Discover Romania

Day 1: Bucharest
Arrival to Coanda International Airport in Bucharest. Meet and greet by your professional English-speaking tour guide. Transfer to your downtown Bucharest hotel. Afternoon at leisure. In the evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner and a Folklore Show. Accommodation at 4* Berthelot Hotel (centrally located). (D)

Day 2: Bucharest – Cozia – Sibiu
Hot buffet breakfast at hotel. Morning city tour of Bucharest including the Revolution Square, the Palace of the Parliament (the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon), the Church of the Patriarchy, and the open-air Village Museum. Before leaving for Sibiu visit a typical 1930 downtown Bucharest apartment. On route, make a short stop to the 14th century Cozia monastery built by Prince Mircea the Old, the grandfather of Vlad Dracula. Drive along the Olt River Canyon crossing the mountains into Transylvania to Sibiu. Accommodation in Sibiu at the 4* Imparatul Romanilor Hotel. (B)

Day 3: Sibiu – Huniady (Corvin) Castle – Cluj Napoca
Hot buffet breakfast at hotel. Start your day with a leisurely walking tour of Sibiu. View the old surrounding defense walls and the remaining towers each belonging to a certain guild. One of the landmarks of Sibiu is the Bruckenthal Museum assembled by baron Bruckenthal, governor of Transylvania at the beginning of the 19th century. Visit the Evangelical Cathedral and the original Pharmacy Museum. Before noon, depart for Hunedoara for a visit of Huniady Castle – one of the most well-preserved Gothic castles of Transylvania and home to the mighty Huniady royal family. Late afternoon arrival to Cluj Napoca. Hotel check-in. Accommodation in Cluj at the 3* Hotel Fullton (located right off the Main Square). (B)

Day 4: Cluj Napoca – Baia Mare – Maramures Region
Hot buffet breakfast at hotel. This morning you will have a choice between a stroll in the Botanical Gardens of Cluj or a guided tour of the Ethnographic Museum. Drive north towards Baia Mare and reach the splendid region of Maramures, unspoiled for centuries. Stop in the villages of Giulesti for the dowry tradition and Mara for the wonderfully carved wooden gates. Accommodation in a private house in the village of Iza. Dinner (and plum brandy) is included so that people get deeper into the local culture. Our hosts will join for dinner, this being a first-hand cultural interchange. Home stay accommodation (modern villa) or 3* Casa Iurca in Sighet (on request). (B, D)

Day 5: Maramures: Iza – Sighetul Marmatiei – Sapinta Village
After breakfast, take an exclusively-designed walking tour of the village of Iza including an icon-on-glass workshop, a plum brandy distillery, and a typical whirlpool. Visit a new Orthodox Church. Drive to Sighet to mingle with the locals at the colorful fruit and vegetable market where you will have the opportunity to sample various produce. Continue to the Anti Communist Memorial, a political prison in Communist times that provides a direct connection to Romania’s most recent history. Visit to the house of Nobel Prize winner, Elie Wiesel. Continue west along Tisa River (very close to the Ukrainian border) and reach the village of Sapinta world famous for its “Merry Cemetery.” Here each wooden cross carries a funny epitaph about the person’s life. Late in the afternoon return to Iza for dinner on an exclusively organized Maramures folklore show. Home stay accommodation (or hotel on request). (B, D)

Day 6: Maramures: Iza Valley – Campulung – Gura Humor (Bucovina)
Following breakfast continue exploring Maramures. Stop in the village of Rozavlea for a visit to the workshop of a famous master carver. Visit the exquisite Barsana Monastery, a great example of Maramures wooden church architecture. Cross the Carpathian Mountains into the northern part of Moldavia called Bucovina. In Campulung enjoy an exclusively-organized interactive egg-painting demonstration by a local artist, this being one of the local traditions of the area. Accommodation at Casa Humor. (B)

Day 7: Bukovina Painted Monasteries (UNESCO World Heritage Sites)
Bukovina monasteries are gems of medieval Moldavian architecture and artistry. Begin your day with the famous Voronet Monastery, known as the Sistine Chapel of the East. Continue to Moldovita Monastery which received the UNESCO Golden Apple Award in 1975. Enjoy a traditional gourmet Bucovina lunch in the picturesque village of Sucevita. Continue to the nearby extensive Sucevita Monastery. The Ladder of John of Sinai is considered one of the best of the frescoes of the Monastery. In the village of Marginea visit the black pottery workshop. End your day with Humor Convent. Accommodation in Gura Humorului at Casa Humor. (B, L)

Day 8: Gura Humorului – Piatra Neamt – Bicaz Gorges – Red Lake – Sighisoara
A La Carte breakfast at hotel. Begin your day with a drive south to Piatra Neamt for a tour of the only wooden synagogue in Romania (17 C). Continue to the dramatic Bicaz Gorges. Optional lunch in the resort of Lacu Rosu. Return in the afternoon to Transylvania to Sighisoara. Accommodation in either one of the three hotels in the Upper Town. Optional dinner at the Birthplace of Vlad Dracula. Accommodation at the 3* Hotel Sighisoara, Casa Wagner, or House with Antler. (B)

Day 9: Sighisoara
Before starting your walking tour of Old Sighisoara, attend an exclusive lecture on Vlad the Impaler – Dracula, what is truth and what fiction. Sighisoara is one of a kind. First settled in the late 12th century, it stands on a network of tunnels and catacombs. Legend has it that this is where the Pied Piper brought the children of Hamelin. Sighisoara is the place where the Vlad the Impaler Dracula was born in 1431. The Birthplace is one of the main tourist attractions. The rest of the day is at leisure OR drive to the fortified church of Biertan, a World Heritage Site for a visit of the former Seat of the Lutheran Bishops. Optional wine tasting. Accommodation in Sighisoara (B)

Day 10: Sighisoara – Brasov – Dracula’s Castle – Sinaia
Hot buffet breakfast. Leave Sighisoara in the morning. Journey south through the picturesque Transylvanian Plateau to Brasov to admire the 14C Black Church with its 4,000 pipe organ and over a hundred Anatolian prayer rugs. The attraction of the day is Bran Castle also known as Dracula Castle. The castle was built in 1377 to safeguard the trade route between Transylvania and Wallachia. Late afternoon arrival to Sinaia mountain resort. Sinaia became the unofficial capital of the Kingdom of Romania towards the end of the 19th century. Orientation tour of the resort including the famous Casino, inspired by the one in Monte Carlo. Accommodation in Sinaia at the 4* Palace Hotel. (B)

Day 11: Sinaia – Bucharest
In the morning visit Peles Castle and Gardens in Sinaia, the royal residence of King Charles I of Romania and known as one of the most beautiful summer royal residences in Europe. Brief stop at Sinaia monastery. Drive to Bucharest Coanda Airport for your return flight.

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