Our Top Things to Do in Plovdiv

So you’ve made it to Plovdiv-claim to Europe’s oldest city! Honestly, we didn’t know that Plovdiv held that prestigious accolade before we planned our trip, but we are here to hype it up! Plovdiv is definitely an underrated budget friendly destinations and we were pleasantly surprised with both the Old Town and Plovdiv City Center. So follow along for our top things to do in Plovdiv.

cheap things to do in plovdiv bulgaria include the city center
the colorful pink and orange houses stand behind a women walking by in old town plovdiv
The remains of an ancient roman stadium from the 2nd century is a top recommendation for things to do in plovdiv bulgaria

Cheap Things to Do in Plovdiv Bulgaria

Plovdiv is right in the center of Bulgaria and is such a unique blend of old and new. Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second largest city and an easy addition to your Bulgaria travels.

Whether you want to explore the free ancient ruins right in the middle of the city, shop in Plovdiv’s city center, or stroll through the colorful houses that make up Old Town Plovdiv, you’ll have plenty of options to enjoy a few days here.

Exploring Old Town Plovdiv Bulgaria

Old Town Plovdiv is one of the most iconic parts of the city center and probably the reason you chose to add Plovdiv to your Bulgaria itinerary. Old Town Plovdiv is a small labyrinth of cobblestone streets framed by colorful traditional houses. Interspersed between the preserved houses you’ll find several of our favorite Plovdiv museums!

Our Top Plovdiv Museum recommendations include:

  1. Regional Ethnographic Museum: Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9:00-18:00, this museum is not only beautiful from the outside, but also historically established in it’s current location since 1938!
  2. Regional Archaeological Museum: Since Pat is a medievalist, this is a family favorite! It’s home to over 100,000 artifacts spread across several rooms. Best off, when we went in November we had the museum completely to ourselves.
  3. Plovdiv Regional History Museum: This museum traces the history of the city of Plovdiv back to the 15th-19th century.

One of our favorite things about the Plovdiv museums is how affordable they are! We love when we feel like we can comfortably afford admission to a museum! All of these museums cost less then $5 USD and even offer student rates for less then half that price.

cheap things to do in plovdiv bulgaria featuring a historic yellow painted house in old town plovdiv
The colorful facade of the painted buildings in old town plovdiv

In addition to the museums in Old Town, you’ll also find plenty of art galleries, local craft shops, antique stores, and cafes. As Plovdiv is tiny, the ” Old Town” is just about a 10 minute walk from the modern shopping focused city center.

Visit the Roman Theatre

Plovdiv’s Roman Theatre is an iconic and impressive landmark on the outskirts of the Old Town. The ancient structure dates back to the 2nd century! You can view the entire theatre from the outside of a partially gated area for free, or pay a few dollars to enter and even get a guided tour. You can even see a show at the theatre which still seats over 3,000 people!

The roman theater is a top recommendation for things to do in plovdiv in plovdiv old town.

Get a panoramic view from Nebet Tepe Hill

Nebet Tepe Hill is one of the ancient seven hills of Plovdiv and includes 360 degree views of Plovdiv. From the top, you can also see scatterings of the ancient structures that ground Plovdiv in its incredible history.

If you don’t feel like climbing Nebet Tepe hill, then make your way instead to the view terrace observation deck from St. Archangels Chapel for a more accessible panoramic view ( labeled ” view terrace”) on Google Maps!

Want to learn about Old Town Plovdiv, take a free walking tour ( offered in multiple language). There are a few different options for tip-based tours, but most focus on the main tourist sits in the Old Town and last about 2 hours.

Exploring Plovdiv City Center

Just a 10 minute walk downhill from Plovdiv Old Town you’ll find the heart of the modern city center. With a large pedestrian only street cutting through the center, you can find all amenities from local restaurants to international shopping chains. While we think these shopping streets can feel like carbon copies of each other, Plovdiv’s is definitely an exception!

Awe at the remains of a 2nd century stadium

Smack in the middle of Plovdiv’s main shopping area (Knyaz Alexander I Street) you’ll find preserved and restored remains of an ancient Roman Stadium from the 2nd century! The Roman Stadium was discovered during construction just a few decades ago. Even more interesting ( at least to us), as of 2021 the Eastern sector of the Ancient Stadium of Philippopolis ( to give the ruins its full proper name) is now accessible to visitors at the basement of H&M!

Indulge in a culinary treat

Whether you’re looking for local Bulgarian dishes or international cuisine, you’ll be able to find whatever type of food you like in the Plovdiv city center. Personally, our favorite restaurant is Veggic which is a fully vegan spot with a huge menu including Bulgarian specialties and international treats.

Enjoy a 3D Movie?

Not often do we indulge ( or recommend ) in such a ” touristy” attractions, but for less then $4USD you can watch a bit of cheesy reimagining of the Roman Stadium. To get a sense of the scale alone ( it held over 40,000 people), we think it’s worth the price! Plus, you can use the same ticket to enter the remains of the stadium in the basement of the H& M which adds even more value.

Now that you’ve got some tips on our recommendations for things to do in Plovdiv Bulgaria, you need to figure out how to get back to Sofia!

How to take the bus from Plovdiv to Sofia Bulgaria

Let me start off by saying, there are FOUR bus stations in Plovdiv. We dumbly assumed that the bus station we arrived at would be the bus station we were leaving from. Nope, we were very wrong. After hauling ourselves into a taxi and pleading with the driver to speed us to the correct bus station ( which is just 15 minutes away) we JUST made our bus because luckily it was running late. I’m not sure I’ve ever appreciated a late bus so much.

image of a line of people waiting to board the bus from Plovdiv to Sofia Bulgaria

While going to the wrong bus terminal at the time felt like a huge mistake, in reality there are tons of busses that run really frequently from Plovdiv to Sofia. We chose to buy our ticket online, but you could buy a ticket on the bus.

To take the bus from Plovdiv to Sofia, it’ll cost just about $8 -10 USD and 2-3 hours of your time. It’s relatively efficient and direct and an easy commute ( once you’re at the correct bus station…)

Plovdiv is a great historic town to add to your Bulgaria itinerary and we are glad we decided to stay a few days there. While it’s possible to visit Plovdiv from Sofia as a day trip ( since it’s only a 2 hour drive), we think Plovdiv deserves 2-3 days on its own. There are plenty of cheap things to do in Plovdiv between Old Town Plovdiv and Plovdiv City Center to get a well rounded balance of old and new.

Headed to Sofia next? Check out our favorite cheap eats for under $10 USD and our recommendations for cheap things to do in Sofia!

Ready to explore nearby North Macedonia? Check out our recommendations for cheap things to do in the capital city of Skopje

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Welcome! We're Vic and Pat- 30 somethings that have accumulated 10+ years of international travel experience who finally have the guts to share their experiences. We focus on budget couple travel in unique locations that aren't necessarily on a "bucketlist." We don't believe in taking time for granted and we do believe in living our life on the move. Sometimes we have long weekends, sometimes we have a 2 week holiday, sometimes we travel and work remotely for 2+ months at a time. Regardless of what chapter of life we're in, we want to show you how to stretch your budget, maximize travel hacks, and create memorable experiences.