---
title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Varna, Bulgaria (2026 Guide) | Wimup"
description: "The 10 best things to do in Varna, ranked. Six-thousand-year-old gold at the Archaeological Museum, the largest Roman baths in Bulgaria, the Sea Garden, a cliff monastery and the stone forest at Pobiti Kamani."
url: https://wimup.com/city/varna
type: City guide
updated: 2026-10-09
publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com)
---

# Top 10 Things To Do in Varna

Varna, Bulgaria · Europe · By Wimup Editorial, 12 min read

Varna is Bulgaria’s sea capital and its third city, a working port where some of the oldest worked gold ever found sits a few streets from a Roman bathhouse the size of a city block. The Sea Garden runs above the beaches, and the resorts start a short bus ride north.

## Quick answer

The best things to do in Varna are the Necropolis gold at the Archaeological Museum, the Roman Thermae, the Sea Garden and its beaches, the Dormition cathedral and the Naval Museum. Two days covers the city on foot. A third buys Aladzha Monastery in its cliff, the stone columns of Pobiti Kamani or the palace gardens at Balchik.

## Quick facts

- **Best months:** May · Jun · Sep
- **Ideal length:** 2–3 days
- **Budget per day:** €50–100
- **Language:** Bulgarian
- **Getting around:** On foot, city buses, taxi
- **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://visit.varna.bg/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## The 10 best things to do in Varna

### 1. See the Varna Necropolis gold

Museum · 41 Maria Luiza Blvd, 9000 Varna

The reason to come to Varna before the beach. The gold from the Varna Necropolis, found by accident during building work in 1972, is more than 6,000 years old. Go straight to those cases, then work back through the Roman rooms.

- **Time:** 1.5 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Opening time, before the tour groups
- **Tip:** From October to April the museum closes on Sundays and Mondays.

Links: [Website](https://www.museumvarna.com/en/exposures/archaeological-museum/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 2. Walk through the Roman Thermae

Ancient site · 13 San Stefano St, 9000 Varna

Built in the late second century for Roman Odessos and covering about 7,000 square metres, the largest ancient public building yet found in Bulgaria. Walk the furnace rooms and raised hypocaust floors, then step round the corner to St Athanasius.

- **Time:** 45 min
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Morning, before the stone heats up
- **Tip:** Closed on Sundays and Mondays outside the summer season.

Links: [Website](https://www.museumvarna.com/en/museum-sites/roman-thermae/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 3. Spend an afternoon in the Sea Garden

Park · Primorski Blvd, 9000 Varna

The seafront park the Czech gardener Anton Novák reshaped from 1895, now the city’s living room. It holds the Summer Theatre, the Naval Museum and the aquarium, and its terraces drop straight down to the city beaches.

- **Time:** 2 hr
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Late afternoon, then dinner on the terraces
- **Tip:** Start at the Naval Museum at the south end and walk north; stairs drop to the beaches as you go.

Links: [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/Sea_Garden.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 4. Stand under the cathedral domes

Church · Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodiy Square, 9000 Varna

The Cathedral of the Dormition opened in 1886 and is still the seat of the Metropolitan of Varna and Veliki Preslav. It is the centre’s compass: every main street points at its gilded domes, and the Day of Varna begins here.

- **Time:** 30 min
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Early evening, when the domes catch the light
- **Tip:** Cover shoulders and knees, and keep quiet near a service.

### 5. Climb into Aladzha Monastery

Monastery · Golden Sands Nature Park, about 17 km north of Varna

Medieval cells, a chapel and passageways cut on two levels into a limestone cliff in the Golden Sands Nature Park. A separate group of catacombs lies a few hundred metres west through the woods.

- **Time:** 1.5 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Morning, before the beach crowd arrives
- **Tip:** Pair it with an afternoon on the sand at Golden Sands, about 3 km east.

### 6. Walk among the stones at Pobiti Kamani

Nature · Near Beloslav, about 18 km west of Varna

Hundreds of stone columns standing in sand in a strip about 850 metres long, the stone forest Bulgarians call Pobiti Kamani. A strange half hour and an easy one from the Sofia road.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Early morning or late afternoon, for the light
- **Tip:** City bus 43 reaches nearby Slanchevo, but a car or taxi is far simpler.

Links: [Website](https://www.museumvarna.com/en/museum-sites/petrified-forest/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 7. Swim at Kabakum and Sunny Day

Beach · Kabakum and Sunny Day, north of Varna

The best of the beaches within the city limits: more than a kilometre of wide sand at Kabakum and, next door, Sunny Day, which has held the Blue Flag every summer since 1996. Calmer and cleaner than the central beach.

- **Time:** Half day
- **Cost:** Free; sunbeds extra
- **Best at:** Morning, before the sun gets high
- **Tip:** City buses run north along the coast road from the centre.

Links: [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/beaches_varna.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 8. Board the torpedo boat at the Naval Museum

Museum · 2 Primorski Blvd, 9000 Varna

The museum opened in Varna in 1923, in a building at the south end of the Sea Garden. The draw is the Drazki in the yard, the 1908 torpedo boat that hit the Ottoman cruiser Hamidiye in November 1912.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Combined with a Sea Garden walk
- **Tip:** The outdoor yard of guns and boats is the part to linger in.

Links: [Website](https://museummaritime-bg.com/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 9. Book a tour of Euxinograd

Palace · Euxinograd, about 8 km north of Varna

The former royal summer palace, its park and the winery founded in 1891, now a government residence. The tour covers the palace, the greenhouses and the cellars, and it only happens if you book ahead.

- **Time:** 2 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed, by advance booking
- **Best at:** Spring, when the park is in flower
- **Tip:** Tours can be cancelled at short notice when the government is in residence.

Links: [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/rezidenciq-evksinograd.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 10. Climb to the Park-Monument on Turna Tepe

Monument · Turna Tepe, north Varna

A 48-metre-wide, 23-metre-tall concrete block on the hill where Russian forces camped during the 1828 siege, opened in 1978. Its bronze lettering was stripped after 1989; the view over the city and the bay was not.

- **Time:** 45 min
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Sunset, for the view over the bay
- **Tip:** Go on a clear evening; the view over the bay is the reason to climb.

Links: [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/soviet_bulgarian_monument.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best beaches in Varna

Four stretches of sand, from the city beach to the resort strip.

1. **Central Beach** (City · Free · Sea Garden): The city beach below the Sea Garden, a walk from the centre. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/beaches_varna.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Kabakum** (North · Free · Kabakum): More than a kilometre of wide sand, with volleyball and water sports. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/beaches_varna.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Sunny Day** (North · Free · Sunny Day): A Blue Flag beach every summer since 1996. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/beach-slanchev-den-sunny-day.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Golden Sands** (~17 km · Free · Golden Sands): About 3.5 km of fine sand in front of the big resort north of the city. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/golden_sands.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best museums in Varna

Five collections, from Neolithic gold to a Black Sea aquarium.

1. **Archaeological Museum** (€ · Ticketed · Maria Luiza Blvd 41): The Necropolis gold, plus Thracian, Greek and Roman Odessos. [Website](https://www.museumvarna.com/en/exposures/archaeological-museum/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Naval Museum** (€ · Ticketed · Primorski Blvd 2): The Drazki torpedo boat and a yard of guns, in the Sea Garden. [Website](https://museummaritime-bg.com/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Ethnographic Museum** (€ · Ticketed · Panagyurishte St 22): Folk costume and crafts in a merchant house from around 1860. [Website](https://www.museumvarna.com/en/exposures/ethnographic-museum/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Aquarium** (€ · Ticketed · Primorski Blvd 4): Black Sea fish in the station Tsar Boris III opened in 1932. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/aquarium.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Retro Museum** (€ · Ticketed · Akademik Andrei Saharov St 2): Socialist-era cars and everyday objects, inside the Grand Mall. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/retro-muzej.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best churches & monasteries in Varna

Four sanctuaries, from the gilded cathedral to a cliff monastery.

1. **Cathedral of the Dormition** (Free · Kiril i Metodiy Square): Opened in 1886, the city’s gilded centrepiece.
2. **St Athanasius** (Free · Greek Quarter): The Greek community’s church, rebuilt in 1838 beside the Roman baths. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/atanasij_church.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **St Nicholas** (Free · Central Varna): The sailors’ church, built in 1865 after a merchant’s vow in a storm.
4. **Aladzha Monastery** (€ · Ticketed · Golden Sands Nature Park): Medieval cells cut into a cliff above Golden Sands.

## Best restaurants in Varna

Four tables, from a brick-oven grill to dinner on a galleon.

1. **Stariat Chinar** (Bulgarian · $$ · Preslav St 11): Brick-oven meat, Bulgarian salads and rakia; book ahead.
2. **Chuchura** (Bulgarian · $$ · Dragoman St 11): A tavern a few blocks from the cathedral. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/objects.html/restaurant/gostilnitsa-chuchura/1851?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Mr. Baba** (Seafood · $$$ · Port waterfront): Seafood aboard a wooden galleon replica, with a roof over the port.
4. **Red Canape** (Modern · $$ · Knyaz Boris I Blvd 65): A modern dining room with a wine bar on the main street.

## Best landmarks in Varna

Four structures that tell the city’s story.

1. **Asparuhov Bridge** (Free · South Varna): 2.05 km long and 50 m above the canal, opened in 1976. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/asparuhov_most.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Summer Theatre** (Ticketed events · Sea Garden): The Sea Garden’s open-air stage, built in 1957. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/summer_theatre.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Festival and Congress Centre** (Ticketed events · Slivnitsa Blvd 2): The 1986 hall that hosts the city’s film festivals. [Website](https://www.varnaculture.bg/en/place/festival-and-congress-centre/6.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Park-Monument on Turna Tepe** (Free · Turna Tepe): The 1978 friendship monument, with the best view of the bay. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/soviet_bulgarian_monument.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best neighborhoods in Varna

Four districts, from the Greek Quarter to the oldest resort on the coast.

1. **Greek Quarter** (Historic · Grutska Mahala): Old lanes around the Roman Thermae and St Athanasius.
2. **City centre** (Central · Knyaz Boris I Blvd): The cathedral, the opera and the shopping run of Knyaz Boris I.
3. **Sea Garden and Primorski** (Seafront · Primorski Blvd): The park, the museums and the beach terraces. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/Sea_Garden.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **St Constantine and Helena** (~10 km north · Sv. Sv. Konstantin i Elena): The coast’s oldest resort, its first hotel opened in 1908.

## Best day trips in Varna

Six trips, from a stone forest 18 km out to the Madara Rider.

1. **Pobiti Kamani** (~18 km · Ticketed · Near Beloslav): Hundreds of stone columns standing in sand. [Website](https://www.museumvarna.com/en/museum-sites/petrified-forest/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Euxinograd** (~8 km · Ticketed · North coast): The royal summer palace and winery, by advance booking only. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/rezidenciq-evksinograd.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Golden Sands Nature Park** (~17 km · Golden Sands): Beech woods, marked trails and Aladzha Monastery.
4. **Balchik Palace** (~45 km · Ticketed · Balchik): Queen Marie’s seaside palace and its cactus-rich botanical garden. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/arhitekturno-parkov-kompleks-dvoretsa-i-botanicheskata-gradina.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Cape Kaliakra** (Near Kavarna · Ticketed · Kavarna): A fortress on a 2 km headland 70 m above the sea. [Website](https://tourism.government.bg/bg/tourist-destinations/2802/5559?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
6. **Madara Rider** (~75 km · Ticketed · Madara): An early medieval horseman carved into a cliff, on the UNESCO list.

## Festivals & annual events in Varna (2026)

- **Epiphany** (Jan): On 6 January a cross is thrown into the sea and swimmers dive to retrieve it.
- **Varna Summer Theatre Festival** (Jun): Eleven days of theatre across the city’s stages, 1 to 11 June in 2026.
- **Varna Summer Music Festival** (Jun): Bulgaria’s oldest music festival, founded in 1926, running into October for its centenary.
- **Varna Summer Jazz** (Aug): Concerts in the garden of the Archaeological Museum in early August.
- **Navy Day** (Aug): On 12 August naval vessels open to visitors at the port.
- **Day of Varna** (Aug): 15 August: a cathedral liturgy, free concerts and fireworks at 11pm.
- **Love is Folly** (Aug): An international film festival at the Festival and Congress Centre in late August.
- **Golden Rose** (Sep): Bulgaria’s national feature film festival, held each September.

## Must-try dishes in Varna, Bulgaria

- **Black Sea mussels**: Steamed or fried, served by the bowl at the beach restaurants.
- **Tsatsa**: Sprats fried whole and eaten by the plate with a cold beer.
- **Kalkan**: Black Sea turbot, fried or grilled, the prize fish of the coast.
- **Shopska salad**: Tomato, cucumber, pepper and grated white cheese.
- **Tarator**: Cold yoghurt soup with cucumber, dill, garlic and walnuts.
- **Banitsa**: Filo pastry baked with eggs and white cheese, a breakfast staple.
- **Kavarma**: Meat and vegetables stewed slowly in a clay pot.
- **Lyutenitsa**: A relish of roasted peppers and tomatoes, spread on bread.

## Varna transport & airports

- **Varna Airport** (VAR): Bus 409 leaves from outside Terminal 2 for the centre, reaching the Cathedral stop in about 20 minutes. [Website](https://www.varna-airport.bg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Trains** (BDZ): The station sits by the port. Direct trains reach Sofia in about 7.5 hours, including overnight services. [Website](https://razpisanie.bdz.bg/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **City buses** (Bus): Buses cover the city and the coast road north. A 60-minute ticket from a stop machine costs €1.00. [Website](https://visit.varna.bg/en/public-transport-in-varna.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Intercity coaches** (Coach): The central bus station is next to the Grand Mall, with coaches along the coast and inland.

## Varna at a glance

- **Country:** Bulgaria
- **Region:** Varna Province, northern Black Sea coast
- **Population:** 310,664 at the 2021 census, 432,198 in Varna Province
- **Founded:** As the Greek colony of Odessos, 6th century BC
- **Nickname:** The sea capital of Bulgaria
- **Language:** Bulgarian
- **Currency:** Euro (EUR), since 1 January 2026
- **Time zone:** EET · UTC+2, UTC+3 in summer
- **Calling code:** +359 · 52
- **Airports:** VAR, Varna Airport
- **Power:** 230V · Type C/F
- **Emergency:** 112

## Interesting facts

- The gold found in the Varna Necropolis in 1972 is more than 6,000 years old.
- Varna Summer, founded in 1926, is Bulgaria’s oldest music festival.
- The Roman Thermae rank as the fourth-largest surviving Roman baths in Europe.
- Asparuhov Bridge runs 2.05 km and stands 50 metres above the Varna canal.
- In 1964 Varna staged the world’s first international ballet competition.

## Varna travel FAQ

### How many days do you need in Varna?

Two. The first covers the Archaeological Museum, the Roman Thermae, the cathedral and the Sea Garden on foot. The second goes to Aladzha Monastery and a beach at Kabakum or Golden Sands. A third buys Pobiti Kamani, Balchik or Cape Kaliakra.

### How do I get from Varna Airport to the city centre?

Take bus 409 from the stop opposite the Terminal 2 exit. It reaches the Cathedral stop in about 20 minutes and runs every 15 to 30 minutes, more often in summer. Taxis wait outside the terminal.

### When is the best time to visit Varna?

June and September bring warm sea and fewer crowds than July and August. Time it for the theatre festival in early June or the Day of Varna on 15 August, which ends with fireworks over the bay.

### What currency does Varna use?

The euro. Bulgaria replaced the lev on 1 January 2026 at a fixed rate of 1.95583 lev to the euro. Cards are widely accepted in the centre, but keep some cash for buses and beach kiosks.

### Can you visit Balchik as a day trip from Varna?

Yes. Balchik is about 40 to 50 km north, roughly 50 minutes by bus. The palace and the botanical garden sell separate tickets at separate booths, so allow half a day for both.

## Nearby guides

- [Veliko Tarnovo](https://wimup.com/city/veliko-tarnovo.md): Bulgaria · 10 picks
- [Bucharest](https://wimup.com/city/bucharest.md): Romania · 10 picks
- [Istanbul](https://wimup.com/city/istanbul.md): Turkey · 10 picks
- [All of Europe →](https://wimup.com/europe): 115 cities

Part of the [Bulgaria guide](https://wimup.com/country/bulgaria.md) · [Europe](https://wimup.com/europe.md)

## Sources

- [Varna tourism board](https://visit.varna.bg/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [See the Varna Necropolis gold (official site)](https://www.museumvarna.com/en/exposures/archaeological-museum/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Walk through the Roman Thermae (official site)](https://www.museumvarna.com/en/museum-sites/roman-thermae/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Spend an afternoon in the Sea Garden (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/Sea_Garden.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Walk among the stones at Pobiti Kamani (official site)](https://www.museumvarna.com/en/museum-sites/petrified-forest/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Swim at Kabakum and Sunny Day (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/beaches_varna.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Board the torpedo boat at the Naval Museum (official site)](https://museummaritime-bg.com/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Book a tour of Euxinograd (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/rezidenciq-evksinograd.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Climb to the Park-Monument on Turna Tepe (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/soviet_bulgarian_monument.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Sunny Day (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/beach-slanchev-den-sunny-day.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Golden Sands (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/golden_sands.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Ethnographic Museum (official site)](https://www.museumvarna.com/en/exposures/ethnographic-museum/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Aquarium (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/aquarium.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Retro Museum (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/retro-muzej.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [St Athanasius (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/atanasij_church.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Chuchura (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/objects.html/restaurant/gostilnitsa-chuchura/1851?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Asparuhov Bridge (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/asparuhov_most.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Summer Theatre (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/summer_theatre.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Festival and Congress Centre (official site)](https://www.varnaculture.bg/en/place/festival-and-congress-centre/6.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Balchik Palace (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/arhitekturno-parkov-kompleks-dvoretsa-i-botanicheskata-gradina.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Cape Kaliakra (official site)](https://tourism.government.bg/bg/tourist-destinations/2802/5559?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Varna Airport (official site)](https://www.varna-airport.bg/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Trains (official site)](https://razpisanie.bdz.bg/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [City buses (official site)](https://visit.varna.bg/en/public-transport-in-varna.html?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.