A journey is a learning experience that will enrich our souls. Our stay in the Apuseni Mountains aims exactly this: to discover the history of the places, to meet kind people to inspire us and to enjoy the beauty of the landscape, on foot, in hikes that will bring us closer to nature.
Itinerary Summary Tour map Price table How to book
Our trip to Apuseni mountains is a 3 days long excursion, with a rich program. For tourists who prefer a more relaxed program, we can add an extra day to have a slower pace and enjoy thoroughly the beauty of the region. Moreover, the trip to the Apuseni mountains can be a stage of a longer tour in Romania. For further details, please contact us or fill our custom tour form.
We designed the tour starting from Sibiu and ending in Sibiu, but depending on your flight deals, we can rethink the itinerary and start and finish in Cluj-Napoca or Timisoara.
This tour is designed for moderate active travellers, so you don’t have to be an experienced hiker to attend this program. You need to be able to walk around 10 kilometres per day and our routes don’t have more than 500 meters difference in altitude.
The trip highlights are:
The price starts from 210 EUR/person. This price is valid for a group of 7 persons and for an average price of accommodation of a maximum of 60 EUR/night for a double room, including breakfast. Please see below the price per person, depending on the group size. The hotels or guesthouses where we will stay will be chosen together; we will give you a few options and you will have the final word regarding the accommodation. Depending on the hotels you choose and the final itinerary, the price can change, so, for a custom offer please contact us.
Itinerary
We leave Sibiu in the morning and head to Brad, a former mining centre in the south of the Apuseni. The first stop will be at the Gold Museum , where we will be able to see the largest exhibition of pure native gold (as it was discovered in the mine, without processing) in Europe. In addition, we will be able to see hidden gold exhibits in different poses, in ore and we will learn general notions about minerals.
The next stop will be in a nearby town, where the ground still has traces of gold. We will meet a geologist who will show us how gold is extracted from the sand of mountain rivers, using techniques that are hundreds of years old. We will take the opportunity and make a short hike through the village, to Săritoarea, a beautiful waterfall in steps of about 96 meters. We will use the time of the short hike and for a short picnic on the shores of the rushing mountain stream.
We advance in the heart of the Apuseni Mountains, passing through the Buces-Vulcan pass and we head towards Vidra commune. We will visit the Pișoaia Waterfall, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Apuseni, which descends in thin threads over a blanket of green moss.
Then, we will carefully analyze the fossils embedded in the rocks of Snail Hill:
Arriving at the accommodation, we will serve dinner and prepare for the next day.
Distance traveled: 230 km
Time spent in the car: 3 hours
The second day of our trip will be dedicated to the natural beauties of the Apuseni. We will explore the area of Gârda de Sus commune, located on the upper valley of Arieș.
The first stop will be at the Poarta lui Ionele cave. The cave is located at an altitude of 810 meters, in the Ordâncușei gorges and has a length of 131 meters. The entrance to the cave is made through an impressive portal over 10 meters high.
We leave the Ordâncușei gorges, climbing the narrow road that leads to Poiana Călineasa at 1300 meters altitude, a hamlet inhabited only in summer, from May to September. We take a short walk through the glade to see the place where Someșul Cald springs, stopping at the small wooden church used only in the summer months. Next to the church, we will stop at the lookout point for lunch, which will again be a small picnic.
We leave Poiana Călineasa and descend on the other side of the karst plateau, to the hamlet of Ghețari, where we will visit the cave from Scărișoara.
The next destination will be the Gârda Seacă valley, where we will discover another karst phenomenon: Tăuzului karst spring. The izbuc is an intermittent spring of water that works on the principle of the siphon. The stream of water that enters the underground a few kilometres upstream, through the system of Coiba Mare and Coiba Mică caves, comes to the surface with the flow of a small river, below Tauzului Rock. The spring is over 70 meters deep and seen from above, the water has a beautiful shade of turquoise.
The last objective of the day is the visit of an isolated hamlet, located at the foot of the Bihor peak, where we will be able to listen to the tulnic song:
Distance travelled: 125 km
Time spent in the car: 3 hours
Roșia Montană is probably the most famous gold town in Romania. It came to the attention of the public following the protests of civil society against the mega-project with cyanide exploitation of gold ores.
In Roșia Montana we will learn more about the mining project and the disastrous implications for the environment and the community, but we will also learn about the history of mining from the ancient Alburnus Maior to the present day. We will learn more about the famous wax tablets, contracts over 2000 years old discovered in Roșia Montana and, if possible, we will visit the Roman galleries.
In addition, we will do a hike that will start from the historic center, we will see the tăurile (if you don’t know, we will find out on the spot what they are and what they are used for), we will enjoy a sensational view over the town and the Apuseni Mountains, and we will be able to see some entrances in the galleries of the former gold mines.
The last part of the day will be dedicated to a short hike to Detunata Golașă, a mountain range formed by quadrilateral basalt columns, which seem to be cut by human hands:
Distance travelled: 200 km
Time spent in the car: 2.5 hours
Tour map:
Price table
| Group Size | Currency | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | EUR | 210 |
| 6 | EUR | 220 |
| 5 | EUR | 270 |
| 4 | EUR | 280 |
| 3 | EUR | 360 |
| 2 | EUR | 470 |
| sgl supplement | EUR | 60 |
*for groups larger than 7 persons, please ask for a customised offer
Summary:
A woooooonderful experience! I highly recommend Florin’s travel agency!
Historical tourism. Cultural tourism. Contemporary tourism. If you hope for more, participate and you will discover a surprising dose of interactivity in Florin Ionescu’s efforts…
Custom tours, extraordinary experiences!
Let us be your guide and discover Romania with us!
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4 Reviews
It was a wonderful trip, organized by a guide gifted to share special feelings and experiences. Thanks to our guide Florin Ionescu.
It was 3 wonderful days, I saw beautiful places and I met nice people! We felt great! We can’t wait for a new trip! Thank you Florin!