The private tour of Romania from Timisoara

The tour of Romania will start in Timisoara: we will meet you in at the airport, and after the transfer to your hotel, we will start exploring the city. We will have a guided tour of the citadel district of Timisoara, discovering the rich history of Timisoara and its architectural gems. The city is called “little Vienna of Romania” as it is abundant in Austrian-style palaces or churches. The connections with Vienna were drawn starting the 18th century when the city was conquered by the Austrian armies from the Turks. After the conquest, the Austrian administration rebuilt Timisoara from scratch, embellishing it with Baroque-style buildings and monuments, which can be admired during our walking tour of Timisoara.
Timisoara is the capital of the Banat region, an area with an interesting history and a strong multicultural character: Romanians living together with Hungarians, Germans or Serbs. Timisoara is also the city where the anti-communist Revolution started in December 1989.

Timisoara – Union Square

We will leave Timisoara in the morning and drive to Hunedoara, where we will visit the Corvin Castle. The Corvin Castle or the Hunyad Castle is the largest gothic castle in Transylvania and the former residence of the Governor of Transylvania – John Corvin.
After visiting the castle we will continue our drive to Sibiu, where we will arrive after an hour and a half drive. Check-in at the hotel in Sibiu and free time for the guests in the afternoon.
Optional visit: Sarmisegetuza Regia – the antique Dacian site in the heart of the mountains.
Distance: 300 km, driving time: 3.5 hours

Hunedoara – Corvin Castle

On this day we will explore the charming city of Sibiu, the only destination in Romania with 3 stars in the Michelin guide. We will learn the story of the most important places in the Old Town, and visit the Farmer’s Market to get a flavour of the ingredients of the local cuisine. Of course, we will visit The Astra Open Air Museum, the largest museum of its kind in Europe, stretching over 120 hectares and exhibiting more than 300 dwellings and installations from the Romanian countryside. Overnight in Sibiu.

Sibiu – aerial view of the old town

It’s time to leave Sibiu. We will first head to Alba Iulia, where we will visit the citadel. Alba-Iulia is a city where Romania’s history had written some of its most important pages: the site of a Roman castrum, then the capital of Transylvania, a solid bastionary fortress starting 18th century and the place of the Unification in 1918.
Then, we will continue our day heading north, to Turda, to visit the amazing Salt Mine. Nowadays the salt extraction had stopped, and the place is flocked with tourists coming to experience life in the salty abyss, 120 meters below the ground. At the end of the day, we will reach Cluj, where we will spend the night.
Distance: 300 km, driving time: 4 hours.
Optional visit: village of Rimetea

Turda Salt Mine

We will spend the morning exploring more of Cluj, wandering in the historical quarter, adorned with beautiful 19th-century architecture, cosy coffee shops and stylish restaurants. Then, our tour of Romania will enter in its Maramures part. After 3 hours of driving, we will reach Maramures, one of the most beautiful regions of Romania. Located in the far north of Romania, in a predominantly mountainous area, Maramures has so many things to offer to its visitors: lovely landscape, authentic villages, hearty food. Overnight in Maramures
Distance: 200 km, driving time: 3 hours.

The Merry Cemetery is unique in the world. The crosses in the graveyard are painted in vivid colours, and the epitaph carved on the cross shows us in an anecdotical manner some insights into the life of the person buried there. Then, we will go to Sighet, where we will visit one of the prisons where the Communist regime chained the Romanian elite, after WW2. The day will end with a visit to a UNESCO wooden church, where we will learn more about the spirituality and craftsmanship of the Maramures people. Overnight in Maramures.
Distance: 100 km, driving time: 2 hours

Sapanta – the merry cemetery

We will start the day visiting some local craftsmen. Depending on the season and their availability, we can visit a woodcarver, a weaver or see the traditional installation, based on the force of water, used to clean the rugs or other clothes. And if we are lucky, maybe we will visit a “horinca – local fruit alcohol” distillery. In the afternoon, we will leave Maramures, and after driving over a few mountain passes, we will start the Bucovina part of our tour of Romania. Overnight in Bucovina
Extra day option: The steam train experience: if time allows, and you are interested in it, we can add an extra day to our trip, and book a ticket to the Steam Train in Viseu. Started as a logging train more than a century ago, nowadays the train is mostly used for tourism. The 30 kilometres long narrow gauge track winds through the Vaser River valley, deep in the heart of the Carpathian forests.
Distance: 200 km, driving time: 4 hours

Maramures – wooden gate

Today we will visit the painted monasteries of Bucovina: Moldovita, Sucevita and Voronet. We will learn about medieval art and architecture in Moldova and we will try to discover some of the secrets the artists hid in the outside frescos. Overnight in Bucovina.
Optional visit 1: The Egg Museum: a unique collection of a painted eggs from Romania and all over the world.
Optional visit 2: The Marginea pottery workshop.
Distance: 150 km, driving time: 2.5 hours

Bucovina – painted church

We will return to Transylvania, crossing the Borgo Pass, the mysterious place where Bram Stoker placed the castle of Dracula. We will have the possibility to lunch at a sheepfold on the pass or on the shores of Colibita Lake, the place with the purest air in Romania. We will continue the day with a short visit in Targu Mures, where we can admire the elegant Secession style buildings. At the end of the day, we will reach Sighisoara, one of the last medieval citadels still inhabited in Europe. One of the seven Saxon towns in Transylvania, Sighisoara became even more popular due to its links with the Wallachian prince Vlad the Impaler aka Dracula, who presumably was born in this place.
Overnight in Sighisoara.
Distance: 300 km, driving time: 5 hours
Optional stop: Wine tasting at Liliac wineries.

Sighisoara – view from the citadel

On this day we will explore the Saxon land in Transylvania, visiting the fortified churches of Viscri and Prejmer. Viscri was almost unknown until Prince Charles of Wales discovered the place, and bought a few properties there. Despite being a popular touristic attraction, Viscri kept unaltered its charm. A visit to the village is a good way to see how Transylvania used to be centuries ago.
We will continue the day with a visit to the interesting fortification system of the Saxon church in Prejmer. The fortified church, UNESCO site is a good example of the integration between religious and military architecture in medieval times. At the end of the day, we will explore Brasov, where we will spend the night.
Distance: 150 km, driving time: 2.5 hours
Optional stop: Rupea fortress visit

Brasov – old town

Sadly, our tour of Romania is coming to an end. We will leave Brasov and head for Bran, where we will visit the famous castle, also known as Dracula Castle. Then, we will drive to Sinaia, to visit the exquisite 19th century Peles Castle, the residence of the first royal family of Romania. After Peles, we will head for Bucharest, for the end of our trip.
Distance: 215 km, driving time: 4 hours
Optional visit 1: Libearty Bear Sanctuary
Optional visit 2: Rasnov fortress

Bran castle

The last day of our tour of Romania from Timisoara will be dedicated to exploring Bucharest. We will visit the Parlament Palace, the largest civil building in the world and we will have a tour of the historical district of Bucharest, once called the little Paris.

Bucharest – Parlament Palace