Here are 10 Romania tours and road trip ideas.
For more itineraries and tour packages please visit our Upcoming Tours section.
We look forward to welcoming you to Romania!
» Bucharest and Southern Transylvania
» Discover Walachia
» Bucharest and the Painted Monasteries in Bucovina
» Bucharest to Budapest (Hungary )
» Transylvania's seven walled towns ('Siebenburgen'), starting in Cluj-Napoca
» Western Romania's Architecture, starting in Timisoara
» The Painted Monasteries, starting in Iasi
» Hiking , Caving and Rural Life in Central Romania, starting in Budapest - Hungary or from Vienna - Austria
» Traditional Villages of Maramures
» The Danube Delta – Europe 's Everglades
1. Bucharest and Southern Transylvania
Tour Itinerary: Bucharest - Sinaia - Brasov - Sighisoara - Sibiu - Bucharest
Duration: 5 days
Best way of transportation: train or car
Day 1: Bucharest
Explore Bucharest, the capital of Romania.
In the evening enjoy a concert at the Romanian Athenaeum, home of George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, or travel to Valea Calugareasca, one of Romania's top wine regions. After wine tasting and dinner return to Bucharest.
Day 2: Bucharest - Sinaia - Bran - Brasov (105 miles/ 170 km)
Drive or take the train to Sinaia and visit the Peles Castle, the summer residence of Romania's royal family. Peles Castle (completed in 1883) is a masterpiece of German Renaissance architecture.
The smaller Pelisor Castle features a unique collection of Viennese furniture and Tiffany glassware.
Continue straight to Brasov or from Predeal take a 25 miles detour to the village of Bran to visit the 14th century Bran (Dracula's) Castle then continue to Brasov and spend the evening in Brasov Old Town.
Overnight in Brasov.
Day 3: Brasov - Sighisoara (75 miles/ 120 km)
Sightseeing in Brasov. Highlights include: the Old Town Hall Square, the beautiful Saint Nicholas Church, Brasov Fortress, Franciscan Monastery. Do not miss the Black Church whose name is attributed to a fire set in 1689 by disgruntled invaders unable to breach the city's walls. Ever since, the church and its red-tiled roof have been ash-stained. For a panoramic view of Brasov and the surrounding Carpathians Mountains take the cable car to Postavarul Peak in Poiana Brasov.
Day 4: Day-trip Sighișoara - Mediaș - Sibiu - Sighișoara (110 miles/ 175 km)
Sightseeing in Sibiu. Highlights include: Craftsmen's Square, Huet Square and Evangelical Church, Bridge of Lies, Goldsmith Square, Great Square, Orthodox Cathedral, Roman Catholic Church, City Hall Tower. From Sibiu, take an afternoon train/ drive back to Sighisoara or to Brasov.
Overnight in Sighisoara or in Brasov.
Day 5: Sighișoara - Brașov - Bucharest (175 miles/ 290 km)
or continue to the Painted Monasteries in Bucovina.
2. Discover Walachia
Tour Itinerary: Bucharest - Targoviște - Curtea de Argeș - Brașov - Bran - Sinaia - Bucharest
Duration: 5 days
Best way of transportation: car
Day 1: Bucharest
Explore Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Overnight in
Bucharest.
Day 2: Bucharest - Targoviște - Curtea de Argeș (120 miles/ 190 km)
Drive to Targovi;te and visit the Princely Court, the real seat of prince Vlad Tepes - the Impaler (Dracula).
From Targoviste continue to Curtea de Arges to visit the outstanding 16th century Curtea de Arges Monastery
(Manastirea Curtea de Arges) and the 14th century Princely Court (Curtea Domneasca). Overnight in Curtea de Arges.
Day 3: Curtea de Arges - Campulung Muscel - Bran - Brasov(85 miles/ 135 km)
From Curtea de Arges to Bran, drive over the Carpathian Mountains (via Bran-Rucar Pass).
Visit Bran (Dracula's) Castle. Continue to Brasov (16 miles northeast of Bran).
Day 4: Explore Brasov
Stroll around Brasov's medieval section, visit the city's museums and learn more about its rich history.
Spend a relaxing afternoon in Brasov Old Town or explore the fortified, Saxon, churches in Harman and Prejmer.
Overnight in Brasov.
Day 5: Brasov - Sinaia - Bucharest (105 miles/ 170 km)
Return to Bucharest via Sinaia, where Peles Castle, former summer residence of the Royal family, awaits.
Wine enthusiasts can stop in the town of Azuga for early lunch and/ or wine tasting at Rhein Cellars.
3. Bucharest and the Painted Monasteries in Bucovina (NE Romania)
Tour Itinerary: Bucharest - Suceava - Sighisoara - Brasov - Sinaia - Bucharest (detailed-map)
Duration: 5 days
Best way of transportation: car or train and car
Day 1: Bucharest to Suceava (285 miles/ 455 km)
Travel from Bucharest to Suceava - by express train (6 hours) or by car.
For visitors traveling by car we suggest a detour to the city of Iasi, the cultural capital of the region of Moldova (eastern Romania).
Overnight in Suceava or in Gura Humorului.
There are also non-stop flights from Bucharest to Suceava and from Vienna (Austria) to Iasi (90 miles southeast of Suceava).
Day 2: The Painted Monasteries (110 miles/ 175 km)
Visit the unique monasteries of Bucovina: Voronet, Sucevita, Moldovita and Humor (car rental or tour/ transportation arranged locally).
Day 3: Return to Bucharest
Travel to Suceava or Iasi for your flight back to Bucharest or Vienna or continue to Bucharest on land, crossing Transylvania:
The Painted Monasteries – Sighisoara (185 miles/ 295 km)
Take the scenic route to Sighisoara via Bicaz Gorges. En route to
Sighisoara stop in Corund and visit the local pottery workshops.
Overnight in Sighisoara.
Day 4: Sighisoara - Brasov (72 miles/ 116 km)
Sightseeing in Sighisoara, one of the best-preserved medieval
towns in Europe. Spend the day seeing the sights, such as the
Clock Tower, Church on the Hill, Scholars' Wooden Staircase,
Venetian House, Hermann Oberth Square. Travel to Brasov
(train or car). Overnight in Brasov.
Day 5: Brasov to Bucharest (103 miles/ 166 km)
Take the train or drive to Bucharest. En route to Bucharest stop
in Sinaia to visit the Peles Castle.
4. Bucharest to Budapest (Hungary )
Tour Itinerary: Bucharest - Brasov - Sighisoara - Cluj - Oradea - Budapest
Duration: 5 days
Best way of transportation: car or train
Day 1: Bucharest - Sinaia - Brasov (103 miles/ 166 km)
Travel from Bucharest to Sinaia and visit the Peles Castle. Continue to Brasov and see its Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance buildings, among other sights. Overnight in Brasov.
Day 2: Brasov - Sighisoara (72 miles/ 116km)
Travel to Sighisoara; see one of Europe's best-preserved medieval towns. Overnight in Sighisoara.
Day 3: Sighisoara -- Cluj Napoca (100 miles/ 162 km)
Travel to Cluj-Napoca. Discover the city's architecture. See paintings dating from the Middle Ages housed in the 18th-century Banffy Palace. Learn about the region at the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania. Overnight in Cluj-Napoca.
Day 4: Cluj Napoca - Oradea (95 miles/ 153 km)
Drive or take the train to Oradea, a city known for its Art Nouveau architecture. Visit the "Church with Moon" and Museum of the Cris Rivers, housed in a 1770 Baroque palace. Overnight in Oradea.
Day 5: Oradea to Budapest (Hungary) (155 miles/ 250 km)
Take the train to Budapest and explore the capital of Hungary or discover the traditional villages of Maramures (please see itinerary #9).
Starting from Cluj -Napoca:
5. Transylvania's 'Siebenburgen' (seven walled Saxon citadels)
Tour Itinerary: Cluj Napoca - Sighisoara - Brasov - Sibiu - Cluj Napoca
(detailed-map)
Duration: 4 days
Best way of transportation: car or train
Day 1: Cluj-Napoca - Sighisoara (100 miles/ 162 km)
In Cluj-Napoca, visit the Art Museum, housed in the 18th century Banffy Palace, to view collections of weaponry and Romanian paintings dating from the Middle Ages.
Sightseeing: Old Town's architecture, the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, St Michael Cathedral, the Botanical Gardens. Drive/ take the train to Sighisoara. Overnight in Sighisoara.
Day 2: Sighisoara - Brasov (72 miles/ 116 km)
Discover Europe's best preserved medieval town. Spend the morning seeing the sights, such as the Clock Tower, the Guild Tower; Venetian House, Antler House, Scholar's Wooden Staircase, Church on the Hill, Hermann Oberth Square. Have lunch in the house where Vlad tepes (Dracula) was born. Travel to Brasov. Overnight in Brasov.
Day 3: Brasov - Sibiu (87 miles/ 141 km)
Explore Brasov's outstanding old town built by Saxons in 1400s. Travel from Brasov to Sibiu (train, bus or car). Overnight in Sibiu.
Day 4: Sibiu - Alba lulia - Cluj-Napoca (104 miles/ 168 km)
Visit Sibiu's Bruckenthal Palace and its rich art collections. Other attractions in Sibiu include Little Square (Craftsmen's Square), Bridge of Lies, Goldsmith's Square, the Orthodox Cathedral, several centuries- old churches and the City Hall
Tower. Visit the nearby traditional village of Sibiel. Return to Cluj-Napoca.
Starting from Timisoara:
6. Western Romania's Architecture
Tour Itinerary: Timisoara - Arad - Oradea - Timisoara
Duration: 3 days
Best way of transportation: car or train
Day 1: Timisoara
Begin your walking tour of Western Romania's largest city at Union Square (Piata Unirii), a grand Viennese-style square flanked by colorful 18th and 19th century buildings. The Freedom Square (Piata Libertatii) offers a great display of 19th century architecture. The town's main gathering place is Victory Square (Piata Victoriei), lined with cafes, bookstores and shops.
- Timisoara was the first European city to introduce horsedrawn trams (in 1869) and electrical street lighting (in 1889)
- The Metropolitan Cathedral was built on a swamp and it has 5000 oak supports underneath it.
Day 2: Timisoara - Arad - Oradea (102 miles/ 165 km)
Travel to centuries-old Arad to see some impressive turn-of-thecentury buildings, such as the neoclassical City Hall (1876), the Palace of Culture (1913) and the Red Church. Do not miss the Roman Catholic Church, with its Baroque interior; and the imposing Orthodox Cathedral. On Revolutiei Boulevard there is an Art Gallery exhibiting furniture from the 17th century on.
Continue your journey to Oradea. Overnight in Oradea.
Day 3: Oradea - Timisoara (102 miles/ 165 km)
Spend the day in Oradea, one of the most picturesque towns in western Romania. Discover the city's "Secession" architecture. Return to Timisoara or - from Oradea - continue northeast to Maramures, one of Romania's most unique, authentic, rural areas.
Starting from Iasi:
7. The Painted Monasteries
Tour Itinerary: Iasi - Cotnari Winery - The Painted Monasteries Ruginoasa - Iasi
Duration: 3 days
Best way of transportation: car
Day 1: Iasi
Fly (non-stop) from Bucharest or from Vienna to Iasi
or take the express train from Bucharest to Iasi.
Iasi is often overlooked by many visitors but the city continues to be one of Romania's most important cultural centres and home to the country's first university. Explore the beautiful city of Iasi and its unique museums.
Overnight in Iasi.
Day 2: Iasi - (Cotnari Winery) - The Painted Monasteries Area (Painted Monasteries Detail Map)
Drive northwest to Gura Humorului and discover the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina. Visit the three best-preserved 15th century monasteries: Moldovita, Sucevita and Voronet, the latter known as the "Sistine Chapel of the East."
Overnight at a hotel in Gura Humorului or in one of the many B&Bs (Pensiune) in the nearby villages.
Day 3: The Painted Monasteries Area - Ruginoasa - Iasi
Return to Iasi. In 1565, Iasi became the capital of the historic province of Moldova and for a short period of time, from 1859 until 1862, the capital of Romania. Iasi is among the very few cities in the world which have more than 100 Orthodox churches.
Starting from Budapest (Hungary ) or FROM VIENNA (AUSTRIA)
8. Hiking , Caving and Rural Life in Central Romania
Tour Itinerary: Budapest (Hungary) - Cluj - Campeni - Cluj - Oradea - Budapest
Duration: 4 days
Best way of transportation: car or train and car
Day 1: Budapest - Cluj-Napoca (250 miles/ 403 km)
Leave Budapest in the morning, travel to Cluj. Approximate travel time: one hour by plane, six hours by car or eight hours
by train. Overnight in Cluj.
Day 2: Cluj-Napoca - Campeni (69 miles/ 111 km)
Rent a car in Cluj and take the scenic drive to Campeni, via Lake Fantanele. Drive (2 hours) through great mountain scenery and quaint villages. Sightseeing and hiking in the area (Apuseni Mountains). Overnight in a bed and breakfast in Campeni, Albac or any other village in the area.
Day 3: Campeni - Scarisoara - Cluj-Napoca
(94 miles/ 151 km)
Explore Scarisoara Cave (elevation 3,950 feet), home to one of the largest underground glaciers in Europe. Return to Cluj (2
hours by car) or travel to Oradea (3 hours by car) where you will spend the night. You may also choose to spend a second
night in the Apuseni Mountains and prepare your next day visit to the Bears' Cave (Pestera Ursilor).
Day 4: Cluj-Napoca or Oradea - Budapest
(250 miles or 155 miles/ 403 km or 250 km) Return from Cluj or from Oradea to Budapest or, if you chose to extend your stay, explore the Bears' Cave. Travel to Oradea (3 hours by car).
9. The traditional Villages of Maramures
Tour Itinerary: Budapest - Oradea - Satu Mare - Maramures villages
(detailed map)
Duration: 4 days
Best way of transportation: car or train and car
Day 1: Budapest - Oradea - Satu Mare (238 miles/ 384 km)
Leave Budapest and travel to Oradea (4 hours by train). Rent a car in Oradea or hire a local guide. Travel northeast to Satu Mare. Overnight in Satu Mare. Sightseeing in Satu Mare: the impressive Secession buildings in the Great Square.
Day 2: Satu Mare - Sapanta - Botiza (94 miles/ 151 km)
After breakfast travel east to the village of Sapanta.
Sightseeing: the Merry Cemetery. Continue 12 miles east to the town of Sighetul Marmatiei. Discover Maramures' villages such as Vadul Izei, Barsana and Botiza. In Barsana visit the workshop of master wood-carver Toader Barsan, who represented Maramures at the 2001 Smithsonian Festival in Washington, DC. Observe rural life, the traditional costumes still worn by the villagers, and the specific architecture. Overnight in a Maramures village
Day 3: Botiza - Oradea (177 miles/ 285 km)
Sightseeing: some of the area's wooden churches: Poienile Izei - famous for its representation of Hell on its main door, Ieud - featuring the oldest church in the entire region, Bogdan Voda and Surdesti – the tallest wooden church in the world (steeple 160 feet high). Ovenight in Oradea.
Day 4: Oradea - Budapest (155 miles/ 250 km)
Take the train or drive from Oradea to Budapest. This itinerary can be extended with one or two days to include the Painted Monasteries in Bucovina.
10.The Danube Delta – Europe 's Everglades
A boat ride into the sunset, wine tasting at a monastery lost in time, a fishing trip with the locals and fresh caviar served on the banks of Lake Samova in the Danube Delta, one of Europe's last unspoiled and remote wildernesses.
Tour Itinerary: Bucharest - Tulcea - the Danube Delta
Duration: 4 days
Best way of transportation: train or car to Tulcea, then boat
Day 1: Bucharest - Tulcea - the Danube Delta (195 miles)
Arrive in Bucharest. Transfer to Delta Nature Resort. The Delta Nature Resort is an elegant and luxurious retreat, recognized by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the Top 10 eco-resorts in the world. Sunset boat trip along meandering channels of the Danube Delta while sampling local wines from the Sarica Niculitel vineyards, such as Aligote, Feteasca Regala and Pinot Noir. Relaxed dinner at the hotel's restaurant, overlooking Somova Lake.
Day 2: the Danube Delta
After breakfast, head out, by boat, to Saon Monastery. Built in 1846, this religious retreat is home to some 40 nuns who run an organic farm on the banks of picturesque Lake Parcheş. Lunch, prepared by the nuns from local organic products, at the monastery. Return by boat to the hotel, via Delta channels teaming with dozens of species of birds, including the largest colony of white pelicans in Europe. Traditional Danube Delta dinner: Caviar and fresh fish from the Danube River and nearby Black Sea. On the menu will also be the delicious local salad, Salata Dobrogeana, and Saramura, an entrée prepared from broiled carp served with polenta and garlic sauce. A selection of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Muscat Ottonel wines from Murfatlar vineyards will be served to quench the thirst.
Day 3: the Danube Delta
After breakfast, explore some of the main channels and lakes of the Delta while fishing for carp, catfish, zander and perch. Hear the call of an egret, spot a group of pelicans lifting gracefully into the air or catch sight of other rare species, such as the pygmy cormorant or the red-breasted goose. For lunch sample the traditional fisherman's soup prepared fresh in one of the villages en route. In the afternoon, visit the Danube Delta Natural History Museum in Tulcea where you will learn more about the Delta, the third most biodiverse in the world.
Overnight in Tulcea.
Day 4: The Danube Delta - Tulcea - Bucharest (195 miles)
After breakfast, departure to Bucharest for your return flight or continue your Romania Discovery Journey.
