Romania Grand Tour – self drive
Tour description
Enjoy this 12 days tour and discover Romania as you have never experienced before. Travel from Bucharest to famous Transylvania with its legends, fairy tale like landscapes, idyllic villages and friendly people. Learn more about the still unknown region of Maramures with its unique Merry Cemetery and wooden churches and explore the untouched Danube Delta.
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Daily program
Welcome to Romania! On your way to the centrally located hotel, enjoy a sightseeing tour of one the most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities in Europe ‘The Little Paris of the East’ which is also the 6th largest capital city in the European Union. You will have the chance to admire the University Square, the Roman Square, the Constitution Square with the Palace of Parliament (the second largest administrative building in the World after the Pentagon) and the Victory Square with the Victory Palace. You will pass by the Arch of Triumph, driving on the Kissellef Street, known as “The Romanian Champs Elysees”. Check-in at the hotel. Welcome dinner at local restaurant from the Old Town.
Journey towards the famous monastery from Curtea de Arges, learn about the legend of how it was built and also take the chance to see the graves of the Romanian Royal Family. The monastery is a treasure of the Romanian architecture, built in the 16th century with an outstanding exterior specific to the orthodox monasteries and an impressive interior filled with murals painted by Romanian and French painters. Carry on to Cozia, and visit the outstanding Cozia Monastery, its architecture enhanced by the laced stoned exterior, and the byzantine paintings present in the interior. Carry on to Sibiu and check-in at the hotel for two overnights. Dinner at the hotel.
A wonderful start of the day with a walking tour among the Old Town of Sibiu, one of the famous old towns from Romania, due to the presence of historical monuments with specific architectures that keep the medieval atmosphere alive, from which the majority are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Admire The Evangelic Church, located in the historical city center of Sibiu, its tower of almost 74m of height, is the tallest tower from Transylvania. Discover the outstanding architecture of the famous Brukenthal Museum. In the evening you are invited at a villager house from the mountain village Sibiel for a traditional dinner with wine and local brandy. Return to Sibiu.
Travel from Sibiu to Hunedoara, and visit The Corvin Castle, an impressive Renaissance fortress built in the 14th century. Take a tour of the castle, visit the torture exhibition and admire The Nebosia Tower. Journey towards Alba Iulia and visit its main attractions. Discover The Citadel of Alba Iulia ‘’Alba Carolina’’, one of the largest Vauban fortresses in Eastern Europe, with a beautifully preserved architecture. The specific star shape of the citadel is distinguished by its seven bastions that ensured the safety of the most important fortification from the area. Take a trip back in time and enjoy the medieval atmosphere of the citadel with a guided tour. Journey towards the multicultural and cosmopolitan town Cluj Napoca and check-in at the hotel. Dinner at the hotel.
Enjoy a city tour including Cluj Napoca’s most interesting sites, such as Saint Michael’s Church – built in the 14th century in a Gothic style, the Memorial Matthias Corvinus House – the oldest building in Cluj, Matei Corvin’s Statue, and St. Peter’s Church. Then, you travel to Baia Mare, known for its mining history and well-preserved medieval Old Town. In the afternoon you make a stop in Sapanta, where you visit the unique Merry Cemetery, famous for its colourful tombstones with naive paintings that represent scenes from the life of the deceased. In the evening you arrive to Sighetul Marmatiei and enjoy a traditional dinner at the hotel.
The Maramures region is famous for its well-preserved traditions, wooden churches, idyllic villages and friendly people. Visit this morning this morning two of the most interesting highlights of Maramures: The Barsana Monastery and the Bogdan Voda Monastery. Travel along the Iza Valley towards the famous Bucovina region and visit the Moldovita Monastery, located on the banks of the Moldovita River and which was built at the beginning of the 15th century by Alexander the Kind. The exterior paintings of the monastery are some of the best preserved of all the churches in Bucovina. Drive to Suceava and dinner at the Hotel.
After breakfast, journey towards the famous Voronet Monastery, known as “The Sistine Chapel of the East”. The exterior frescoes feature an intense shade of blue known in Romania as “Voronet Blue”. Carry on to the Humor Monastery, which is one of the most fascinating Moldavian architectural masterpieces. After a scenic drive you arrive in Neamt, where you visit the monastery from the 14th century, known as “The Jerusalem of the Romanian Orthodoxy”. The monastery has an impressive collection of old books that number over 18,000 volumes and a valuable museum. Drive to Piatra Neamt and dinner at the hotel.
Discover this morning the Praid Saline, one of the biggest salt mines in Europe. Having an elliptical shape, the deposit has the diameter of 1,2-1,4 km and the depth of 2.700 meters. Drive to the so called “city of roses”, Targu Mures, the center of the Hungarian minority in Romania. Visit the Roses Alley where you can see the Cultural Palace and the Orthodox Cathedral. After some time at leisure, continue towards Sighisoara and enjoy the dinner at the hotel.
An outstanding start of your day with a tour of the beautifully preserved medieval city. Sighisoara is also known as the home town of Count Dracula. Here you can visit the Clock Tower, which is the city’s landmark, the Torture Museum, the house where Dracula was born, and the Church on the Hill. The tour continues with the village Bran, located in the southern Transylvania. Visit the Bran Castle built by the Transylvanian Saxons in the 14th century, famous for its correlation to the legends about Dracula. Enjoy in the afternoon a walking tour in Brasov and discover the medieval atmosphere of the Council Square with the most important landmarks: The Old City Hall, the Orthodox Church and the Black Church. Dinner at the hotel.
Travel to the elegant alpine resort of Sinaia and its beautiful Peles Castle – a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance architecture, considered by many as one of the most stunning castles in Europe. The castle served as the summer residence for the Royal Family and its 160 rooms are adorned with the finest examples of European art and crystal chandeliers. Scenic ride towards Tulcea and dinner at the hotel.
Embark this morning on the excursion ship which will take you in the heart of Europe’s best preserved natural habitat. The Danube Delta is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list since 1990, being one of the wildest areas of Europe. It is the sanctuary for more than 300 species of birds, being the major migration hub for thousands of birds heading from and to Mongolia, Siberia, India, Africa and China. Learn more about the formation of the Danube Delta and about the many bird and fish species living here. Enjoy the nature and observe the cormorants, the egrets, swans or pelicans around your ship. The lunch will be served onboard the ship. In the afternoon return to your hotel in Tulcea and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner at the hotel.
Enjoy a scenic drive towards the International Airport Otopeni. Have a safe flight!