Itinerary Summary Tour map Price table How to book What to expect
Experience the magic of a Romanian Christmas on this 6-day private tour through Maramureș and Transylvania – ride a century-old steam train through snow-covered Carpathian forests, attend Christmas Eve carol shows in traditional villages, witness colourful folk costume parades, explore the famous Merry Cemetery and discover medieval Sibiu dressed in its festive best.
Christmas where traditions are still alive: This private tour (maximum 8 participants) takes you to the two regions of Romania where Christmas traditions are best preserved. While much of Europe celebrates Christmas in shopping malls, in Maramureș and Transylvania you’ll find villagers still wearing hand-embroidered costumes to church, carollers going door to door on Christmas Eve, and families preparing feasts of traditional recipes passed down through generations.
Why This Tour Is Special
This 6-day Christmas tour runs from December 23 to 28, starting in Cluj-Napoca (Transylvania’s main city with excellent international flight connections) and ending in Sibiu. Depending on your flight deals, we can rethink the itinerary to start or finish anywhere in Romania. The tour divides evenly between two of Romania’s most culturally rich regions – 3 days in Maramureș and 3 days in Transylvania.
This tour is designed for people who want to discover Romania during the winter holidays, experiencing old traditions, countryside hospitality and winter landscapes. It is equally suitable for amateur photographers looking for extraordinary seasonal scenes, slow travelers seeking authentic cultural encounters, and anyone curious about how Christmas was celebrated before modern commercialism took hold.
Flexible starting & ending points: The tour starts in Cluj-Napoca and ends in Sibiu, but we can adjust departure and arrival points to match your flight connections anywhere in Romania.
Fully customizable itinerary: Want more time in Maramureș? Interested in visiting a specific village or site? We’ll work with you to create your perfect Romanian Christmas. Fill out our custom tour form or contact us directly.
Enrich your tour with special experiences: Available options include wine tastings at Romania’s finest wineries, home-cooked meals prepared by local families, wildlife experiences such as bear watching, and exceptional accommodations in historic manor houses or authentic traditional guesthouses for complete cultural immersion.
Accommodation note: As Christmas is one of the busiest tourism periods in Romania, we strongly recommend booking a few months in advance to secure rooms in the best guesthouses in Maramureș or Transylvania. We provide carefully vetted options and you make the final choice based on your style and budget.
🚶 Activity Level: Moderate
Daily walking: Maximum 5 kilometres per day
Terrain: Village paths, cobbled streets, some stairs in churches and monuments
Winter conditions: Snow and ice possible – waterproof non-slip boots essential
Suitable for: Travelers of all ages able to walk comfortably in winter conditions
All transfers included: Airport pickup in Cluj-Napoca, all daily transportation and final transfer in Sibiu, in a modern minivan fully licensed for tourist transport. Your experienced tour guide accompanies you throughout all 6 days.
Accommodation in 3 or 4-star hotels and guesthouses: For each destination we provide 3 options to choose from. If you have a specific guesthouse in mind, we can book that as well, subject to availability. Staying in a traditional Maramureș wooden guesthouse is a highlight in itself – waking up to snow-covered hills and the smell of wood fires.
Investment & What’s Included
From €320 per person (based on group of 8 for 6-day tour)
✓ Experienced private tour guide for 6 full days
✓ All transportation including airport transfers
✓ Flexible itinerary adaptable to your interests
Not included: Entrance fees, accommodation and meals (hotels apply special Christmas rates confirmed at time of booking)
Accommodation and meals are not included in the base price, as hotels and guesthouses set special Christmas tariffs confirmed at booking time. For an all-inclusive quote based on your group size and accommodation preferences, please contact us.
For exact guide fees by group size, see our detailed price table below.
Request Your Christmas Tour Quote
View Complete Day-by-Day Itinerary
⚠️ Book early! Christmas is one of the busiest periods in Romanian tourism. We recommend booking several months in advance to secure the best guesthouses in Maramureș and Transylvania.
Complete 6-Day Christmas Itinerary
Six days designed to bring you face to face with a Romanian Christmas – from the steam train winding through snow-covered mountains to the solemn beauty of a village Christmas service, from the gargantuan Christmas Eve feast to the colour and music of folk costume parades.
🎄 Christmas market, mulled wine, Austro-Hungarian architecture, arrival in Maramureș
We start the Christmas tour in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania’s largest city and a major international gateway. We meet you at the airport and begin with a guided walk through the historic old town before heading north to Maramureș.
Morning/Afternoon: Cluj-Napoca Old Town
Afternoon/Evening: Transfer to Maramureș
Driving distance: 200 km
Overnight: Breb or another traditional village in Maramureș
🚂 Historic steam train through Carpathian forests, carol show, gargantuan Christmas dinner
Christmas Eve in Maramureș – one of the most memorable days of the entire tour. We ride a century-old steam train deep into the Carpathian mountains, then return to the village for an evening of carols and a traditional Christmas feast.
All Day: The Steam Train (Mocănița) from Vișeu de Sus
Evening: Christmas Eve in Maramureș Village
Driving distance: 100 km
Overnight: Maramureș guesthouse
⛪ Village church service, traditional costumes, nativity performances, winter countryside walk
Christmas morning in a Maramureș village – one of the most authentic and moving experiences Romania has to offer. Today follows the rhythm of the village, with no rushing.
Morning: Christmas Church Service
Afternoon: Winter Village Walk
Overnight: Maramureș guesthouse
🎨 Colourful crosses in winter snow, UNESCO wooden churches, carved wooden gates
The second day of Christmas in Maramureș. We explore more of this extraordinary region, visiting its most iconic cultural treasures – from the world-famous Merry Cemetery to the UNESCO-listed wooden churches.
Morning: The Merry Cemetery of Săpânța
Afternoon: Wooden Churches & Village Gates
Driving distance: 100 km
Overnight: Maramureș guesthouse
⛏️ Underground wonder 120m below, Sibiu Christmas Market, medieval old town
We leave Maramureș and travel south to Sibiu, the most beautiful city in Transylvania. En route we stop at the extraordinary Turda Salt Mine before arriving in Sibiu in time for the famous Christmas Market.
Midday Stop: Turda Salt Mine
Afternoon/Evening: Arrival in Sibiu
Driving distance: 350 km
Overnight: Sibiu
🎭 Traditional costume festival, countryside villages, optional Corvin Castle
Our final day balances the festive grandeur of Sibiu’s morning light with the living folk traditions of the Transylvanian countryside.
Morning: Sibiu at Dawn & the Săliște Folk Festival
Afternoon: Countryside of Mărginimea Sibiului
Optional Alternative: Corvin Castle in Hunedoara
Evening: Return to Sibiu hotel – end of the Christmas tour
Overnight: Sibiu (departure next morning)
How to Book Your Christmas Tour
If you are interested in this Christmas tour, please send us a message with:
We will reply quickly with exact pricing and detailed travel information. After settling all details regarding final itinerary, hotels, dates, pricing, payment options and cancellation policy, we will send you the travel contract as required by European Law.
Booking process: The booking becomes active after paying the deposit (10% of total price). Payment can be made via bank transfer or online. Payment currency options: EUR or RON. All amounts paid are guaranteed by our travel agency insurance, viewable here.
Tour Route Map
What to Expect
What to buy at the Christmas markets: You’ll find a wide range of seasonal items – homemade cookies, chocolate, roasted chestnuts, glazed almonds and nuts, honey, local spirits, mulled wine, traditional food stalls, local cheese, Christmas decorations, hand-painted mugs, porcelain jewellery, wreaths, garlands, gloves, hats, scarves and much more.
Concerts & events: Depending on the programme, you can attend Christmas carol concerts and traditional performances. The Sibiu Christmas Market regularly features evening concerts on the main stage.
Weather: Daily winter temperatures in Romania are around 0°C, but can vary significantly. Snow is possible and makes for magical scenery, but rain or sleet can also occur. In recent years winters have been milder, with less snow and fewer freezing days. Check the weather forecast before travelling. Essential clothing: waterproof winter boots with non-slip soles, warm layered clothing, gloves and hat.
Prices in Romania: Romania is well below the European average. Coffee: €1–3, beer: €2–3, restaurant main course: €10–20, mulled wine: €2-3, entrance fees: €6–10.
Tipping: Around 10% of the bill is expected at restaurants. Tips are not included on the bill and are paid in cash only. You are never obliged to tip if you were unhappy with the service.
Currency: Romanian currency is RON (leu). EUR and USD are not accepted directly, but exchange offices and banks are widely available. Credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) are accepted in cities and most hotels, but it’s wise to carry cash for villages, markets and smaller establishments.
Safety: Romania is generally safer than most Western European countries. Standard precautions apply – keep money and documents in interior pockets, especially in crowded market areas.
Tour Pricing
Transparent pricing for the 6-day tour guide fee. Accommodation and meals are booked separately at Christmas rates confirmed at time of booking. Private tour limited to maximum 8 participants.
| Group Size | Guide Fee per Person (6 days) | Value Note |
|---|---|---|
| 8 participants | €320 | Best Value! |
| 6 participants | €370 | — |
| 4 participants | €550 | — |
| 2 participants (private couple) | €1,100 | Maximum privacy |
| Single room supplement | Ask for a quote | Varies by hotel & Christmas rates |
*Groups larger than 8 participants? Please contact us for a customized offer.
Note: Accommodation and meals not included. Hotels apply special Christmas tariffs confirmed at booking. Contact us for a full all-inclusive quote.
Book Your Christmas Tour
How to Book
Tour Summary
This 6-day Christmas tour through Maramureș and Transylvania offers something increasingly rare – an authentic encounter with Christmas traditions that have survived centuries largely unchanged. While you explore snow-covered villages and ride a steam train through the Carpathian forests, the communities around you are celebrating Christmas the same way their great-grandparents did.
What makes this tour special: The timing is everything. Arriving on December 23, you experience the full arc of Christmas as Romanians celebrate it – the anticipation of the Christmas market on Day 1, the magic of a steam train on Christmas Eve followed by carol shows and a traditional feast, the solemnity and colour of Christmas Day at the village church, and finally the joyful folk festival of Săliște on December 28.
This tour is suitable for: Amateur and enthusiast photographers, slow travelers, food lovers, anyone curious about European folk traditions, families, and couples looking for a memorable alternative Christmas experience.
For questions, to discuss customization options, or to secure your place on this unique seasonal tour, please contact us. We look forward to sharing a very special Romanian Christmas with you.
Custom tours, extraordinary experiences!
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