Small Group Tour: Curtea de Argeș & Balea Lake

Embark on a thrilling small group tour along the famous Transfagarasan Road, where you’ll encounter wild brown bears, explore historic landmarks, and marvel at breathtaking landscapes.

Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Poenari Citadel - Poenari Fortress is a historic landmark situated in Romania, majestically positioned on a steep cliff in the Carpathian Mountains. Originally constructed in the 13th century and later fortified by Vlad the Impaler, it served as a crucial stronghold and defensive bastion. Renowned for its breathtaking views and ties to the Dracula…
What's Included
  • Pick-up from ‘Piața 21 Decembrie 1989’
  • Small group up to 7 passengers
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Professional tour guide in English
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

This is an intimate group tour with a maximum of 7 passengers!
The journey begins at Curtea de Argeș Monastery, a significant and iconic site of religious and historical importance. It is also the resting place of the Romanian royal family.
Next, we visit Poenari Fortress, which once served as a strategic bastion for Vlad the Impaler, the historical…

Location
Piața 21 Decembrie 1989
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(381 Ratings)
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Andy_h
Oct 2, 2025
Top Day - A full day but plenty of stops. Didn’t see bears as it was snowing and they were hiding. But just the snow covered trees and buildings was enough for an Aussie. Lots of memorable and funny moments. Our guide George was an excellent driver and nothing was too much for him. A top day out.
Review provided by Viator
Ben_h
Sep 30, 2025
This was a great trip.... - This was a great trip. The views were breath taking (we got to experience the first snow of the mountain), our guide Sebastian was very knowledgeable and helpful, and even though we were unable to see bears on this trip (too cold and wet in the mountains) I would do this tour again. I would highly recommend this trip and if possible make it a trip for 2-3 but I have no doubt that a group of more wouldn't be great. I would also plan to come late spring to mid summer. The bears should be more active. But respect the bears and their distance.
Review provided by Viator
Jan8dammit
Sep 17, 2025
A great day outside of the city… - I thoroughly enjoyed my tour with Matei. He was a wonderful guide, cautious driver, full of knowledge, and fun. It’s a long day, but well worth it. The highlight of the trip is definitely the bears!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexanderthomasc
Sep 14, 2025
Brilliant tour - George and Claudia were brilliant guides, very knowledgeable and friendly. The trip took us into the mountains where we saw several bears before continuing to the peak where we enjoyed some amazing views
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gibbenny
Sep 14, 2025
Awesome trip and highly recommended. - Excellent day out thanks to George, our guide! It was a small group and George made sure that we had the best time. We saw bears, experienced an amazing route, spectacular views and had fantastic authentic food. In addition learnt a lot of Romanian history, culture and wildlife. Possibly best tour I made from Bucharest.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sandrakp7154qt
Sep 14, 2025
What an amazing tour!! - Claudia and George were amazing hosts and guides they have given us a great adventure and knowledge about Romanian History the scenery throughout the tour were hand picked and well organised not to mention seeing the bears and the stunning views. Ticking all the boxes Thank you Claudia and George for what you do.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
140christym
Sep 14, 2025
Excellent Day Out! - So glad we booked this trip whilst in Romania. There was only us (a couple) and another American lady so the tour guide Matei took us in his own car which was really comfortable. Nice to just have a little group instead of a huge tour bus. During the trip there was plenty of stops for bathroom breaks and refreshments and it was really nice to get out of the city. Matei was a great friendly guide and told us so much, not just about bears and Vlad the impaler but also about the Romanian people and culture and also gave recommendations on places to eat and tips on things to see. The Transfagarasan is an amazing road with many twists and turns so medication may be needed if you are prone to motion sickness. Matei drove excellently and always made sure we were comfortable. We were lucky to see 7 bears including a mama bear and her 2 cubs which was amazing! The trip lasted 12 hours but was so relaxed and well worth the money. This was the highlight of the holiday for me!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A8390zdeugenem
Sep 9, 2025
The best way to spend the day is on a sightseeing tour - It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience. Incredibly comfortable car, great guide and wonderful company. Special thanks to Valerică for being very polite, kind and open to communication.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cathylt591xn
Sep 7, 2025
A fun day out bear spotting - Had a lovely day out being driven expertly by our guide Valerică. Ample food and bathroom breaks. Travelled through the mountains and spotted 3 bears in total, which was very exciting indeed. Stopped for lunch at the peak of the mountains with stunning views over the lake. The van was comfortable and our little group of 7 had a lovely time together, I really recommend this tour. Valerică is very knowledgeable about Romanian history and is quite the joker and a great storyteller so made the day fun and informative.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Panduro
Sep 28, 2025
This is not a bear trip. - Our expectations from the description and the pictures were clear that the focus was to see bears, but we became smarter.. This is a 12-hour drive up the mountains. Our driver and guide Matei was cute and talkative. We had some really good conversations, so that part was absolutely nothing wrong. We also saw the impressive dam and besides it was very cold on top of the mountain, there was also a fantastic view beyond Transylvania. But... we were going on a trip to see bears and it seemed more like this would only happen if we happen to see them on the side of the road. There was absolutely no plan to go to specific areas or the like. We only drove for 11-12 hours on the mountain road (to and from the same road). It was a little empty feeling and the trip down the mountain in almost 5 hours with the mandatory stops was at best boring. Don't think we would have gone if we had known the content.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $87
up to 7 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).