Veliko Tarnovo.
Bookings / month
188
Avg rating
★ 4.6
Verified agents
13
Currency
лв BGN · 1=₪1.74
Time zone
+0 ביחס לתל אביב (אותו אזור זמן כל השנה)
Language
בולגרית
Plug
C / F · 230V
Visa
אין צורך בוויזה לדרכון ישראלי; בולגריה חברה באיחוד האירופי ונכנסת לשנגן (ינואר 2025)
Safety
בטוח מאוד לתיירים; יש לנקוט אמצעי זהירות עירוניים רגילים
Overview
🇧🇬Veliko Tarnovo
🇧🇬Bulgaria
Veliko Tarnovo is the medieval capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, a city carved dramatically across three ridges above the snaking Yantra River gorge, crowned by the formidable Tsarevets Fortress. Wander the cobblestone lanes of the Samovodska Charshia craftsmen's quarter, duck into ateliers selling hand-forged copper and hand-painted icons, and watch the fortress walls ignite in a nightly sound-and-light show that turns history into theatre. This is Bulgaria at its most stirring — a destination for travelers who want culture, drama, and genuine local life far from the beach crowds.
Vacation packages
Vacation packages to Veliko Tarnovo
Flight + hotel in one package
Hotel Gurko
רחוב גורקו, העיר העתיקה, Veliko Tarnovo
06.07 – 09.07 · 4 nights
avg / person from
$405
total $810
Yantra Grand Hotel
מרכז העיר, ולקו טרנובו, Veliko Tarnovo
06.07 – 09.07 · 4 nights
avg / person from
$595
total $1,190
Bolyarski Hotel
רחוב סטפן סטמבולוב, ולקו טרנובו, Veliko Tarnovo
06.07 – 09.07 · 4 nights
avg / person from
$350
total $700
Sleep
Curated hotels in Veliko Tarnovo
Hotel Gurko
from
$120
per night
רחוב גורקו, העיר העתיקה
Yantra Grand Hotel
from
$190
per night
מרכז העיר, ולקו טרנובו
Bolyarski Hotel
from
$100
per night
רחוב סטפן סטמבולוב, ולקו טרנובו
Premier Hotel Veliko Tarnovo
from
$160
per night
שכונת בורדנה, ולקו טרנובו
Flights from Tel Aviv
Flights from Tel Aviv in Veliko Tarnovo
21:55
Tel Aviv (TLV)
01:25
Veliko Tarnovo (VEL)
05:20
Veliko Tarnovo (VEL)
08:50
Tel Aviv (TLV)
Per person from
$165
Total $330
08:50
Tel Aviv (TLV)
12:32
Veliko Tarnovo (VEL)
17:00
Veliko Tarnovo (VEL)
20:42
Tel Aviv (TLV)
Per person from
$215
Total $430
06:15
Tel Aviv (TLV)
13:27
Veliko Tarnovo (VEL)
11:40
Veliko Tarnovo (VEL)
18:52
Tel Aviv (TLV)
Per person from
$150
Total $300
13:10
Tel Aviv (TLV)
16:46
Veliko Tarnovo (VEL)
19:30
Veliko Tarnovo (VEL)
23:06
Tel Aviv (TLV)
Per person from
$255
Total $510
Year-round weather
Year-round weather in Veliko Tarnovo
Temperature averages
Real climate dataינו
9°
1°
Cool
פבר
9°
1°
Cool
מרץ
15°
5°
Cool
אפר
17°
7°
Recommended
מאי
20°
11°
Recommended
יונ
28°
17°
Excellent
יול
31°
19°
Excellent
אוג
31°
19°
Excellent
ספט
26°
15°
Excellent
אוק
20°
10°
Recommended
נוב
13°
5°
Cool
דצמ
9°
1°
Cool
Best time to visit: יונ · יול · אוג · ספט
Based on a 3-year average · measured in Veliko Tarnovo · Open-Meteo
This week in Veliko Tarnovo
Measured in Veliko Tarnovo
28°
Sunny
Next 7 days
Tap a day for hourly detail
Source: Open-Meteo · updates hourly
What to do
What to do in Veliko Tarnovo
Activities loved by thousands before you
Tsarevets Fortress
$20
Ararat Quarter — Artists' Street
$80
Museum of the Bulgarian Renaissance
$10
Tsarevets Sound & Light Show
$30
Kayaking on the Yantra River
$40
Preobrajenski Monastery & Rose Valley Trail
$30
Where to eat
Where to eat in Veliko Tarnovo
Restaurants Maya loves
Shtastlivetsa
$$רחוב סטפן סטמבולוב 79, העיר העתיקה
The most beloved local haunt in Veliko Tarnovo. Classic home-style Bulgarian cooking — banitsa, kebapche and hearty soups, all served with fresh sourdough. Garden seating with a direct view of the fortress.
Restaurant Ego
$$$רחוב נקפי 1, מרכז העיר
A creative chef blending Bulgarian traditions with modern European technique. Potato gnocchi with kashkaval cheese, veal schnitzel with plum jam — every plate here makes a statement.
Han Hadji Nikoli
$$רחוב ניקיטה 19, רובע ורוש
A 19th-century historic inn turned restaurant. Stepping inside feels like time travel — carved wooden ceilings, copper utensils on the walls, and traditional dishes like kavarma and banitsa in their most authentic form.
Nightlife
Nightlife in Veliko Tarnovo
Best clubs, bars and events
Bar Shtastlivetsa Garden
Club Tsar
Café Astra
Sphinx Cocktail Bar
Verified suppliers
Verified suppliers in Veliko Tarnovo
Experiences, insurance, eSIM, photography — every supplier verified by VAYULOR
Tarnovo Heritage Tours
Hebrew-guided tours of the fortress and Old Town
Yantra Active
Adventure sports — kayaking, rock climbing and jeep tours
Bozhentsi Craft Studio
Pottery and traditional weaving workshops in nearby Bozhentsi village
Tarnovo Transfers
Private transfers from Sofia and Burgas airports
Are you a supplier? Join us
Learn moreInsurance
Travel insurance for Veliko Tarnovo 🇧🇬
Full coverage with Hebrew support
Basic
$30
- Medical $250,000
- Cancellation $400
- Luggage $800
Extended
$50
- Medical $500,000
- Cancellation $1,200
- Luggage $1,800
- Light sports
Premium
$90
- Unlimited medical
- Cancellation $5,000
- Adventure sports
- 24/7 doctor
Currency & rates
Live rateCurrency & rates
Quick conversion at today's rate
Convert
You get
174.4
1 BGN
₪1.74
100 BGN
₪174.4
1,000 BGN
₪1,744
Source: exchangerate-api · updated Jun 10 · refreshes daily
Visa & documents
Visa & documents for Veliko Tarnovo 🇧🇬
What you need before you fly
- אין צורך בוויזה לדרכון ישראלי; בולגריה חברה באיחוד האירופי ונכנסת לשנגן (ינואר 2025)
- Passport valid 6 months
- Travel insurance recommended
Local tips
Good to know about Veliko Tarnovo
- 🕯️Head to Samovodska Charshia at dusk — the artisans close their studios then and often invite passing visitors in for a glass of wine and a chat, no cost and no appointment needed.
- 🎒Renting e-bikes from the central car park costs around 30 BGN a day (about ₪60) and gets you to the Preobrazhenski Monastery and the village of Arbanasi in 15 minutes flat, without the inflated taxi fares aimed at tourists.
- 💧Bulgarian tap water is perfectly safe to drink. Save your money on bottles and refill at the ornate fountain tap just below the Tsarevets Citadel walls.
- 🌩️The Sound and Light Show at Tsarevets often runs even on lightly rainy evenings and can look more dramatic with low cloud cover. Check the actual show schedule at the info desk on Nikola Pikolo Street — not the official website, which updates late.
מאיה רוזן
Senior agent · Greece for 12 years
"Veliko Tarnovo is the city Bulgaria tells itself about itself — a medieval capital, national pride, and a soul that mass tourism has not managed to corrupt. I come here at least twice a year and still discover a corner I had missed."
Loves
My secret is the restaurant 'Puldin' on Gorna Oryahovitsa Street 2 — a place most tourists never find. The trapeza (traditional vegetable stew in a clay pot) there is the best I have tasted anywhere in Bulgaria, and the dish costs 9 BGN (about ₪18). The owner, Baba Ana, serves it herself and explains every dish with pride.
Skip
I steer clear of the restaurants spread along Gurko Street bridge — menus translated into 8 languages, prices 40% above anywhere else in town, and food that comes off a production line. That is not the real Veliko Tarnovo.
Boutique pick
My signature 'Three Hills' private day: it starts with a dawn climb to Tsarevets before the ticket booths open — entering via the legitimate north footpath — to watch the city light up from above. Then a 45-minute exclusive walkabout with a local Bulgarian archaeologist working the Gurko Street excavations. Lunch at the Kata winery in nearby Sushindol with a tasting of local Vairovina grape varieties. Evening reserved-spot viewing of the Sound and Light Show from the private overlook above the Varosha quarter.
Client stories
What returning travelers say about Veliko Tarnovo
"We arrived in Veliko Tarnovo with low expectations and left completely enchanted. The light show on Tsarevets had all of us glued to the spot — even the kids went quiet. We had an incredible dinner at Puldin that Maya had recommended, and the bill for two with wine came to under ₪120. I could not believe it was possible."
Noa and Ron Cohen
Couple with two children, 4 nights, September
"I traveled solo for ten days in Bulgaria and the three nights in Veliko Tarnovo were the highlight of the trip. I rented an e-bike exactly as the tip suggested and reached Arbanasi in the morning before any tour buses arrived — I had the church almost entirely to myself for about half an hour. Anyone who loves Byzantine architecture must go there."
Gil Mizrahi
Solo trip, 3 nights, October
"We booked Maya's Three Hills experience and did not regret a single moment. The pre-dawn climb to Tsarevets was indescribable — only a few local photographers were there. The archaeologist, Dimitar, spoke excellent English and opened up an entire world beneath the stones. Finishing at the Kata winery with the Vairovina tasting was simply perfect."
Michal and Avi Shapira
Couple, wedding anniversary trip, 4 nights, June
FAQ
Common questions about Veliko Tarnovo
Do Israelis need a visa for Bulgaria?
No. Bulgaria is an EU member state and Israeli passport holders enter without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Note that Bulgaria is not yet fully part of the Schengen zone (expected 2025), so you will go through a separate passport control lane at the airport.
What is the best time to visit Veliko Tarnovo?
May-June and September-October are ideal. Temperatures sit between 20-26°C, the surrounding vineyards ripen beautifully and the hills are lush. July-August are hot (up to 35°C) and noticeably busier. Israeli Passover (March-April) also works very well — spring bloom is stunning and prices run 20-30% below peak summer rates.
How many days should we spend in Veliko Tarnovo?
Three nights is the right minimum. Day 1: Tsarevets Citadel, the Varosha quarter, and the Sound and Light Show at night. Day 2: the village of Arbanasi (20-min drive), Preobrazhenski Monastery, and Samovodska Charshia. Day 3: Sushindol wineries and Kilfarevo Monastery, with an option to return to Sofia the same evening. For those who want to feel the city's real rhythm, four nights is better.
What is a realistic daily budget for Veliko Tarnovo?
A comfortable mid-range budget is around ₪350-450 per person per day: a boutique hotel in the Varosha quarter (around ₪200-280 per night for a couple), meals at two local restaurants (around ₪60-80 per person), entrance fees, and transport. A backpacker budget is achievable at ₪200-250 per day (hostel plus street food). Travelers wanting wine tastings, private guides, and upscale dining should plan for ₪600 per day.
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