Private Christmas Tour of Romania – self-drive tour

Christmas is probably the most loved holiday for many people across the world. When a country boasts unique traditions as well, the chances of experiencing an unforgettable Christmas are even higher. By going on a Private Christmas Tour of Romania you will immerse yourself in the rich traditions of the people from Romania.

Besides spending the Christmas with locals, you will be able to discover some of the most beautiful sites from these two regions. This tour will take you to the regions of Transylvania and Maramures.

Yearly dates: December 18-28.

• Spend the Christmas with local people from Maramures and get involved into their traditions and customs
• Explore the Christmas markets of some of the most beautiful towns in Romania
• Discover the castles and medieval towns of Transylvania in winter
• Enjoy a ride with a steam train through the picturesque Vaser Valley

Welcome to Romania! Upon arrival in Bucharest, you will take the rented car from the airport and you will drive in the center of Bucharest. So you will spend the first night of your Christmas Tour of Romania. If your flight arrives earlier on the day, today you can explore the city capital of Romania and its Christmas market.

Accommodation in Bucharest.

Drive time: 30′

Day 2  19th of December

It is time to hit the road and start discovering Romania and its hopefully snowy beauties. You will start your self-drive tour with Peles castle, a charming 19th-century castle located in the mountainous resort of Sinaia. Above all, it is the former summer residence of the Romanian kings and distinguished between the castles of the country by its stunning blend of architectural styles.

Then you will visit Bran castle. Overlooking a narrow valley, the castle was used both for defense and as residence for the royal family. While crossing the tortuous rooms you will be introduced to the medieval times and learn about the royal family of Romania.

Afterwards you will arrive in the town of Brasov (Transylvania region). Here you can wander through the cobbled streets so you can discover its beautiful medieval architecture. The main square of the old town is also home to a Christmas market in this period of year, therefore, be sure that you make time to explore it as well.

Accommodation in Brasov.

Drive time:  3 h 30′

Today you will visit one of the largest bear sanctuaries in the world, Libearty sanctuary from Zarnesti. It provides a natural and safe shelter for bears who used to live in cruel and improper conditions. While visiting the sanctuary, you will also get to hear some of the moving stories of the bears.

Next on the itinerary is the medieval town of Sibiu. Many consider it the most beautiful town in Romania. For the rest of the day, you will have the chance to explore its old town together with its defensive walls and towers, visit the Clock Tower and Evangelical and Catholic churches and cross the Liar’s Bridge. Without saying a lie while on it as it is believed that it will crack.

During Christmas holidays, Sibiu is also home to a vivid Christmas market, where you can enjoy traditional and international snacks and drinks. You can also buy gifts for your loved ones and participate to the Christmas events that take place during your stay. If you are a skating lover you don’t have to miss the ice skating rink.

Accommodation in Sibiu.

Drive time: 3 h

Today you will be introduced to the Christmas traditions of Romania as you will participate to a Country Christmas Market in the open-air Village Museum. Pass by the culinary workshops and savor Christmas traditional dishes. Additionally, witness the old Christmas customs of Romanians and let you be animated by the groups of carolers attending the event. You will also have the chance to witness the custom of slaughtering a pig which people from Romania do before Christmas in order to have rich dishes during the holiday.

Optional: As the trip is designed as a self-drive tour, in the second part of the day you can choose to go to Paltinis, a nearby winter resort where you can ski and enjoy other winter activities. Otherwise, you can choose to spend some more time in Sibiu and visit one or two of the many museums of the town.

Accommodation in Sibiu.

Drive time: 1 h 30′ if going to Paltinis

You will start the day with a visit to Corvin castle, a medieval castle having a fairy-tale appearance. As you cross the entrance bridge and you enter the rooms of the castle you will be introduced to medieval times and you will learn about the life of John Hunyadi (Ioan de Hunedoara). He was an important Romanian ruler from the 15th century and the one who built the castle.

Next on your Christmas Tour of Romania is the town of Alba Iulia. Specifically, it is one of the most important towns in Romanian history as it was here where the main regions of Romania united 100 years ago to form the country we know today. You will have a walk through the citadel which is one of the largest and best-preserved Vauban-style shape citadels in Europe.

You will end the day with a walk in the nature in Coltesti village and surroundings. Above all, Coltesti is a charming village featuring small white houses of Hungarian heritage and is surrounded by picturesque hills and mountains. If there is snow, the landscape is surely even more beautiful.

Accommodation in Coltesti.

Drive time: 3h

It is time to leave the old and immerse into the future! You will travel to Turda where you will go down into a beautiful salt mine decorated in a futuristic style. Above all, the place is huge. It holds a Ferris wheel, places for playing soft sports and, at the bottom of the mine, a lake where you can row a boat.

Then you will travel to Maramures region, probably the best place where you can witness the Christmas traditions of Romania. Moreover, on your way you will have a stop at Surdesti. Here you will visit one of the wooden churches specific to the region and also part of UNESCO heritage.

Optional: On your way to Maramures, you can have a stop at Cavnic, a winter resort popular among the locals of the region.

Accommodation in Maramures region.

Drive time: 4 h

Starting with today, you will spend three entire days in Maramures. Truly one of the last regions of Romania where the village has preserved its identity and people live like hundreds of years ago, still keeping old traditions and preserving traditional crafts.

First, you will discover the Merry Cemetery from Sapanta, unique in the world because of the bright decorated crosses and the funny poems written on them. The cemetery is an exhibition of the traditional heritage of the region as its roots are placed in an ancient belief that see death rather as a celebration than as a tragic event.

Next, the Memorial of the Victims of Communism is one of the most interesting museums in Romania. That is because it is located in a former prison where the communists detained their political opponents. While entering into the former cells you will learn about the Communist times and how they impacted the country and its culture.

Then you will return to the guesthouse where carolers start to announce the Christmas holiday. Therefore wander from one house to another singing and reciting about the birth of Jesus Christ. You will receive the carolers dressed in traditional clothes and singing old carols specific to the region.

Optional: Attending church during holiday season is a very well kept custom in Maramures. Therefore, in the evening you can accompany the locals at the Christmas Eve mass.

Accommodation in Maramures region.

Drive time: 2 h 30′

On Christmas Day you will enjoy a ride with a narrow-gauge steam train in the mountains located in Western Maramures. In fact, the train is still fully functional and passes through the picturesque Vaser valley. The trip takes around 6 hours and at the middle of the route you will have a break so you can enjoy a drink and a meal but also to explore the surrounding nature.

Accommodation in Maramures region.

Drive time: 1 h

Day 9  26th of December

Today you will go to church together with the villagers who, young and old, are gathering above all to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Specifically, they participate to the Orthodox mass dressed in traditional clothes.

Optional: In the second part of the day you have various options of things you can do. If you wish to enjoy more of the snow and winter landscape, you could have a horse-sledge ride. Or if you want to get involved into the local traditional entertainment, you could participate to a concert, religious theater or local party having the Christmas theme. If you prefer to explore more of the heritage of Maramures, you can visit more of the wooden churches specific to the region. Above all, some of them being UNESCO sites.

Accommodation in Maramures region.

Drive time: depends on what you prefer to do in the second part of the day

Today this self-drive tour will take you to Sighet where the Festival of Customs and Traditions takes place. Consequently, you will be introduced to the Christmas traditions from all across Romania. Additionally, you will be able to observe the colorful traditional costumes of people from different regions. You will also enjoy different shows where the participants make their customs and traditional heritage known.

Then you will head towards Transylvania region. After your arrival in Cluj-Napoca, you can have a walk though the center of the city so you can explore the lively Christmas market.

Accommodation in Cluj-Napoca.

Drive time: 4 h

Finally your Christmas tour of Romania ends here, therefore you will travel to the airport where you will drop off the car and you will take the flight back home.

Since this is a private tour, the start and end days, the locations and duration of the tour are flexible, just let us know your preferences. As presented here, this is a self-drive tour but we can also organize it as a guided tour.