Veliko Tarnovo is a picturesque city in northern Bulgaria and a favorite destination for Bulgarians seeking a long weekend getaway. With its rich cultural and historical heritage, the city is also a regular stop for school field trips. Thanks to its many festivals and events, Veliko Tarnovo can get quite busy, which sometimes makes finding the perfect place to stay a bit overwhelming, especially if you’re not familiar with the neighborhoods or the city’s transport system.
I’ve called Veliko Tarnovo my home for 13 years, and there’s nothing better than local advice when it comes to choosing accommodation. In this guide, I’ll share my tips and recommendations to help you pick the best hotel for your stay in Veliko Tarnovo.
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How to Choose the Best Accommodation in Veliko Tarnovo
Choosing the right place to stay in Veliko Tarnovo can make a big difference to your trip. Here are the main things to keep in mind:
Location: Think about how close your hotel is to the main attractions. Is it easy to walk around, or is there a bus stop nearby for getting to the city center and other sights? Further in this post I am giving my tips on the best places to stay for each neighbourhood.
Price: Look at your budget and what the hotel includes. Star ratings can give a rough idea, but check what extras are offered to make sure you get good value for your money.
Character and View: If a charming room, historic atmosphere, or a beautiful view matters to you, this could be the most important factor in your choice. There are lots of hotels of various price ranges that offer rooms with an amazing view, so this won’t be a problem if it’s important to you. Just remember: a room on the river side means great view, on the other side: no view at all, even in the same hotel.
Time of Year: Certain times of year are busier and more expensive, and hotels can fill up fast. Planning ahead helps you avoid disappointment. Avoid staying around festival or large events. School holidays are OK, as Bulgarian go then mostly to the coast or to the mountains during their holidays. They don’t stay in the city. On the other hand if you are not concerned about the price, then it my a great idea to experience a local event.
Type of Accommodation: Most visitors stay in guest houses. These are small, family-run places, usually with one or two stars, offering double or triple rooms and sometimes apartments or studios. Rooms can be booked individually or you can rent the whole property. Many guest houses are called hotels, but they mostly offer private rooms with shared or en-suite bathrooms. There are a few 4-star hotels in the city, and most of the hotels have 3 stars. Also, you won’t find any chain hotels in the city.
Tip: Are you already considering visiting Veliko Tarnovo? Then you might find handy posts about what to see and do in Veliko Tarnovo, as well as my recommendations for day trips from Veliko Tarnovo.
Best Neighbourhoods to Stay in Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo has four main areas where you can stay:
- The Old Town
- The Centre of the City
- Near Tsarevets Fortress
- Outside the City Centre
When picking a neighbourhood, think about how close your hotel is to museums, attractions, restaurants, and other facilities. Easy access to public transport or taxis is also important.
The city is built on hills, and the Yantra River winds through it. If you stay away from the main street, be prepared for some walking uphill or downhill to reach shops, restaurants, and bus stops. The public transport system is a bit unusual because the city centre has only one street with regular bus service. This is rarely a problem, as taxis are plentiful and affordable.
Hotels and Places to Stay by Area
Below are my top accommodation recommendations in Veliko Tarnovo. Click on each hotel name to read reviews and check prices. You can also see the exact location of all suggested hotels on the Google map below.
In the Old Town
Along the River (Hotels with a View)
These hotels are marked in purple on the map above. They are close to all museums and attractions, but you you need to walk up or down to the main street, where most of the restaurants are located.
Tip: Always ask for a room on the river side, as these are the rooms with the view.
Gurko Hotel – a small hotel, traditional style, 3 stars, with a nice restaurant
Hotel Asenevtsi – a simple, 1-star guest house
Hostel Pashov – a guest house
Bridges Residence – a lovely guest house in a traditional, yet modern style, with unique location and amazing views.
Main Street
These hotels are marked in green on the map. The main street is the only street with public transport in the city. Most of the restaurants and the shops are located there.
Tip: Ask for a room with river view. As those hotels are built on the hill, on the street side they are 3 or 4 stories high, and on the river side they get like 4 or even 6-8 more stories.
Hotel Panorama – a 4-star hotel with an indoor swimming pool and a spa centre
Meridian Hotel Bolyarski – another 4-star hotel with and indoor swimming pool and a spa centre
Hotel Stambolov – a guest house, 2 stars. That’s my favorite place in Veliko Tarnovo. Check out why I always choose to stay at this guest house.
Other Hotels in the Old Town
These hotels are marked in blue.
Real Hotel – a boutique hotel on the main street
Family Hotel Slavyanska Dusha – a small 2-star hotel in an old traditional house
There are also lots of guest houses and apartments in the so-called Varusha Quarter. These are the houses perched on the hill.
Hotels near Tsarevets Fortress
These hotels are at about 15 – 20 minutes walking distance from the city centre. There are a few restaurants in this neighbourhood, but walking to the centre where all restaurants and shops are, is not a big deal. You can always take a taxi or the bus.
Grand Hotel Yantra – a 4-star hotel with an indoor swimming pool and a spa centre; amazing views to Tsarevets & Trapezitsa Fortresses. Ask for a room with a view and you won’t be disappointed.
The Hill – a small hotel with a very good location. Ask for a room with a view
Bey House Royal Hotel – a luxury boutique hotel with late 19-century period furnishings and a spa. They claim to be the only 5-star hotel in Veliko Tarnovo. Not so sure about that, though, as I haven’t stayed yet there.
Lucky Hotel – a small 2-star hotel with some great views
Hotel Tarnava – a small 3-star hotel
Hotel Studio – a small 3-star hotel with a terrace with amazing views to Tsarevets Fortress. Ask for a room with a view to the fortress.
Boutique Hotel Tsarevets – a 3-star hotel, located at only 100 m from the fortress
Hotel Bolyari – a small hotel suitable for families with kids
Hotels in the City Centre
There are a lot of restaurants and shops in this neigbourhood. For all hotels that are not on the main street you should be prepared to walk up or down.
Hotel Premier – a 4-star hotel with an outdoor pool and sauna
Park Hotel Novotel – a modern, 3-star hotel located at the edge of the city’s park
Grand Hotel Veliko Tarnovo – a 4-star hotel with the most amazing views. It’s also the most emblematic hotel in the city from the communist era, when it was know under the name Interhotel Veliko Tarnovo, or simply Intera. Ask for a room on the river side.
Hotel Concord – a 3-star hotel, be prepared for a bit of climbing up the street
Agusta Spa Hotel – a 3-star hotel with an indoor swimming pool, spa and fitness, it’s located on the hill, so be prepared for a little bit of climbing up the street
Priyateli Guest House – a small, family-run hotel with great location
Hotels Outside of the City Centre
Hotel Akvaya – a 3-star hotel with a small outdoor swimming pool, still at a walking distance from the centre
Hotel Elena – a 3-star hotel, a bit off the city centre, but still at a walking distance
Arena Tarnovo Hotel – a 3-star hotel near the stadium, not far from the centre. It has a private underground parking, so if are travelling by car this could be a great option.
Sky Hotel – a 1-star hotel at the edge of the city. You will need to take the bus or a taxi to go to the city centre and/or to the attractions/museum. However, the city’s only shopping mall, cinema and a bowling centre are within a walking distance to this hotel.
Park Hotel Asenevtsi – a large hotel just outside of the city with a big outdoor swimming pool, 15 minutes walking distance from the city centre
RAYA Garden – Park Hotel & Winery – recently renovated hotel in the middle of a forest with beautiful views of the city. It’s located just outside of the city. If you don’t have a car, it won’t be convenient to stay there, although there’re bus stops nearby and you can walk to the city.
My Favorite Place to Stay in Veliko Tarnovo
If you are following my blog, you will probably know by now that I have two criteria when choosing a hotel – location and character. Can I compromise on them? I don’t think so, but I can add a third one that is also very important for me – view. Waking up in a room with a view is priceless.
For the last six years when coming back to Veliko Tarnovo, we had aways stayed at the same place: Guest House Stambolov. I think this is enough of indication about the place, but here are some reasons why we keep coming back and why I recommend it to you:
- Location – perfect! The hotel is on the main street in the old town.
- Character – yes! It’s an old house from the National Revival period turned into a hotel, so a lot of features were kept intact by the renovation – like odd shape of the rooms, wooden beams, exposed brick walls
- View – priceless! Just check it for yourself. Isn’t it amazing?
- Price – a double room with with en-suite and a view costs about 50 EUR per night.
We had stayed only in a double room, but the guest house offers also single, double, and triple room apartments and a studio. There is a 24/7 reception desk service. The guest house doesn’t offer breakfast, but just across the street there’s a lovely café where you can go for breakfast. The only downside of the hotel is that they don’t have a lift and the stairs are quite steep. So, consider this if you are with limited mobility.
I hope the selection of hotels I’ve made for you, will help you choose the best place to stay in Veliko Tarnovo. Of course, there are many more hotels and especially guest houses and apartments in the city. Most of the places I have selected in this hotel guide, I know personally, as I have friends who have stayed there, or I have personally stayed there, or I know the owners.
There are a few accommodations, however, which are new, like Bey House Royal Hotel, the Park Hotel Novel, and Park Hotel Asenevtsi, which I haven’t visited yet.
Bulgaria can be such a charming country! We did experience quite a few weird looks from locals, when we visited Sofia a few years ago, as if they really weren’t used to tourists ..
You are quite correct. There are still buses with tourists that come and go, but there aren’t many independent travellers.
Very informative post with so much details and tips. Thanks for sharing.
This is such a thorough guide! I’d not heard of Velko Tarnovo before this post but if I ever visit Bulgaria it sounds like someplace I’d want to see. Thanks for sharing!