Are you coming to Bulgaria in May? Well, first of all, I’d like to welcome you to our beautiful country! 💚
It’s always best to prepare in advance before visiting a new country, so in this article I’ve gathered some useful information to ease you with the preparations for your trip. It consists of tips regarding the month of May, but also general information for every visitor, such as using public transportation in our capital Sofia, what currency you need to bring with you, clarifications when traveling by train, some unwritten rules that could cause turmoil, and many more. I hope you’ll find this article helpful!
1ST OF MAY – INTERNATIONAL WORKER’S DAY (NATIONAL HOLIDAY)
Bulgaria is among the countries celebrating International Worker’s Day. It is a national holiday (official non-working day). This means public sector institutions and administrations, banks and exchange offices, and most private sector offices don’t work. Hospitals, transportation services, gas stations work as well as some restaurants and cafés. Supermarkets, malls, and other smaller stores often work with reduced hours or don’t open at all.
If 1st of May falls during the weekend, then the following Monday is an official non-working day.
6TH OF MAY – SAINT GEORGE’S DAY (NATIONAL HOLIDAY)
Гергьовден (Gergyovden; Saint George’s Day) is one of the biggest and most significant cultural spring holidays in Bulgaria. It is a national holiday, so the abovementioned rules for an official non-working day apply.
6th of May is also celebrated as Day of Bravery and the Bulgarian Army since Saint George is percieved as a warrior-saint. The day is the official holiday of the Bulgarian Army. There are many celebrations and an official parade in our capital Sofia. It is open and free to the public, so anyone can attend. Below you can see the parade from 2025, filmed and shared by BNT (Bulgarian National Television).
In Bulgaria, Saint George is also percieved as a patron of fertility, farmers, and shepards and their herds, so 6th of May is also known as Shepard’s Day. Therefore, the tradiotional meal, prepared and consumed on Saint George’s Day, is lamb. There isn’t a specific dish – the meat can be cooked in an oven or boiled in a soup.
24TH OF MAY – BULGARIAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE DAY (NATIONAL HOLIDAY)
This holiday commemorates the Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Bulgarian alphabet, literature and culture, and the Slavic literature. It’s one of the biggest and most important holidays in Bulgaria and an official non-working day, so the above-mentioned rules apply.
Cyril and Methodius were Byzentine brothers born in Thessalonica (present-day Thessaloniki in Greece) in the 9th century. In their adult years, they were missionaries with the purpose of popularizing the Bible and Christianity among the Slavic tribes. In order to translate liturgical texts to the Slavs, they created the Glagolitic script (глаголица; glagolitsa) – the earliest known Slavic alphabet. For their work, they are known as Aplostles to the Slavs.
The Glagolitic script is also called Old Church Slavonic. It was primarily used in Bulgaria and Croatia. Nowadays (in Bulgaria), the script is also referred to as Old Bulgarian language.
Years later, some of Cyril and Methodius‘ disciples from the First Bulgarian Empire, including Naum of Preslav, Constantine of Preslav, Joan Ekzarh (John the Exarch), and Chernorizets Hrabar, among others, created a new alphabet based on the Greek alphabet and the Glagolitic script. It was accomplished in Preslav Literary School, which was the most important literary and cultural centre of the First Bulgarian Empire and of all Slavs. The new alphabet was named the Cyrillic script (кирилица; kirilitsa) in honor of Saint Cyril.
The Cyrillic script is used for various languages across Eurasia. As of 2019, around 250 million people use Cyrillic as the official script for their national languages, with Russia accounting for about half of them. After Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007, Cyrillic became the third official script of the European Union, following the Latin and Greek alphabets.
WEATHER IN MAY
May is a wonderful month to visit Bulgaria. It’s late spring, flowing into summer. The average temperatures are 15-20°C, the scenary is green and lush, bird song fills the air, and the Sun smiles at everyone.
Mornings and evenings are still quite chilly, though, but daytime temperatures are about 20°C, and can reach and even exceed 25°C on some days. The Sun can be quite strong even in May, so you should have sunscreen with you. It’s not summer yet, so it is not too hot, but there might be days with summer-like temperatures.
As sunny as May may be (pun intended), it is also as rainy. In most cases, we’re talking about showers, which come and go unpredictably. It can be sunny and warm and then suddenly chill wind emerges, rains like crazy, floods the streets and sidewalks, and 10 minutes later it’s sunny again. 😂 And most often or not, these rain showers are accompanied by a thunderstorm, with potential of hailstorm, so you should keep this in mind!
Sometimes there are chill periods with a lot more rain and lower daytime temperatures, so you never know what exactly you’re going to get. It’s fair to say May is a very dynamic and unpredictable month. Definitely pack lighter clothes for the daytime and don’t forget to put on sunscreen, if the Sun is too strong! Pack a jacket or warmer layers for the mornings and evenings. Take an umbrella or a raincoat and don’t forget waterproof shoes, as well.
Bulgaria is located within a transitional region between continental and Mediterranean climate, which results in sudden weather changes and large temperature amplitudes between different parts of the country. You should always check the forecast in the area you’ll be visiting before coming!
TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES IN MAY
May offers many oppotunities for tourism in Bulgaria. From city and culinary tourism, to spa and wellness, and all kinds of outdoor activities. The warm sunny weather attracts people from all around the world and there are a lot of festivals and celebrations throughout the country.
*City tourism
There are always options to visit museums, art galleries, theatres, ballets, attend city tours, and many more in the bigger cities. With the warm weather also come a lot of outdoor shows, spring festivals, music and rock festivals, and folklore celebrations. Culinary tourism is always a great way to explore a foreign country and the warm weather in May is great for such travels. It’s not way too hot and that crowded yet, so May is a wonderful time to visit Bulgaria!
Below you can find the websites of some of the most popular and most visited cities in Bulgaria, where you can explore more options.
→ Sofia: Bulgaria’s capital city and a home to many historical and cultural sites, The National Opera and Ballet, The National Palace of Culture, Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and many more. It is the hearthbeat of city tourism in Bulgaria with endless options for sightseeing and entertaintment. (explore more opportunities at Visit Sofia)
→ Plovdiv: The second biggest city in Bulgaria and a cultural centre with many sightseeing options, including The Old Plovdiv Reserve and an ancient Roman theatre. Plovdiv is the 5th oldest city in the world and the oldest in Europe (with continuity of settlement).
→ Veliko Tarnovo: Translated as “Great Tarnovo”, it used to be Bulgaria’s capital city from 1185 to 1393. It is a toursist attraction for its numerous historical sights, such as Tsarevets Fortress and Old Tarnovo District. Throughout the year, the city holds numerous light shows titled “Sound and Light”, which attract thousands of visitors.
→ Varna: The third biggest city in Bulgaria and the biggest on our Black Sea coast. It is regarded as Bulgaria’s Sea Capital. Except sea tourism, you can also visit an astronomical observatory and ethnographic museums.
→ visitbulgaria.com: And if you’re still not sure when to come, where to go, and what to do, just open the official Visit Bulgaria website and explore countless opportunities throughout the country.
*Hiking
Bulgaria offers numerous opportunities for hikers. From the Seven Rila Lakes in Rila Mountain to the popular Kom-Emine trail along The Balkan, hiking lovers have many options to choose from.
During May, the higher parts of the mountains (above 1,700-2,000 m) are still covered in snow. However, there are options for hiking. Many popular trails also have a winter marking in the form of tall, most often black and yellow poles, if needed. Except hotels in resorts, there are many fully functioning huts and chalets, and shelters, located in the remote parts of mountains.
Below 1,700 m, the snow is gone (or scarce), so you can have a nice walk in nature without the need for serious winter gear. Vitosha Mountain offers many opportunities for one-day getaways, if you’re visiting Sofia or another location nearby. There are many trails at the foot of the mountain and easy to reach huts (with a car or public transportation). Most of these huts also offer rooms, so you could spend the night (of a few nights) in the mountain.
May is also the peak time for visiting waterfalls due to the snow melting. Some trails near rivers and waterfalls could even get flooded, making it hard to cross or extremely slippery. If you plan to visit any waterfalls during May, please, be very cautious and wear hiking shoes!
Rila and Pirin are the most popular mountains for hiking throughout the entire year. You can visit the official websites for more information.
*Spa and wellness
Bulgaria offers countless options for spa and wellness tourism throughout the entire year. The country is also dotted with mineral springs, which attract thousands of visitors each year.
Some of the most visited Spa and Wellness resorts in Bulgaria are Velingrad, Sapareva banya, Sandanski, Hisarya, and Bansko, but there are many more! Sofia and Plovdiv also have many Spa and Wellness hotels.
Many of these resorts are located in mountainous regions, so you can combine your spa and wellness vacation with hikes or simply picnics in nature.
*A pre-season day at the beach
During May, the air warms up, but the sea water is still quite cold – the average temperature is about 13°C – 16°C. The summer season in Bulgaria officially starts at the end of May or beginning of June when the sea temperature reaches 19°C – 20°C. Technically, no one will stop you from getting in Black Sea if you feel enthusiastic and enjoy swimming in colder waters. As for the rest, the beaches are very welcoming for walks and sunbathing in the hotter days before it gets too hot and too crowded.
GENERAL INFORMATION
CURRENCY
Starting on 01.01.2026, Bulgaria adopted the euro as its official currency. If, for some reason, you have Bulgarian lev at you disposal, you can easily exchange it in any bank without any fees.
TAXIS
Primarily, the taxis in Bulgaria are yellow and have a sign upon the roof saying ‘taxi/такси’. Some of the vehicles, however, are concidered eco taxis (usually when the cars are electric or hybrid) and are green in color.
Usually taxis have a light on the windshield by the passenger’s seat, signaling whether they are free or occupied – respectively, a green and a red light. However, there are many companies, so this practice may vary.
Furthermore, if you’re staying in our capital city Sofia, you have a variety of options to download a taxi app. Some popular options include:
→ TaxiMe: A popular and handy service that can take you anywhere within the city.
→ Yellow Taxi: One of the biggest taxi companies in Sofia.
→ Volt Taxi: This is a premium and more luxurious service, so the prices are higher than usual taxis. Their cars are dark green in color. They also have black minivans in their arsenal that can transport larger groups of people.
Unfortunately, in Sofia there are many fraudsters. Usually, they stay in front of the entrance of the Central Railway Station and the Central Bus Station and ask random passengers whether they need a taxi transportation. Not all of them are scammers, but it’s easy to come across one. Especially, if you stop a random taxi on the road. So, I would advice you to use one of the apps above when you need a taxi in Sofia.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SOFIA
If you’re not a fan of taxis or want to immerse yourself in the pulse of the city, you can always use the public transport. Here are a few things you should know in advance.
*Types of public transport
There’s an underground network, currently consisting of 4 lines. Above the ground, there are buses, trolleybuses, and tramways. There are also 4 lines of night buses.
*Buying a ticket
There are two options to buy a ticket for the ground transportation – a physical one and an electronic one. The physical ticket can be bought from the driver. For the electronic one you just need to place your payment card onto a validation device. There are a few located near the doors when you enter. There are two types of physical tickets. If it has a QR-code, it must be validated, as well, on the same devices. If it looks like a reciept, you don’t need to validate it.
It’s the same for the underground – you can buy a physical ticket from the booth at the station or an electronic one by placing your payment card upon the validation device. If you have a physical ticket, you have to validate its barcode in order to enter the platform.
Important! There are inspectors checking random vehicles and metro trains for valid transport documents. If you have paid by card, you just simply have to place it onto their device and if you have successfully validated your card, you’ll pass the check. Don’t be a joyrider – there are fines for the offenders!
Visit Sofia Traffic website for full information about using the public transport and parking within the city.
TRAVELING BY TRAIN
Even we Bulgarians sometimes find it challenging to travel with our State Railways, so I can only imagine what it is like for an outsider. 😂
Their website is pretty decent and you can find useful information there, such as train schedules, ticket prices, and online live updates. But here are some additional tips for an easier and more comfortable trip by a Bulgarian train.
*Buying a ticket
You can either buy a physical ticket from the train stations or an electronic one from the website or through special devices at the train stations. You need to show your ticket (physical or electronic) to the train conductor when asked for it during the trip.
*Finding the right train
This could be a little challenging for foreigners. Basically, you need to know the final destination of your train in advance. This information is written (in Bulgarian) within a rectangle on the sides of some of the carriages. This way you’ll know which train to board. There are some more modern ones and this information is easily found on their digital screens right at the front. The bigger railway stations usually have information on every platform, especially Sofia Central Railway Station. There are digital screens showing the number, the destination, and the schedule of the train, departuring from each platform.
Also, there isn’t a practice of announcing the upcoming stops, so you should prepare yourself in advance as much as you can. For example, by taking a photo/screenshot of the train’s route or following the GPS service on your phone. Like this, you could eliminate the possibility of missing your stop or getting off on a wrong one. However, there are a few exceptions. The above mentioned modern trains also have speakers inside, announcing the stops are, so it’s easier to follow the route.
*Finding your seat
In Bulgarian trains you can buy tickets with or without a reserved seat. For most trains the standard ticket doesn’t have a designated seat and you can choose where to sit. You can get a reserved seat, if such is available, by paying a small extra fee for it. Some trains, however, always have designated seats for all the passengers and for some people it can be quite confusing to find them.
Basically, every carriage has its own number and all the seats inside are also numbered. When you buy a ticket with a reserved seat, you’ll find information about the carriage (in Bulgarian вагон) number and the seat (in Bulgarian място) number. Most trains have both first and second class. This is marked with large numbers 1 and 2 written on the carriages. A lot of people confuse those numbers with the numbering of the carriages themselves. But no, the number of each carriage is written inside small squares, usually next to the doors.
Once you are inside the right carriage, you just need to find your seat. The numbers usually go from 1 to 100 (or above). If the train has separated compartments, the numbers are usually above each seat. If it’s a big saloon, then search for them either above the seats (where the luggage goes) or by the windows.
Current repair work at Sofia Central Railway Station! For quite some time now, Sofia Central Railway Station has been under repairs. If you’re going to travel towards destinations, such as Varna, Ruse and Vidin (basically the northern half of Bulgaria), you have to board the train from Sofia Sever (Sofia North Station). You can either get there by a taxi/public transport, or you can board the provided intermediate train from Central Railway Station. It’s the same when traveling towards Sofia – you have to get off at Sofia Sever and board the intermediate train towards Centrail Railway Station, or use a taxi/public transport to get to your destination within the city.
And if you ever decide to board a Bulgarian train – good luck! 😂
RELIGION
The traditional religion in Bulgaria is Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The majority of the population practices it and most religious temples in the country are part of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
A very important thing to remember when visiting such a church is the dress code. You can’t walk inside scarcely dressed and your shoulders and knees must be covered. It is a holy place and more provocative clothes and appearance could cause resentment and it is possible a church official to ask you to leave or even escort you out. Failure to comply with the dress code could be seen as offensive.
DO BULGARIANS SPEAK ENGLISH?
Well, I do. 😂
But the situation is so-so.
From 1944 to 1989, Bulgaria was under Soviet occupation and became a communist country. Respectively, kids then mostly learned Russian at school. So, the older generations in Bulgaria as a whole don’t speak English at all or they speak just a little bit.
The generations after 1989 started learning English at school, so younger people in Bulgaria usually speak the language more or less. Many of them even migrate to the UK for higher education, and some students spend their summers in the USA as seasonal workers. So, if you ever need assistance with anything, I would suggest you to turn to a younger person, because there is a higher chance they’ll be able to understand and help you.
TIPPING IS NOT MANDATORY, BUT IT IS COMMON
You’re not obliged to leave the waiter a tip after you’ve visited a restaurant/café. However, it is a common practice, especially in the bigger and fancier restaurants. There is no minimum or maximum amount, nor a mathematical percentage that you can calculate. It is all up to you what the amount would be and weather you’ll leave a tip or not at all. Usually, clients who are pleased with the service tend to leave bigger tips, while bad service might leave the waiter ‘empty-handed’.
If the waiter picks up the check, but you’re still at your table, they are obliged to give you the change (if the amount you have given is higher). So, usually, we say to the waiter that the amount we’ve put is ‘correct’, suggesting there is no need to give us the change.
Respectively, if you don’t want to tip the waiter, just wait at your table for your change. However, there might be some exclusions in certain restaurants, especially if they’re fancier, but as a whole tipping is not mandatory.
NODDING MEANS ‘NO’ AND A ‘HEAD SHAKE’ MEANS ‘YES’…ISH
This information is widely spread across the internet, because other people find it quirky, but it is not entirely true. Head movements in Bulgaria are very likely to leave you quite confused, because we basically move our heads in all sorts of ways and speeds. To say it simply, the most important thing you need to observe is our facial expressions, because they tell you what we mean.
A grimace and a frown means ‘no’/refusal and can be accompanied by a nod up and down or a shake to the sides, usually done in a faster way. A friendlier expression, often with a slight smile, means ‘yes’/agreement and can be accompanied by either a nod up and down or a shake to the sides, usually done in a slower way. We also tend to bobble our heads, similar to people in India, when we mean ‘okay’ or ‘I understood’, usually done in a faster way. A slower movement might mean ‘maybe’ or ‘I’ll think about it’ or anything else, depending on the conversation. 😂
No matter the head movement, observe the facial expression, we make a lot of those. 😂 But most of all, if you’re not certain what the other person means, you can simply ask – we, Bulgarians, are friendly and warm people in general. (There are always exceptions, of course 😂)
A visit to Bulgaria could leave you very surprised or even confused. I hope this information will be helpful to you and will make your stay easier and more pleasant! 💚
Till the next time!
Lina Dimitrova
28/04/2026
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