Romania adventure holiday

Bucharest. Arrive in Bucharest. Depending on arrival, you may have a chance to explore the city. Overnight in hotel.

Drive to the small village of Sibiel, a very traditional shepherd community whose inhabitants still practice age old customs. We travel through the beautiful Olt river valley, and on arrival explore the village to learn about local culture. Overnight local house or guesthouse. (BD)

Head to Sibiu, one of the best preserved medieval cities in Romania and carefully restored in recent years. We have time to explore the old centre with its ramparts, churches and narrow alleys. From here continue to Bran for the evening, where we spend the night in a local guesthouse. (B)

This morning we visit the stunning Bran Castle, tenuously linked to the legend of Dracula, and then head to Brasov, with its incredibly picturesque Baroque old quarter. From here we continue to the delightful village of Viscri, a Saxon village and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we stay for two nights in a carefully restored Saxon house. (BD)

Spend the day exploring the village and surroundings, and learning about local life. We visit the fortified church in the village, then enjoy a horse and carriage ride through the surroundings. Along the way we will meet people specialising in traditional crafts and gain an insight into the customs of this part of the country. Overnight local house. (BLD)

We head to the village of Saschiz with its imposing fortified church, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After visiting the church we head to Sighisoara with its beautiful medieval citadel. We explore the fortress and also visit the house where Vlad the Impaler was born. Our hotel tonight is in the centre of the citadel. Overnight Hotel Sighisoara or similar. (B)

Travel through the stunning Carpathian Mountains, home to fascinating wildlife and isolated villages. We stop at an ancient salt mine, dating back to the time of the Romans, and end our day at Lacu Rosu, where we can take walks in the beautiful surrounding countryside. Overnight local guesthouse. (B)

We travel through the Bicaz Gorges, where cliffs rise dramatically to heights of up to 300 metres. We then continue to the region of Bucovina, renowned for its monasteries, and visit Voronet monastery with its exterior frescoes dating to the 15th century, also named the Sistine Chapel of the East. Later we arrive in Sucevita where our accommodation is in a traditional local house in the village. (BD)

In the morning we visit Moldovita Monastery, a wonderful masterpiece of Moldavian Gothic architecture adorned with lively exterior frescoes dating back to the beginning of the 16th century. Later we visit Sucevita monastery – the largest of the painted monasteries – before returning to our hosts in Sucevita, who are waiting for us with a home-cooked dinner. (BD)

This morning we visit a traditional pottery workshop before heading to the village of Tarpesti and the remarkable Popa Museum. At his home, Nicolae Popa had gathered an incredible collection of Romanian folk art and handicrafts, giving us a fantastic insight into the ancient traditions of this region. We visit the museum and have a home prepared lunch here, before continuing to our final destination for the evening, Galati, situated on ancient trade routes between the Black and Baltic Seas. Overnight in hotel.

Travel to Tulcea to meet our boat to take us into the Danube Delta. After reaching the village of Crisan we change boats to travel away from the main tourist thoroughfares deeper into the Delta’s backwaters and the village of Crisan, a traditional fishing settlement. We stay with a local family in their home and guesthouse and get to see how daily life is lived in this most idyllic and picturesque of settings. (BD)

Spend the full day exploring the lesser visited channels of the delta by small boat, allowing us to reach some of its most beautiful parts. There are superb opportunities for spotting some of the region’s spectacular wildlife, as well as seeing some of the isolated communities deep within the backwaters, some of which still contain traditional houses built with reeds. In the afternoon we head back to our hosts who are waiting for us with a home cooked dinner. Overnight in hotel. (BLD)

We leave the Delta behind and travel by boat back to Tulcea, arriving at lunchtime. From there we head back to Bucharest for our final night. Overnight in Hotel.

Bucharest. Tour ends.