General Tour Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for Tours to Bulgaria. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure that what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
TRAVEL TO BULGARIA: This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird, and starts and ends in London. The cost of the group flights between London and Sofia, Bulgaria, is included in the tour cost. We strongly recommend that you join the tour in London, as it removes a range of possible problems that might occur if you attempt to meet the group in the tour country. You can choose, however, to make your own travel arrangements to Sofia. You would receive a corresponding discount in the tour cost should you decide to do this. Please read the Important Travel Information for Participants on Sunbird Tours
ENTERING BULGARIA: A passport valid for six months beyond the intended length of stay is required. U.S. citizens who enter the country on regular passports without a Bulgarian visa are authorized to stay for a total of 30 days within a six-month period.
MAP AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can view maps of Bulgaria in the University of Texas series here. The size can be adjusted by clicking on the map’s lower right corner. You can review the U.S. State Department background notes on Bulgaria here.
HEALTH: There are no major health problems in Bulgaria and no vaccinations are required. Up-to-date inoculations against hepatitis A, tetanus, and polio, however, are recommended. Water is said to be safe to drink at all the places we stay, but bottled water is available. Mosquitoes will occasionally be numerous.
CLIMATE: We can expect almost any kind of weather during this trip. Daily temperatures are almost always above 18°C (65°F). Rainfall is possible, but as a whole it should be fair and sunny. Depressions occur very rarely and then temperatures can fall to 8°-10°C (45-50°F). Early on in the tour we will visit the Rhodopi Mountains at an altitude of 1,500m (4920 ft).
PACE OF TOUR AND DAILY ROUTINE: The tour is not strenuous, although there are considerable distances to cover by coach on several days. Leisurely walking, occasionally over moderately rough terrain, is the only physical requirement. Some of the walks can be a mile or two long, but the transport is never far away if anyone wants to return early or sit out any particular walk. There is some uphill walking. Most mornings there will be optional pre-breakfast walks, and on most days we’ll take a packed lunch or provide a picnic. On days with considerable travel, there will be comfort and birdwatching stops en route.
ACCOMMODATION: Throughout the tour we will be staying in simple, clean, comfortable hotels. All rooms will have private facilities. The hotels are chosen for ease of access to prime birdwatching locations. Towels are provided but are often quite small, and you may want to consider bringing a spare.
FOOD: By western standards, this will be relatively plain and simple, but available in good quantities. There will be many local dishes. We will have packed lunches on several days, but these can be particularly simple and boring.
GENERAL INFORMATION & CONDITIONS OF WINGS & SUNBIRD TOURS: Please take a moment to read the WINGS General Information & Conditions. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours, and other information that will help you prepare for the tour.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A more complete General Information for Tours to Bulgaria will be sent to each registrant on receipt of their booking. Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary.
Updated: June 2008