Day 1 - Saturday - Budapest to Timisoara (320km) HUNGARY+ROMANIA

Budapest - Morning pick-up at 9 a.m. from your hotel.

Timisoara Historical Center - Timisoara is a captivating city known for its architectural diversity, featuring Turkish, Serbian, Austrian, and German influences. It is set to become the European Capital of Culture in 2021.

Day 2 - Sunday - Timisoara to The Corvini Castle to Sibiu (320 km)

Castelul Corvinilor - In the morning, explore the most intriguing Gothic castle in Eastern Europe, the renowned Corvin Castle, celebrated for its beauty and grandeur.

Sibiu - Discover Sibiu, a stunning medieval city where Romanians and Saxons have coexisted peacefully for centuries. The city is home to various religious monuments (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant) that reflect this harmony. Named European Capital of Culture in 2007, Sibiu hosts an exceptional theater festival annually. Its three squares (Big Square, Small Square, and Huet Square) offer a genuine medieval ambiance. Visitors can enjoy its towers, 15th-century bastions, museums, and the famous “houses with the eyes.” Sibiu also boasts one of the largest Gothic evangelical churches in Transylvania.

Salina Turda - Later, visit Turda Salt Mine, the most beautiful salt mine in Eastern Europe.

Day 3: Monday – Sibiu

Sibiu - Explore Sibiu, dominated by the medieval-era Clock or Council Tower and the extensive 18th–19th century Brukenthal Museum, the former residence of the Transylvanian governor. The Big Square, Small Square, and Huet Square, with the Evangelical Cathedral, are showcased in all their splendor.

Day 4: Tuesday - Sibiu to Sighisoara to Brasov (210 km)

Centrul Istoric Sighisoara - Visit Sighisoara, featuring the impressive Clock Tower. This citadel is Europe’s best-preserved and still inhabited. Since 1999, Sighisoara’s historic center has been a UNESCO World Heritage site. Admire the hilltop church, accessible via a wooden staircase known as the schoolchildren’s ladder. See the statue of the renowned Hungarian national poet Petofi Sandor, highlighting the historical significance of the Magyar community in Sighisoara. Nearby is the beautiful Catholic church for the Hungarian community and the shoemakers’ tower. Lunch is available at the house where Vlad the Impaler was born (not included).

Brasov Historical Center - Explore Brasov, a charming Transylvanian town, once fully fortified and a significant cultural, tourist, and commercial hub. Brasov’s German architecture blends Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance styles, creating a vibrant cultural city. Visit the First Romanian School in the city’s oldest district, Schei, historically inhabited solely by Romanians. The district is notable for its medieval entrances through Catherine’s and Schei Gates, the latter from the 19th century. In Brasov, visit the impressive Black Church, the largest evangelical Gothic church in Eastern Europe. Admire the recently restored palaces and houses of the historic center, with Council Square now hosting a beautiful museum, and the pedestrian Avenue of the Republic.

Day 5: Wednesday - Brasov to Bran to Zarnesti to Brasov (70 km)

Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle) - Visit the renowned Bran Castle, famously known as Dracula’s Castle. In the Middle Ages, Bran was strategically located on the border between Wallachia and Transylvania, making it crucial for Brasov’s inhabitants to maintain a defensive stronghold. In the 1990s, this fortress was transformed into a magnificent castle by Queen Maria of Romania.

Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti - Visit the Libearty Bear Sanctuary, the largest brown bear sanctuary in Europe, with the most extensive area worldwide. Here, 75 bears enjoy a wonderful home in this five-star welfare facility. Visitors can see happy bears in their natural habitat, after being rescued from circuses and zoo cages. Guided tours are led by trained animal welfare experts, allowing visitors to observe brown bears up close.

Day 6: Thursday - Brasov to Sinaia to Bucharest (180 km)

Peles Castle - Tour the magnificent Peles Castle, the summer residence of Romania’s first king, King Charles I of Hohenzollern, of German descent. Designed by a Czech architect, the castle is renowned for being one of Europe’s most modern castles at the time of its construction in the 19th and 20th centuries. Each room features a unique style, distinct from the others. The Florentine room offers a typically Italian and Renaissance atmosphere.

Bucharest - Continue to Bucharest and enjoy a panoramic tour featuring the Triumph Arch, Atheneum, Revolution Square, and Parliament Palace. This is followed by a tour of Bucharest’s historical center, a pedestrian area with remnants of Vlad the Impaler’s princely fortress, the 16th-century palatine church in Byzantine style, and the Stavropoleos church, an 18th-century architectural gem in typical Wallachian style, with significant oriental influences in its exterior decoration.

Day 7: Friday – Bucharest

Palace of Parliament - Constructed by Communist Party leader Nicolae Ceausescu, the colossal Parliament Palace (formerly the People’s Palace) is the world’s second-largest administrative building after the Pentagon. It required 20,000 workers and 700 architects to build. The palace features 12 stories, 1,100 rooms, a 328-ft-long lobby, and four underground levels, including a massive nuclear bunker. It is the world’s second-largest office building by surface area (after the Pentagon) and the third largest by volume (after Cape Canaveral in the U.S. and the Great Pyramid in Egypt).

Old Town - Enjoy a walking tour of Bucharest’s Historic Center, a pedestrian area with remnants of Vlad the Impaler’s princely fortress, the 16th-century palatine church in Byzantine style, and the Stavropoleos church, an 18th-century architectural jewel in typical Wallachian style, with significant oriental influences in its exterior decoration.

Muzeul National al Satului “Dimitrie Gusti” - Visit the Village Museum, founded by a Romanian sociologist and built in 1936 with the collaboration of construction experts, anthropologists, ethnographers, and sociologists from across Romania. This remarkable open-air museum provides insight into the lifestyle of 19th-century Romanian farmers, showcasing their homes, water mills, and entirely wooden churches.

Day 8: Saturday – Bucharest to Veliko Tarnovo to Devetashka to Lovech (230 km) ROMANIA + BULGARIA

Veliko Tarnovo - Depart Bucharest in the morning and head to Bulgaria. After crossing the Danube River bridge, enter Bulgaria and visit Veliko Tarnovo, the “City of Tsars,” the former capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Explore Tsarevets Fortress, the city’s main attraction.

Krushunskiye Waterfalls - The Krushùna Falls are Bulgaria’s largest travertine cascade, known for their picturesque scenery, lush vegetation, numerous round-shaped terraces, and small natural pools with mineral water. The main waterfall is about 20 meters high and splits into several smaller ones as it descends the soft limestone rocks.

Devetashka Cave - The Devetàshka cave is a scenic karst cave near the waterfalls. Unlike other caves, Devetàshka is well-lit, and its floor is covered with lush greenery, especially in spring and summer, making it hard to believe one is underground.

Day 9: Sunday – Lovech to Sofia (150 km) ROMANIA + BULGARIA

Sofia - Arrive in Sofia in the early evening. The walking tour of the city center includes the gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Saint (Sveta) Sofia Church, Banya Bashi Mosque, the Sofia Synagogue, and the main shopping street, Vitosha.

• Expert tour leader and driver
• Daily breakfast included
• Dedicated local tour guide in Romania
• 8-night stay in 3/4-star hotels
• Complimentary hotel/port pickup and drop-off
• Air-conditioned minivan transport throughout the tour

• Food and drinks, unless specified
• Tips for the tour guide / driver
• Entrance fees

Delight in a curated journey from Budapest to Bucharest, with exciting stops at Dracula’s Castle, the city of Timisoara - the European Capital of Culture in 2021, and the UNESCO acclaimed Painted monasteries of Bukovina among others. The intimate setting of a small group tour, state-of-the-art transportation in an air-conditioned minivan, and a seasoned driver/cum tour guide will make this tour an unforgettable one.

• A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
• A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
• !! In case you will need a transfer to the airport or any other extra services please ask the tour manager in advance if it is possible to organize it and let you know also the price.
• • The order can be changed based on multiple factors like weather, traffic conditions and restrictions, national holidays, ecc but all the visits will be done as indicated in the itinerary, changing just the order keeping in mind that all this is done for your safety or to make more enjoyable your tour.
• • In case that all the members of the tour have a special request to see something else that it is not in the itinerary and it requests also extra miles the tour manager after a discussion with our sales department will let you know the extra cost or if we can make it complimentary
• A minimum of 2 participants is required to organise the tour. If the tour it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.