Best Time To Visit Bulgaria - Weather, Holidays, and More

The best time to go somewhere is subjective thing. Someone wants to go for the beaches, someone for skiing, and someone may want to enjoy the circus of the elections. So we can't tell you the best time to visit. We can tell you what is each month of the year like and you decide for yourself.

January

Weather here is hard to predict but one of the sure things is that January is cold. Almost no exceptions. You can expect temperatures well below the zero, sometimes (rare) down to -20 C. Snow and ice is also to be expected. In mild winters you can see few degrees above the zero. The day is shortest in January with the sunset about 5 PM.

So this month is best for ski and similar winter activities. If you like festivals, this is the time when the International Kukeri festival is held in Pernik (50 km away of Sofia, good connections by train).

February

February is also cold but sometimes you can see the first signs of spring. While -20 C is not unseen in February you can also have +20 C. It's recommended to check the weather forecast just before you start your trip.

Besides the st. Valentine day which is getting popular recently there is another festival going here on February 14th. This is the Pruner day also known as Saint Trifon or Trifon Zarezan. Excellent time to visit if you like wine!

The days in February start growing slower with the sunset heading for 6 PM. It's still a typical winter month so don't come here if you hate cold.

March

The first month of the spring can greet you with temperatures well below the zero or 25 centigrades above it. This is probably the least predictable month. Typically you should be prepared for snow.

March 3rd is official holiday so expect to have institutions closed around the date. On March 8th many Bulgarians celebrate the International Women's Day so you'll see a lot of flowers for sale and the restaurants will be full. On the last Saturday of March we switch to DST time so the clock moves 1 hour ahead.

March is also the time when a lot of green salads start appearing on the markets and the country starts waking up for the spring.

April

Snow in April is rare but happens. It usually melts quickly because the temperatures rarely drop below freezing. April can have very hot days with 25 C or more. The typical daily temperatures are around 15 C.

Easter here is celebrated by the Orthodox calendar so it usually is a week or two later than the Catholic Easter. There are often several non-working days around Easter so check for actual information before you come.

April is rich of locally grown greens, strawberries, spinach and more. The days are long with the sunset heading for 8 PM.

May

One of the best months in general. May is usually hot without being too hot. You can however expect cold (about 10C) and rainy days sometimes or very hot days (above 30C). A lot of locally grown vegetables and the first fruits appear on the markets in May. The day is getting very long, the sunset gets closer to 9 PM.

Have in mind that May 1st and May 6th are official holidays. This often means the whole period between 1st and 6th will be non-working days and there will be a lot of traffic jams on the roads and rails on these dates. May 24th is the Day of Slavonic Alphabet with a lot of events going around it.

June

June is the first month when you can go to the beach. The first visitors come in May but the sea water is still too cool. June is the first summer month with temperatures often over 30 C. It's also officially the wettest month so rain is to be expected. It's not unusual for June to welcome you with temperatures around 10 C especially in the first half.

There are no big festivals in June except the International Children's day which is celebrated on 1st.

Besides going to the beach June is good time for mountains and going to a hut. Have in mind that the highest peaks will still have snow on them.

June is the month with the longest days with the sun shining up to 9:30 PM.

July

The most typical summer month. Usually hot and dry. Be prepared for 30 - 35 C or more and no rain, except in some years. July along with August are the most popular months for summer vacations.

July is very rich of locally grown fruits and vegetables so it's good time for food lovers as well.

There are no big festivals in this month here. Just come to enjoy the summer.

August

Similar to July, August is usually very hot. By the end of the month the nights start getting cooler especially in the higher places like Sofia.

There are no festivals in August. Everyone is on vacation. This is the best time to enjoy empty cities and less traffic, unless you go to the sea places.

August is excellent for lazy vacation, mountaineering, cultural tourism etc. It's less excellent for doing business. Everyone is on vacation.

September

Although it's the first month of the fall, September is still usually hot. You can often see sunny days with temperatures around 30 C. On the lower end it can go down to about 10 C in the morning. In some years September is very wet.

This is probably the richest month of locally grown food. Enjoy the best fruits and vegetables at this time.

September is still good for going to the sea - the water is not too cold yet. It's also the month when students go to school (on Sept 15th) so there are some celebrations and traffic around this. Sep 6th is official holiday.

October

October is the first month when you will really feel autumn. While some days might be pretty sunny and well over 20 C, some mornings it can be close to zero. Rains are frequent and snow is not impossible especially in the second half of the month.

October is however good time to visit Bulgaria in general. Weather is still mostly good. There is a lot of freshly grown local produce. Days are still relatively long as DST is in effect till the end of the month. It's no longer good for sea vacation but the time is excellent for visiting the cities or mountains. The views in the nature are excellent when leaves start turning brown and yellow.

There are no major holidays in October.

November

Although it's an autumn month, November can feel like winter. Snow can be expected any time and temperatures below the zero as well. Temperatures over 20 C also are not an exception but since the days are short don't forget your winter clothes.

There are no major festivals or holidays in November. The weather isn't too great usually so it's not the best month for walks in the cities. November is good for those who enjoy nature - with or without snow it can be nice at this time of the year.

December

The winter finally sets in. It can be very cold sometimes with -10 C or below. Usually temperatures are around the zero. Days are very short with sunset around 5 PM. Snow and fog should be expected.

If you come here for Christmas have in mind the loads of traffic in trains, buses, roads and airplanes. Try to avoid traveling exactly the day before and after the holidays. A lot of companies and institutions close around the holidays so there are nearly two weeks with almost nothing working - around Christmas and New Year.