Private guided tour of Romania

The classic guided tour of Romania

We designed this trip for travellers who don't want to miss any important tourist destination Romania has to offer.

Tour details

This is not a predefined tour. Everything is customisable: the starting and finish point of the trip, the number of days, places to be visited or touristic attraction to be included in the itinerary. This is a small group tour, because we want to enjoy the time spent together with you and your friends or family and to make sure everything goes smoothly.

A professional tour guide ( in 90% of the cases it will be the owner of the company) will permanently accompany you to provide all the insights of the places to be visited and offer all the travel assistance needed.
If you wish, we can include in the trip as many visits to the locals living in the picturesque villages spread all over the country, to have a first-hand experience of the real-life in Romania. Also, where it's possible, we can have lunch with them, enjoying a home-cooked meal or cold snacks prepared by them. We can organise wine or brandy tasting, or visits to traditional craftsmen.

We will decide together about the accommodation, but we suggest to choose small boutique hotels in the cities or guesthouses run by families in the countryside.

TOUR Itineray

Day 1: Bucharest

We will meet you at the airport in Bucharest. Then, we will drive you to your hotel for the check-in. If needed, you will have time for a rest, and then we will start to explore the buzzing capital of Romania in a walking tour in the historical part of the city. If time permits, we will include a visit to the landmark building of Bucharest, the Parliament Palace. Free time in the late afternoon. Overnight in Bucharest.

Day 2: Transfer on Transfagarasan to Sibiu

We will leave Bucharest in the morning and head for Sibiu, where we will spend the next days. Depending on the season, we will have 2 options to get to Sibiu:
- from July to October, we can drive on Transfagarasan road, the scenic mountain road laid over the peaks of the Carpathians mountains. We will stop at Curtea de Arges monastery, to visit the necropolis of the Romanian Royal family and admire the elegant decorations of the 16th-century church. For Dracula legend lovers, we will have the possibility to see Vlad the Impaler real fortress, perched high on a mountain top. If you have enough stamina, we will climb the 1480 steps to get a closer look of the citadel and admire the astonishing mountain view.
- from November to June, we will drive through the Olt River Valley, a picturesque route carved in the mountain by the Olt River. We will stop at Cozia Monastery, a fine example of 14th-century religious architecture and the burial place of Prince Mircea the Elder, the grandfather of Vlad de Impaler. We will arrive late in the afternoon in Sibiu, where we will spend the first night in Transylvania.

Day 3 : Explore Sibiu and its surrondings

On this day we will explore the charming city of Sibiu, the only destination in Romania with a star in the Michelin guide. We will learn the story of the most important places in the Old Town, 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, stretched over 120 hectares and exhibiting more than 300 dwellings and installations from the Romanian countryside.
Extra day option a visit to the Romanian villages near Sibiu, in Marginimea Sibiului, to get to know better the aspects of rural life of Transylvania, or we can visit a glass factory, to experience live an episode of "how its made".

Day 4: Corvin Castle, Turda Salt Mine and Cluj

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.
Optional visit 1: Alba Iulia Citadel
Optional visit 2: the Szeklers village of Rimetea

Day 5: Cluj. Transfer to Maramures

We will spend the morning to explore more of Cluj, wandering in the historical quarter, adorned with beautiful 19th-century architecture, cosy coffee shops and stylish restaurants. Then, we will leave Cluj, and 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.

Day 6: the merry cemetery, the Sighet Memorial and the wooden churches

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 of the life of the personed 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.
Bonus: accommodation can be in one of the traditional wooden houses, arranged to host tourist willing to experience more closely the Maramures lifestyle.

Day 7: Wooden churches and transfer to Bucovina

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 reach Bucovina.
Extra day option: The steam train experience: if time allows, and you are interested in, 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.

Day 8: The Painted Monasteries in Bucovina

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 artist hid in the outside frescos.
Optional visit 1: The Egg Museum: a unique collection of a painted egg from Romania and all over the world.
Optional visit 2: The Egg Museum: a unique collection of a painted egg from Romania and all over the world.

Day 9: Back to Transylvania. Borgo Pass and Sighisoara

Today we will return leave Bucovina and 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.
Optional stop: Wine tasting at Liliac wineries

Day 10: Fortified churches and Brasov.

On this day we will explore the Saxon land in Transylvania, visiting the fortified churches of Viscri and Prejmer ( UNESCO sites). Viscri was almost unknown until Prince Charles, the son of Queen Elisabeth II, discovered the place, and with the help of his association, put the place on the touristic map of the world. In present times, a popular touristic destination, the village manage to keep unaltered its charm, and it's a good way to witnessTransylvania as it used to be centuries ago.
We will continue the day with the visit of the interesting fortification system of the Saxon church in Prejmer , a good example of the integration between the religious and military architecture in the medieval times.< br> At the end of the day, we will explore Brasov , where we will spend the night. Optional stop: Rupea fortress visit

Day 11: Bran Castle and Peles Castle

We will leave Brasov and head for Bran, where we will visit the famous castle, associated in the touristic brochures with the 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.
Optional visit 1: Libeary Bear Sanctuary
Optional visit 2: Rasnov fortress

Book this tour

Duration

This version of the tour is 11 days long, but we can adjust the duration of the trip depending on your time, budget and interests.

Availability

Al year round. Some places aren't available during winter.

Price

The price starts from 650 EUR/person. This price is valid for a group of 6 persons and for a price of accommodation of a maximum of 70 EUR/night for a double room, including breakfast. Depending on the final itinerary, the type of accommodation you choose and the size of the group, the price can modify, so, for a personalised offer please contact us.

Tour inclusions

Guiding for the entire trip, transportation with an AC car, van or bus, depending on the size of the group, accommodation in the hotels we choose together.

Tour exclusions

The entrance fees, the meals other than breakfast, insurances and other travel expenses not mentioned in the inclusions.

Phisical activity

Moderate. Our guests need to be able to walk a maximum 5 km per day or climb stairs.