Sofia Metro Map 2026: Lines, Tickets & Prices

Sofia Metro Map: Key Facts for Travelers

• As of August 14, 2026, the network has four passenger routes, 50 physical stations and about 55 km of track.
• A standard metro ride costs €0.80 (≈ $0.92), while contactless pay-as-you-go is automatically capped at €2.00 (≈ $2.31) per day when one payment medium is used consistently.
• Trains are not available around the clock. Depending on the line, direction, and day, the last terminal departures begin at about 11:10 PM, while some services run until about 12:24 AM.
• The M4 serves the airport station beside Terminal 2, with a journey of about 25 minutes to central Sofia and a free shuttle connecting Terminal 1.
• Weekday peak frequencies range from 3 minutes 30 seconds on the shared M1/M4 trunk to 8 minutes on individual branches and M2, while separate night buses run after metro service ends.

Sofia Metro Service Updates

The new M3 stations Stadium Georgi Asparuhov, Bessarabia and Gen. Vladimir Vazov opened to passengers at 12:00 PM on August 14, 2026, and M3 now runs from Gorna Banya to Gen. Vladimir Vazov. Check current service notices for the updated M3 timetable.

The Sofia Metro map is the quickest starting point for understanding a system with shared central tracks, separate outer branches and four route labels.

Travelers searching for a Sofia subway map should note that the official English name uses the word Metro.

This Sofia travel guide explains how the network fits together, which ticket suits a short visit and how the Sofia airport metro connection works. Fares apply as of August 12, 2026, and network details reflect the M3 extension that opened on August 14, 2026.

Archaeological excavations during construction of Metro Line 2 exposed Roman Serdica remains that are now integrated into the Largo complex beneath central Sofia. The metro therefore provides both transport and a direct physical connection to the city’s ancient layers.

The system opened on January 28, 1998 with five stations across 6.4 km. Sofia Municipality identifies Metropoliten EAD as the wholly municipal operator.

A municipal network summary reported 52 km and 47 physical stations before the August 2026 extension. With the 3 km M3 section that opened on August 14, 2026, the network has grown to 50 physical stations and about 55 km.

The route count needs context. M1 and M4 share 13 stations between Slivnitsa and Mladost I before separating toward Business Park and Sofia Airport. This branching explains why route totals cannot simply be added to obtain a station count.

The available 2022 operator map still shows M3 ending at Hadzhi Dimitar. As announced in the operator notice, the three stations of the 3 km eastern extension opened after noon on August 14, 2026.

The three newest M3 stations east of Hadzhi Dimitar are not yet drawn on that map, so keep the new endpoint Gen. Vladimir Vazov in mind when planning trips in this area.

Sofia Metro Lines M1 to M4 at a Glance

• M1, red: Slivnitsa to Business Park, using the shared trunk through central Sofia and Mladost I before following its own southern branch.
• M2, blue: Obelya to Vitosha, with central transfers at Serdica 2 and National Palace of Culture.
• M3, green: Gorna Banya to Gen. Vladimir Vazov. The eastern stations Stadium Georgi Asparuhov, Bessarabia and Gen. Vladimir Vazov opened on August 14, 2026.
• M4, yellow: Obelya to Sofia Airport, sharing the 13-station trunk from Slivnitsa through Mladost I before taking the airport branch.

Key Interchanges on the Sofia Metro Map

Serdica and Serdica 2 form the main central interchange. Further connections are available between SU Sv. Kliment Ohridski and Orlov Most, between National Palace of Culture and National Palace of Culture 2, and at Obelya for M2 and M4.

Trams, trolleybuses, buses and BDZ trains are separate connecting systems.

Central Sofia is easiest to navigate through a small set of interchange stations. Serdica is useful for the Largo, while National Palace of Culture and its linked M3 station serve the southern pedestrian section of Vitosha Boulevard.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is reached from SU Sv. Kliment Ohridski followed by a walk. Orlov Most provides direct access to Lake Ariana and the northwestern entrance of Borisova Gradina.

Boyana Church requires an onward bus rather than a direct metro ride.

The Sofia airport metro route is M4. Sofia Airport’s transport guidance places the station beside Terminal 2 with direct pedestrian access. Blue floor markings guide arriving passengers toward it.

Terminal 1 has no direct metro station. The airport operates a free 24/7 shuttle between marked stops in front of both terminals, with intervals varying among 20, 30 and 40 minutes according to direction and time.

The official 2026/27 Sofia guide gives about 25 minutes between the airport and central Sofia. The standard metro fare is €0.80 (≈ $0.92).

Sofia Airport summarizes the route’s operating window as approximately 5:30 AM to 12:00 AM, but exact first and last trains depend on direction and day.

The European Commission’s Bulgaria euro timeline records adoption on January 1, 2026. The Bulgarian National Bank confirmed that the euro became the country’s sole legal tender on February 1.

Mandatory dual display in EUR and BGN ended on August 8, so traveler prices are shown in euros.

A single metro ticket in the 2026 fare information covers one metro trip without a transfer. Ticket 30+ and Ticket 60+ support transfers across metro and surface transport, while day, 24-hour, and 72-hour products cover the wider city network.

Fares are current as of August 12, 2026. USD conversions in the ticket table use the European Central Bank reference rate of €1 = $1.1540 from August 11, 2026. These USD figures are approximate and provided for reference; the euro amount is the official fare.

Buy a single metro ticket from a cashier or ticket machine. Enter the issuing station within 60 minutes and keep the ticket until leaving the paid area.

Citywide products on an Ultralight card are sold ready to use at SUMC and metro points.

Validate Ticket 30+, Ticket 60+ and citywide time products at every vehicle or metro entry. The official Sofia2Go app from the Center for Urban Mobility sells and manages Sofia City Card travel products. The ticket table links to both official app stores.

For contactless payment, tap Visa, Mastercard or Bcard at the gate, either as a physical card or a tokenized wallet card.

The official contactless payment guidance explains how the system optimizes the day’s fare without exceeding the €2.00 (≈ $2.31) day-card price.

Use the same payment medium throughout the day. A plastic card and the same card in a phone wallet are treated separately, so switching between them prevents journeys from being grouped under one daily cap.

The metro does not run 24 hours. The seasonal timetable effective July 27, 2026 lists different first and last trains for each terminal, direction, and day type. Depending on the line, direction, and day, the last terminal departures begin at about 11:10 PM, while some services run until about 12:24 AM.

On weekdays, the shared M1/M4 trunk runs every 3 minutes 30 seconds in the morning peak and every 4 minutes in the afternoon peak. The separate branches run every 7 minutes and 8 minutes during those periods.

M2 runs every 7 minutes in the weekday morning peak and every 8 minutes in the afternoon. On the published timetable, which still predates the August 14 extension, M3 runs every 5 minutes and 5 minutes 30 seconds in the corresponding peaks.

Late weekday intervals widen to 7 minutes on the shared M1/M4 trunk, 14 minutes on its branches, 11 minutes on M2 and 12 minutes on M3 before the extension. Check the schedule for your travel date for exact departures.

Night buses are a separate surface network, not overnight metro service. Routes N1 to N4 share a transfer point at Knyaz Alexander I Square and operate from 12:00 AM to 4:00 AM at 40-minute intervals.

N4 also serves both airport terminals, but its 2026 route is temporarily diverted.

Sofia is expanding the network in several directions, but the projects are at different stages. The most recent change is the M3 section to Gen. Vladimir Vazov, which opened to passengers after 12:00 PM on August 14, 2026.

The Slatina project targets construction completion at the end of 2027, followed by systems testing, safety testing and commissioning. The project update does not set a start date for passenger service.

The Pancho Vladigerov intermodal metro and rail station is under construction. Sofia Municipality’s June 2026 project update targets 2027.

According to Sofia Municipality’s contract notice, two design and build contracts for the western M1 extension in Lyulin were signed on June 19, 2026. The contracts specify a 36-month delivery term but do not set a start date for passenger service.

Sofia Municipality’s project update describes an M2 extension toward Studentski grad in active design preparation, with 5 km and five planned stations. A separate project summary covers a three-station concept for the lower Simeonovo cable car area, which remains at the concept stage.

Fun Fact: Metropoliten EAD’s Orlov Most station profile identifies it as Line 3’s deepest station at 28 meters. Its Lake Ariana entrance reaches the station through a 90-meter corridor beneath the Perlovska River.

You might also be interested in these metro maps – for comparison or for your next trip:

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