11-Day Romania Tour from Bucharest with Transylvania & Bucovina

Ziua 1 · Airport pick-up - Bucharest City Tour & Accommodation

1. 1

   Palace of Parliament

   1 h 30 min Intrarea nu este inclusă

   Built by Communist Party leader, Nicolae Ceausescu, the colossal Parliament Palace is the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. The interior is a luxurious display of crystal chandeliers, mosaics, oak paneling, marble, gold leaf, stained-glass windows and floors covered in rich carpets.

2. 2

   Muzeul National al Satului "Dimitrie Gusti"

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   Village Museum - Founded by royal decree in 1936, this fascinating outdoor museum, the largest in Europe, covers some 30 acres on the shores of Lake Herastrau in Herastrau Park. It features a collection of 50 buildings representing the history and design of Romania's rural architecture.​

3. 3

   Old Town

   o oră

   Walking tour Historical Center of Bucharest - Perhaps the city's unique charm can be best observed in the area known as Lipscani, which consists of a jumble of streets between Calea Victoriei, Blvd. Bratianu, Blvd. Regina Elisabeta and the Dambovita River. A once-glamorous residential area, the old city centre is now slowly being refashioned into an upscale neighborhood.

Overnight in Bucharest, K+K Elisabeta Hotel 4* or similar

Ziua 2 · Bucharest - Sinaia Monastery - Peles Castle - Brasov Tour & Accommodation

1. 1

   Manastirea Sinaia

   20 min Intrarea nu este inclusă

   Visit the Orthodox Monastery of Sinaia also called the Cathedral of Bucegi Mountains. It was the first construction in the area of the present mountain resort being a valuable Romanian religios site and architectural monument built at the end of the 17th century.

2. 2

   Peles Castle

   1 h 30 min Intrarea nu este inclusă

   Located in Sinaia (44 km from Brasov), it is considered by many one of the most beautiful castles in all Europe. In the natural back drops of the Carpathian Mountains the castle is a masterpiece of German Renaissance architecture.

3. 3

   Brasov Historical Center

   2 ore

   Brasov Tour: Fringed by the peaks of the Southern Carpathian Mountains and resplendent with gothic, baroque and renaissance architecture, as well as a wealth of historical attractions, Brasov is one of the most visited places in Romania.

   Tour highlights: Black Church, Citadel of Brasov, Ecaterina's Gate, White Tower, Black Tower, Council Square, City Hall and Palace of Justice.

Overnight in Brasov, Hotel Bella Muzica 3* or similar

Ziua 3 · Brasov - Bran Castle - Rasnov Fortress - Brasov free time & Accommodation

1. 1

   Bran Castle

   2 ore Intrarea nu este inclusă

   Discover one of the most famous sights in Romania, a medieval dwelling dating from the 14th century. The legend about Dracula, Stoker's story is based on the life of Vlad Tepes/Vlad the Impaler (1431-1476), a ruler revered by Romanians for standing up to the Ottoman Empire. Known as one of the most dreadful enemies of the Turks, Vlad started organizing the state and enforcing the law by applying death penalty and impaling all those he considered enemies.

2. 2

   Rasnov Citadel: Garden and Panoramic View

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   Approximately halfway between Brasov and Bran, lies the town of Rasnov, which was founded around 1225 by German Teutonic Knights. Rasnov’s impressive fortress - was built in the 14th century to protect the people of Rasnov and surrounding villages from the numerous invasions happening at the time. During periods of war, the townsfolk would pick up their cattle and retreat into the fortress.

Overnight in Brasov, Hotel Bella Muzica 3* or similar

Ziua 4 · Brasov - Biertan (UNESCO) - Sighisoara Tour (UNESCO) & Accommodation

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   Biertan Fortified Church

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   The architectonic ensemble from Biertan impresses by a harmonious matching in position, by its aesthetic and historic value and especially by the original substance preserved since the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, characteristics which determined its inclusion on The UNESCO List of World Patrimony. **After visiting the church stroll around the village, you will really feel that you have traveled back in time.

   

2. 2

   Sighisoara

   2 ore

   Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as the Saxons of Transylvania, Sighisoara is a fine example of a small, fortified medieval town which played an important strategic and commercial role on the fringes of central Europe for several centuries.

   Tour highlights: The Clock Tower & History Museum, The Church on the Hill, House of Dracula, The pupils roofed stairways, Central Square.

Overnight in Sighisoara, Hotel DoubleTree by Hilton 4* or similar

Ziua 5 · Sighisoara - Bicaz Gorges - Red Lake - Bucovina: Voronet Monastery (UNESCO) & Accommodation

1. 1

   Bicaz Gorge - Hasmas Mountain National Park

   15 min

   In the morning take the road that slices through the Bicaz Gorges in order to cross from Transylvania to Bucovina. This road is among Romania's most staggering and spectacular. The gorge twists and turns steeply uphill for three miles, cutting through sheer 1,000-foot limestone cliffs on its journey through the mountains. *Tour Guide will make a photo stop.

2. 2

   Red Lake

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   The Red Lake is a natural storage dam lake and is situated at the foot of Hasmasu Mare Mountains, somewhere near the town Gheorgheni. It is the largest natural mountain lake in Romania, its name coming from the reddish alluvia (iron oxides and iron hydroxides) deposited in the lake by the Red Creek. During Ceausescu’s reign, these two wonders were compulsory tourist destinations for the ones who wanted to spend their vacations in the mountains.

   The lake seems dark and threatening, the stumps that come out of the water makes you think that a lacustrine civilization met their fate just a few years before you pass by. After lunch with a lake view take a walk around and maybe feed the ducklings on the lake.

   Enjoy your lunch at a little restaurant with a view of the lake and afterwards if you have some bread left you can feed the ducklings.

3. 3

   Manastirea Voronet

   40 min Intrarea nu este inclusă

   Among the most picturesque treasures of Romania are the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina (in northeastern Romania). Their painted exterior walls are decorated with elaborate 15th and 16th century frescoes featuring portraits of saints and prophets, scenes from the life of Jesus, images of angels and demons, and heaven and hell.

   In the afternoon visit the most famous of the painted monasteries: Voronet 'the Sistine Chapel of the East' (UNESCO). Voronet’s most stunning feature is a Last Judgment fresco painted – as at all the churches – on the exterior façade. The blue paint that has miraculously never faded is known throughout the world as ‘Voronet blue’.

Overnight in Voronet, Bucovina. 4* Accommodation

Ziua 6 · Humor Monastery - Sucevita Monastery - Moldovita Monastery - Marginea village & Pottery Workshops -Painted Eggs Museum 

1. 1

   Humor Monastery

   30 min Intrarea nu este inclusă

   Visit Humor Painted Monastery - UNESCO site

2. 2

   Sucevita Monastery

   30 min Intrarea nu este inclusă

   Visit Sucevita Painted Monastery - UNESCO site

3. 3

   Ceramica neagra Marginea

   30 min

   Village of Marginea and Regional Pottery of Bucovina

   Marginea Ceramics is already a well-known brand. Historians date the beginning of pottery at Marginea in 1500. The little village is famous for its black pottery. Local artisans still produce this pottery - you can pick up a piece as a souvenir of the region.

4. 4

   Manastirea Moldovika

   30 min Intrarea nu este inclusă

   Visit Moldovita Painted Monastery - UNESCO site

5. 5

   Letitia Orsivschi's Egg Museum

   40 min Intrarea nu este inclusă

   The Painted Eggs Museum exhibits the largest collection of painted eggs in Romania and also one of the most important in Europe. Located not far from the painted monasteries, the museum is an important place to discover traditions of the painted eggs handcraft.

   In the workshop you will be able to see the work of Professor Letitia, the owner of the museum and also the creator of painted eggs, who will explain to you the meanings of Bucovina symbols.

   The Painted Eggs Museum includes over 3,000 eggs, gathered by Letitia in 12 years of participation in national and international exhibitions, and of course Bucovina eggs made by the artist herself. The collection includes rare eggs, like those of emu, rhea, tinamu, turtle, crocodile, flamingo, and very small eggs, like of partridge, sparrow, dove and also of pheasant, peacock, quail, duck, goose, turkey, ostrich.

Overnight in Voronet, Bucovina. 4* Accommodation

Ziua 7 · Bucovina - Wooden Churches of Maramures (UNESCO) - Accommodation in Viseu de Sus

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   Wooden Churches of Maramures

   2 ore Intrarea nu este inclusă

   In the morning start the wonderful and scenic journey towards Maramures region.

   Maramures is considered by many to be the heart and soul of rural Romania. With its picturesque countryside of small villages, rolling hills, pastures, and meadows full of wildflowers, Maramures epitomizes all that the rural lifestyle encompasses. Visitors to Maramures have a unique opportunity to step back in time and bear witness to simpler times and simpler lives.

   ​

   Maramures is a small and unique location in the geographical heartland of Europe that has carefully and distinctively preserved the culture, traditions and lifestyle of a medieval peasant past. The region stands as a testament to traditional; to a romantic era of simplicity, pride and moral values that many of us can only now read about or hear from our grandparents. Little has changed in the centuries gone by. Families remain in the same villages as their ancestors. Traditional skills and crafts are passed down from generation to generation. Traditional hand-woven clothing continues to be practical. The church continues to be the soul of the village. Neighbors know one another and continue to lend a helping hand. Life in Maramures is like a mystery. Visitors to Maramures drive through mountain passes and descend into the valleys of life where the mystery of rural traditions unfolds before their eyes.

2. 2

   Barsana Monastery

   40 min

   Explore monastic life in the most traditional area of Romania. Visit Barsana Monastery and it's amazing two level wooden church.

3. 3

   Wooden Church In Rozavlea

   30 min Intrarea nu este inclusă

   Visit Rozavlea Wooden Church - UNESCO site

4. 4

   Ieud

   30 min

   Visit Ieud Deal Wooden Church - UNESCO site - the oldest of the wooden churches dating the 14th century

Overnight in Maramures. 4* Accommodation

Ziua 8 · Mocanita Steam Train Ride - Merry Cemetery - Peri Monastery (UNESCO) - Accommodation in Sighetu Marmatiei

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   Oprirea 1

   3 ore Intrarea nu este inclusă

   Mocanita Steam Train Ride - For a one-of-a-kind experience, take the narrow-gauge steam train. Starting from the small logging town of Viseu de Sus, the steam railway runs along a scenic road for about 30 miles, chugging behind an old steam engine. The train provides the only access - other than walking - to settlements higher up in the valley. During stops, you can watch workers load firewood and take on water from clear mountain streams. On the trip back down in the evening, the engine driver whistles for brakemen to stop the train - sometimes to pick up or drop off passengers, sometimes to stop to pick wild mountain mushrooms.

2. 2

   Merry Cemetery

   40 min Intrarea nu este inclusă

   The spiritual philosophy of the people of Maramures is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in Sapanta. The town folks’ ancestors considered death as a beginning, not the end, and this faith is reflected in the carvings in the town’s uniqueMerry Cemetery . Blue wooden crosses feature a carved scene and humorous verses that endeavor to capture essential elements - both the good and the imperfections - of the deceased’s life. Even without benefit of translation, visitors can appreciate the handiwork of sculptor Stan Ion Patras, who began carving these epitaphs in 1935, and his successors. Patras’ house in the village is now a fascinating museum. Sapanta is also home to several wooden gates and one of the region’s tallest wooden churches.

3. 3

   Sapanta-Peri Monastery

   30 min

   This site features one of the most representative churches for Maramures - the tallest wooden church in the world. Located next to Sapanta Village, within a dendrology park this monastic settlement dates from the 14th century. Currently the monastery hosts eight nuns and it is included in the UNESCO Patrimony.

Overnight in Maramures. 4* Accommodation

Ziua 9 · Maramures - Cluj Napoca Walking Tour - Sibiu Walking Tour

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   Cluj-Napoca

   1 h 30 min

   Cluj-Napoca City Tour - This western city in the region of Transylvania traces its origins back to the Dacian settlement of Napuca in the 2-nd century A.D. The main square, resplendent with 18th and 19th century buildings and home to many shops and restaurants, is dominated by the 15th century St. Michael's Church, one of the finest examples of gothic architecture in Romania.

   Tour highlights: Union Square, St. Michael's Church, Opera House, Historical Center, Othodox Cathedral Dormition of the Theotokos.

2. 2

   Sibiu

   1 h 30 min

   Sibiu’s Old Town retains the grandeur of its earlier days when rich and powerful guilds dominated regional trade. Like Sighisoara and Brasov, it has a distinctly Germanic feeling. Sections of the medieval wall still guard the historic area, where narrow streets pass steep-roofed 17th century buildings with gable overhangs before opening into vast, church-dominated squares such as Great Square and Little Square.

   Tour highlights: Evangelical Church, The Bridge of Lies, Historical Center, Brukenthal Museum, The Stairs Passage, Holy Trinity Cathedral, antique & souvenir shops.

Overnight in Sibiu, Hotel Continental Forum 4* or similar

Ziua 10 · Sibiu - Curtea de Arges Tour - Bucharest

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   Curtea de Arges

   2 ore

   Curtea de Arges is a city on the right bank of the Arges River, where it flows through a valley of the lower Carpathians. The name, literally The Court upon Arges refers to the former status of the town as the capital of Wallachia. Take a walking tour of the town visiting: the Princely Church and Old Court ruins, the Episcopal Church, and the unique Olari Church a painted church from Moldavia found on Wallachian grounds.

Overnight in Bucharest, Hotel K+K Elisabeta 4* or similar

Ziua 11 · Goodbye Romania! Transfer to Bucharest Airport​.

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   Otopeni

   30 min

   Pick-up from your hotel lobby and transfer to Bucharest Airport.