At a glance
Quietest month: November. Busiest: August, with about 6.2 times as many tourist nights as November. In Sofia, August is warmest (average high 28.3 °C) and June wettest (79 mm of rain).
- January: 3.9%, quieter than average
- February: 4.0%, quieter than average
- March: 3.9%, quieter than average
- April: 3.7%, quieter than average
- May: 5.3%, quieter than average
- June: 13.3%, busier than average
- July: 21.2%, one of the two busiest months
- August: 22.3%, one of the two busiest months
- September: 11.0%, busier than average
- October: 4.1%, quieter than average
- November: 3.6%, quieter than average
- December: 3.8%, quieter than average
quieter than average busier than average two busiest months · each month's share of Bulgaria's 2025 tourist nights; an even spread is 8.3% a month
- Weather
- Coldest: January (average low −3.9 °C). Driest: January (35 mm). Month by month
- Prices
- Restaurants and accommodation in Bulgaria: about 44% below the EU average in 2025. Is Bulgaria expensive?
- Holidays
- 15 national public holidays in 2026. See the dates
- Next
- Plan a trip with your dates
Measured by its share of the year's tourist nights, November was Bulgaria's least crowded month in 2025, with 3.6%, and August the busiest, with 22.3%. July and August together carried 43.4% of the year, making Bulgaria the second most seasonal of 35 European countries we measured. September was quieter than June, at 11.0% against 13.3%.
Bulgaria, month by month
- Two busiest months
- Other months
When is Bulgaria busiest, and when is it quietest?
August was the busiest month in 2025, with 22.3% of the year's tourist nights. November was the quietest, with 3.6%. That makes August 6.2 times as busy as November.1
Eight months each carried less than an average month's share of 8.3%: January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December.
Who stays in Bulgaria: residents or guests from abroad?
In 2025, guests living abroad spent 55.8% of Bulgaria's tourist nights. Residents of Bulgaria spent the rest.1
- Highest share from abroad
- Other months
The share from abroad was highest in June, at 68.6% of that month's nights, and lowest in November, at 28.2%.1
Residents spent more than half of the month's nights in January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. Guests from abroad spent more than half in June, July, August and September.
Eurostat counts guests by the country they live in, not by nationality.2
How seasonal is Bulgaria compared with the rest of Europe?
July and August together carried 43.4% of Bulgaria's nights. Ranked by that share, Bulgaria is the second most seasonal of the 35 European countries we measured, where 1 is the country most concentrated into its two busiest months.1
For comparison, the most seasonal country on this measure was Croatia at 54.5%, and the least seasonal was Malta at 21.8%. See all 35 countries ranked.
Did accommodation in Bulgaria get more expensive in 2025?
On Eurostat's harmonised index of consumer prices, prices of accommodation services in Bulgaria were 4.3% higher on average in 2025 than in 2024. Across the EU the rise was 4.1%.3
This measures how prices changed, not what a stay costs, so check the current price when you book. Accommodation services cover hotels, motels and inns; holiday centres, campsites and youth hostels; and other places to stay.
What are Bulgaria's public holidays in 2026 and 2027?
Bulgaria's public holidays on one page: every date with its weekday and the ones next to a weekend.
In Bulgaria, public holidays fall on 15 days in 2026 and 14 in 2027.4 In 2026, 6 of those days are a Saturday or Sunday.4 1 November is a day off only for schools and other educational institutions. When a holiday other than Easter falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next one or two working days are days off; those replacement days are not in the table.
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day Нова година | Thu 1 January | Fri 1 January |
| Liberation Day (national holiday) Ден на Освобождението на България от османско иго | Tue 3 March | Wed 3 March |
| Good Friday (Orthodox) Велики петък | Fri 10 April | Fri 30 April |
| Holy Saturday (Orthodox) Велика събота | Sat 11 April | Sat 1 May |
| Easter Sunday (Orthodox) Великден - неделя | Sun 12 April | Sun 2 May |
| Easter Monday (Orthodox) Великден - понеделник | Mon 13 April | Mon 3 May |
| Labour Day Ден на труда и на международната работническа солидарност | Fri 1 May | Sat 1 May |
| St George's Day, Day of Valour and the Bulgarian Army Гергьовден, Ден на храбростта и Българската армия | Wed 6 May | Thu 6 May |
| Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Bulgarian alphabet, education and culture Ден на светите братя Кирил и Методий | Sun 24 May | Mon 24 May |
| Unification Day Ден на Съединението | Sun 6 September | Mon 6 September |
| Independence Day Ден на Независимостта на България | Tue 22 September | Wed 22 September |
| National Awakeners' Day Ден на народните будители | Sun 1 November | Mon 1 November |
| Christmas Eve Бъдни вечер | Thu 24 December | Fri 24 December |
| Christmas Day Рождество Христово | Fri 25 December | Sat 25 December |
| Second day of Christmas Рождество Христово | Sat 26 December | Sun 26 December |
We took these from the law or the government's own list, not from a holiday website, and worked out the dates that move each year, such as Easter, from the rules in the law. The dates match the European Commission's list of public holidays for 2026.5 Regional and local holidays are not included.
What is the weather like in Sofia each month?
Sofia weather by month on one page, with golden hour, sea temperature where there is one, and how busy each month was.
Other cities in Bulgaria, month by month: Varna, Burgas.
Averaged over 1991–2020, the Sofia weather station, which we use for Sofia, is warmest in August, with an average high of 28.3 °C, and coldest in January, with an average low of −3.9 °C. Its wettest month is June (79 mm of rain on average) and its driest January (35 mm).6
In November, Bulgaria's quietest month, the station's average high is 10.7 °C and its average low 1.9 °C, with 38 mm of rain. In August, the busiest, the average high is 28.3 °C.6
In November the station averages 6.0 days with at least 1 mm of rain and 107 hours of sunshine.6 On 15 November the sun is up for about 9 h 45 min there, against 13 h 55 min on 15 August.7
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rain | Rainy days | Sunshine | Daylight on the 15th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.5 °C | −3.9 °C | 35 mm | 6.0 days | 88 h | 9 h 25 min |
| February | 6.5 °C | −2.4 °C | 36 mm | 6.0 days | 117 h | 10 h 35 min |
| March | 11.4 °C | 1.1 °C | 45 mm | 7.0 days | 169 h | 11 h 55 min |
| April | 16.7 °C | 5.3 °C | 52 mm | 8.0 days | 196 h | 13 h 25 min |
| May | 21.4 °C | 9.8 °C | 73 mm | 10.0 days | 234 h | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 25.2 °C | 13.4 °C | 79 mm | 9.0 days | 267 h | 15 h 20 min |
| July | 27.8 °C | 15.3 °C | 64 mm | 7.0 days | 313 h | 15 h |
| August | 28.3 °C | 15.0 °C | 55 mm | 6.0 days | 307 h | 13 h 55 min |
| September | 23.3 °C | 10.9 °C | 53 mm | 6.0 days | 226 h | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 17.6 °C | 6.3 °C | 54 mm | 6.0 days | 166 h | 11 h 5 min |
| November | 10.7 °C | 1.9 °C | 38 mm | 6.0 days | 107 h | 9 h 45 min |
| December | 4.6 °C | −2.4 °C | 40 mm | 7.0 days | 69 h | 9 h 5 min |
Thirty-year averages from one weather station, Sofia, which we use for Sofia. They describe a typical year at that station, not a forecast, and weather varies across Bulgaria. A rainy day is one with at least 1 mm of rain. Daylight is not measured: it is our calculation of the time from sunrise to sunset.
June or September? May or October?
September was quieter than June, at 11.0% against 13.3%.
October was quieter than May, at 4.1% against 5.3%.
These compare months at similar distances from the summer peak. For typical weather in Sofia, see the weather section.
Similar weather, quieter: ideas for August
August was Bulgaria's busiest month in 2025 (22.3% of its tourist nights). These places had an average high within 2 °C and rainy days within 3 of Sofia's in August, in a different country, and August took a smaller share of its 2025 tourist nights than August did of Bulgaria's:
- Debrecen, Hungary: average high 28.1 °C, 6.0 rainy days; August was 14.7% of Hungary's year.
- Toulouse, France: average high 28.5 °C, 5.9 rainy days; August was 19.3% of France's year.
- Novi Sad, Serbia: average high 29.2 °C, 6.0 rainy days; August was 12.0% of Serbia's year.
- Iași, Romania: average high 28.8 °C, 5.4 rainy days; August was 17.2% of Romania's year.
- Bergamo, Italy: average high 28.9 °C, 6.7 rainy days; August was 17.9% of Italy's year.
Weather: 1991–2020 averages at each city's weather station (World Meteorological Organization normals in Europe, Japan Meteorological Agency in Japan); a rainy day has at least 1 mm of rain. “Quieter” compares a month with the rest of that place's own year. Try another month or place. All quieter alternatives to Bulgaria in August.
What these figures cannot tell you
These figures are good at one thing: showing when a country's registered tourist accommodation fills up. Four things they cannot do.
They miss some small places. The counts cover hotels, holiday and short-stay accommodation and campsites, but countries may exclude establishments with fewer than ten bed places, so small guesthouses can be missing.2
Nights are not queues. A national monthly total cannot see how busy one old town, beach or museum is on a given day.
Tourist nights say nothing about weather or prices. The weather section uses 30-year averages from one station, not a forecast. The price section shows how accommodation prices changed, not what a stay costs.
They are one year. These are 2025 figures. Patterns shift from year to year, and Eurostat revises its data as countries update their returns.
The full year
| Month | Share of year | Nights | From abroad |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.9% | 1,135,882 | 42.8% |
| February | 4.0% | 1,157,980 | 39.1% |
| March | 3.9% | 1,123,054 | 32.7% |
| April | 3.7% | 1,075,363 | 33.2% |
| May | 5.3% | 1,532,226 | 47.3% |
| June | 13.3% | 3,830,969 | 68.6% |
| July (one of the two busiest months) | 21.2% | 6,095,882 | 64.6% |
| August (one of the two busiest months) | 22.3% | 6,421,976 | 65.1% |
| September | 11.0% | 3,157,468 | 60.6% |
| October | 4.1% | 1,174,590 | 36.4% |
| November | 3.6% | 1,027,710 | 28.2% |
| December | 3.8% | 1,083,501 | 29.3% |
Total for 2025: 28,816,601 nights, 55.8% of them by guests living abroad. The two busiest months are marked. "From abroad" is the share of that month's nights spent by guests living outside Bulgaria.
More about Bulgaria
- Public holidays in Bulgaria 2026 and 2027
- When to visit Sofia
- When to visit Varna
- When to visit Burgas
- Bulgaria or Greece? When each is busy and quiet
- Bulgaria or Romania? When each is busy and quiet
- Serbia or Bulgaria? When each is busy and quiet
- Türkiye or Bulgaria? When each is busy and quiet
- Is it expensive? Price levels in Europe and Japan, 2025
- Which months is accommodation dearest? Europe by country
- Bathing water quality in Europe by country, 2025
- Is Bulgaria expensive? Official price levels, 2025
- Long weekends 2026 and 2027
Officially recognised in Bulgaria
- European Capital of Culture: Plovdiv (2019).
- European Green Leaf: Gabrovo (2021).
- European Heritage Label: 3 sites.
Show the 3 sites
- Thracian Art in Eastern Rhodopes: Aleksandrovo Tomb (Bulgaria) (2021)
- Provadia Salt-Production and Urban Centre (Bulgaria) (2025)
- Places of Peace (Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Bulgaria) (2025) – shared with Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia
Source: European Commission (Capitals of Culture, Green Capital and Green Leaf, Heritage Label), checked 1 Oct 2026. © European Union, CC BY 4.0; lists reformatted by Traveloffsy. Not endorsed by the Commission. See all officially recognised places.
Key takeaways
- November was Bulgaria's quietest month in 2025, with 3.6% of the year's tourist nights.
- July and August were the busiest, carrying 43.4% of the year between them.
- Bulgaria ranks 2 of 35 European countries for seasonal concentration, where 1 is the most concentrated.
- Guests living abroad spent 55.8% of Bulgaria's 2025 tourist nights; residents spent the rest.
- Public holidays in Bulgaria fall on 15 days in 2026 and 14 in 2027.
- September was quieter than June, at 11.0% against 13.3%.
- What we would skip: assuming every shoulder month is equally quiet. In Bulgaria, June carried 13.3% of the year's nights against September's 11.0%.
Sources
The tourism and hotel figures on this page come from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, which receives them from each country's national statistical authority. The weather averages come from the World Meteorological Organization's 1991–2020 climate normals, published by the US National Centers for Environmental Information. We downloaded the data directly and calculated the shares, rankings and comparisons ourselves. See how we research.
- Source: Eurostat, Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments – monthly data, doi:10.2908/TOUR_OCC_NIM, accessed 25 September 2026. Dataset last updated by Eurostat on 22 September 2026. Extract: number of nights, NACE codes I55.1–I55.3, all guests and split by guests resident in the country and abroad, January–December 2025.
- Eurostat, Tourist accommodation reference metadata, on collection by national authorities under Regulation (EU) 692/2011, the definition of a night spent, country of residence, and the ten-bed-place threshold. Read it. Checked 17 September 2026.
- Source: Eurostat, HICP – annual data (average index and rate of change), doi:10.2908/PRC_HICP_AIND, accessed 22 September 2026. Extract: accommodation services (COICOP CP112), annual average rate of change, 2025.
- Public holidays: Labour Code, art. 154 (text on the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy website, with amendments to State Gazette No. 62 of 2022). Read it. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- European Commission, Public holidays 2026, Official Journal of the European Union C/2025/6771, ELI. Used only as a cross-check. Accessed 23 September 2026.
- Weather: WMO Member Nations (2023). WMO Climatological Standard Normals for 1991-2020 (NCEI Accession 0253808), station Sofia (station ID 00015614), mean daily maximum and minimum temperature, precipitation and number of days with at least 1 mm of precipitation, and total hours of sunshine, normals computed from at least 24 years. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. doi:10.25921/800j-vn07. Accessed 22 September 2026. Released by NOAA under CC0.
- Daylight: our calculation of the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of each month of 2026 at the weather station's location, by the method of the NOAA Solar Calculator (NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, “Solar Calculation Details”, based on Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, allowing 0.833° for refraction and the size of the sun). Read it. Checked 22 September 2026. NOAA notes that calculated times can differ from what is observed.
Modified data. The monthly shares, residence shares, rankings and comparisons are our own calculations from Eurostat's counts. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place, so they may not add exactly. Eurostat bears no responsibility for these calculations or for how the figures are presented here. Rainfall is rounded to the nearest millimetre; temperatures are shown as published.