Sofia & Plovdiv Tour 1 Night 3 Days
Day 1 | Istanbul – Sofia
We depart at 22:00 from Kadıköy marriage registry office, at 22:30 from Mecidiyeköy Square/Bambi Cafe front, at 23:00 from İncirli Ömür Plaza front, at 23:30 from Beylikdüzü Marmara Park AVM front, and at 23:59 from Silivri Vega AVM front. (You must be at the specified locations at least 15 minutes before the departure times.) After approximately a 3-hour journey, we arrive at the Kapıkule border gate to complete customs and passport procedures, and then head towards Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
Day 2 | Sofia
Upon our arrival in Sofia in the morning, we will have a panoramic city tour where we will see St. Nedelya Church, Rotunda Church, Russian Church, St. Sofia Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Prime Ministry and Parliament buildings, Sofia University, and the National Palace of Culture, as well as the Banyabaşı Mosque designed by Mimar Sinan, and Serdika (Tolerance) Square. Afterwards, we will have free time until 14:30. Then we will transfer to our hotel for check-in and some free time. Guests may choose to participate in a Shopping Tour organized at 15:30 (20.€). This tour starts at the world-famous Jumbo Store. We will have a 1-hour shopping break in this store which has hundreds of thousands of items, from sewing supplies to home accessories, car accessories, and toys. Next, we will move to Metro Store, where electronic, cleaning, alcohol, and textile products are sold at economic prices. After another 1-hour shopping break here, we return to our hotel around 18:30 to conclude our tour. In the evening, guests may opt to join an extra traditional Bulgarian Night that features local music and a dance performance (65.€ | Includes a 3-course Bulgarian meal & 20cl of Wine or Bulgarian Rakı or Non-Alcoholic Beverage!) This event starts with a departure from the hotel at 20:00 and ends at the hotel at 23:00. Overnight stay at our hotel in Sofia.
Day 3 | Sofia – Plovdiv (Filibe) – Istanbul
After breakfast, we will depart for Plovdiv at 08:30. After approximately a 2-hour pleasant journey, we will arrive in Plovdiv, one of the oldest cities in Europe with an 8000-year history, which was known as "Filibe" during the Ottoman Empire. During our panoramic city tour, we will have the opportunity to see traces of Byzantine, Greek, and Ottoman influences. We will visit Cuma Mosque, Sveta Bogoroditsa Church, the Ancient Theater, and Old Plovdiv. We will have free time for lunch and shopping in Batenberg Street, the city’s most vibrant shopping and entertainment center. During this free time, guests may opt to participate in an extra Thracian Valley Vineyard Tour with Wine Tasting (45.€). In this tour, we embark on an unforgettable wine journey in the Thracian Valley, one of the oldest wine regions in the world. This magnificent valley, known as Bulgaria's most important and largest wine region, awaits you with a blend of history and modern technology. 🥇 Award-Winning Wines: The wines produced by blending local red varieties Mavrud and Rubin have won many prestigious international awards. 🍷 Tasting Experience: We will visit the fermentation room, the cellar where the wine ages in oak barrels, the enoteca and wine tasting room, and taste 5 local wines with appetizers. (Wine tasting is included in the cost) 🌿 Vineyard Exploration: Weather permitting, you will also explore the vineyards. You will experience the magic of winemaking and add unforgettable flavors to your palate with this unique wine tour. After this tour, we will pick up the guests remaining in Plovdiv center and head to Istanbul. We will complete our passport and customs procedures at Kapıkule border gate and after entering Turkey, we will arrive in Istanbul after approximately a 3-hour journey, concluding our tour. We hope to see you on our next tour…
GENERAL TERMS
1- The General Terms are an integral part of the tour program and cannot be considered independently from the tour program.
2- If sufficient participation is not achieved for the trip, Wtatil can cancel the tour up to 21 days before the departure date. In such cases, cancellation information will be communicated to the guest. The entire tour fee will be refunded to the guest. Regarding the refund of additional services purchased outside of the tour; the domestic connection flights purchased from Wtatil will also be refunded to the guest, but visa services and travel health insurance services made on behalf of the guest using travel health insurance for visa application will not be refunded as these services have been utilized. If the guest has purchased the domestic connection flight from a different provider independent of Wtatil, in the event of the tour being canceled by Wtatil, the guest cannot claim any refund from Wtatil. The guest accepts in advance any and all material and moral losses that may arise from the cancellation of the tour when purchasing it, and Wtatil cannot be held responsible.
3- If sufficient participation is not achieved, Wtatil reserves the right to show goodwill and not to cancel the tour. In this case, the guided service provided for the guest will only cover the international round-trip transfer.
Cancellation and Change
4- Guests have the right to cancel without penalty until 30 days prior to the tour departure date, provided that they inform Wtatil in writing. In the case of cancellation less than 31 days before the beginning of the trip, the guest can cancel by paying a penalty of 50% of the remaining tour price from the cost of the airline ticket, and in the case of cancellation 15 days or less before the start of the trip, by paying the full tour price as a penalty. In case of cancellation requests, the refund conditions for additional services such as domestic connection flights, visa services, and travel health insurance may vary depending on the time of the cancellation request, so it is necessary to inquire in advance about their refund. Wtatil cannot make any commitment regarding the refund of additional services.
Guiding Services and Extra Tours
5- The days and times of the tours specified in the program may be changed by the guide according to the status of museum and historical site closures/openings and weather conditions. Different guides may accompany our guests during the tours.
6- The panoramic city tours included in the tour package are conducted as maximum 2-3 hour tours that provide general introduction to the cities and do not include entry to museums and historical sites with guided narration from the vehicle. If the panoramic tours cannot be carried out due to local authorities not allowing access or closed roads due to any event, including weather conditions making the tour impossible, Wtatil is not responsible for non-fulfillment of these tours. Some tours may be conducted using public transportation or on foot in cases where road access is restricted or prohibited.
7- Our guide may change the days of the city tour and/or additional tours based on the content of our tours, the number of participants, and the closure status of the museum and historical sites. This also applies to changes that may occur in flight times.
8- In the tours conducted by Speed Boats, guests should be cautious not to eat heavy meals immediately before boarding and not to drink excessive amounts of water. Guests with stomach, back, neck complaints, and pregnant guests should inform their guides about their conditions.
9- There is no refund for not participating in the food or tour services specified as included in the prices.
About Flights
10- Wtatil is an intermediary between the airline and the passenger, and in case of any disputes, the relevant provisions of Turkish legislation, as well as the Hague Protocol and the Warsaw Convention will apply.
11- There may be delays or changes to flight times in scheduled and charter flights. Wtatil is obliged to notify these changes as soon as possible. The passenger has accepted the risk of changes/cancellations of flight times when purchasing the trip.
12- Infants aged 0-2 only pay the airport tax fee.
13- According to the airline regulations; if the outbound flight of purchased round-trip tickets is not used, the return flight will be canceled by the airline.
14- The check-in and boarding processes for those participating in tours with flights are personal responsibilities and must be completed by the guest at the airports, at the relevant airline counters, or online through the airline's website before the flight.
15- Last-minute flight delays and gate changes are announced at the airport and shown on the information boards. This information must be followed by the guests themselves.
16- Wtatil is not responsible for passengers who are not present at the specified airport at the times notified by the airlines, do not complete check-in and boarding procedures on time, or fail to board despite completing those procedures on time. All costs related to obtaining new departure-return tickets and transfers in the destination area due to missing the flight are the passengers’ responsibility.
17- The general luggage weight for flights departing from Turkey is 20 kg. This weight may vary depending on the airline and the destination country. If there are domestic flights in the destination country, the luggage weight may be reduced to 15 kg for those internal flights. Excess baggage weight/price regulations are determined by the airlines and are not the responsibility of Wtatil.
18- For our guests wishing to upgrade their flight tickets with miles (to business or first class); upgrade processes can be carried out after tickets are issued, subject to the availability of the airline (please check the airline to which you have membership). There is no guarantee of miles for each flight. Check whether the program’s tickets are in an upgradeable class.
19- Some airlines may charge extra for meal services and online check-in.
Other Matters
20- Wtatil will not accept any responsibility for any changes or cancellations made directly by the guest with the hotel. In this case, Wtatil's cancellation conditions will apply.
21- When the hotel(s) is mentioned only with category information without specifying names in the tour program, or when options are offered for the same destination, Wtatil will inform the guest 48 hours before the trip movement.
22- During special periods such as fairs, congresses, concerts, events, and sports tournaments, hotels may be located more than specified distances or kilometers. In such cases, Wtatil will inform the guest 15 days before the tour departure date.
23- When registering for the purchased tour, it is essential for the guest to accurately enter/declare the name that appears on the passport, date of birth, and passport number into the system. Flight tickets are issued based on this information. Penalty fees for any cancellations or changes to flight tickets arising from incorrect information will be charged to the guests.
24- Before traveling abroad, please check with your carrier company to ensure that your mobile phone is enabled for use abroad.
25- The hotel check-in time is 15:00, and the check-out time is 12:00.
26- Requests regarding rooms (high floor, close to general areas, smoking/non-smoking, bed type) are communicated to the hotel by Wtatil. Efforts are made to ensure that the reserved rooms align with the guests’ preferences according to the hotel’s availability. However, the realization of these requests depends on the availability at the time of check-in and cannot be guaranteed by Wtatil.
27- The breakfast provided at hotels differs from the rich breakfast usually found in Turkish cuisine. It is generally served with limited options known as continental breakfast, consisting of butter, jam, bread, tea, or coffee, and it may be served in a separate hall designated for groups.
28- In some cases, a double bed may be provided instead of a twin-bedded room. Many European hotels generally offer rooms with two beds that can be combined if necessary.
29- The child and extra bed policy may vary by hotel and room type.
30- Any extra beds and baby cots are provided upon request and subject to the hotel's availability and must be approved by the hotel.
31- The capacity for extra beds or baby cots in the room is 1 (maximum).
32- In triple rooms, there is an extra bed application; the bed allocated for the 3rd person in these rooms is smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of 1 large bed + 1 extra bed. Extra beds consist of foldable beds and beds referred to as coach beds. Guests hereby acknowledge and accept any potential overcrowding and bed types resulting from extra beds added to standard rooms in triple room and/or child-inclusive reservations.
33- If the number and ages of children staying with adults in hotel reservations are incorrectly declared by our guests, relevant hotels may charge additional fees. In such cases, the responsibility lies with the guest who provided the incorrect declaration. Hotels may request identification for age verification of children.
34- In reservations with 2 adults + 1 child, there may not be a separate bed for the child. Child rates are only applicable if the child is staying with two adults. Child discounts apply only for the eligible "single child" group staying alongside two adults.
35- Daily exchange rates may reflect on TL prices. The applicable exchange rates at the time of payment are valid. Additional requests and specific extra services (mini-bar, ironing, etc.) from the hotel will be subject to additional charges by the hotel. These costs are not included in the price at the time of purchase and will be paid directly to the hotel during your stay.
36- Some countries have different applications regarding city, tourism, or local taxes. Any such city or tourism taxes currently in place will be collected from the guest by the hotel during check-in or check-out.
37- The travel distances given in the itineraries are based on maps. Travel times may be extended due to traffic, weather conditions, the geographical location of the visited country, road works, and other circumstances.
38- Wtatil may change the order of the cities in the program and the main airline to be flown, without altering the content of the program, in mandatory situations or as deemed necessary.
39- The personal belongings, bags, suitcases, passports/identifications of participants in the tour are under their own responsibility, and Wtatil is not responsible for forgotten/lost/stolen items. In cases where forgotten items are found, the expenses incurred during the delivery to the country and/or person are the responsibility of the item owner.
40- Tour participants must carry their travel health insurance policies and any medications and reports related to health issues with them.
41- For potential extra expenses, during check-in, hotels may request a photo ID/passport issued by official institutions along with a credit card or cash deposit. The return of the requested deposit at check-out is a transaction between the hotel and the guest, and Wtatil has no intervention in this process.
Visa and Passport
42- There is no visa requirement for Turkish citizens.
43- Guests must ensure their passports are valid for at least 6 months after the date of travel.
44- To have entry/exits stamped in your passport at customs crossings/border gates, there must be at least 2 blank pages in your passport.
45- Being exempt from visa requirements for entry to these countries does not mean you will be allowed entry/exit; the passport police have the authority to deny you entry and/or exit, and Wtatil is not responsible for this, and the responsibility lies with the passenger.
46- Guests who are not Turkish citizens or have dual citizenship and will join the tour using their other passport must consult the relevant consulates about the visa procedures applied by the country they will be traveling to, otherwise Wtatil will not be responsible for any consequences.
47- To avoid issues with border police at the customs checkpoint of the visited country due to ripped, worn, wet, and/or otherwise damaged passports; passports must be renewed. Otherwise, the responsibility lies with the passenger.
48- Guests under the age of 18 traveling alone or with only one parent may need to show a document of mutual consent from both parents at entry/exit points, so it is recommended that guests under 18 and their parents pay attention to this matter.
- Travel Health Insurance
- Schengen Visa
- International Exit Stamp
- Extra tours and personal expenses
- Driver and guide tips (5.-€ per person)