilets are mostly the standard in Bulgaria, however squat toilets can be found in some public restrooms.

Cup of coffee in a cafe = 1-2 BGN

Beer in a bar or restaurant = 2-3 BGN

Basic, takeaway lunch = 6-8 BGN

Dinner in an inexpensive restaurant = 10-15 BGN

Tap water is chlorinated but generally considered safe to drink (unless otherwise marked), however some travellers may not enjoy the taste and should stick to using a water bottle.

Mobile phone coverage is generally good in Bulgaria, but patchy in some remote places. Travellers should activate global roaming before leaving home.

Major credit cards are accepted in large cities, mostly in shops and hotels. Smaller vendors may not accept credit cards, so carry enough cash to cover small purchases.

ATMs are commonly found in Bulgaria's cities and urban areas, however not all bank machines accept overseas cards. Access may be difficult in some remote areas.

• 1 Jan New Year's Day

• 3 Mar Liberation Day
• 14 Apr Orthodox Good Friday
• 15 Apr Orthodox Holy Easter
• 16 Apr Orthodox Easter Sunday
• 17 Apr Orthodox Easter Monday
• 1 May Labour Day
• 6 May Saint George's Day / Army Day
• 24 May Culture & Literacy Day
• 6 Sep Unification Day
• 22 Sep Independence Day
• 24 Dec Christmas Eve
• 25 Dec Christmas Day
• 26 Dec 2nd Day of Christmas

For a current list of public holidays in Bulgaria go to: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/bulgaria/public-holidays

Absolutely. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.

For more information on insurance, please go to: Travel Insurance

Intrepid takes the health and safety of its travellers seriously and takes every measure to ensure that trips are safe, fun and enjoyable for everyone. We recommend that all travellers check with their government or national travel advisory organisation for the latest information before departure:

From Australia?

Go to: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/

From Canada?

Go to: https://travel.gc.ca/

From the UK?

Go to: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

From New Zealand?

Go to: https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/

From the US?

Go to: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html

The World Health Organisation also provides useful health information.