Best stops on the drive from Sofia to Varna

Updated: October 29, 2026

The best stops on the northern road from Sofia to Varna are Veliko Tarnovo, about halfway, then Shumen and the Madara Rider in the east, and the Stone Forest (Pobiti Kamani) just before Varna. The drive is about 440 km and 5 h 30 min to 6 h without stops; two short visits turn it into a comfortable 8 to 9-hour day. A private transfer costs 335 € per vehicle.

The stops in order

All of these are on, or close to, the northern route through the middle of the country. If you take the Trakia motorway via Burgas instead, none of them is on the way; see Sofia to Varna by car for the choice of route.

Stop	Approx. distance from Sofia	Detour from the route	Suggested time there
Lovech (covered bridge, old quarter)	about 165 km	Small, if routed via Lovech	30–45 min
Veliko Tarnovo (Tsarevets fortress, old town)	about 220 km	None on the usual route	1 h 30 min – 2 h
Arbanasi	about 225 km	About 5 km from Veliko Tarnovo	45 min – 1 h
Shumen (fortress, 1300 Years of Bulgaria monument)	about 340 km	A few km into town	1 h
Madara Rider	about 360 km	About 10 km off the road	45 min – 1 h
Stone Forest (Pobiti Kamani)	about 420 km	Just off the motorway before Varna	30 min

Veliko Tarnovo

If you only stop once, stop here. The old capital sits on loops of the Yantra river, with the Tsarevets fortress on one hill and the old town on the slopes opposite. It is about 3 hours from Sofia, which makes it a natural lunch break. Allow an hour and a half to walk the fortress walls or wander along Gurko Street and the craft street of Samovodska Charshia.

Arbanasi, on the plateau above the town, adds old merchant houses and churches with painted interiors. It is a short drive from the centre.

Shumen and Madara

East of Veliko Tarnovo, the road crosses rolling farmland to Shumen. The town’s two landmarks are the medieval fortress and the large concrete monument to the founders of the Bulgarian state on the plateau above it. Both have wide views over the plain.

A little further east, the Madara Rider is an early medieval relief of a horseman carved into a cliff, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The relief itself is quick to see; the climb to the plateau above takes longer. From Madara, the eastern section of the Hemus motorway takes you to Varna in under an hour.

The Stone Forest

Pobiti Kamani is a set of natural stone columns in the sand, about 20 minutes before Varna and close to the motorway. It works well as a last, short stop, and it is easy to combine with arrival in Varna in the late afternoon.

Sample day plans

Plan	Departure from Sofia	Stops	Arrival in Varna
One long stop	8:00	Veliko Tarnovo, 2 h	around 16:00
Two short stops	7:30	Veliko Tarnovo 1 h 30 min, Madara 45 min	around 16:30
History day	7:00	Veliko Tarnovo, Shumen, Madara	around 17:30
Quick break only	9:00	Stone Forest 30 min	around 15:30

Practical points

• Opening hours at Tsarevets, Shumen fortress, the Madara reserve and the Stone Forest change with the season; check the official sites before you travel.
• Most sites charge a small entrance fee; carry some cash in euros.
• In summer, start early: Tsarevets and Madara have little shade.
• In winter, daylight is short; plan one stop, not three.
• Comfortable shoes are worth it for the fortress walls and the steps at Madara.

Stops add time to a transfer, so plan them before you book and allow for them in your timing. If you start in Plovdiv rather than Sofia, our Plovdiv to Varna guide covers a route over the Shipka Pass that also passes Veliko Tarnovo. For the route choice between the two motorways, see Trakia or Hemus.

If you are travelling with children, Veliko Tarnovo and the Stone Forest usually hold their attention better than a long museum visit.