Excellent Day Trip - We booked this trip super last minute the night before, so we were a bit apprehensive about how it would go. But, honestly, it ended up being the highlight of our long weekend! First stop was Peles Castle. The line to get in was pretty long (probably about an hour), but honestly, you could just step off to the side, enjoy the stunning views, and then jump back into the queue when it was time for your tour. The guide was really informative and walked us through each room, which was awesome because it meant we didn’t have to stand around reading info cards. Next, we headed to Bran Castle. We didn’t actually go inside because we’d heard it’s a bit overrated. Instead, we took a lovely walk along the road (and slightly up a muddy hill) to admire the castle from a distance—and Definitely recommend this. We had about 2 hours here, which gave us enough time to check out the market stalls and grab a bite to eat. Honestly, 2 hours was more than enough! After that, we went to Brasov, which was just gorgeous. The guide gave us a quick overview and then left us an hour to explore on our own. We only wished we had more time, especially with the Christmas lights and the market in full swing. But given how packed the day was, we totally understood the time limits. Overall, this trip covers a lot, so be prepared to move quickly at each stop. But hey, the bus rides between destinations were a good chance to relax and recharge. Definitely a whirlwind tour but totally worth it!

Great day trip! - Laura was an amazing guide. She showed us so much in our day trip and was very knowledgeable. Highly recommend.

Cold and Snowy, A Beautiful Castle Setting - During our honeymoon we took a tour with a small group of five other people. Our guide, Serban, picked us up right on time close to our hotel and communicated well throughout the tour. The Peles and Bran Castles are must see stops while in Romania. We enjoyed hot mulled wine and delicious sausages after touring Dracula's home! Our only regret was that we didn't meet a vampire to become eternal soul mates who live happily together forever. I guess one lifetime will have to be enough. The stop at Brasov during the Christmas markets was also magical and we ate potato and cheese and cottage cheese pierogi after enjoying hot chicken soup like my grandmother used to make at the restaurant, Basarabia it Bucate, during our visit! The meal was everything I wanted from my Eastern European experience. We also enjoyed an oversized iced gingerbread cookie in the shape of a snowman while strolling through the Christmas market filled with festive colorful lights and caroles.

Excellent day trip to Transylvania - Excellent day trip from Bucharest to Transylvania. Yes it's a long day with hours in the bus both ways but the guide and driver make the time pass quickly. The pickup at our hotel in Bucharest was punctual and easy to find. Our guide, Laura, spoke excellent English and really knew her stuff. She provided very interesting information without saturating our minds with too much detail.

Tour of Peles Castle, Dracula’s Castle, and Brasov. - Our tour was amazing!! Our driver and tour guide were prompt in picking us up at our hotel. We had about 3 more pickup points and then we were on our way. Our tour guide, Mathew, was very good! He described things we passed and gave us some very interesting Romanian history. We did stop at a gas station about 1.5 hours into the drive for coffee and refreshments. Our first stop was Peles Castle. Although it took about an hour to get in, well worth it. The castle is so beautiful. Mathew once again was an amazing tour guide, explaining everything. Next up was Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania. We had an hour to get lunch and visit shops before the tour. I loved this castle and its history. Lastly we went to the medieval town of Brasov. It was quite charming, lots of restaurants and bars. Excellent pastry shops. I highly recommended getting snacks and water at the gas station, or when In Transylvania. It’s a long ride back to Bucharest, about 3.5 hours. Use the bathroom before heading back also. We drove straight back. Lastly, PLEASE remember to TIP the driver and tour guide. Several people did not tip. Our driver drove through rain and snow. He was so careful, safe and professional. Our guide was so informative. He had so much to share . I highly recommend this tour.

Many thanks to Serban the tour guide - It was a great tour by TracelMaker Bucharest and their tour guide Serban was terrific.Even so it was a long drive and long day, he was very helpful, friendly and happy to accommodate all our requests.we where a small group, so it was great fun and pleasant. Was a great day, thanks Serban!!

Beautiful trip for my husband’s 50th birthday - What a lovely day! We started off at the agreed pick up point on time, joined the mini-bus and the rest of the group compiled itself. First stop was the service/fuel station, quick trip to the bathroom, a coffee/pastry or usual light snacks available. Then to Peles Castle (note, November 2024 scaffolding outside); absolutely amazing, the interior is even more spectacular. You will be thankful for your guide, Mathew who was very informative throughout. It should be noted that there can be absolute chaos actually getting into the the castle, we were in a queue waiting as we are programmed to do. So and slowly but surely, herds of people were by-passing us, soon it became apparent that there is major queue jumping going on and no order is preserved from the venue. This is a real shame as it is a major health and safety risk of crushing/crowd control. As you get closer to the entrance, it really feels as though it may just take a few crazy people to start pushing and can end dangerously! If you are travelling as a group, it seems as though your leader gets you to enter together as per group. Next stop, Bran Castle, you will get a chance to have lunch before entering. We had grabbed some market food as we wanted to look around for the hour beforehand. Note, stall holders will only take cash and ATMs are available. Then to the castle, there was a queue but more organised than Peles. The castle is smaller but still super amazing to admire and take in the history. Last stop was Brasov, beautiful town, would be nice to spend the day exploring if travelling on your own. We had approximately an hour or just over and managed to see the tower to the views and grab a hot chocolate from the main square. We felt as if it were enough for us as the day was quite a long one. Peter, our lovely driver, met us at a more convenient spot to save our legs from waking which was very much appreciated at this point. I have to mention that we met the most amazing group, I have never been on a trip with friendly, warm, funny and kind people. If I had to ever do a group trip again, I wouldn’t change anyone on this trip, they truly made it worthwhile for us! Positives: Speak for themselves, the people, the group leader Mathew and driver, Peter- they were lovely The sights, it’s an action packed day (don’t make dinner plans as it could get very late if you hit traffic) Small group Time efficient Negatives: The queue system or not, at Peles (although this is the fault of the Castle organisation) Maybe for some, it can become a long day, but it’s the only way to see as much in the short time

Nice trip with minivan! - Great trip with nice stops. A long day, but worth it. The only thing that we missed was that we had time to sit down and have proper lunch. We had maximum 1 hour stop, which is a bit short if you want to take some pictures and eat lunch.

Just an OK tour. - On a whole this tour was just ok. We did visit and see a few historical places. However, the wait in the line at the Peles Castle was soooo long. It is not that this could have been prevented by our tour guide but paying extra money and waiting over an hour on a line for a 30 minute castle walk, was tough to deal with. Also, the cost to get in the Dracula Bran Castle (70 Lei, Romanian) in my opinion was too high. The Castle is picturesque and beautiful from the outside but just ok on theinside. Visiting the town of Brasov turned out to be very nice. We lucked out because it was in December and the Christmas Market was in full swing. One other item that created a small issue... our tour guide (Mathew), who was very nice, walked sooo fast that no one (in our group of ten) was able to stay by him. He would stop and wait in order to talk to us... but for the most part no one could keep up with him.

Poor planning and communication - Matel was very aloof with us. He didn't communicate clearly when the bathroom breaks or when meals would be available. The group struggled several times to understand when/where we were going and for how long. The day was a 16 hr day. This was not due to traffic but poor communication and planning.