Passover in Bulgaria 2027: Seder, Dates and Day Trips

This guide gives you the dates, a precise table of Sofia times, what is known about the seder and how to ask, the honest picture on Passover food, and what to do during the intermediate days with tours you can book with us. Dates and times were checked on 27 October 2026 in the Hebcal Jewish calendar, and our prices in our booking system the same day. Bulgaria has used the euro since 1 January 2026, so all prices are in euros. One more thing: we do not give rulings on Jewish law. For questions about the second seder or what you may eat, ask your rabbi or Chabad Sofia.

Passover 2027 dates in Bulgaria

The intermediate days, chol hamoed, run from Saturday 24 to Tuesday 27 April. Sunday to Tuesday are the easiest days for sightseeing, because Saturday is also Shabbat.

Sofia candle lighting and chametz times for Passover 2027

Times from Hebcal for Sofia, with candles lit 18 minutes before sunset. Sofia is on Eastern European Summer Time (UTC+3) in April.

If you fly in on Erev Pesach, remember that the chametz deadline is 11:09 in the morning and the holiday begins before 8 pm. Land early, or arrive a day or two before. To avoid hunting for a taxi on the most rushed day of the year, you can book a private transfer from Sofia Airport to the city centre in advance, from 30 euros per car.

A Passover seder in Sofia: Chabad and the local community

The Rohr Chabad Jewish Community Center is at 38 Stara Planina Street in central Sofia. Chabad has run a community seder in Sofia for years: a 2008 Chabad report described a seder for a few hundred people in a kitchen enlarged for the purpose, about a ton of matzah brought into Bulgaria, and rabbinical students driving to Varna to lead seders in hotels there. Plans for 2027 are not published yet. As of 27 October 2026 the Chabad Bulgaria website has no Passover information, and details of holiday meals usually appear closer to the date.

How to ask: use the contact form on the Chabad Bulgaria website or through the Facebook page linked from that site. Worth asking early:

• Is there a seder open to visitors on the first night, and on the second night?
• What does it cost, what is the registration deadline, and what happens if you cancel?
• Are there holiday meals on the festival days and on Shabbat chol hamoed?
• Can you buy matzah and Passover wine to take to your room or apartment?
• Are the Chabad houses in Bansko or Varna open in late April?

The local community is organised in the Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria, Shalom, at 50 Aleksandar Stamboliyski Boulevard, Sofia, phone +359 2 450 2200. It marks the Jewish holidays with its members, but we found no public seder for visitors run by Shalom; email them if you want to ask. The Sofia Synagogue is closed to visitors on Shabbat and Jewish holidays, so plan a visit for chol hamoed and check it is open. Hours, tickets and the story of the community are in our Jewish Sofia guide.

Passover food in Bulgaria: hotels, matzah and meals

Passover hotel programs: as of 27 October 2026 we found no Passover hotel program in Bulgaria for 2027. In earlier years, organisers converted a hotel in Varna for the holiday, but the latest report we found dates from December 2022, for Passover 2023. If you see an offer for 2027, ask who provides the supervision and which rabbi is responsible, whether the kitchen is prepared for Passover and exactly what is included, and get the answers in writing.

Food on the ground: Chabad runs a restaurant in Sofia, and the Sofia Synagogue sells certified products such as wine, cheese, chicken and matzah. Whether Passover certified products are available, and in what quantities, cannot be known in advance, so arrange it before you travel. Most observant visitors combine an apartment or room with a kitchenette, matzah and packaged food, and the seder at Chabad.

What you can bring: under EU rules, travellers may not bring meat, milk or products made from them into the EU from a non EU country, even for personal use, apart from a few exceptions such as infant food. Matzah, dry goods and a small amount of fish are allowed.

Passover with kids in Bulgaria: what late April looks like

Do not plan on skiing: Bansko's 2026/27 season is projected to close on 11 April 2027, before Passover. A Passover holiday in Bulgaria means spring, nature and day trips. Sofia in April averages about 17°C by day and 5°C at night, with around 8 rainy days in the month, so pack a warm layer and a light rain jacket. Month by month figures are in our Sofia weather guide, and full family itineraries in Bulgaria with kids.

Chol hamoed day trips from Sofia, food not included

To be clear: none of our tours includes food prepared for Passover, and the restaurants along the way are not supervised. If you keep Passover food rules, bring your own food for the day. Tours run as usual on Saturday 24 April; if you keep Shabbat, plan trips for Sunday to Tuesday, 25 to 27 April. Spring friendly tours, with prices read in our system on 27 October 2026:

• Rila Monastery: a day trip to Rila Monastery, 95 euros per person, departing 9:30, not suitable for children under 6. Until Orthodox Easter the main church is open daily 6:30 to 17:00. Dress code and tickets are in our Rila Monastery guide.
• Plovdiv: a guided day trip to Plovdiv, 105 euros per person, including free time for lunch in the Kapana district. Over Passover, bring your lunch.
• Saeva Dupka and the Eyes of God: a day trip to Saeva Dupka and Prohodna caves, 96 euros per person, about 9:00 to 17:00, cave entry not included. From 1 April Saeva Dupka opens at 9:00 and an adult ticket is 6 euros. Wear shoes with grip: the cave floor is wet. More in our Saeva Dupka and Prohodna guide.
• Jewish Sofia: a walking tour of the Jewish quarter and the rescue story, about three hours; the current price is in the booking box. Entry to the synagogue is not included and costs 10 euros. A natural chol hamoed outing with no long drive.
• Rafting: spring is high water season. Near Sofia there is rafting on the Iskar River below the Lakatnik rocks, and if you are based around Bansko, rafting on the Struma River in the Kresna Gorge. Both cost 40 euros per adult and 25 euros per child. The 2026 season ran April to September, and 2027 dates are published in spring. Minimum ages in our rafting in Bulgaria guide.

All our day trips are on the day trips page. Book your chol hamoed trips early, as soon as your flights are fixed.

Orthodox Easter right after Passover: 30 April to 3 May

Bulgarian Orthodox Easter falls on Sunday 2 May 2027, straight after Passover. Good Friday (30 April), Holy Saturday (1 May, also Labour Day), Easter Sunday and Easter Monday (3 May) are public holidays, giving a four day weekend that starts the day after the eighth day of Passover.

In practice many Bulgarians travel, mountain and spa hotels fill up, and Rila Monastery is crowded with visitors and worshippers. On Easter Sunday most businesses close, while large chains may open shorter hours. If you are staying through that weekend, book your hotel in Sofia and tours early, and shop before Friday. In 2021, with the same calendar, Tuesday 4 May was also a day off because 1 May fell on a Saturday; the 2027 decision is not out yet, so check nearer the time. Thursday 6 May, St George's Day, is another public holiday.

The bottom line

Passover in Bulgaria suits travellers who want spring, nature and short day trips from Sofia, and who are happy to organise their own Passover food. The seder is what makes or breaks the trip: write to Chabad Sofia now, and decide whether you leave before the Orthodox Easter weekend or stay for it. We will update this guide in January 2027, when Chabad's plans are published.