Plovdiv in 2 days
Day one is the loop over the hill, from Dzhumaya Square to Kapana. Day two is slower, with Alyosha, the park and an evening at the theatre in summer.
- How long
- 2
- Getting around
- On foot
- Book ahead
- Nothing
Day one is the loop over the hill, in the same order the Plovdiv page describes it: from the stadium on the square, through Hisar Kapia, past the theatre to the lookout and down the steps into Kapana. Day two is slower and goes where the first one doesn't reach. With only one day, do the first and you miss nothing essential.
The loop over the hill
Dzhumaya Square. You look at the curve of the Roman stadium over a railing (15–20 min), and the mosque next to it opens at 9.
Up Saborna Street to Hisar Kapia. The climb isn't long, but it goes slowly because you keep stopping at the façades. Right by the gate is the Ethnographic Museum in the Kuyumdzhiev House, 45–90 min. The courtyard first, then inside.
Hindliyan House, a few minutes further on, 30–45 min. After it there are no more houses in this plan. If you want a third, take it now, because in the afternoon the heat and tired feet talk you out of it.
The Ancient Theatre on the south side of the hill, 30–60 min. In summer this is the last hour before the stone gets too hot to sit on.
Lunch below the hill, on the main street or on the edge of Kapana. A set lunch is €4.50–6.94.
A break. In summer this is the hottest part of the day. Your room, a café or a bench in the shade, it makes no difference.
Nebet Tepe, the lookout over the ruins of the oldest fortress, 45–60 min. The late-afternoon light is softer, and the gate closes in the early evening, so don't leave it late.
Down the steps into Kapana, then dinner whenever you're hungry.
A slow day around the hill
Bunardzhik Hill and Alyosha, the monument to a Soviet soldier, 30–40 min. Go in the morning while it's cooler.
Tsar Simeon's Garden, in the centre, south of the main street. Free, with no headline sight, which is exactly why it suits an hour with no plan.
Kapana by day, when the studios and shops are open. Have lunch here.
A free afternoon. If you want more, there's time for a half-day trip to a monastery or a fortress.
In summer, a performance at the Ancient Theatre, if the Opera Open programme has something on that night. Buy the ticket ahead.
What to drop when you're running late
- Late start on day one? Skip Hindliyan House. The Ethnographic Museum is the better of the two, because the Kuyumdzhiev House is itself part of the story.
- Rain in the afternoon? Move Nebet Tepe to the next morning and take Kapana straight away, since that's where you sit under a roof.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
What gets dropped with only one day?
Day two: Alyosha, the park and the evening performance. The loop over the hill fits into one day and carries everything essential.
What does the plan look like on a Monday?
Reversed. The theatre first, since it opens every day, then the Old Town downhill without going into the houses, which are shut that day.
Does anything need booking ahead?
Only a ticket for a performance at the theatre, if you're there in summer and want to see one.
Ready for Plovdiv?
Where to next
Day trips from Plovdiv
→A monastery with frescoes by Zahari Zograf, a fortress on a rock, a city carved into stone and Roman walls…
Veliko Tarnovo · 126 km
→A city wrapped around three bends of the Yantra, built around the fortress where the Bulgarian tsars once ruled
How well does Plovdiv suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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