Bulgaria · direct from 7 UK airports

Sofia

The gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Roman ruins in the metro and Vitosha mountain above the city.

City break
History
Mountains

The detour

Rila Monastery: Bulgaria's great monastery

Bulgaria's largest monastery, with striped arches and frescoed galleries, deep in the Rila mountains.

WhereAbout 39 miles from the airport (SOF)

Getting thereAbout two hours' drive south.

Direct flights to Sofia from the UK

7 UK airports fly direct · hover or tap one

From	Airlines	Months with flights	Distance
Birmingham	Ryanair	Oct to Mar	1,343 mi
Bristol	Ryanair	Oct to Mar	1,359 mi
Edinburgh	Ryanair	Oct to Mar	1,499 mi
Gatwick	easyJet	Dec to Apr	1,250 mi
Liverpool	Ryanair	Oct to Mar	1,407 mi
Manchester	easyJet	Dec to Mar	1,386 mi
Stansted	Ryanair	All year	1,250 mi

From the airlines' own timetables for October 2026 to September 2027. Pick an airport to see the exact days.

Weather in Sofia by month

4°Jan

6°Feb

11°Mar

17°Apr

21°May

25°Jun

28°Jul

28°Aug

23°Sep

18°Oct

11°Nov

5°Dec

Average daytime highs. The warmest months are June, July, August.

Month	Day	Night	Rainy days
January	4°	-4°	11
February	6°	-2°	9
March	11°	1°	12
April	17°	5°	12
May	21°	10°	17
June	25°	13°	15
July	28°	15°	10
August	28°	15°	8
September	23°	11°	7
October	18°	6°	8
November	11°	2°	10
December	5°	-2°	10

Long-term averages from the national weather service's station record, as compiled on Wikipedia (Sofia). Rainy days (at least 1mm) are ERA5 averages for 2016 to 2025.

Before you go

On a British passport you can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area.
Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive, and expire at least 3 months after you plan to leave.
The EU's Entry/Exit System is in use: on your first trip you'll be asked for fingerprints and a photo at the border. It's free, but allow extra time.

From the Foreign Office's Bulgaria travel advice, checked on 16 October 2026. Rules change, so check it before you travel.