Itinerary
- Day 1
Bucharest
Start with a walking tour through Bucharest's Old Town, taking in 500 years of history including the Palace of Parliament, which is the world's second-largest building. The afternoon involves wandering through narrow streets in neighborhoods that gave Bucharest its 'Little Paris' nickname, and you'll spot the local Arc-de-Triomphe. Dinner happens at a golden-era restaurant to wrap up the day.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Dining at an exquisite, golden-era restaurant)
Included Activities
- Walking tour of Old Town
- Palace of Parliament visit
- Stroll through neighborhoods inspired by Paris architecture
Landmarks/POIs Palace of Parliament Arc-de-Triomphe (Bucharest) Bucharest Old Town - Day 2
Bucharest
Head to the Romanian wine road to spend time with local vintners who work in ideal soil conditions. You'll visit two vineyards, meet the owners, sample their wines, and tour the estates. It's a relaxed day focused on getting to know Romania's wine culture.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit two vineyards
- Wine tasting with owners
- Estate tours
- Day 3
Szekler Land
Travel to Szekler Land, where Hungarian minorities make up most of the population, and check out the countryside. You'll join workshops with local craftspeople to learn traditional bread-making and watch barrel production. Later, you'll stay overnight at an authentic 16th-century chateau owned by the Mikes noble family.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Countryside exploration of Szekler Land
- Workshop with local cooper
- Workshop with local miller
- Traditional bread-making experience
- Day 4
Szekler Land
After breakfast in Mikes Castle's park, you'll head to St Anne, Romania's only volcanic lake, to take in the natural scenery and watch for wildlife. Later, spend a few hours at Balvanyos, one of Romania's top hot spring resorts, soaking in an open-air pool with mountains all around.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast in Mikes Castle's park)
Included Activities
- Visit St Anne volcanic lake
- Hot spring resort experience at Balvanyos
- Open-air pool soaking
Landmarks/POIs St Anne Lake Balvanyos Hot Spring Resort - Day 5
Moldavia
Drive through Bicaz Gorge, a striking road cut through ravines along a former riverbed, with some of Romania's most impressive rock formations. This route takes you from Transylvania into Moldavia, where you'll see Neamt Citadel before settling in for the night at a famous traditional inn that appears in many national novels.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Drive through Bicaz Gorge
- Neamt Citadel visit
Landmarks/POIs Bicaz Gorge Neamt Citadel - Day 6
Bucovina
Visit the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina, which are UNESCO World Heritage sites representing Romanian Christian-Orthodox tradition. These Byzantine art masterpieces have interior and exterior walls covered in colorful murals from the 15th and 16th centuries. You'll also stop at the country's only black pottery workshop where you can create your own piece.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Painted Monasteries tour in Bucovina
- Black pottery workshop experience
Landmarks/POIs Painted Monasteries of Bucovina - Day 7
Viseu de Sus
Start by learning about Romania's famous egg decorating tradition at an artist's museum. Take a chairlift up the mountain to see Horses' Waterfall, a canyon formed by glacier lakes. Grab lunch at a sheep's pen with locally sourced organic food, then trek to the waterfall. You'll reach Viseu de Sus by evening, where you'll start a steam train ride the next day.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Locally sourced organic lunch at the sheep's pen)
Included Activities
- Egg decorating museum visit
- Chairlift to mountain top
- Horses' Waterfall viewing
- Trek to waterfall
Landmarks/POIs Horses' Waterfall - Day 8
Maramures
Ride one of Europe's last steam trains through the Carpathian forests on what used to be a coal transport railway. You'll have a picnic by the river while taking in the landscape. Later, check out the UNESCO-listed Wooden Churches of Maramures in the traditional villages of Ieud and Barsana, then finish at the Merry Cemetery, a cultural site where life is celebrated through death.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Picnic by the river)
Included Activities
- Steam train ride through Carpathian forestry
- Wooden Churches of Maramures tour
- Village visits to Ieud and Barsana
- Merry Cemetery visit
Landmarks/POIs Wooden Churches of Maramures Merry Cemetery - Day 9
Cluj-Napoca
Visit the Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance, a former political prison turned museum showing what life was like under Romania's totalitarian regime. Then head to Cluj-Napoca, Romania's fastest-growing city, and walk through its stylish medieval area with its restaurants and young crowd.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance tour
- Cluj-Napoca medieval area exploration
Landmarks/POIs Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance Cluj-Napoca Medieval Area - Day 10
Alba-Iulia
Check out the impressive salt mine in Turda, where a restored network now welcomes visitors. From there, continue to Alba-Iulia for a guided tour of its citadel, which shows 2000 years of history from ancient Roman times through Romania's Union Day.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Turda salt mine tour
- Alba-Iulia Citadel guided tour
Landmarks/POIs Turda Salt Mine Alba-Iulia Citadel - Day 11
Sighisoara
Travel into central Transylvania to see Biertan, one of the most significant Saxon villages with medieval fortified churches. Continue to Sighisoara, Europe's last inhabited fortress and a UNESCO site known for its walled old town and surviving guild towers. This is also where Vlad the Impaler was born, the ruler who inspired the Dracula legend.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Biertan Saxon village exploration
- Medieval fortified churches tour
- Sighisoara walled old town visit
Landmarks/POIs Biertan Sighisoara - Day 12
Brasov
Arrive at Bran Castle, commonly called 'Dracula's Castle', to explore the real history behind the legend. You'll visit Brasov, a mountain city nestled in the heart of the mountains, and tour the Black Church, an important site in medieval religious history and home to Romania's first school. Dinner happens at a traditional restaurant in the Old Square.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Traditional restaurant dinner in the Old Square)
Included Activities
- Bran Castle tour
- Brasov exploration
- Black Church visit
Landmarks/POIs Bran Castle Black Church - Day 13
Transfagarasan Highway
Visit Poenari fortress, the real Dracula's castle, perched high in the mountains with a challenging climb of 1476 steps that rewards you with great views. On the way, drive the Transfagarasan highway, voted by Top Gear as one of the world's best road trips. The route cuts through mountains and ends at Vidraru Dam, which borders the country's largest lake.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Poenari fortress hike
- Transfagarasan highway drive
- Vidraru Dam visit
Landmarks/POIs Poenari Fortress Transfagarasan Highway Vidraru Dam - Day 14
Bucharest
Return to Bucharest for your final day and explore the city however you'd like. If you prefer to relax, head to Therme, Eastern Europe's largest natural spa center built with green methods on thermal waters, just 10 minutes from the airport.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Therme spa visit (Eastern Europe's largest natural spa center)
Landmarks/POIs Therme
