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What is pub-crawling?
Just like pub crawling in Madrid, we pub crawled in Sofia, Bulgaria as well.
Pub-crawling is an event organized by an authorized guide who will take to the best pubs in the city. It is the best way to meet a lot of people and make some good friends. This is the perfect way to experience the amazing nightlife and join the crowd in the madness.
Whom did we choose?
We pub crawled with ”The New Sofia Pub Crawl.”
Packages and Prices
The crawl costs 20 Bulgarian Lev(~10€ per person).
They do not offer any specific packages but they do conduct private pub crawls for a group of up to 15 people. A private pub crawl costs 300 Bulgarian Lev. Everything to need to know is available on The New Sofia Pub Crawl website.
The crawl begins…….
The pub crawl started at 21.00 and two guides were waiting for us at the Crystal Garden, next to the big head statue of Stefan Stambolov. There were holding a welcome board and we had some basic conversation with the host. Most of the people had already gathered by 21.00.
We pub crawled on a Sunday night and there were hardly any people except for a few tourists. The ideal time to visit is on Friday night or Saturday night because more the merrier.
1st pub
The first pub was 100 mts from the meeting point and they offered a complimentary beer. We had a good interaction with other tourists and spent an hour. It was a great start for the night.
The pub ambience was nothing great. It was a very small pub with a limited seating area. We were all standing outside and having a good time.
We were given a choice between beer and wine; which is usually not given. It was very sweet of them to allow us to choose.
2nd pub
The pub was 10 mins walk from the first one. ”Darkness” is the theme of this pub. The pub was very small and resembled a den. The entire area was illuminated with only candles. It was unique yet little creepy.
This pub was located in the residential area and the host asked us to maintain silence in that area. The bartender is photo-phobic, so were asked not to click pics of the bartender. There was no dance floor also.
They gave a free shot ”Rakia” which is the Bulgarian national drink and it is a hard liquor from the brandy family. We had an ok-ish random conversation with teammates and it didn’t interest us that us. We were trying very hard to be part of the conversation but somehow it did not interest us. After spending around 30 mins here we headed to the next pub.
3rd pub
At around 22.30 we headed to ”Bar Bilova”. It was again a small bar with a bar counter and a decent sitting area. Again there was no dance floor and it started a little boring. At around 23.00 we decided to leave and head back home.
Pros
- Friendly pub crawl organizers.
- They entertained us and engaged in interactions.
- Made us feel comfortable.
Cons
- Pubs are not happening and can’t spend more than 20-30 mins inside.
- Opt for this pub crawl only if you want to drink and drink. Not a great place to dance and enjoy.
What to expect?
- Keep your expectations minimum.
- Don’t expect free drinks at every pub.
- Don’t expect the dance floor.
My experience
It was not as good as Madrid’s pub crawl, it was just okay. Maybe a Friday night or a Saturday night would have made a world of difference. Since it was Sunday night there was less crowd everywhere. Hope next time we can some great time with lots of people.
Overall experience:⭐⭐ out of 5
Time of visit: November 2019