8-Day Exclusive Romanian Experience [Shared Group]
What you need to know about the Best of Romania Tour:
- A 8-day shared trip for a small group (max 6) leaving on 20 June, 18 July [2 people signed up], 29 Aug [1 pers signed up], 19 Sept [1 pers signed up] and 10 Oct
- INCLUDED: 8 nights in premium accommodation (incl. breakfast), 5 home-cooked dinners, minivan transport, guide with 10+ years of experience, all entrance fees and visits, bear watching program, water and snacks for the road
- NOT included: flights, other meals, insurance and personal expenses
- Besides sightseeing major tourist attractions and cities, you'll also explore rural areas, meet locals, attend traditions, enjoy home cooked meals and go on a unique bear watching experience
- This itinerary was carefully designed to balance time spent traveling with sightseeing, rural walks, local activities and free time. Accommodation in selected, premium 4* locations.
- Positive impact: we want you to have an authentic Romanian holiday while also giving back to local communities by using local products and services
Additional information
Tour runs ONLY IF min. 4 people are registered. If less, trip can be done for 2 people or canceled.
30% deposit required when booking. Refundable if canceled 30 days before the departure date.
Balance to be paid 30 days before trip starts.
Itinerary:
Day 1 - Enter Transylvania via Transfagarasan Road & Sibiu
We leave Bucharest in the morning to cross the mighty Carpathians and drive on the scenic Transfagarasan Road, stopping at either Curtea de Arges Monastery or Poenari Citadel for a quick visit. At Balea Lake we admire views of Transylvania from 2,200m high before descending into this famous region. We arrive in the bohemian medieval city of Sibiu in the late afternoon and settle into our boutique city center hotel. We do a quick tour of the Old Town area before you can explore on your own the charming side streets.
Attractions included
Day 2 - The impressive Turda Salt Mine & Hungarian culture
After breakfast we drive to Turda Salt Mine, a 2,000 year old cave with many tunnels and huge grottos turned into a spectacular tourist attraction. Breathing salty air is good for your lungs so we’ll do plenty of that while exploring the mine. We may do a quick stop at Alba Iulia Citadel, the spiritual capital of modern Romania. Then we travel to the scenic village of Rimetea to discover how ethnic Hungarians contribute to the region's multicultural charm. As we explore the village, our hosts will prepare a traditional fire-cooked pot stew.
Attractions included
Day 3 - Enter Maramures and travel back in time
Today we drive North into the region of Maramures, known as the most culturally representative for Romania. Villagers have preserved their ancient, rural way of life, live off-the-land and are known for their woodcarving crafts and hospitality. We stay in the authentic village of Breb in typical houses turned rustic guesthouses. As we explore the village on a horse-dragged cart ride, we greet locals and learn about their lives. In the meantime, our hosts will prepare a typical dinner.
Days 4 - Wooden Churches, traditions and locals
Sunday in Maramures is special: villagers dress in their best folk costumes to attend church service - and so will we! The 400-year-old Wooden Churches are part of UNESCO heritage because of their unique construction and simple, folk-made decorations. So we'll visit a living museum of Romanian culture and heritage. We then drive to a local family for a home-cooked lunch before we continue to the Merry Cemetery in Sapanta, famous for its unique perspective on death. We return to our guesthouse in Breb just in time for dinner.
Attractions included
Day 5 - Return to Saxon Transylvania and Sighisoara Citadel
In the morning we visit the Barsana Monastery complex before we descend back into Transylvania. After a short stop in Bistrita, one of the 7 fortified citadels built by Saxons, we continue our drive to Sighisoara Citadel, Romania's most famous UNESCO site. We settle in a medieval townhouse turned luxury guesthouse in the heart of the citadel and then you'll have free time to get lost on the cobbled streets on your own as the evening settles. This will be an unforgettable experience of the citadel's medieval atmosphere.
Attractions included
Day 6 - Saxon culture: Viscri & Brasov
In the morning we visit Sighisoara Citadel's main sights before we leave for Viscri, the most famous of the UNESCO Saxon Villages. Its well-preserved village life impressed the UK's King Charles who bought and restored a village house here to spend his Summer holidays. We'll go for a walk through the village, visit the fortified church and enjoy a delicious home-cooked lunch by a local family. Then we continue to Brasov, Romania's beloved tourist city. We stay in the Old Town area in a charming, boutique hotel and explore the city's landmarks (Black Church, Council Square, Rope Street etc). Free time in the evening for you to wander on your own.
Attractions included
Day 7 - Bran Castle, picturesque hike and bears in the wild!
After breakfast we'll visit the famous Bran (Dracula) Castle to cross this 'must see' sight off our list. Then we go on a short hike around Magura, the most high-altitude village in Romania at the base of the spectacular Piatra Craiului Mts. In our humble opinion as locals - this is the most picturesque area in our country - and you'll soon see why! In the late afternoon you'll do a unique bear watching experience with a specialist wildlife guide before returning to Brasov.
Day 8 - The Romanian Sphinx & Peles Castle
We finish our grand tour with two of Romania's impressive landmarks. First, we do a short hike to the Romanian Sphinx in Bucegi Mts, a mysterious natural sight that attracts nature enthusiasts as well as spiritual believers. Then we descend back into concrete, historical facts by visiting Peles Castle, the royal family's Summer residence kept intact since 1947. A tour of this superb castle will complete your understanding of Romanian history. We return to Bucharest in the evening and stay in a centrally-located hotel from the Little Paris era, the perfect ending to your Romanian experience.
Attractions included
Cancelation & refund policy
SpecialThis tour has a special cancelation policy set by our guide. For more information please check page 2 from the What you need to know section on the previous page.
Location details
- Starting point: Bucharest
- Nearest airport: Bucharest Otopeni 'Henri Coanda' Airport
- Nearest train station: Bucharest North Train Station
- Landscape: Urban, hills, countryside
Questions about the Best of Romania
Reviews from travellers
We had a brilliant time, our guide, Nick, went out of his way to include extra's that were not in the original schedule to ensure we got the maximum experiences of Romania from the time we had available. His knowledge and commentary on everywhere we went really enhanced our understanding and appreciation of all the amazing places we visited. As we prepare to leave, our favorite memories were: Pele's Castle, Bear viewing, Manastirea Barsana, Village Breb and the Horse & Cart Ride around it, Sighisoara, Brasov, and Viscri. We would unreservedly recommend these guys. Dave & Samantha
Bogdan is a true professional. He is professional yet so personable. All of the sites and experiences were excellent. This is one of the best tours I've ever taken and I'm lucky I found it on Romanian Friend! It had the perfect mix of driving, outdoor activities, history and fun. Romania is a beautiful and interesting country and Bogdan is an expert in the history and has just wonderful anecdotes and jokes. He has a great relationship with the proprietors of the beautiful accommodations and the experiences he set up for us. The best for me were the meals at the homes of local families. The Romanians are so warm and welcoming. I felt like family before I left. I'm already planning to return again soon.
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