Immerse yourself into the rich customs of the locals.
Easter Holidays in Romania is a time when a lot of traditions come to life and we invite you to experience them. Painting Easter eggs, the “shooting of the rooster”, perfuming women and first farmer’s celebration are some of the customs you will witness. While discovering the unique traditions specific to the Easter holidays you will also visit Romania’s most beautiful sights in Transylvania, Bucovina and Maramures. In 2020 the Orthodox and Catholic Easter are just a week apart so you can experience both.
2022 dates are April 16-25.
- Visit the most famous attractions in Transylvania: castles, medieval towns and quaint villages
- Take part in a Painting Easter Eggs Workshop
- Taste a traditional Easter meal
- Attend local festivals and witness interesting customs
- Learn about the architecture specific to the churches from Bucovina and Maramures
- Ride a narrow-gauge steam train
Day 1 16th of April 2022 – Saturday
Your Easter Holidays in Romania will begin by landing in Bucharest, the country’s capital. You will then pick up the rented car from the airport and transfer to Brasov.
Optional, you can start your tour one day earlier and have time to visit Transylvania’s famous castles, Peles and Bran.
Accommodation in Brasov.
Drive time: 3h
Day 2
In the morning you will attend the Catholic Easter Mass at the Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral, the only baroque monument in Brasov, appreciated for its beautiful interior decorations.In the second part of the day you will travel to Apata to take part in one of the most interesting customs of the Hungarian community, “the shooting of the rooster”.
This festival is seen as a revenge against the rooster, which, centuries ago, called back the invading Tartars who were about to leave the village after seeing it abandoned. Children dressed in traditional clothes compete against each other and try their best to aim for the rooster drawn on a wooden target.
Accommodation in Brasov.
Drive time: 1 h
Day 3
Start the day by visiting one of Romania’s most authentic villages, Viscri. Admire the colored houses of Saxon heritage and the beautiful fortified church, part of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. Next on your itinerary is Sighisoara, a remarkable medieval town with narrow cobbled streets and old historic buildings, also a UNESCO site.
During the day you may also witness an old Hungarian custom, the sprinkling of the girls with water or perfume in order to wish for their wellbeing.
Accommodation in Praid.
Drive time: 3h 30’
Day 4
Today you will discover the underground salt mine in Praid, a place where you can relax for a few hours and enjoy the benefits the salty air can have on your health.
You will then head towards Bucovina and pass by the Bicaz gorge, an 8-kilometers-long route bordered by impressive mountainous rocks. You will also stop for a short visit at the Neamt Citadel, a massive medieval fortress.
Accommodation in Bucovina.
Drive time: 5h
Day 5
It’s time to explore Bucovina, the region famous for its painted monasteries. Eight of them are part of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites and you will begin with a morning trip to Moldovita Monastery, which stands out through its colorful external frescoes.
A highlight amongst your Easter Holidays in Romania will be the visit to the Egg Museum, where a collection of over 5000 painted eggs is displayed.
In the afternoon you will have the opportunity to travel to two other monasteries, Sucevita and Voronet.
Accommodation in Bucovina.
Drive time: 3h
Day 6
You will keep on learning about the tradition of painting eggs for Easter by taking part in a special workshop. While trying your hand at different decorating techniques you will also be taught about the history and the significance of this craft.
Later that day you will travel towards Maramures, one of the last truly rural places in Europe. On the way there you will stop at the Barsana wooden monastic complex and have the opportunity to admire the interesting architecture and beautiful views.
Accommodation in Vadu Izei (Maramures region).
Drive time: 4h 30’
Day 7
As the Orthodox Easter approaches, people start getting ready for the celebration. In the morning you will have the chance to visit a traditional market in Sighet and see people buying everything they need for the holiday, such as lamb meat, eggs or sweet cheese.
Also in Sighet you can go to the Memorial of the Victims of Communism, a museum located in a former prison and to the nearby Sapanta Merry Cemetery, unique in the world for its lively decorated crosses and amusing poems.
Accommodation in Vadu Izei.
Drive time: 1h
Day 8
You will enjoy a fairly-tale like experience by riding the Mocanita, the only fully functional narrow-gauge steam train in Europe as it takes you through a 6-hour ride deep into the Vaser Valley.
The rest of the day will be spent with the locals as you will observe them getting ready for Easter. You will see men slaughtering the lamb and women cooking the meal for Easter Sunday and baking “pasca’’ and “cozonac”.
Accommodation in Vadu Izei.
Drive time: 2h 30’
Day 9
In the morning you will go to church and witness the Easter Sunday mass. Villagers dress in folk costumes and bring baskets full of home-made food to be blessed. After the mass is over, you will have the chance to eat a traditional Easter meal.
In the afternoon you will visit the wooden churches for which Maramures is so famous. The one in Desesti has some of the best preserved interior paintings, while the wooden church of Budesti is worth-admiring for its unique architectural style.
Accommodation in Vadu Izei.
Drive time: 1h
Day 10
On the last day of your Easter holidays in Romania you will attend a festival known as “Udatoriu”, in Surdesti. The old agrarian custom celebrates the hardest working villager and it is full of the cheerfulness of the locals.
You will then travel to Cluj-Napoca from where you will take a flight back home.
Optional, you can prolong your tour with an additional day during which to explore the Transylvanian capital or continue towards Sibiu-Bucharest.
Drive time: 3h 30’
Since this is a private tour, the start and end days and locations are flexible, just let us know your preferences. As presented here, this is a self-drive holiday but we can also organize it as a guided tour.
- Trip planning. This will include a personalized self-drive booklet with vouchers for accommodation, detailed information about the places you are visiting, directions, useful contacts and recommended things to see and do along the way
- Accommodation for 9 nights in standard double rooms with breakfast (B) included
- Rented car on the above itinerary: sedan car for up to 4 people (Ford Mondeo or similar) or minivan for 5-8 people (Renault Trafic, VW Caravelle or similar; fuel, taxes and parking fees are included)
- Entrance tickets to the Workshop of painting eggs and the ride with Mocanita
- 7 dinners (D): 1 in Praid, 2 in Bucovina, 4 in Maramures
- 1 lunch: in Maramures, on Easter Day
Services which are not included in the tour package price:
- Entrance tickets to tourist sites, except those mentioned above. Per person you are likely to spend up to 50-70 USD
- Meals, except those included above. On average you can pay for a meal 10-15 USD
920 EUR
990 EUR
950 EUR
1200 EUR
Are you looking for something else? Check our other suggested tours focused on culture, history and traditions.
Here are more pictures from the Easter holidays in Romania. 
