Day 1 – TUE: BUCHAREST
Arrival at Otopeni Airport. Transfer to your hotel. Dinner & overnight. (D) 3*
Day 2 – WED: BUCHAREST – SINAIA – POIANA BRASOV
Bucharest city tour (starting at 9:00 AM) including visit to the Metropolitan Church and to two of the most interesting and beautiful museums, the Cotroceni Palace and the Palace of Parliament, will introduce you in the atmosphere of this five-century-old capital. Drive by the Revolution Square, the University Square and the Arch of Triumph which gives the city a taste of Paris.(This tour lasts about 3 h ?)
About noon departure for Sinaia mountain resort, well-known as the "Pearl of the Carpathians". (2 h) and visit the spectacular Peles Castle (1 h), the summer residence of Romania's kings.
A trip to Sinaia would not be complete without ? h spent visiting Sinaia Monastery, a copy of St.Catherine Monastery on Mount Sinai (17th century).Late afternoon will find you on your way to Brasov (1 h). Finally, wind up the twisting roads leading to Poiana Brasov, placed high on a mountain plateau overlooking the city of Brasov, awaiting you to get ready for a nice dinner with folk music at a native restaurant. Overnight in Poiana Brasov. 3* (B, D)
Day 3 – THU: POIANA BRASOV – BRASOV – BRAN – SIGHISOARA - TARGU MURES
8:30 AM – From Poiana Brasov you'll venture down into Brasov, a medieval trading center, situated at the meeting point of the three Romanian principalities: Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania. Visit the lofty Black Church, so called because of a 1689 fire. It is famous for its imposing Gothic architecture, its 4000 pipe organ and the valuable collection of Anatolian carpets of the 17th and 18th centuries. (2 h)
Winding your way southwards, you will reach the fabled Bran Castle (45 min), also known as Dracula's Castle, built at the beginning of the 13th century, by Knight Dietrich of the Teutonic Order. Later on it was fortified, and was used by the Romanian royal family, namely by Queen Maria (a niece of Queen Victoria of England) (1 h ?).
Early afternoon head to Sighisoara (1 h ?) , a perfectly preserved town, trapped in the Middle ages. The best known site in Sighisoara is the 15th century house, where Prince Vlad The Impaler, nicknamed Dracula, was born.
Late afternoon will find you on your way to Targu Mures (1 h) for dinner and overnight. 3* (B, D)
Day 4 – FRI: TARGU MURES – CLUJ – BAIA MARE
9:00 AM – Short panoramic tour of Targu Mures(1/2 h); see the Citadel, a fortification built in the 14th century by the Romanian princes, during the savage wars fought against invaders.
Drive on through the ever beautiful hills and forests of the Transylvania Plain and reach Cluj Napoca.(1 h ?) The city tour will take you to the Orthodox Cathedral and to St. Michael's Church in Gothic style, one of the most beautiful monuments in Transylvania, built between 1350-1487. Short stop in front of the National Theatre and Opera House, seating 1050 people, built in 1906, in French Academic style (2 h).
An afternoon ride will take you to Baia Mare (2 h ?), located in the northernmost reaches of Romania, included in your tour not so much for its man-made attractions, but because its environs are said to be the most beautiful natural settings in Eastern Europe. Dinner & overnight in Baia Mare. 3* (B,D)
Day 5 – SAT: BAIA MARE – SAPANTA - BUCOVINA
9:00 AM - Spend the whole day in Maramures, across fairytale landscapes. An unexpected surprise, less than 100 km away, is the "Merry Cemetery" in Sapanta, where the crosses are adorned with sculptures and paintings in vivid colours, representing the negative and the positive features of those who are buried there. These are made by a clever popular handicraftsman, who improvises poetry for the original funerary monuments. This region is also known for the carefully preserved culture of its inhabitants. Colorful ethnic costumes and folk events are quite common in this natural paradise.
Afternoon ride east, through northern Transylvania, will lead you through breathtaking scenery, crossing an invisible threshold into Moldavia,better said, Bukovina, land of the painted monasteries, another typical example of the country life Romania is known for. Enjoy dinner and overnight in this area. 3* (B, D)
Day 6 – SUN: MOLDOVITA, SUCEVITA, HUMOR MONASTERIES
9:00 AM - Today's itinerary will take you through Bukovina to two of the best known painted monasteries in all of Romania. Your first stop is Moldovita Monastery (10:30 AM), known for hosting the only existing frescoe depicting the Siege of Constantinople. Here you can also see the coveted Pomme d'Or prize, awarded to Bukovina for the preservation of these landmark monasteries. The second one you will visit is Sucevita Monastery (12:00), the last in a series of Moldavian monuments whose exterior walls were entirely covered by frescoes (1601). Lunch en route(1:00 PM). Stop at a black pottery workshop in Marginea Village. Late afternoon Humor Monastery is waiting for you also. It was founded in 1530 and the monks are running a school of icon paintingOvernight in Bukovina area. 3* (B, L) (The order of visiting the monasteries depends on the place of accommodation)
Day 7 – MON: VORONET MONASTERY - SUCEAVA – BICAZ GORGES – PIATRA NEAMT
9:00 AM - This morning you will continue with the visit of the painted monasteries. Your first stop is Voronet, a 15th century complex, built by Stephen the Great. Often called "the Sixtine Chapel of the East", Voronet's frescoes are painted primarily in a unique shade of blue, known to painters throughout the world as Voronet Blue. A short ride will take you to Suceava for a sightseeing tour of this Romania’s mediaeval religious center, including the Old Citadel.
Noon will find you on your way to Bicaz Lake. Drive by the most impressive natural rock formations in central Romania, the Bicaz Gorges. These ancient cliffs, carved by millennia of raging waters, rise like walls on either side of the winding roads leading to the town of Lacu Rosu (the Red Lake); you have the chance to see the crimson waters of this natural phenomenon, stained by a high concentration of mineral and algae. Enjoy late lunch in Lacu Rosu (delicious fresh trout for fish menu lovers). Afternoon return to Piatra Neamt for overnight. 3* (B, L)
Day 8 – TUE: PIATRA NEAMT - BUCHAREST
9:00 AM – Leave southwards to Bucharest through famous winards with stop-over for wine-tasting. About 5:00 PM arrival in Bucharest just in time for a little rest and getting ready for the farewell dinner. Overnight in Bucharest. (B, D) 3*
Day 9 – BUCHAREST
Transfer to the airport for the departure flight. (B)
Grand Tour of Romania Features:
- 8 overnights at 3 star hotels as specified (2 nts in Bucharest, 1 nt in Poiana Brasov, 1 nt. In Tg. Mures, 1 nt in Baia Mare or Sighetu Marmatiei/Maramures area, 2 nts in Bukovina area at different hotels, 1 nt in Piatra Neamt)
- Breakfast and Lunch or Dinner Daily (3 course menu, mineral water & coffee included)
- Entrance fees to the tourists objectives as per the program
- Transportation throughout itinerary by car/van/minibus
- R/T airport transfers
- English speaking guide assistance throughout itinerary
- All local taxes are included (luggage handling is not included)
Net rates / pax in USD : $ 1,998.00 sharing a double room
- single rom supplement $286.00
Pre tour night(s) in Bucharest (week days) – per night:
USD 85- 110 per person in dbl or twin
USD 135- 168.00 per person in single
Note: - Museums are closed on Mondays.
- Peles Castle is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (sometimes, during summer season it is opened on Tuesadys too but with a shorter program).
- The Black Church is closed on Sundays.
- The Palace of Parliament, due to international conferences or meetings, could be closed without
prior notice. We shall arrange the visit of the Cotroceni Palace instead, in these special situations.
