Things to do in Western Romania

This tour will start with a brief introduction about the country’s situation today, so you get a feel for Romania and a basic understanding of the story of Timisoara. Learn the history of the city, starting with the Mongol invasion centuries ago through the contemporary revolution against the communist regime in Romania. During the tour, hear about the years of the Turkish occupation and see where the Turkish public bath, the bazaar, or the Central Mosque used to be located in the past. Everything changed when Timisoara was conquered by the Austrian imperial troops at the beginning of the 18th century. The city was completely rebuilt during that time. Wooden buildings from the Middle Ages disappeared and new streets and houses, as well as a fortification system were set up. Learn about how one of the first trams in the world to connect people from the suburbs to the city center was built in Timisoara. Timisoara was also the first place in continental Europe, where electric street lights were used. Discover these and many more interesting and entertaining facts, anecdotes, and stories on this walking tour.

We will depart in the morning from Braşov and drive to the mountains, just outside of Zărneşti. Here we will visit the Bear Sanctuary Liberty, one of the most interesting wildlife conservation projects: almost one hundred brown bears have been brought from old zoos and illegal animal parks, and have found a much better life here. From here we will drive to the Piatra Craiului Mountains and prepare for a 5-hour hike to one of Romania’s most beautiful scenery: lively coloured meadows, migrating sheep herds and isolated mountain villages will enchant us all day long. At noon we will enjoy a delicious picnic with traditional homemade sausages and cheese. In the evening we will return to Brasov.

Get picked up by your knowledgeable, English-speaking guide and head into the Carpathian Mountains for a day. Visit the pristine Piatra Craiului National Park on an intimate small-group tour that ensures you'll make the most of your outdoor trekking excursion. Follow one of two routes on a 5- to 6-hour hike through alpine meadows, fragrant forests, and country villages that seem untouched by time. See the cavernous Zarnesti Gorge and hike along the main ridge regarded as one of the most beautiful sites in the Carpathians. Learn about the traditional rural industries of cheese-making and shepherding. Refuel with hearty Romanian fare at a mountain hut or a local village. See a side of Romania that's hardly changed in generations.

In the morning you will start your journey towards the Fagaras Mountains, some of the most massive and beautiful mountains in Romania, also named the Transylvanian Alps. Your first stop will be in the town named Curtea de Arges, at the bottom of the Fagaras Mountains, where you will visit one of the most remarkable monasteries in Romania. Next you will make a stop at the foot of the Poenari Citadel, a stronghold that became famous thanks to Dracula's Legend. From here you will be taken to Romania's most beautiful road, named by Top Gear "the best road in the world", the Transfagarasan, the second-highest road in Romania. The road reaches its highest point of 2034m at the Balea Lake. Here you will have an hour and a half break to enjoy the beauty of this place. You have numerous possibilities: a cable car trip between Balea Lake and Balea Waterfall; lunch in one of the chalets; or picnic or hike around this beautiful area​. ​With your batteries fully charged, you will now drive back to Bucharest arriving at around 20:00.

An adventure of a lifetime, for this 9-day tour of Romania we have chosen an assortment of rich sensory experiences, from medieval sites to a taste of the wilderness, with deep forests, vibrantly colored wildflowers and fresh mountain air (in the right season), all the way to modern exhibits, and a dash of traditional herbs and spices with the delicious foods we will be trying in every medieval town we visit. It’s the best way to understand Romania and the Romanians – Private Tour 9 days in Romania with a local guide :) Join us! Total Duration: 9 days Day 1 : Bucharest City Tour - Overnight in Bucharest What could be a greater adventure than Bucharest City Tour in a Share Tour with maximum 5 persons and having a elegant minibus for our time exploring : The Palace of Parliament or People’s House, The Bucharest National Village Museum, Calea Victoriei (Victory Avenue), Revolution Square, The Bucharest Old City Centre, Rich and Poor Area in Bucharest! Itinerary steps: 6 Meals not included Accommodation not included Day 2 : 1. Curtea de Arges Monastery 2. Poenari Castle 3. Transfagarasan Highway 4. Sibiu City Tour - Overnight stay in Sibiu Itinerary steps: 4 Meals not included Accommodation not included Day 3 : 1.Biertan Fortified Church 2. Sighisoara City Tour - Overnight stay in Sighisoara Itinerary steps: 2 Meals not included Accommodation not included Day 4 : 1. Turda Salt mine 2. Cluj Napoca City Tour (Botanic Garden) 3. Surdesti Wooden Church - Overnight in Sighetul Marmatiei Itinerary steps: 3 Meals not included Accommodation not included Day 5 : 1. Explore Maramures all day(local market) 2. Merry Cemetery 3. Sighet Memorial Museum - Overnight in Sighetul Marmatiei Itinerary steps: 2 Meals not included Accommodation not included Day 6 : 1. Barsana Monastery 2. Borgo Pass Road 3. Ciocanesti village - Overnight in Gura Humorului Itinerary steps: 3 Meals not included Accommodation not included Day 7 : 1. Voronet Monastery 2. Humor Monastery 3. Sucevita Monastery 4. Moldovita Monastery - Overnight in Gura Humorului Itinerary steps: 4 Meals not included Accommodation not included Day 8 : 1. Lucia Condrea - egg painted museum 2. Nicolae Popa Museum 3. Bicaz Gorges - Overnight Stay in Brasov Itinerary steps: 3 Meals not included Accommodation not included Day 9 : 1. Brasov City Tour (Black Church) 2. Bran Castle / Dracula's Castle 3. Peles Castle - Back to Bucharest Itinerary steps: 3 Meals not included Accommodation not included

Your tour will begin as you are taken from your hotel in Brasov by a professional guide. Once having departed Brasov, you will travel to the most spectacular road in Europe: Transfagarasan. You will stop first and visit the Carta Cistercian Monastery .the monastery was built at the beginning of the 13th century, in the Gothic style, by the Cistercian monks who came to Transylvania from Burgundy, France. You will then continue to the mountains which host the Transfagarasan Highway, the most spectacular and beautiful mountain road in Europe. The road has been featured on the UK motor show Top Gear, and traverses up through the mountains uniting Transylvania with Valachia. Whilst there you will experience great scenes, noisy waterfalls, and with some luck you may even see wild animals such as the brown bear or black goats. Moving onward, you will travel to the Balea Glacier Lake, where you will have lunch at the Lake Balea Chalet. You can then take a walk around the lake, and in summer can also climb up the slope near the lake. From the top of this ridge you will have wonderful pictures with the peaks of the surrounding mountains and the lake and cottage Balea. In the winter between December and March you can visit the ice hotel, as well as the neighboring ice church. You will later return to Brasov in the evening, with wonderful memories of your trip into the sky. During the winter between November and July, we will go up by van to the hotel Cascada Balea 1446m (above the road is closed due to snow), from where we will take the cable car up to Lake Balea. The price of the cable car (100 lei - 24 euros uphill) + descent) is not included in the price of the tour.

Situated on the northern bank of the Bega River in the Banat region, Timisoara impresses everyone with its charming and vibrant cultural life, and its rich historical heritage. Take your time to discover the first European city that used the horse-drawn trams (1869) and electrical street lightning (1889).  Timisoara was also the first Romanian city that reacted at the Revolution in 1989 against the Communist regime. The walking tour begins in the downtown quarter of “Cetate” (the former “Inner City”), with many old buildings in the styles of Art Nouveau or Baroque, large pedestrianized squares, and a general multicultural character. You will begin with a visit to Victory Square, known also by the name of Opera Square, enjoying a visit to the impressive Orthodox Cathedral, and the Opera and Theater House. Next, the Liberty Square hosts the Old City Hall with its Turkish inscription, showing again the mixture of cultures and religions who have lived here. The Union Square is dominated by the Catholic dome-church, the Serbian-Orthodox Cathedral and by the President's Palace – the Arts Museum. Also, walk through the interesting ruins of the old fortress, constructed in the Vauban Style.

To begin this two-day tour, you will be picked up from your hotel in Cluj-Napoca by your guide and start the journey to Bukovina. On your way to Bukovina, you will make a quick stop in Bistrita, the northernmost fortified Transylvanian town. In a short walking tour through the town, you will enjoy the medieval legends and explore its narrow streets. Bukovina is especially famous for its painted monasteries, and over these two days, you will visit the most representative of all seven. During the second part of the day, you will have the chance to visit the most famous painted monastery in the world, Voronet Monastery. The frescoes of the monastery are dominated by intense shades of blue, and the southern wall depicts the best-preserved ‘Last Judgement’ fresco in Romania. The monastery was built in 1488 by Prince Stephen the Great in order to commemorate one of his victories against the Ottoman Empire. Enjoy a traditional dinner with a folkloric dance show at a nearby restaurant then stay overnight in Gura Humorului. You will start the day with a short drive to Humor Monastery, a small cross-shaped church built in 1530, dedicated to the Dormition of Virgin. Red hues dominate the exterior frescoes showing scenes from the lives of saints, as well as significant moments from the locals’ lives, such as the wars with the Turks. Moldovita Monastery is the next stop on your itinerary. The highlight of the day is Transrarau Highway. With a total length of 28 kilometers (17 miles), it is known as the Treasury Road. You will be amazed by its curves and the scenery. It goes up to 1400 meters in altitude, and from there you will have a hike through the Rarau Mountains. You will have the chance to see the rock formations that emerged from the ground millions of years ago in order to give birth to these mountains. After you have filled your lungs with fresh air it is time for lunch at a fish farm.

Discover the history of Communism in Timisoara as you start your tour at the location of the misfit SCARTZ club. Hear about the most notorious Romanian during communist times, Nicolae Ceausescu. You guide will unveil the 50-years geopolitical evolution that resulted in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Visit the Communist Customer Museum, which is located in the basement of SCARTZ club. The next stop will be at the Anti-Communist Resistance Movement Monument where you will hear how Romanians harshly opposed the communists during the 1950s and 1960s. Afterwards, visit the Reformed Hungarian Church, the place where the uprising started in December 1989, the local headquarter of the former Communist Party. See the Cemetery of Revolution Heroes and learn about the final events, that led to the end of Ceausescu’s regime. Your guide will then tell you more about the Anti-Communist and Anti-Ceausist Revolution of Timisoara. At the end of the tour, you will visit the Revolution Memorial of Timisoara. This site honours the brave people of the Anti-Ceausist Revolution of Timisoara, which ultimately led to the end of Ceausescu's regime in Romania.

Visit the Curtea de Arges Monastery on this 12-hour trip. Completed in 1517, it serves as the necropolis of the Romanian royal family. Continue the drive on a highway that crosses the Carpathian Mountains. Next on the itinerary is cliff-top Poenari Castle, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries. Vlad the Impaler forced many of his enemies and political opponents to work on expanding the castle. Near the castle make another stop to see Vidraru Dam: at 525 feet, it is one of the tallest dams in Europe. A highlight of the tour is a drive on the Transfagarasan Highway. At the northernmost point of the tour, enjoy a short hike near Balea Lake.