Romania Revealed
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Duration
Languages Support
English
Tour Description
“Romania Revealed” is a meticulously-curated exploration of complex cultural traditions nearly lost to time but still rich with hidden treasures: mysterious medieval castles, walled cities and citadels, Gypsies, folkloric arts and crafts, fortresses and strongholds, and soaring cathedrals.
Your tour begins in Bucharest and proceeds to Sibiu, a Saxon city celebrated for its exhaustive fortifications. Stop for photos at the 14th-century Curtea de Arges and Poienari Castle, the actual home of Vlad the Impaler. Travel the famed Transfagarasan road, crossing the Carpathians at an altitude of over 200 meters.
Explore the medieval fortresses of Alba Iulia, tour the salt mines at Turda, and then cross the Carpathians toward Maramures, an area almost unchanged by modern civilization. Before touring the lighthearted Merry Cemetery, visit a local market and absorb the old-world atmosphere.
Visit the wooden churches, including the monastery at Barsana, famous for its intricately-carved walls and gates. In Bucovina, visit the UNESCO World Heritage painted monasteries, then learn about the ancient crafts of egg painting and black pottery.
Visit the home of a Gypsy family in Transylvania. Drive through the breathtaking Bicaz Gorges to Sighisoara, a beautiful medieval citadel. Spend time in Viscri, an exquisite Transylvanian village, and take a horse-cart ride to meet with traditional artisans.
Finally, tour Bran Castle and the opulent Peles Castle before ending your tour back in Bucharest.
If you’re looking for different tour options in Romania or have specific preferences, feel free to explore our alternative tours in Romania or reach out to us for a personalized experience tailored just for you!
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Tour Itinerary
Arrive in Bucharest, meet your guide, and settle into the Capitol Hotel in the heart of the capital.
Right away, you’ll be able to explore a vast array of historical landmarks. In Bucharest, French architecture coexists side by side with monumental edifices inherited from Romanian dictator Ceausescu; elegant residential areas are juxtaposed with stark, Soviet-style apartment buildings; and brand-new glass-and-steel office buildings contrast with treasured surviving churches to complete the capitol’s modern incarnation.
Take a panoramic city tour with your guide and get an insider’s glimpse into the life and character of this remarkable, vibrant city.
*Should you travel to Bucharest on a flight that arrives late in the afternoon or evening, the city tour can also be done the next morning.
Overnight in Bucharest, Hotel Concorde Old Town****
The medieval Transylvanian city of Sibiu is your destination today. Along the way, stop at the 16th-century Curtea de Arges Cathedral, a surreal feat of architectural engineering and one of Romania’s most spectacular churches.
Next, stop for photos at the fortress of Poenari, the epic ruin of Vlad the Impaler’s main fortress. Legend has it that he forced the labor for its restoration from enslaved nobility arrested under treason charges. Few survived to see the castle completed; its precipitous location prevented their escape or rescue.
En route to Sibiu, you’ll take one of southeastern Europe’s most famous roadways: the Transfagarasan Road, a high military route built during the Communist regime. Your passage across the magnificent Carpathian Mountains will reach an altitude of 2054 m (over 6000 feet), and the scenery is some of the most breathtaking in existence. It’s easy to understand why the BBC Top Gear team declared the Transfagarasan “the best road in the world.”
You’ll arrive in Sibiu in the afternoon and check into your hotel. Follow your guide on a walking tour of the medieval Historical Center and explore the most elaborate and developed of the seven Saxon cities. As a crucial trading post and Transylvania’s most important German settlement, Sibiu was often attacked; seven concentric walls encircled and protected the city throughout the Middle Ages.
*Please note the Transfagarasan Road is open only between June and September. If your tour takes place outside this period, you will travel on the road going along the Olt River valley
Overnight in Sibiu, Hotel Art**** (located in the Old Town)
Today, you’ll diverge from the beaten path and travel deep into wild Transylvania, heading west toward the Hunedoara region.
Explore the 15th-century Hunyad Castle, a Gothic fortress complete with bastions, towers, and a real dungeon. According to legend, Vlad the Impaler spent a few years here as a prisoner after being overthrown in 1462. Later, visit the spectacular 7th-century Densus Church, an ancient worship site built atop a Roman temple.
In the afternoon, drive to Alba Iulia, the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese in Transylvania. Transylvania’s union with the rest of the country was proclaimed here on December 1, 1918 (Romania’s National Holiday). The town’s most impressive feature is its fortress, beautifully restored in recent years.
Overnight in Alba Iulia, Vila Preciosa*** (located near the Citadel)
Today, you’ll proceed toward Maramures, where the landscape, local traditions, craftsmanship, and culture have remained nearly unchanged since the Middle Ages. On the way, stop in the small town of Turda to visit the incredible salt mines. Salina Turda, one of the oldest mines in the area, features soaring, cavernous chambers filled with fabulous acoustics, underground lakes, and giant, illuminated machinery.
Your next stop is the city of Cluj Napoca, one of Transylvania’s major urban centers. It boasts one of the best universities in Romania and a youthful, vibrant street atmosphere. Join your guide for a stroll in the central area of Cluj.
Afterward, arrive in Maramures to view the famous wooden architecture and hand-carved gates, all surrounded by undisturbed forest, abundant wildlife, and vast, primeval woodlands. Visit the church of Surdesti (UNESCO World Heritage Site), which is, until recently, the tallest wooden church in the world.
Overnight in the village of Breb, Pensiunea Lucia***, home-cooked dinner included
Spend a full day exploring Maramures, where you’ll learn about the area’s culture, which has been uninterrupted since medieval times. Visit a plum brandy distillery and see a “vâltoare,” a manmade whirlpool still used by locals for washing their wool carpets.
Mingle with local people and sample exquisite traditional delicacies at a traditional open-air market (depending on the day of the week) before moving on to the Merry Cemetery in Sapanta. Since 1935, colorful wooden crosses painted in the naïve style have encrusted this landmark. Hand-painted imagery and brutally honest epitaphs describing the deceased’s lives impart a lighter view of death that may trace its lineage all the way back to the Dacians.
Later, stop at the tallest wooden structure in the world: the church at Peri. Recently built in a manner meticulously faithful to the old style, it stands as testimony to the extraordinary level of craftsmanship handed down through the centuries.
Drive to the nearby city of Sighetu Marmatiei and visit the Memorial to the Victims of Communism. Learn how the Communists, beginning in the late 1940s, carried out a reign of terror over common citizens, who were tightly controlled and could be punished for “thought crime.”
Overnight in the village of Breb, Pensiunea Lucia***, home-cooked dinner included
Today, drive to Bucovina, which is famous for its exquisite painted monasteries. Along the way, discover the lovely monastic complex at Barsana. Stop to visit the workshop of the most famous woodcarver in Maramures. His gates, revered for their deeply intricate patterns, are the region’s pride. His art is well-known abroad, and examples of his work can be found as far away as the United States.
Next, stop at the oldest wooden church in Maramures (dating back to 1364) in the village of Ieud.
Cross the eastern Carpathians and start your descent into Bucovina. Your first stop will be the village of Ciocanesti, where the locals lovingly maintain their beautiful houses, heavily ornate with floral and geometric motifs.
Overnight in Gura Humorului, Hotel Buchenland****
Enjoy a full-day exploration of the UNESCO World Heritage painted monasteries. After breakfast, set out to discover Romania’s famous painted monasteries, each renowned for a specific fresco and color.
Start the day by visiting the monasteries of Humor and Voronet. Humor is famous for its vivid frescoes, with red as the predominant color, while Voronet, the “Sistine of the East,” is known for its Last Judgment.
Stop off to visit a museum established by a world-renowned egg-painting artist. Egg painting is one of the traditional art forms in Bucovina, and it is one of the most expressive mixtures of secular art with religious symbolism and tradition.
In the afternoon, visit the remaining two monasteries at Moldovita and Sucevita. At Moldovita, the predominant color is yellow, and the most famous fresco depicts the Siege of Constantinople. The monastery at Sucevita, dating to the 17th century, is the largest and boasts an impressive fortification system.
Overnight in Gura Humorului, Hotel Buchenland****
Today, your destination is Transylvania, and you’ll travel on a spectacular route through the Bicaz Gorges. The view is breathtaking, and you’ll have the chance to shop for souvenirs at fascinating local shops.
Before departing Bucovina, you’ll have the chance to visit the extraordinary Nicolae Popa Ethnographic Museum, located in the Naïve sculptor’s beautiful home. It is one of Romania’s hidden treasures and features an exhaustive array of original works of art and traditional folkloric objects.
Along the way, take time for an unparalleled experience in a Roma (Gypsy) village. Visit the home of the Gabor family and learn more about their intriguing, often misunderstood culture. It is exceedingly rare for Gypsies to open their homes to strangers, but you will be invited in. Discover their culture, history, and traditional attire (you can even try it on!). Feel free to engage in conversation over a glass of homemade brandy; all of your questions about the Gypsies will be answered.
Overnight in Sighisoara, Fronius Residence*****
In the incomparable city of Sighisoara, the fortification system of the upper town has remained largely unchanged since medieval times. Enjoy a guided walk through the Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage Site), visit the History Museum inside the 800-year-old clock tower, and enjoy the magnificent view from the top. Sighisoara was the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the source of inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula’s main character. The house where he was born in 1431 still stands and is now home to one of Sighisoara’s restaurants.
Continue to the Biertan fortified church (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The Saxons used “peasant fortified churches” like this one, constructed and maintained by locals, for shelter in case of attack.
Before noon, depart for Viscri, where you’ll experience firsthand Transylvania’s gift of living heritage and incomparable rural charm. The village was virtually unknown to the outside world until Charles, Prince of Wales, bought an 18th-century house there in 2006. He continues to work toward preserving the traditional Transylvanian way of life.
Upon arrival in Viscri, explore the village’s famous 12th-century Gothic fortified church (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Then, during the afternoon, take a horsecart ride through the village and meet the local blacksmith in his workshop.
Overnight in Viscri, Viscri 125 B&B****, home-cooked dinner included
This morning, you’ll depart Viscri for the city of Brasov, which has been inhabited since Neolithic times. On the way, visit one of the most famous sights in Romania, Bran Castle (built in 1377 and famously linked with Dracula in the Transylvanian popular psyche).
In the afternoon, join your guide for a leisurely walk in Brasov’s Old Town. Discover the Black Church (the largest Gothic cathedral in southeastern Europe) and the Old Town square, surrounded by the beautiful houses of wealthy merchants of the past. Visit the ancient city walls, the bastions, and the first Romanian school, a national importance site for all Romanians.
The afternoon is free. You may choose to explore on your own, but your guide can suggest additional sites.
Overnight in Brasov, Hotel Schuster*** (located in the Old Town)
Depart Brasov and set out for Transylvania’s wild, unspoiled mountains, arriving in Sinaia. Visit Peles Castle, the astounding 19th-century residence of Carol I, Romania’s first king. The interior represents the height of luxury and decadence of the age, with Carrara marble, Murano chandeliers, Venetian mirrors, and exquisite walls carved in forty wood types.
Discover the Sinaia monastery, a lovely complex dating back to the 17th century, named after Mt. Sinai in Egypt.
Continue to Bucharest, arriving in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Bucharest, Hotel Concorde Old Town****
Included / Excluded
✅ Personalized Itinerary – We’re happy to customize your itinerary before the tour starts, completely free of charge!
✅ Flexible Daily Plans – Plans can change, and that’s okay! You’ll have the freedom to adjust your daily itinerary even after the tour begins.
✅ Private Licensed English-speaking Guide/Driver—Your dedicated, friendly, and knowledgeable guide/driver will keep you safe throughout the journey.
✅ All Guide Expenses Covered – No hidden costs here! Your guide’s meals, accommodation, and other expenses are fully included.
✅ Comfortable Private Transportation – Relax and travel in comfort with your own air-conditioned vehicle.
✅ All Vehicle Costs Included – Gas, parking, and road tolls are all taken care of—one less thing to think about!
✅ Free Wi-Fi in the Vehicle – Stay connected with complimentary wireless internet access while on the road.
✅ Entrance Fees & Guided Visits – All entrance fees in the itinerary are covered, with your guide ready to share insights at each stop. Want to add a new spot along the way? Just ask!
✅ Carefully Selected Accommodation—Stay in handpicked, centrally located hotels from our recommended list, or let us know if you’d like us to suggest other options that match your style.
✅ Daily Breakfast – Start each day right with a delicious breakfast included at your hotel.
✅ Three Home-Cooked Dinners – Savor three cozy, home-cooked dinners for a warm and authentic local experience.
✅ Seamless Airport Transfers – Private transfers to and from the airport will make your arrival and departure easy and stress-free.
❌ International Airfare – Flights to and from Romania are not included.
❌ Credit Card Processing Fee (3.25%) – To help you save, we also offer the option to pay via domestic bank transfer (available for the E.U., U.S.A., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K.).
❌ Additional Meals & Beverages—Meals and drinks other than those listed in the itinerary are not included, so you have the freedom to explore local cuisine at your own pace.
❌ Gratuities for Your Guide – A gratuity for your guide is not included and is a meaningful way to acknowledge their hard work in making your trip memorable.
❌ Photo Fees at Certain Sights – Some sites may charge a small photo fee (usually around €2–€3 per location).
Tour Information
Duration
Languages Support
English
Places Visited:
Total Distance Traveled:
Tour Fees:
- single traveler: from €5665 per person
- 2 travelers: from €3050 per person
- 3 travelers: from €2350 per person
- 4 travelers: from €2390 per person
- For a different number of travelers, don't hesitate to contact us.