Small-Group Day Trip in Romanian Authentic Mountain Villages from Brasov
5.0
41 Ratings
Brașov
Experience the authentic rural life in Romania on a small-group day trip from Brasov. Discover local villages, explore the Bat Cave, hike through mountain forests, and visit Bran Castle.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle) - Admire the high stone walls and red turrets flanked by the Carpathian Mountains. Enter the castle (own expense) and wander through with your guide. Learn about the area’s stories and legends.
- Piatra Craiului National Park - One of the most beautiful mountains of Romania.
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Magura - Nestled in the Piatra Craiului National Park Mountains in the Southern Carpathians, the villages of Pestera an Magura offer an authentic glimpse into rural Romanian life. Your immersive, full-day tour begins in central Brașov, where you’ll meet your local guide and board a private vehicle for the 45-minute drive to the village. Along the way, let your guide know if you have any specific interests so he or she can customize the day’s itinerary.
Learn about the history of the villages, where the traditional industries of sheep farming and cheese making are still practice by many of the village’s. Visit the Bat Cave about 10 minutes. Next, set off into the surrounding hills and meadows og Magura village for a moderate guided hike for 2 to 3 hours. Let your guide know if you prefer to hike for longer or shorter, and go at a pace that’s comfortable to you. -
Pestera - Make a stop to the oldest guest house in the National Park. Meet some of the farmers, and sample two-three different kinds of cheese.
After working up an appetite, we have a hearty lunch. Savour simple Romanian cuisine home-made from local farm-fresh ingredients including eggs, vegetables and pork. Purchase beer or wine to top off your meal. From the guest house we have a walk in Pestera Village back to the car, about 1 hour. We can visit also the local church.
What's Included
- Visit the Bat Cave and the National Park’s oldest guest house
- Lunch included
- Personalized experience with a private guide
- Complimentary pick-up service from Brasov city
- Comfortable travel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle
- Delicious cheese tastings
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Additional Information
This intimate group expedition leads you directly into the core of Romania’s countryside. Explore local dwellings, venture into the Bat Cave, embark on a hike through the native mountain woods, and gain insights into a lifestyle that’s gradually vanishing. Additionally, we have the option to tour Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle, in the early hours.
- Dress warmly: Sturdy and waterproof hiking shoes and warm clothes recommended
- Route may be changed without notice due to weather conditions
- Important note about Pestera and Magura Village - in those 2 villages the people never died because of cancer or heart attack - they leave an healthy life: working the land, taking care of animals (sheep and cows), preparing and eating home made food from their small farm (meat, eggs, milk), drinking fresh water from the spring and home made alcoholic drink called “tuica” made from different fruits as apples, plums, pears!
- The cheese tasting and lunch are taking place at one of the gueshouses in the area.
- Minimum 2 people. If you are single you pay as for 2.
- Please bring your own mask; we provide hand sanitizer. We are cleaning vehicles after every tour.
- When you book the rate as 1 person, in case we have other clients, we refund the difference you paid as solo traveler, after the tour.
Location
The Council's House
Piața Sfatului
The History Museum entrance.
Complimentary pick-up from Brasov!
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(41 Ratings)
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1 star
雪
Feb 12, 2024
Friendly, experienced and sincere guide - 我的导游是Tiberiu。他对当地特别熟悉，是位很有经验的导游。真诚，友好，礼貌。拍照特别好看。强烈推荐大家参加这个小团。
Tiberiu is the best guide ever. He is very experienced, sincere and friendly. He even took me to buy hiking shoes because mine was not good for the hiking. He takes wonderful pictures also. I’ll give him a 10 out of 10.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
717melaniap
Nov 23, 2023
Beautiful, must do! - Amazing trip, I had a great time throughout the day. The views were amazing with spectacular autumn colours and I found my guide Dan to be very knowledgeable, friendly and engaging. Marian and the lady at the agency were also very helpful and friendly, I'll definitely be back for another experience. Thanks Active Travel for a beautiful experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pora_h
Nov 22, 2023
Great day with Charlie - Had an amazing day exploring the Transylvanian countryside with Charlie. I couldn't believe the beauty of Romania. Charlie is very knowledgeable, caring, and is very proud to show the best of his hometown and it shows. Thank you for your hospitality. I can't wait to come back and see more of Romania.
Review provided by Viator
Ac
Oct 19, 2023
Loved this trip, totally worth it - This is definitely the highlight of my trip to Romania. It’s a shame that I was only able to stay for a few days in Brasov. Otherwise I would also have booked the other tours they offer. Charlie, the guide speaks English very well and I observed that he was able to connect well to all the participants. I initially booked solo trip but then on the day we were 5. I was refunded the difference of solo and shared via my credit card and received it within 1-2 days.
The activity was rather an easy hike but it was definitely a long walk. The guide gave interesting information about Romania in general, history and mountain village life. Every turn gave different exhilarating view and it was hard to resist taking photos. Beautiful, beautiful colors of autumn. The meal was good and filling. If I ever visit Transylvania again, I would repeat this experience.
PS. I went to cake shop & restaurant suggested by Charlie and I’m glad I did. Superb ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aleph_h_11
Oct 16, 2023
Amazing and great value for money. Charlie rocks - Such an amazing tour. Charlie is a great guide with such a good sense pf humor and deep knowledge about the area. Lunch stop was a highlight where traditional romanian food and farm made sheep cheese was served. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and recommend it 100% to anyone visiting Brasov. Charlie, you are a gem. Hope to meet you again on my future trip to Romania ia
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lennart
Oct 3, 2023
An excellent mountain/village experience with a highly knowledgable guide. - If you enjoy natural scenery, mountains and village life this is the one. Károly proved to be a dedicated guide who enjoys sharing his excellent knowledge with his guests.
We did Bran castle first to beat the crowds (a nice fortress in my opinion) and then headed for two mountain villages with a long, beautiful walk close to the farmers’ everyday life. We were also lucky to see a bat in a cave and enjoyed lunch in a village restaurant with a gorgeous mountain view.
A most refreshing experience after some days in large cities.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
389fmd
Sep 19, 2023
Very enjoyable day - I had an easy hiking day with excellent guide Alexandru in the Zarnesti gorge and around the villages of Magura and Pestera. I recommend this as a great way to see and experience this area around Brasov, particularly if you are not driving.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elisabethnys
Aug 29, 2023
Lovely day trip - Lovely day trip: Beautiful views & nice guide, also good communication during the whole process. I booked as a single traveller and was pretty much immediately reimbursed the extra money when other travellers joined the trip. The weather in the mountains was 5 degrees Celsius colder than in town, very welcome at 33+ degrees.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David
Aug 27, 2023
Great day of hiking and history with an experienced Romanian guide - If you want a fantastic day of hiking, seeing farms and villages, walking the gorge and canyon and enjoying a great meal at a farm, then this is for you.
Our guide Mihai provided information about the area we visited and was a fantastic storyteller. Throughout the journey he made our safety his priority. He confirmed our fitness level so that the hike was appropriate.
We were given choices about things to do (we chose hiking a canyon over visiting a bat cave).
The meal at the end of the hike was plentiful, wonderful and much appreciated given the nine miles of hiking we had completed.
We chose not to go into the Bran Castle but took outdoor pictures of it and then visited a memorial for the beloved Queen Marie. We were unfamiliar with much of Romania's history and he was more than willing to teach us while we walked about its rich and fascinating past.
We highly recommend using this tour if you love hiking and learning about the villages and countryside outside of Brasov.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rexl396
Aug 23, 2023
💖 - We picked the option which includes the villages and a small trek around the canyons. Our tour guide Zsolt is great 😊 we encounter a short storm when we are returning from the village and he was very kind to lend me his rain coat despite he has only one , overall trip was well taken care of :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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