On this 8-day trip, explore the Transylvania region of Romania, known for medieval towns, mountainous borders, and castles. In each small town you visit, get to know the culture and history as you indulge in the local cuisine, visit magnificent castles, and speak with the local villagers. You will also have the unique experiences of honey tasting and truffle hunting. On your drives between villages, sit back and enjoy the stunning, serene nature around you. Finally, relax each evening in your well-appointed accommodation.
Daily Itinerary
Day 1
Details for Today
Arrive in Bucharest, Romania
Bucharest:
- Enjoy a day at leisure, exploring the city on your on your own
Accommodation: Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest Hotel
Meals: D
Welcome to Bucharest, Romania!
Depending on your level of energy upon arrival, you can go directly to your hotel for check-in, or you can have a lunch in one of the nice restaurants around the Old Center or by the lake in Herastrau.
Spend the rest of the day relaxing, or maybe strolling around the Old Center to feel the vibe of the city.
Dine at GRANO, one of the best Italian restaurants in town.
Day 2
Details for Today
Bucharest:
- Enjoy a city tour to discover Bucharest’s charm and history
Accommodation: Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest Hotel
Meals: B
Have breakfast at the hotel.
This day is dedicated to discovering Bucharest’s charm. Together with your private guide, you will get to know better the old part of the capital, as well as some of the must see places outside the historical area. A few examples include the Telephone Palace, CEC Palace or the Palace of Parliament, the second largest administrative building in the world after Pentagon.
For lunch try a restaurant in the Old Center.
Finish the tour and take some time to relax before dinner. We recommend Caru cu Bere, one of the oldest restaurants in town, to enjoy some local food with live Romanian traditional music in the background.
Day 3
Details for Today
Drive to Sinaia
Sinaia:
- Visit Peles Castle, one of the most visited castles in Romania
Drive to Bran
Bran:
- En route, see Rasnov Citadel, one of the best kept fortresses in Transylvania
- Visit Bran Castle, better known as Dracula’s Castle
- Enjoy a wine tasting experience at the Inn
Accommodation: Inn on Balaban
Meals: B
Have breakfast at the hotel.
After breakfast drive to Sinaia (127 km, 2h), to visit Peles Castle, one of the most visited castles in Romania, built at the end of the 19th century by the Romanian Royal family as a summer residence.
Following lunch, drive to Bran (51 km from Sinaia, 1 h) to visit Bran Castle, better known as Dracula’s Castle. Bram Stoker had chosen the Castle as Dracula’s house for his novel. Truth is that the real Dracula, Vlad Tepes III, was unlikely to have spent too much time of his life here, if any at all. Nevertheless, it is an astonishing place to visit with a fully equipped chamber of torture and a beautiful view of the internal courtyard and of the outside valley.
On the way to Bran, you can stop to see Rasnov Citadel, one of the best kept fortresses in Transylvania;
Have a traditional dinner, prepared with local fresh ingredients, and spend the night at Inn on Balaban, a unique inn built on a hilltop, near Bran Castle. The place offers an astonishing view of the Carpathian Mountains.
If the weather is nice, you could enjoy dinner outside, together with the panoramic view of the valley. And because a good meal deserves a good wine, we suggest you try the Romanian wines as part of a wine tasting experience.
Day 4
Details for Today
Drive to Viscri, the place for an authentic traditional Saxon experience
Viscri:
- Visit the fortified church in the village, part of the UNESCO World Heritage, and the local blacksmith
- Enjoy nice lunch at Gerda’s house, a local Saxon lady who cooks delicious traditional meals
- Enjoy a horse-drawn cart trip to the shepherds to watch the sheep milking or shearing, and taste the local cheeses
Drive to Crit to stay for the night
Accommodation: La Hansi
Meals: B, L
Have breakfast at the inn.
Enjoy a relaxed morning and then drive towards the beautiful Transylvanian village, Viscri (120 km, 2h), the place for an authentic traditional Saxon experience. Prince Charles himself owns a house here.
Visit the fortified church in the village, part of the UNESCO World Heritage, the local blacksmith, and enjoy a trip by cart through the village or just take some time to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the area.
You can learn more about the local food enjoying a nice lunch at Gerda’s house, a local Saxon lady who cooks delicious traditional meals with fresh ingredients picked right from her garden. You could even help Gerda with the cooking, learning at the same time, how these delicious meals are made. Depending on the season one could take part in preparing jams, syrups, collecting medicinal plants, etc.
Go in a horse-drawn cart trip to the shepherds to watch the sheep milking or shearing, and taste the local cheeses. Here one could also plan a typical dinner with fresh milk and polenta.
Have dinner and spend the night in Crit (11 km, 25 min), in the beautiful renovated Saxon traditional house, La Hansi.
Day 5
Details for Today
Crit:
- Try a honey tasting experience at the Royal bee keeper’s place
Drive to Sighisoara
Sighisoara:
- Spend your day touring around this beautiful place, a UNESCO site and one of the few medieval citadels that is still inhabited
Drive to Cincsor
Cincsor:
- Go for a stroll in the village
- Enjoy dinner at your Guesthouse
Accommodation: Cincsor Guesthouse
Meals: B, D
Enjoy a relaxed morning and try a honey tasting experience at the Royal bee keeper’s place.
Drive to Sighisoara (32 km, 30 min), a UNESCO site and one of the few medieval citadels that is still inhabited. Spend the rest of the day in this beautiful place.
Have lunch at Casa Krauss, a restaurant set up in the winery’s building and impressive through the originality and diversity of their menu.
Drive forward to Cincsor (70 km, 1h 20min), the last Transylvanian village to enjoy during this trip. Check in at the beautiful Cincsor Guesthouses, a historic ensemble including the former Evangelical School together with the former Parish House (the oldest private building in Cincsor) and the fortified church.
Go for a stroll in the village before grabbing dinner. Have dinner and spend the night at the guesthouse.
Day 6
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Cincsor:
- Enjoy the village and its people
- Short trips to other nearby villages, such as Gherdeal, can be organized as well as walks in the forest or horseback riding
- Embark on a truffle hunting session
Accommodation: Cincsor Guesthouse
Meals: B, D
Have breakfast at the guesthouse.
Spend the rest of the day enjoying the village and its people. Short trips to other nearby villages, such as Gherdeal, can be organized as well as walks in the forest or horseback riding.
Later in the day, embark on a truffle hunt. Have dinner ideally enjoying some of your own truffles and spend the night at the guesthouse.
Day 7
Details for Today
Drive back to Bucharest
Accommodation: Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest Hotel
Meals: B
Have breakfast at the guesthouse.
After breakfast drive back to Bucharest (approx 4h).
As an alternative, and only if the trip will happen between July and October, you could return to Bucharest via Transfagarasan (approx 6h). On this drive you’ll see some breathtaking landscapes, Balea Lake, Vidraru Dam and even an old fortress from where Vlad the Impaler fought the Turks (to reach it you have to go up 1480 stairs through the forest – tiring but worth going for it). In this case you can stop for lunch at Balea Lake.
Otherwise, for lunch stop in Busteni at Canta Cuisine, the restaurant located in the newly renovated Cantacuzino Castle. On the terrace enjoy a sweeping view of the valley while inside the brick barreled ceilings and soft light provide an elegant and intimate setting for fine dining.
Arrive in Bucharest and take some time to relax before dinner.
Have dinner at the Tasting Room, a gastro wine bar, that has more than 800 wines both Romanian and international and complement the meal with a wine tasting.
Spend the night in Bucharest, in the same hotel as the first two nights.
Day 8
Details for Today
Transfer to Bucharest airport for your flight home
Meals: B
Have breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport for your international flight home.
Accommodation
Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest hotel
Explore Bucharest from the glorious Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest hotel, one of the city’s most sophisticated and prestigious landmarks dating back to 1914. Situated within the heart of the city and conveniently connected to Henri Coanda International Airport, our hotel provides spectacular views over Revolution Square and the Romanian Athenaeum. While you’re here, enjoy resort amenities including a health club with sauna and indoor pool, beauty salon and fitness center, and our fabulous dining venues.
At the Inn on Balaban you’ll discover Transylvania’s dramatic and calming mountainous beauty. From its splendid hilltop location, you’ll enjoy the Inn’s local home cooking, the best of Romanian wines, and television-free quiet (wi-fi is available). In the Inn’s three hand-crafted houses, antique furniture, traditional elegant peasant-styled architecture, and local folklore take you back to the heart of ‘old’ Romania.
Old textiles and embroideries, handmade carpets complete the simple, charming and very welcoming atmosphere of old times. The interiors are decorated in a traditional Saxon style with old restored furnishings, typical for the “Haferland” area (oats country) as it is called. You can find between the houses a carefully restored hayloft which is now the perfect place to socialize and tell stories in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. We have here a collection of antiques used in the household. We restored the houses very carefully with respect to the history and traditions of the Saxons who built them and lived here in order to preserve their authentic charm and character. The houses form a country inn as it could function in the Saxon village.
The Former Evangelical School, together with the Former Parish House and the Fortified Church in Cincsor, form a historic ensemble that is typical for the former Transylvanian Saxon villages. These buildings have been restored and transformed into the Cincsor Guesthouse, each offering a unique, cozy, and friendly atmosphere.
