Old Town Walk, Rakia Tasting

Old Town Walk, Rakia Tasting, rated 4.6 across 28 traveller reviews.

Overview

This walking tour of Plovdiv's Old Town pairs a live guide with an audio guide system, and it is built around a simple idea: you walk at a comfortable distance from the guide while listening to recorded commentary in your own language. The guide meets the group near the Ramada Trimontium hotel, hands out audio devices and headphones, then leads the way with numbered signs at each stop. You key the number into your device and listen, even inside churches and temples. The tour runs between 2 and 2.5 hours and finishes near the Djumaya Mosque.

The route covers more than 20 landmarks and cultural monuments, including the Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis, the Ancient Stadium, Hisar Kapia, Nebet Tepe, and a string of historic houses such as Lamartine's House, Balabanov's House and the Hindliyan House-Museum. Individual stops are marked optional in the itinerary, so the pacing has some give. The audio guide is available in nine languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Bulgarian, German, Greek and Turkish, while live guidance is in English.

It suits travellers who want depth without straining to hear a guide on a busy street, and reviewers repeatedly praise the guide's knowledge and the combination of live commentary with the audio layer. Note that the live tour language is English; the audio guide covers the other languages. Comfortable shoes and water are recommended, and tips are not included.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet the guideThe guide meets the group at the Ramada by Wyndham Plovdiv Trimontium, 2 Kapitan Raicho St, and distributes audio guide devices and headphones.
2. Lower town sightsOptional stops at the Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis (5 minutes), the Cathedral of St. Louis (3 minutes), the Roman Forum (4 minutes), the Statue of Milyo photo stop (3 minutes) and the Ancient Stadium of Philipopolis (5 minutes).
3. Djumaya Mosque and churchOptional visit and sightseeing at Djumaya Mosque (7 minutes) and Sveta Bogoroditsa Church (4 minutes).
4. Old Town houses and churchOptional stops at Lamartine's House (6 minutes), the Pharmacy Museum Hippocrates (3 minutes), St. Konstantin & Elena Church (8 minutes), Balabanov's House (5 minutes) and the House-Museum Hindliyan (5 minutes).
5. Hisar Kapia and Nebet TepeOptional stops at Hisar Kapia gate (7 minutes) and Plovdiv Museum (7 minutes), then Nebet Tepe with a visit and sightseeing (8 minutes).
6. Tour endsThe tour concludes at Djumaya Mosque, where the listing suggests relaxing with a Turkish coffee.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help you get the most out of this walk, from the audio guide system to the dress code.

• Audio guide setup. Everyone receives headphones and an audio device. The guide raises a numbered sign at each landmark and you enter that number to hear the recording, so you can stand back from the group and still hear clearly, even inside churches.
• Language. The live guide speaks English, but the audio guide comes in nine languages. Several reviewers who booked in English reported the guide also addressed them in their own language, though this is not something the listing promises.
• Dress code. Shorts, short skirts, high heels and baby strollers are not allowed on this tour. Wear comfortable shoes instead.
• What to bring. The listing recommends comfortable shoes and water. The walk covers a lot of ground, over 20 landmarks in roughly 2 to 2.5 hours, so dress for steady walking.
• Guide quality. Reviewers consistently describe the guide as knowledgeable, professional and entertaining, with anecdotes beyond the audio commentary. One reviewer also noted the guide showed landmarks that are not obvious.
• After the tour. The walk ends near the Djumaya Mosque, where the listing suggests relaxing with Turkish coffee. Tips for the guide are not included in the ticket.

Common issues. There is no hotel pickup; everyone makes their own way to the meeting point at the Ramada by Wyndham Plovdiv Trimontium. The live guiding language is English, so travellers relying on the audio guide for other languages should expect the personal commentary part to be in English unless the guide offers otherwise, as happened for one group of Spanish speakers. The dress code rules out shorts, short skirts and baby strollers, which can catch out summer visitors. Most stops are marked optional, so what you actually see depends on the pace of the day, and tips are not included.

Common Questions