SozopolDayTripfromBurgas:Buses,theOldTownandtheApolloniaFestival
Sozopol sits 35 km south of Burgas and takes about 45 minutes by regional bus from Yug station, next to the railway station, for roughly €3–6. Spend the morning in the timber-house old town, swim at one of its two beaches, and go in late August or early September for the Apollonia arts festival.
TL;DR
Sozopol is the easiest half-day escape from Burgas: a €3–6 bus from Yug station, about 45 minutes each way, and Bulgaria's oldest coastal town at the other end.
Getting there from Burgas
Regional buses to Sozopol leave from Yug (South) bus station, right beside the railway station in central Burgas. Journeys to the nearby coastal towns run 20–60 minutes and cost €3–6, with Sozopol at roughly 45 minutes. Buy at the counter or from the driver, and keep cash for the return — card machines are not a given on regional services. Full options are in our getting around guide.
No car needed. Parking inside the old town is painful in high season, and the walk from Sozopol's bus stop to the peninsula takes minutes.
What to do once you arrive
Sozopol was founded as Apollonia Pontica in 610 BC, making it the oldest town on the Bulgarian coast. The old town is a grid of narrow lanes lined with dark-timber Revival houses on a rocky peninsula, and it has two beaches — the town beach and the longer Harmanite strand — so you can pair history with a swim in one trip.
It is also the coast's bohemian corner, with a long arts-festival tradition. The Apollonia arts festival falls in late August and early September, which makes right now the liveliest window of the year to go.
Sozopol or Nessebar?
Nessebar (37 km) is the UNESCO-listed one, heavier on medieval churches and coach parties. Sozopol is quieter, older and better for lingering. Pomorie (20 km, salt and wine) is the fastest of the three. Compare all four on our day trips page.
Eurovision 2027 note
Semifinal and final nights start in the evening, so a morning departure and mid-afternoon return leaves plenty of margin during contest week.
Planning your coast trip? Start at travelburgas.com.
Questions
- How do I get from Burgas to Sozopol without a car?
- Take a regional bus from Yug (South) bus station beside Burgas railway station. The ride is about 45 minutes and costs roughly €3–6; buy at the counter or from the driver and carry cash for the return.
- Is Sozopol worth a day trip from Burgas?
- Yes. It is the oldest town on the Bulgarian coast, founded in 610 BC, with a timber-house old town on a rocky peninsula and two beaches — enough for a comfortable half or full day.
- When is the Apollonia festival in Sozopol?
- The Apollonia arts festival traditionally runs from late August into early September, when the sea is still warm and the summer crowds are thinning.
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Written in response to a reader question: source thread
