In the Footsteps of Count Dracula – self drive

8 days

from -€

flight tour

Tour description

Worldwide famous for its mystical atmosphere and vampire stories, Transylvania is located in an idyllic region of Romania among the Carpathian Mountains. Visit its beautiful cities and towns filled with castles, fortified churches, medieval citadels in which the multicultural, Romanian, German and Hungarian heritage is held. Visit the famous Bran Castle, the outstanding citadels from Sighisoara and Alba Iulia, The Corvin Castle, the Peles Castle, the Poenari Castle, and more Transylvanian treasures. Experience the thrill of walking in Dracula’s footsteps, with an itinerary that takes you through all the places that carry the memory of the bloodthirsty Count.

Map-EN-In-the-footsteps-of-Count-Dracula

Image gallery

Daily program

Welcome to Romania! On the way to the hotel, have a preview of what you are about to discover here with a panoramic tour of the city that takes you by the House of the Free Press, The Romanian Arch of Triumph, through The Victory Square, The Roman Square and finally to The University Square. Enjoy leisure time and discover the Old Town on your own, visit the ruins of the Old Princely Court, known as Dracula’s residence, where it is said that Vlad Dracula kept his prisoners. Dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast, enjoy a tour of the city renowned for its wide, tree-lined boulevards and belle-époque architecture, including a visit to the Palace of the Parliament, the second largest administrative building in the World, following The Pentagon. After a tour of the magnificent, elegant interior of the palace, displaying the wealth of Romania in stone, marble and wood from the Romanian mountains and forests, journey towards the legendary Transylvania. Carry on to Poenari Fortress for a dive in the legend of the bloody Count. Perched on a remote peak on the cliffs of the Fagaras Mountains, the 13th century ruined Castle of Poenari bears an uncanny resemblance of the fictional castle depicted by Bram Stocker as Dracula’s residence, and to this day remains pristine and almost inaccessible. Journey towards Sibiu and check-in at your centrally located hotel for 3 overnights. Dinner at the hotel. Provided that the weather allows it, the road to Sibiu will be through the panoramic Transfagarasan Highway, the most spectacular alpine road in Europe.

A lovely start of your day with the visit of the beautifully preserved medieval city of Sibiu, visit the Bridge of Lies, the second iron bridge from Europe, the Citadel Park, the Council Tower, the Large Square, the Huet Square, and the Small Square.  Enjoy a walk 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 Evanghelic Church, located in the historical city center of Sibiu, its tower of almost 74m of height, is the tallest tower from Transylvania, has an outstanding architecture, being one of the most impressive buildings from Sibiu. Discover the outstanding architecture of the famous Brukenthal Museum of the largest and wealthiest walled citadel from Transylvania, and was chosen as Europe’s Cultural Capital of 2007, together with Luxembourg. Travel to the picturesque village Sibiel and enjoy a traditional dinner including homemade wine and plum brandy at a local restaurant. Return to Sibiu.

Journey towards Hunedoara, and visit The Hunyad Castle,one of the largest castles from Europe. It was built in the 14th century in a Gothic-Renaissance architecture Boasting an impressive drawbridge, a huge medieval ballroom, a beautiful interior courtyard and exceptional defensive structure, the castle is said to have been the place where Vlad the Impaler was imprisoned for a while, and legends about ghosts haunting it still go around. After leaving Hunedoara you will visit the city of Alba Iulia, the memorable place of the Great Union of Romania. Here you will visit the impressive Orthodox Cathedral and the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the oldest standing cathedral in Romania. Most importantly, you will take a tour of the Habsburgic citadel, also known as Alba Carolina Citadel, in the time of the Roman occupation. In the evening you will return to Sibiu and have dinner at the hotel.

Journey towards The Fortified church of Biertan, one of the largest and most impressive strongholds in Transylvania, that looks like taken out of a fairy tale. Set in a spectacular landscape, perched high on a hill and surrounded by vineyards, the fortified church bears an enchanting love story. Legend has it that couples seeking divorce were locked for 2 weeks in the Prison Tower, being forced to share everything, and that after that most of the couple decided to give up the idea of divorcing. After visiting the fortress, enjoy a picnic in the middle of nature and a relaxing wine tasting at Biertan. In the afternoon, you will go to Sighisoara, the birth place of count Dracula and one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. Sighisoara was settled by the Germans in the 13th century and it is one of the few still inhabited medieval fortresses in the whole world, being also protected by UNESCO. During the walking tour you will visit the Clock Tower, the birth house of Dracula and the Church on the Hill. In the evening, enjoy dinner at Dracula’s restaurant, set in the very house where the Count was born. Check-in at the hotel for one overnight.

Scenic drive to Bran and visit of the 14th century imposing Bran Castle, one of the main landmarks of Transylvania, being a popular destination for the people that are interested in its history, as well as for the enthusiast in legends. Famous for its association with the legend of Dracula, the Castle hosts nowadays the museum of furniture dedicated to the Romanian Royal Family, especially to Queen Marie, the one that collected the objects, and to whom the people of Brasov gifted the Castle. Journey towards Brasov and discover one of the most popular touristic attraction from Romania, considering its location in the peaks of the Southern Carpathians surrounded by nature, and historical monuments.  Journey towards Brasov, and enjoy a tour of the city, visit the city symbol with a history of over 600 years-The Black Church, continue with The Black Tower, The White Tower, Ecaterina’s Gate and Rope’s Street. Check-in at your centrally located hotel. Dinner at the hotel.

Travel to Sinaia in order to explore one of the most stunning castles from Europe, The Peles Castle, also known for being the summer residence of the Romanian Royal family. Nowadays, the castle is an outstanding museum preserving its original furniture, decorations and paintings.  Take a walk through the castle’s garden and enjoy the new-Renaissance architecture before visiting the stunning and impressive interior. Journey towards Snagov and visit the Snagov Monastery, the place where it has been said that Vlad the Impaler was murdered by the Turks and secretly buried by the monks. Travel to Bucharest and check-in at the hotel. Enjoy a farewell dinner at an outstanding local restaurant from the Old Town of Bucharest.

Enjoy free time and discover the Old Town on your own before the transfer to the Airport. We hope you enjoyed your vacation and take with you long-lasting beautiful memories from this legendary adventure!

Highlights of the trip

  • The Romanian Capital, Bucharest
  • Medieval cities: Brasov- The Crown of Transylvania, Sibiu- The European Capital of Culture from 2007, and Sighisoara- city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Castles: Bran Castle, Peles Castle, Poenari Castle, Hunyadi Castle
  • Fortified Churches: Biertan Fortified Church (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • Monasteries: Snagov Monastery
  • In the footsteps of Dracula: Birth Place of Count Dracula, Dracula Castle, Old Princely Court, Poenari Castle, Hunyadi Castle

Included services

  • 7 x overnights at 3*** or 4**** centrally located hotels
  • Breakfast buffet
  • 7 x 3 course set menu dinners including 3 x dinners at the hotel and following special dinners
  • 1 x 3 course set menu traditional farewell dinner at a local restaurant in Bucharest;
  • 1 x traditional dinner at the locals in Sibiel, including wine and local brandy
  • 1 x thematic dinner at Dracula Restaurant in Sighisoara, including red wine
  • 1 x farewell dinner at a historic restaurant in Bucharest’s Old Town
  • 1 x Countryside horse-drawn chariot ride in Sibiel
  • 1 x wine tasting in Biertan
  • Professional local guides in Bucharest, Sibiu, Alba Iulia, Sighisoara, and Brasov