Day 1: Arrive in Burgas — Sea Gardens & the City

Fly into Burgas Airport (BOJ) — served by budget airlines from across Europe. Start with a walk along the Burgas Sea Garden, a magnificent 7-km coastal park with open-air theatre, art galleries, and sculptures. Visit the Burgas Archaeological Museum (€4) for its superb Thracian gold collection. Evening seafood dinner at the Neptune Restaurant on the pier, watching the sun set over the bay.

Accommodation: Burgas city centre hotel (€30–55/night).

Entry: Archaeological Museum €4; Sea Garden free.

Meals: Lunch at the park café (€4–6); dinner at Neptune (€10–15).

Day 2: Burgas to Sozopol — The Fisherman’s Town

Morning bus from Burgas to Sozopol (€3, 45 minutes). Settle in and explore the Old Town peninsula — wooden houses tumbling down to the sea, tiny fishing harbour, and the 5th-century St. Cyril Island monastery just offshore. Afternoon swimming at Harmanite Beach, the town’s main sandy cove. Evening at a harbour-side restaurant — the grilled Black Sea mackerel (safrid) with shopska salad is the definitive Sozopol meal.

Transport: Bus Burgas → Sozopol €3.

Accommodation: Sozopol Old Town guesthouse (€25–45/night).

Boat trip: St. Cyril island boat tour ~€5.

Day 3: Sozopol — Beaches, Archaeology & Sunset Kayaking

Morning visit to the Sozopol Archaeological Museum (€3) to see the perfectly preserved Greek amphora collection. Spend midday at Kavatsi Beach, a 2-km stretch of golden sand just south of town (bus 2 from the centre, €1). Afternoon kayak rental around the peninsular — paddle past sea caves, hidden coves, and the St. Ivan Island with its 13th-century monastery ruins. Sunset from the southern cliffs is magical.

Entry: Archaeological Museum €3.

Kayak rental: €10–15 for half-day.

Beach: Kavatsi Beach free; sunbeds €4–6.

Day 4: Sozopol to Nessebar — UNESCO Churches & Wooden Streets

Morning bus from Sozopol to Nessebar (€5, 1.5 hours via Burgas). Afternoon exploring the Nessebar Old Town peninsula — visit St. Stephen’s Church (€3) for its incredible medieval frescoes, Christ Pantocrator Church (free exterior, one of Bulgaria’s most photogenic buildings), and the Archaeological Museum (€4). Wander the cobblestone streets and waterfront promenade. Stay overnight in a guesthouse inside the Old Town walls.

Transport: Bus Sozopol → Nessebar €5.

Entry: St. Stephen’s Church €3; Archaeological Museum €4.

Accommodation: Nessebar Old Town guesthouse (€30–55/night).

Day 5: Nessebar & Sunny Beach — Ancient Meets Modern

Morning revisit Nessebar’s quieter corners — the northern waterfront path, the vine-shaded courtyards, and the open-air ruins of the Old Metropolitan Church (free). Walk across the causeway to Sunny Beach for an afternoon of swimming, sunbathing, and water sports on Bulgaria’s most famous 5-km beach. Evening seafood dinner at a Nessebar harbour restaurant overlooking the fishing boats.

Beach: Sunny Beach free; sunbed rental €5–8.

Water sports: Jet ski €30 for 15 min; parasailing €40.

Meals: Seafood dinner at harbour restaurant (€12–18).

Day 6: Yailata Reserve & Departure

Take a bus or taxi 30 km north to the Yailata Nature Reserve (entry €3) — a stunning coastal plateau with 4th-century BC rock tombs, cliff-top paths, and a secluded pebble beach accessible only by a steep stairway. The views of the Black Sea from the cliffs are breathtaking. Return to Nessebar for lunch, then bus to Burgas Airport (€3, 30 minutes) for your departure flight. Alternatively, continue north to Varna (2 hours by bus) if you have more time.

Transport: Bus/taxi to Yailata (€2/€15); bus to Burgas Airport €3.

Entry: Yailata Reserve €3.