We depart from the town of Plovdiv at 10 am and head out to the Valley of Roses just an hour or so north of Plovdiv. During May and June, the rose fields are blooming and the famous Rosa Damascena of Bulgaria is being harvested. On the way to a village in the heart of the tiny region dubbed the Valley of Roses, we enjoy fantastic views of the Balkan Mountain Range, rose and lavender fields, animals grassing and villages that are frozen in time. The scent of roses lingers in the air as the flowers are carefully picked by hand during the cool morning hours to retain their aromatic oils.

We arrive at a small, family-owned rose oil distillery where we are met by the English-speaking owners. The distillery will be in full work mode, and we will be lucky enough to experience the rose oil production happening in real time. The owner will show us around the facility that produces rose oil, lavender oil and melissa oil. We will learn everything there is to know about the art of making the most expensive essential oil in the world Bulgarian rose oil.

We continue to a winery in the region to enjoy a tasting of 5 wines and a lunch in the onsite restaurant. The Valley of Roses is particularly famous for aromatic white wines but a diverse portfolio of high quality white and red wines will be available to try while the manager guides us through the list of wines.

With our minds and tummies full, we head back to Plovdiv after a day of discovering the Roses and Wines of The Valley of Roses.

The tour lasts approximately from 10:00 am 7:00 pm, depending on traffic and the pace of the tour.