Day 1: From Bulgaria's capital city Sofia we transfer east through the Sredna Gora Mountains and then across the Thracian Plain to Asenovgrad, a small town nestled in at the foot of the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains. Our accommodation for the night is a beautifully restored 19th century town house.

Day 2: We start the day with a visit to the Asenova Krepost, a medieval fortress with a beautiful church perched precariously on the rocks at the entrance to the Chepelarska gorge. We then set off south-east into the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, and having crossed the Kitka Pass, break off from the main road to follow a rough and winding country lane that leads us through a stunningly beautiful mountain landscape of rugged volcanic outcrops. This wild region is studded here and there by tiny remote hamlets that lie seemingly forgotten by time and the modern world. The route is a photographer's dream, and we will make regular pauses to enable pictures to be taken and the landscape to be appreciated. Eventually we drop down into the Borovitsa Valley, much favoured by Black Stork (Ciconia nigra), European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) and Rose-coloured Starling (Sturnus roseus), as well as a host of other interesting birds. Here we will set off on foot to search out a unique recently discovered cave known as 'The Rock Womb'. This remarkably shaped cleft in the rocks leads into a cave chamber resembling a womb. It is believed to have been an important sacred site for the Thracians and was no doubt connected with an even earlier Mother-Goddess cult. It takes about an hour's steep climb on a rough and rocky path to reach the rock massif, and then an exciting scramble up into the cave itself with the aid of a makeshift wooden ladder and the trunk of a tree! Finally, resuming our journey, we make our way on through the regional centre of Kurdzhali to the small sleepy town of Momchilgrad, where we will spend the night in a hotel located in a hillside park above the town.

Day 3: A short drive east from Momchilgrad brings us to the tiny village of Tatul, nowadays famed for a rock sanctuary which is currently the focus of major archaeological investigations. It is thought to date from around the 2nd millennium BC, and is believed to have been the tomb of an extremely important Thracian leader who was deified after his death. The ritual of burying leaders over ground in a rock sarcophagus on the top of a hill (as opposed to inside a burial mound) is extremely rare, and ancient literary sources mention only two people who were buried in this way, one was King Rhesus of Thrace and the other was Orpheus. So the intriguing question the archaeologists are trying to answer is if this was in fact the tomb of Orpheus, as local tradition has always maintained! Having visited the archaeological site, we make our way east into the Krumovitsa Valley which we follow north towards its confluence with the river Arda and the eastern end of the 'Studen Kladenets' reservoir. This particular region is internationally recognised for its exceptionally rich biodiversity, being one of the most important places in Europe for butterflies, reptiles and birds of prey. Continuing our explorations of the Eastern Rodopi and its fascinating megalithic monuments, we next seek out Bulgaria's very own miniature 'Stonehenge', the only circle of standing stones so far discovered in the country. It is believed to have been erected during the second phase of the Early Iron Age (8th-6th Century BC), but use of this sacred site continued for a very long period, even after the arrival of Christianity into the region. Moving on from this fascinating site, we will seek out several imposing rock outcrops that are studded with intriguing niches known to have been carved by the ancient Thracians. Unique to this part of the Rodopi Mountains, their exact purpose or symbolism is still puzzling archaeologists. Our hotel for the night lies on the banks of the River Arda.

Day 4: After breakfast, we make our way north to Perperikon, a large rock sanctuary that is currently undergoing some of the most important archaeological excavations on the Balkan Peninsula. This mighty rock settlement comprises an acropolis, temples, fortress and dwellings. Its origins have been shown to date back 8000 years to the late Neolithic Age, after which it was then inhabited by a succession of Thracians, Romans, Goths, Byzantines and Bulgarians. Most intriguing of all is the growing archaeological evidence that this site may actually have been the renowned sanctuary of Dionysius which was frequently mentioned by ancient authors, but which has so far has eluded discovery by archaeologists. According to the ancient texts, the temple of Dionysius was visited by Alexander the Great, who was informed by its oracle that he would go on to rule the world. Later, Gaius Octavius came to this temple to ask the fate of his unborn baby, and was told it would achieve great things; indeed the baby grew up to become the Emperor Octavian Augustus. Resuming our journey north, we make our way via Kamennite Gubi (The Stone Mushrooms), an amazing collection of naturally weathered toadstool-shaped rocks. We then drive up into the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountain's Gradishte massif, where we will be based for the next two nights in a tiny remote hamlet. Our accommodation is a complex of beautifully restored stone cottages offering breath-taking mountain views.

Day 5: We spend the day walking on the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountain's rugged Gradishte massif. We start by making our way to Belintash, another unique rock sanctuary which is believed to have served as an ancient astronomical observatory for the region's Thracian tribes. The surface of the rock outcrop, reached by ascending a metal ladder, has been carved with a curious collection of cisterns, circles and grooves, some of which are said to represent a map of stars. Descending from the rocks, we thread our way steeply down through a couple of tiny hamlets into the valley of the Sushitsa river. This we then plan to follow on downstream, before returning to our base for a second night.

Day 6: Saying goodbye to the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, we head north across the broad expanse of the Thracian Plain, making our way to the vibrant city of Plovdiv where we will stop off for some sightseeing in the beautiful old part of town with its Thracian fortress, impressive Roman amphitheatre, and network of cobbled streets threading between ornate timbered mansions. After lunch, we resume our journey across the Thracian Plain, stopping off to visit an enormous 5th century BC temple-tomb complex near the village of Starosel which is believed to have been the burial place of King Sitalkes, one of the greatest Thracian kings. Then threading our way on into the Sredna Gora Mountains we finally arrive in Koprivshtitsa, an architectural reserve famed for its wonderful National revival Style houses. Here we will be based for the next two nights in a comfortable family-run hotel.

Day 7: We start the day with a wonderful walk in the Sredna Gora Mountains above Koprivshtitsa. The walk leads through ancient forests and across open ridgeback pastures which offer fantastic panoramic views over both the town and the neighbouring Stara Planina mountains. During the walk our trail also leads past a couple of Thracian tumuli, unfortunately now ransacked by treasure-hunters. This region is also designated as the 'Sredna Gora' Important Bird Area, so during the walk we will be keeping our eyes open for some of the many rare and interesting species which inhabit the region, in particular the majestic Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca). During the afternoon there will be free time to wander through Koprivshtitsa cobbled streets and alleys visiting some of the museum-houses and churches.

Day 8: Leaving Koprivshtitsa we drive back to the Bulgarian capital city Sofia where the tour ends.