Is Sofia Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Solo travel

Hi, in January 2025 I was in Sofia gor two days with a friend. We slept at a host place an it was really nice! We loved the city! With a free walking tour we learned a lot about the history and the main places of the city. The other day we went to the big mountain and walked trough the snow. The public transportation was really cheap. It was a nice trip! :)

Solo travel

I had an amazing time in Sofya! The city has a charming atmosphere, and the food was absolutely delicious. We tried some traditional Bulgarian dishes, and everything was fresh and flavorful. The service was also excellent—fast and friendly. We explored some beautiful places like Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Vitosha Boulevard, which had great shops and cafes. In the evening, my friends and I went to a karaoke bar, and we had so much fun singing together. The whole trip was unforgettable, and I’d love to visit again to discover even more!

Group travel

I felt very safe in Sofia, but I was with a group, so I don't know if the experience would have been the same alone. Sofia is an amazing h city, very vibrant and friendly. If you like iconic art, it's the best place to be. The food is also incredibly good. We also went mountain climbing outside the city, which was beautiful.

Solo travel

Overall Sofia was a beautiful underated place to visit. I stayed at peter pan house and felt very safe throughout my five day stay. I found public transport to be very reliable. People were very helpful, and the outdoor scene is beautiful

Solo travel

I really liked the vibe of this city. There are a lot of restaurants and bars and daily hiking trips to the mountains (with a breathtaking view!). I stayed there for 2 days and did a hiking trip as well as a lovely walking tour. The city has a really interesting history and a lot of different walking tours to learn more about it!

Solo travel

Felt quite safe in Sofia, even though I avoided staying out late and night and I also chose to take a taxi to get back home one of the nights (3 years ago, it was super cheap around 1euro for the shortest distance) I walked a lot, around 20klm per day and I can say that the main attractions, the food places that I chose and the parks where I rested were pretty much connected to each other. However, as I said it was my choice to walk a lot so this way I experienced the city in a way different way as if I chose public transport. I definitely recommend to visit the natural area and mountain Vitosha by sofia, especially if you are travelling in the spring/autumn. 💫 Also, I am from Greece so many parts of the culture, the food, the people seemed quite familiar to what I'm used to, so this made me feel extra comfortable but maybe a person from a different culture might find some things challenging/weird That's it I think, I was there for 3 days on total but overall it was a great experience!

Solo travel

I spend a month in Bulgaria doing Voluntary work in primary schools. I really liked the city and felt really safe even at night. Bulgarians are so nice and helpful, but most of them don’t speak proper English. If you want to visit the whole country, I would recommend: Plovdiv (my favourite city), Sofia, Varna, veliko tarnovo and a day trip to Rila monastery. If you are only staying in Sofia, then you should definitely see the city center, a day trip to Rila seven lakes and Vitosha mountain. The food wasn’t a big deal for me and nothing really surprised me. But I liked tarator (a cold soup), moussaka and banitsa is also something that you should try. Life in Bulgaria is really cheap (comparing to France ) I spent 500 euros for a month excluding hotels because I didnt pay for that. Transportation is really good in Sofia, i used busses and metro but you can also find tramway.

Solo travel

I was in Sofia this spring for a long weekend, I went on a one-day trip to the Rila Monastery and Mount Vitosha. I walked through Tolerance Square (2 churches, a synagogue and a mosque). Wonderful architecture. I also took a culinary walking tour, which was excellent.

Solo travel

I went there last year and I didn't like it. There might be 10 nice, interesting old buildings, but the rest of the city center is just shopping, modern cafes, etc. There's really not much to see or do. Besides, if you leave the decent city center, the streets immediately become quite bad. I didn't feel comfortable exploring areas outside the small city center.

Solo travel

I spent 2 full days there and it was not enough. I highly recommend the free walking tour with a guide. You will see all the main attractions and the history is extremely fascinating. I also took part in the Balkan Bites tour, which was interesting. I really fell in love with Bulgaria.

I feel really safe in Sofia. There's only one area that you need to avoid. It's called Lulin. It's located northwest of the city. The center of the city is completely safe. Of course you need to follow basic safety rules. But here people can have their money and phones in their pockets. I've never faced any аgression or violence.

I would say it can be pretty safe place to leave, it depend fron the area you're staying really. I wouldnt reccomend renting a place around Lion's bridge, Lulin, or Nadejda's reagion. Most of the niebourhoods can be considered safe.