Bucharest airport – Sibiu
Sibiu - Transfer from Bucharest airport to Sibiu city (280 km, approximately 4 hours drive). Stay at a 3-star guesthouse or hotel. Once the cultural capital of Europe, Sibiu was the leading Transylvanian Saxon town, serving as the capital and cultural hub. It houses Romania’s first hospital (1292), first pharmacy (1494), and the oldest museum, the Brukenthal Museum, opened in 1817. Enjoy a welcome dinner!
Trip to Corvin Castle
Castelul Corvinilor - Drive to Hunedoara (130 km, around 2 hours drive). Visit Corvin Castle, also known as Hunyadi Castle or Hunedoara Castle (Romanian: Castelul Huniazilor or Castelul Corvinilor), a Gothic-Renaissance castle. It is one of Europe’s largest castles and is listed among the seven wonders of Romania. The castle is grand and awe-inspiring, evoking a medieval atmosphere. Return to Sibiu. Lunch. Evening tour of Sibiu by night! Dinner.
Astra Museum - Biertan - Sighisoara
Muzeul Astra - The second-largest open-air museum in Europe (250 acres) is nestled in a dense forest and surrounded by a picturesque lake. It showcases over 300 buildings, including watermills and windmills, representing village architectural styles from various parts of Romania.
Biertan Fortified Church - Drive to Biertan (70 km, about 1 hour drive). Biertan is one of the most significant Saxon villages with fortified churches in Transylvania, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. The church features late-Gothic architecture with heavy doors and double exterior walls, housing the largest Transylvanian multi-paneled wooden altar and a notable wooden door that once safeguarded the sacristy’s treasures.
Centrul Istoric Sighisoara - Continue the tour to the well-preserved town of Sighişoara (30 km, about 30 minutes drive), rich in history and designated as a UNESCO site. Learn about the medieval town’s legendary former resident Vlad the Impaler, a Wallachian prince and warlord who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Discover the only city in Romania that remains unchanged since the 16th century.
Viscri - Rupea - Brasov
Viscri Fortified Church - Drive to Viscri, about 1 hour. Admire the impressive whitewashed walls and red-roofed towers designed to protect early inhabitants from Turkish invaders. Explore the rustic streets and visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed church. Prince Charles, who owns a house in Viscri, says “Transylvania is in my blood”.
Cetatea Rupea - Visit the remarkable Rupea fortress, with three rings dating from the 14th century, built on a basalt rock. Inside the fortress is a 60 m deep well with drinkable water.
Brasov - Continue the tour to Brasov (90 km, about 90 minutes drive). Lunch and dinner. Stay at a 3-star hotel for 3 nights. Evening walking tour of Brasov. Surrounded by the Southern Carpathian Mountains and adorned with Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance architecture, Brasov is one of Romania’s most visited places. Founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211 on an ancient Dacian site and settled by the Saxons as one of the seven walled citadels, Brasov exudes a distinct medieval ambiance and has been featured in many period films.
Peles Castle, Bran Castle and Rasnov Fortress day tour
Peles Castle - Visit Bran Castle (a.k.a. Dracula’s Castle) - Rasnov Fortress - Peles Castle. Lunch and dinner. Drive about 45 minutes to Sinaia town to visit Peles Castle. The expansive, Bavarian-style Peleș Castle, built in the 19th century among a lush forest, housed Romania’s royalty and is among Europe’s most beautiful castles. A guide will lead you through its immaculate, ornate rooms, still adorned with luxurious furnishings and décor. You’ll also have the chance to tour the neighboring Pelișor Castle, a smaller royal residence decorated in art nouveau style.
Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle) - Continue the tour from Sinaia (about 60 minutes) to Bran Castle, also known as ‘Dracula’s Castle’ — a hilltop estate that evokes images of howling wolves and bats fluttering in the moonlight. Explore the castle’s Gothic chambers and learn about its connections to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Enter if you dare and wander through the castle’s well-preserved rooms and chambers. Gothic furnishings and details set the scene for the ghastly legends, including the imprisonment of Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century prince notorious for his bloodthirsty campaigns against invading Turks, who inspired Stoker’s Count Dracula.
Rasnov Citadel: Garden and Panoramic View - Drive about 30 minutes to Râșnov, located among the stunning Bucegi Mountains. Learn about the history of Râșnov Fortress, a walled stone compound designed to fend off Tartar attacks and used as a refuge for villagers during medieval warfare. Explore the 13th-century fortress’s courtyards, ramparts, and well, built by the Teutons. A short drive back to Brasov.
Rambling in Transylvania and Picnic with a view day tour
Vulcan - Vulcan village, away from heavy traffic, offers a peaceful environment and features a beautiful fortified church. Both the Saxon “Wolkendorf” (village of the clouds) and the Romanian “Vulcan” (volcano) derive from the oldest form “Wulkendreff”, possibly from the Hungarian “wylk”, meaning wolf.
Poiana Marului - One of Romania’s most scattered villages. Experience the character of Transylvanian villages at a leisurely pace. Enjoy a relaxing day trip with beautiful scenery and a network of trails ideal for walking. Located a half-hour drive from Brasov, it’s perfect for outdoor activities, including walking. The rolling hills offer wide views of the region with stunning landscapes of Bucegi Natural Park and Piatra Craiului National Park. While many villages in the area are heavily visited, it is possible to walk here and experience authentic village life. The walking grade is easy to moderate, ideal for exploring a corner of Transylvania off the tourist trail. A picnic with local products (such as cheese, eggs, lard) completes this unique experience.
Transfer to Bucharest airport
Otopeni - 3-hour transfer to Bucharest airport.
- Private transportation
- 6 nights’ accommodation in prime locations
- Comprehensive entrance fees included
- Expert English-speaking guide & driver
- Meals provided: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- airfare, tips, travel insurance, drinks
- Upgrade accommodation
Embark on an engaging small group journey through Transylvania to explore its notable castles and uncover the intriguing tales that envelop the area. Delve into Transylvania’s folklore with a tour of Bran Castle, experience two UNESCO World Heritage landmarks – the Saxon church located in the ancient hamlet of Viscri and the imposing Biertan saxon fortified church, and tread through the secure Saxon settlement of Sighisoara — famed as the birthplace of the warlord who incited Bram Stoker’s creation of Count Dracula. Explore the medieval town of Sibiu and Corvin Castle. Recognized as the Cultural capital of Europe, Sibiu formerly reigned over all Transylvanian Saxon cities, acting as the capital and controlling all cultural undertakings. Sibiu is the site of the first hospital in Romania (1292), the pioneering pharmacy (1494) and the oldest museum in Romania, the Brukenthal Museum, inaugurated in 1817. Visit Astra Open Air Village Museum, Europe’s second-largest outdoor museum, and casually traverse through a typical Transylvanian village.
- Extra costs for upgrade at 3 to 5 hotels in Brasov located in the old city center (eg. Bella Muzica, Safrano Palace, Casa Chitic, Schuster Boarding House, Radisson Blu Aurum, subject of availability), upgrade at 3 to 5 hotels in Sibiu/Sighisoara (subject of availability).
- UPDATE: 1 person has booked for 08.10.2024 and 5 people have booked for 17.09.2024.
If you cancel at least 7 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 3 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
