The private tour of Romania from Bucharest

The tour of Romania will start in Bucharest: we will meet you in at the airport, and after transfer to your hotel, we will start exploring the city. We will visit one of the landmarks of the city, the Parliament Palace.
Then we will have a walking tour in the old town, where we will get to know one of the characteristics of the Romanian spirit: a unique blend of Western with Oriental civilisation. This can be seen easily in the architecture of the buildings in the old town, where we one can admire elegant 19th-century palaces, inspired by French architecture, but also small Byzantine-style churches or Neo Romanian style structures, like the Town Hall or the University of Architecture.

Our tour of Romania will continue with its Transylvanian part. We will leave Bucharest and head to Sibiu, driving on Transfagarasan. Before reaching the famous mountain road, we will have a stop at Curtea de Arges, to visit the 16th-century monastery. The church, a masterpiece of Romanian architecture is also the burial place of the Romanian royal family.
Then, we will continue on Transfagarasan, where we will enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery, stopping many times for pictures. We will see Balea Waterfall, Balea Lake, Vidraru Lake or Poenari fortress, the real Dracula fortress.
In the afternoon we will reach Sibiu, where we will spend the night.
Remark: if we are travelling in winter, we will not be able to drive on Transfagarasan. In this case, we will reach Sibiu using the Olt Valley route.
Distance: 300 km, driving time: 4-5 hours

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 local 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.

It’s time to leave Sibiu. We will first head to Hunedoara, to visit the imposing Corvin Castle, the residence of the former Governor of Hungary, John Corvin and later his son, Matia Corvin, one of the greatest kings Hungary had. 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 1: Alba Iulia Citadel
Optional visit 2: the picturesque village of Rimetea

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 Maramures people. Overnight in Maramures.
Distance: 100 km, driving time: 2 hours

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

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 painted eggs from Romania and all over the world.
Optional visit 2: The Marginea pottery workshop.
Distance: 150 km, driving time: 2.5 hours

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 to 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.

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, a 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

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