Road trip to Poenari Castle & Transfagarasan Highway

Hidden in a valley between 2.200m high mountains lies the 'best road in the world' according to Top Gear: the Transfagarasan Road! Let's go on a driving experience you will never forget! From the top at Balea Lake you will admire breathtaking views of Transylvania and Fagaras Mts! Bring your camera and good spirits - this tour will be memorable!

What you need to know Moments to expect Guide Cancellation & refund policy Location details

What you need to know about the Transfagarasan Road tour:

This is a private guided day trip starting from Bucharest running ONLY from June - October. Duration aprox. 12 hours
Included: transport (approx 500 km in total), guidance, entrance fees. Not included: lunch
On our way to Transfagarasan Road (3-4h / way) we will make multiple stops: Curtea de Arges Monastery (also visit its inside), Poienari Fortress (if open) and Vidraru Dam
Scenic ride on the Transfagarasan Road with stop at Balea Lake, the highest glacial lake in Romania
Plenty of photo opportunities along the way and we will stop in spots with great views of the surrounding landscapes

Additional information

Due to weather restrictions, Transfagarasan Highway is open for driving only from around 15 June [depending on when the authorities decide there's no snow] - 30 October.

Bring comfortable clothing but be advised that in the mountains it might get cold with variable weather conditions.

Moments to expect during the Transfagarasan Highway tour:

Curtea de Arges Monastery

The construction of this splendid Byzantine monastery with Moorish (Arab) influences began in 1514 on the site of a church built by the Wallachian ruler Vlad Dracul (father of Vlad the Impaler) destroyed by a strong earthquake 50 years before. Its construction faced many challenges giving birth to many legends, including a very famous one which became a Romanian saying - about Manole's wife. I'll tell you all about it :)

Vidraru Lake and Dam

Continuing our route towards Transfagarasan Highway, we stop at Vidraru Dam to admire splendid views of Romanian nature!

Transfagarasan Highway

This magnificent road between the mountains has a story of its own: it was built during the communist regime for a special purpose using dynamite and many other resources. While you admire the splendid views I will tell you its history

Poenari Castle

This is the 'real' Dracula Castle because Vlad Dracula actually lived here and used this castle to defend against Ottoman invasion. Sadly, the castle is in ruins but still worth visiting to hear about the REAL stories and legends of this famous character from Romanian history. So if you're a Dracula fan or medieval history buff, this sight will impress you. See below how it used to look:

How to book?

Choose how many people and when
Request a booking and fill in your details
Flexible payment and cancelation
Guide answers in 24h
Children prices

2 x 180 Euro

How to book this tour?

Choose how many people and when
Request a booking and fill in your details
Flexible payment and cancelation
Guide answers in 24h
Children prices

Guide

Alina

14 REVIEWS

I have been working as a guide ever since I was in college, so I could say travel became my usual lifestyle :) I see traveling as a beautiful adventure, a ceaseless discovery journey. Come with me and I'll show you Romania's beauties!

I like: traveling, hiking, swimming, painting, music, history

I speak: english, german, romanian

Other guides for this tour

Bogdan

Cancelation & refund policy

Easy

Sends us or the guide an email 24h before the tour informing us you can't make it and you'll get a full refund of your payment, no questions asked.

Location details

Starting point: Bucharest
Nearest airport: Bucharest Henri Coanda International
Nearest train station: Bucharest North Train Station
Landscape: Mountains & countryside

See on the map

Reviews from travellers

Joseph Z. on 02.08.2024

Our trip to the Poenari Castle & Transfagarasan Highway on August 2, 2024 was an amazing and unforgettable experience. Our driver Don and accompanying guide Elena were extraordinary in their warmth and making us feel comfortable. From 8 am until 8 pm we were guided by experienced Romanians who were skilled at providing us with the local history, facts and sights and sounds on this great tour. We were moved by the gravesite visits of Romania's monarchy as well as the long and winding road of the Transfagarasan Highway. On our way on the highway we encountered at least 5 bears on the side of the road. This trip was well worth the cost and we highly recommend that you take this tour.

Mo G. on 24.10.2018

Another great adventure with Romanian Friend! Our experience has always been that you feel as though you are out with a long time friend. Bogdan knew so much about the area and its history, things that you just don't find in any guide book. We experienced three seasons in one day. The Transfagarasan is just spectacular.

Carole J. on 17.08.2017

I can honestly say that this was one of the best day trips I have taken so far. My guide Bogdan was very knowledgeable, polite and easy to get along with. I had a lot of fun, learned a lot about Romania and saw a lot of great things. I can't complain about anything. Still can't decide which is more beautiful: Transfagarasan or Vidraru Lake. I'd like to visit more of your beautiful country in the future, thank you Romanian Friend :)

Hans Henrik N. on 25.10.2017

We had a great day driving with Bogdan on a tour to see Transfagarasan Highway. The mountain scenery was spectacular in the autumn colours. Bogdan was an excellent guide during the whole day. Very friendly and knowledgeable, with a good sense of humour and a keen eye for Romanian landscape and photo opportunities. Thanks to Bogdan we came back a lot wiser on Romanian history as well. We can wholeheartedly recommend taking this ride and we will definitely contact Romanian Friend again next time we visit Romania!