Transylvania tour from Timisoara

The tour of Transylvania 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 are living together with Hungarians, Germans or Serbs. Timisoara is also the city where the anti-communist Revolution started in December 1989.
Overnight in Timisoara

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. His son, Mathias, who also contributed to the castle’s development, was one of the greatest Hungarian kings.
After visiting the castle we will continue our drive to Sibiu, where will spend the next few days. 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. Overnight in Sibiu.

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 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.

Sibiu – aerial view of the old town

Today we will visit Turda Salt Mines and Cluj-Napoca.
The salt extraction at Turda is dating back to Roman times. Nowadays salt mining had stopped, and the former mine is flocked with tourists coming to explore the salty abyss, 120 meters below the ground.
After visiting the mine, we will head to Cluj-Napoca, the largest city in Transylvania. A vibrant university city, Cluj-Napoca is offering a wide list of cultural activities, a great atmosphere and a rich historical heritage. In Cluj-Napoca, we will have a walking tour of the historical district learning more about its history and discovering its rich architectural heritage. We will also allow time to enjoy a coffee or a glass of wine at one of the pubs from Museum Square. In the afternoon we will return to Sibiu where will spend the night.
Distance: 350 km, driving time: 5 hours. Overnight in Sibiu.

Cluj-Napoca – historical district

On this day of our Transylvania tour from Timisoara we will learn more about the Saxons while visiting areas where they used to live in for more than 800 years.
We will leave Sibiu in the morning to drive to Sighisoara. After a half hour’s drive we will reach the picturesque medieval citadel, UNESCO site, and the presumed birthplace of Vlad The Impaler. We will wander through the narrow cobbled streets, admire the colourful houses and we will learn more about the history of the city, its legends and the symbols hidden in the Clock Tower.
The second stop will be the visit to the quaint village of Biertan, another UNESCO site. The village is dominated by the Fortified Church, the former see of the Lutheran Evangelical Bishop in Transylvania. Inside the church, we will admire the elegant gothic decorations, and we will see the ingenious locking mechanism of the sacristy door. We will learn more about the lifestyle of the Saxons and we will find out their original solution to solve the marriage crises.
The next destination will be Medias, one of the seven Saxon cities in Transylvania, where we will have a guided walk in the old town and visit the fortified church. Inside the church, we will discover an interesting exhibition of Turkish rugs and we can admire the original mural paintings dating from the 14th – 15th centuries.
Distance: 220 km, driving time: 3 hours. Overnight in Sibiu.

Biertan – the fortified church

Today we will have the mountain road experience, driving at 2.000 meters altitude, on the top of the Carpathian Mountains.
The tour starts in the morning from Sibiu, and after one hour drive, we will reach the first curves of the road. We will start to drive up the sinuous road and after a few hairpin curves, we will see the Balea Waterfall. After the mandatory stop for pictures, we will continue our ride up to Balea Lake. After another longer stop for pictures and a short walk around the lake, we will cross the tunnel as far the Capra Waterfall, to admire the picturesque mountain views from the south side of the road. We will return back from Transfagarasan on the same route, and then we will drive to Brasov, where we will arrive in the afternoon. After the check-in at the hotel, we will have a guided tour in the historical district of the former Saxon town. We will discover Brasov’s main important touristic attractions: The Black Church, the Council Tower, The Council Square, the Rope Street or The Schei District. If time allows, and you are interested in it, we can take the cable car up to Tampa Mountain, for an outstanding view of Brasov.
Distance: 200 km, driving time: 3.5 hours. Overnight in Brasov.

Transfagarasan road

Today we will visit Bran Castle, one the highlights of our Transylvanian trip. The Castle, built in the 14th century, was for hundreds of years a simple border stronghold. Starting the 20th century, its role changed, when Queen Maria of Romania transformed the medieval castle into a romantic summer residence. But the fame of the castle grew exponentially after it was associated with Dracula castle and nowadays, Bran, the little Transylvanian town at the foothills of the mountains is one of the most visited places in Romania.
Another place we will visit today is the bear sanctuary from Zarnesti, not far from Bran. The mission of the reservation is to offer a safe shelter to bears saved from zoos, circuses or individuals or, who, for certain reasons weren’t able to survive in the wild. The reservation, stretching over a few hectares in a forest near Zarnesti, is the home of more than 100 bears, 2 wolfs and a few deer.
Distance: 80 km, driving time: 1.5 hours. Overnight in Brasov.

Bran castle

Today we will leave Transylvania and head to Sinaia, to visit the exquisite Peles Castle. Located in a beautiful natural setting, at the foothills of the Carpathians mountains, the castle was the summer residence of King Carol, the first Romanian king and the founder of modern Romania. After the castle, we will have a tour of the cellars of the Royal family champagne provider. We can’t call it Champagne, because is made in Romania, but the end product is exactly the same, if not even better than the famous sparkling wine. After the tour, we can have a champagne tasting and lunch.
In the afternoon we will arrive in Bucharest, where we will spend the night.
Distance: 180 km, driving time: 3 hours. Overnight in Bucharest.

Sinaia – Peles Castle

The last day of our tour of Transylvania 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