Rose festival in Kazanlak 2026: dates, rose picking and tickets
Every year in early June, Kazanlak smells of roses. The Rose Festival turns this small Bulgarian town into a festival hub with a parade, music, and petal picking.
In 2026, the festival will take place on June 5, 6, and 7 (Kazanlak Municipality). The main events fall on the weekend: on Sunday the parade moves through the main square, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings guests head to the valley to pick roses.
Below you'll find the current dates, program, tickets, and Rose Museum hours, plus trains and buses to Kazanlak. All with prices and links to official sources so you can plan your trip in advance.
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How the Rose Festival works
💡 In short:
- In 2026, the festival runs June 5, 6, and 7, with the main parade on Sunday.
- Rose picking takes place in the villages of the Rose Valley; it's best to arrive by 9 a.m.
- Admission to the Rose Museum costs €3 for adults.
- Tickets and opening hours: 09/2026, verified on the museum's official website.
© Dachegraphy · CC BY-SAPhoto: Dachegraphy, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia CommonsThe festival runs for three days. On Friday, the program opens on the central square, and in the evening a folk orchestra plays. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, guests are taken to the rose fields, while craft and food stalls operate in town.
The main event falls on Sunday: a parade moves through the streets. It lasts about an hour and a half (festival program). Participants in national costumes, brass bands, and decorated floats move through the center, and the elected Rose Queen rides at the head of the procession.
In the evenings, concerts resound over Kazanlak and fireworks light up. Dance ensembles perform on the square, and near the stage stalls open with rose jam, liqueur, and cosmetics. If you want a spot closer to the stage, come early, about an hour before the start.
Rose picking in the Rose Valley
Rose oil from Kazanlak goes to perfume factories around the world. Picking runs roughly from May 20 to June 20, depending on the spring, and starts early, from five in the morning (museum's official website).
© stealman · CC BY-SAPhoto: stealman, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia CommonsPicking rituals are held in the villages around Kazanlak: Koprinka, Yasenovo, Rozovo, Ryazhena, Enina, Kran, and Kanchevo. The most visited ones take place on the first Sunday of June near the villages of Enina and Kran, so it's best to arrive no later than nine in the morning (rose picking guide).
At the fields, you pick petals by hand, watch folk dances, and taste rose water. From 3,000 kg of petals, only 1 kg of oil is produced, and a single gram comes from 1,000 flowers. On the world market, a kilogram of oil costs about €4,000 (as of 09/2026, Rose Museum data).
If you don't want to look for plantations on your own, tours to the Rose Valley with transfers can be booked on GetYourGuide.
Rose museum: tickets and hours
The Rose Museum in Rosarium Park is the only museum in the world dedicated to oil-bearing roses. The first exhibition opened here in 1967, and the current building has been in use since 1984 (museum history).
© Lyudmil Buyukliev · CC BY-SAPhoto: Lyudmil Buyukliev, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia CommonsThe exhibition spans three halls: tools for working the plantations, a 1907 laboratory, and a glass vessel for oil that was last used in 1947. The scent of roses still lingers from it.
Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
Adult | 3 € |
Student | 1 € |
Children under 7 | free |
Guided tour in English, Russian, or French | 10 € |
Photography | 2.50 € |
Hours: daily from 9:00 to 17:30 (as of 09/2026, hours page). Admission is free every last Monday of the month. You buy tickets on site, no advance booking needed.
- The catch: photo and video shooting are paid, 2.50 € per camera and 10 € for video (as of 09/2026, museum price list).
Tours and tickets in Kazanlak
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How to get to Kazanlak
Kazanlak sits in the center of Bulgaria, between Sofia, Plovdiv, and Burgas. A direct train connects the city with Sofia: ICF 3621 departs at 06:10 and arrives at 09:23, a 3 hour 13 minute journey (BDZ schedule).
Train | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
ICF 3621 | 06:10 | 09:23 | 3 h 13 min |
ICF 3623 | 13:15 | 16:32 | 3 h 17 min |
ICF 3625 | 16:45 | 19:58 | 3 h 13 min |
As of 09/2026, BDZ website. Repair work is underway on some sections, so check the schedule the day before.
From Plovdiv to Kazanlak it's 130 km as the crow flies. Buses and trains with a transfer in Karlovo run between the cities. By car the route is shorter, but on festival days parking in the center is hard to find.
It's convenient to check train tickets on Trip.com. Buses also run from Sofia, and from Burgas Airport to Kazanlak it's about 200 km on the map. If you're flying into Burgas, allow half a day for the drive.
Where to stay during the festival
Hotels in Kazanlak and the surrounding area often fill up well in advance, so book as soon as you've locked in your dates. Trip.com can help you compare options.
The closest hotels to the parade are in the center, around Rozova Dolina Boulevard. If you want peace and quiet, look at Pavel Banya: it's a mineral springs resort 20 km from the city (on the map). From there you can reach Kazanlak in half an hour.
What to see near Kazanlak
Besides the Rose Museum, Kazanlak is home to the Iskra History Museum and the Kulata Ethnographic Museum. Both are open daily, and tickets are sold at the box office (Kazanlak museums).
Not far from the center is the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak, a UNESCO site. The original is closed to visitors to preserve the frescoes, so an exact replica has been built nearby: it's open daily from 9:00 to 17:00 (Iskra Museum website).
Other Thracian tombs are also nearby: Seuthes III, the Helvetia mound, and the Ostrusha temple. All are open from 9:00 to 17:00, with admission by museum ticket. You can book a guided tour on GetYourGuide.
⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions
When will the Rose Festival take place in 2026?
The festival takes place in early June, with exact dates confirmed by the municipality on its website. The parade and rose picking fall on Saturday and Sunday. You'll find the day-by-day program in the "How the Rose Festival works" section. Dates are announced well in advance, so you can start planning your trip as early as winter.
How much does the Rose Museum cost?
Museum tickets are inexpensive, with discounts for students and children (museum prices). All ticket, tour, and photography prices are listed in the table in the "Rose Museum: tickets and hours" section. Prices are valid from January 5, 2026.
How do I get to Kazanlak from Sofia?
The most convenient option is a direct train from Sofia, with a journey time of just over three hours (BDZ tickets). Three direct trains run daily, with times shown in the table in the "How to get to Kazanlak" section. Check the schedule the day before, as repair work is underway on some sections.
When is the best time to go rose picking?
The most spectacular picking takes place on the first Sunday in June, near the villages of Enina and Kran (festival guide). You should arrive by nine in the morning, while the petals still hold the dew. By midday the flowers lose their fragrance, and the morning picking starts around five o'clock.
How many days do I need for Kazanlak?
Two days are enough for the festival itself: Saturday rose picking and Sunday's parade. If you want to add the Rose Museum, the tombs, and the old town, plan for three days. Many people come for the weekend from Plovdiv or Sofia, and one night in the center will do.
In short: what to book
The Rose Festival is a great reason to visit Kazanlak on the first weekend of June. If you're going for the parade, book central accommodation early: rooms are scarce during the festival.
If you have two days, keep Saturday's rose picking and Sunday's parade. If you have three, add the Rose Museum and the Thracian Tomb. If you're traveling with kids, choose a hotel near the boulevard and go to the morning rose picking, as June afternoons are hot.
Plan ahead: compare hotels in Kazanlak on Trip.com and choose a Rose Valley tour.
Check train tickets from Sofia right after the dates on Trip.com while seats are still available.
A small editorial team writing guides for independent travel. We travel ourselves, but we haven’t been everywhere, so we check prices, opening hours and how to get there against official sources.