Best time to visit Plovdiv

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
123558875321
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
367997
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
22191812999910121620
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
353026171313131316182432
September 10/10 feels 26°C (+2°C vs 1991-2020) · HCI 96/100
Day 27° · Night 16° · cools 11° at night 43% humidity 15 km/h wind 4 rain days (37h) 244h sun
Thermal 9
Sky 10
Rain 10
Wind 10

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in Plovdiv

6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Plovdiv).

  1. 1Socialist Heritage Tour of Plovdiv5.00★ (1)from $19
  2. 2Private 2 in 1 Tour: Koprivshtitsa & Plovdiv from Sofia5.00★ (2)10hfrom $92
  3. 3Thracian Valley wine tasting - private day tour from Plovdiv5.00★ (4)3hfrom $113
  4. 4Private trip to Bachkovo Monastery and Assen’s Fortress4.84★ (25)3hfrom $57
  5. 5Jewish Walking Tour of Plovdiv5.00★ (7)from $17
  6. 6Roman Plovdiv, Self-Guided Tour and Urban Quest Game5.00★ (6)2h 30mfrom $13

Last refreshed 2026-06-28.

Similar climatesBucharest94% · Sofia94% · Thessaloniki94%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Plovdiv (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Plovdiv's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month Temp °C Feels °C Rain days Rain h Rain h/day Humidity Wind km/h Sun h UV Interest Score
Jan 1–8 4 6 92 15.3 63% 16 150 1 Quiet 5
Feb 2–12 8 6 66 11.0 58% 16 167 2 Quiet 7
Mar 4–13 10 10 130 13.0 56% 15 189 3 Quiet 6
Apr 8–18 16 11 116 10.5 52% 17 228 5 Quiet 8
May 13–23 22 11 100 9.1 52% 17 257 5 Quiet 9
Jun 18–29 28 10 81 8.1 45% 16 299 8 Quiet 8
Jul 21–33 32 2 24 12.0 33% 18 323 8 Quiet 6
Aug 21–33 32 2 27 13.5 36% 17 287 7 Peak 6
Sep 16–27 26 4 37 9.3 43% 15 244 5 Moderate 10
Oct 11–21 19 5 67 13.4 51% 13 206 3 Busy 9
Nov 5–13 11 7 83 11.9 65% 13 144 2 Peak 6
Dec 3–9 6 10 131 13.1 74% 14 115 1 Busy 5

UV Index in Plovdiv by Month

UV index in Plovdiv peaks at 8 (very high) in July, dropping to 1 (low) in December. July reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

Best months in detail

September

10/10

16–27°C · 4 rain days (37h) · 244 sun hours · 43% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)

October

9/10

11–21°C (feels 19°C) · 5 rain days (67h) · 206 sun hours · 51% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

May

9/10

13–23°C (feels 22°C) · 11 rain days (100h) · 257 sun hours · 52% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

January

5/10

1–8°C (feels 4°C) · 6 rain days (92h) · 150 sun hours · 63% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

February

7/10

2–12°C (feels 8°C) · 6 rain days (66h) · 167 sun hours · 58% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 3 (moderate)

March

6/10

4–13°C (feels 10°C) · 10 rain days (130h) · 189 sun hours · 56% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

April

8/10

8–18°C (feels 16°C) · 11 rain days (116h) · 228 sun hours · 52% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)

June

8/10

18–29°C · 10 rain days (81h) · 299 sun hours · 45% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

July

6/10

21–33°C · 2 rain days (24h) · 323 sun hours · 33% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (very high)

August

6/10

21–33°C · 2 rain days (27h) · 287 sun hours · 36% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

November

6/10

5–13°C (feels 11°C) · 7 rain days (83h) · 144 sun hours · 65% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 2 (low)

December

5/10

3–9°C (feels 6°C) · 10 rain days (131h) · 115 sun hours · 74% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 1 (low)

Frequently asked questions about visiting Plovdiv

When is the best time to visit Plovdiv?

September is the highest-scoring month (10/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 16–27°C (4 rainy days). The top three months by score are September, October, May.

What is the worst time to visit Plovdiv?

December is the lowest-scoring month (5/10). Typical conditions: 3–9°C (10 rainy days).

Is Plovdiv too hot in summer?

2 months (July, August) trip the heat deal-breaker in our scoring: apparent temperature crosses the comfort cap, so even with clear skies and low rain the score is held down. Plan around it if heat tolerance is low.

When are crowds lowest in Plovdiv?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January and peaks in August. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

Which months in Plovdiv have good weather but fewer tourists?

May (climate 9/10, crowd index 11) and April (climate 8/10, crowd index 0) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

What is the UV index in Plovdiv by month?

UV peaks at 8 (very high) in July and is lowest in December at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 1, Feb 2, Mar 3, Apr 5, May 5, Jun 8, Jul 8, Aug 7, Sep 5, Oct 3, Nov 2, Dec 1. July reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

What is the UV index in Plovdiv in July?

July is the peak UV month in Plovdiv, with a daily-peak UV index of 8 (very high). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).

How high can UV get in Plovdiv on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 8 (high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 9 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: February, April, May, June, August, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.

Is air quality in Plovdiv bad for travelers?

PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 8 months: January, February, March, April, September, October, November, December. The worst month is January with a typical-day mean of 22 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 35 µg/m³ (hazardous) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.