• Drive on Transfagarasan and Transalpina, the highest and beautiful roads of Romania
• Cross the Carpathian mountains through charming mountain passes
• Explore the medieval towns and castles of Transylvania
• Discover the unique painted monasteries of Bucovina
• Step back in time in rural Maramures
• Let yourself be introduced to the beauty of Apuseni mountains

Overnight in Bucharest

Drive time: 30’

Then you will visit Bran castle, the most famous castle of Transylvania because of its association with Dracula. In fact, it is a beautiful medieval castle located on a hill, overlooking the beautiful area of Bran. We will advise you where to go to have the best views of the castle from distance and you can also have a picnic there.

Brasov has a beautiful location between mountains and while here you can explore the old town with the Romanian and German-Saxon quarters, see the defensive walls and towers and visit the Gothic Black Church. If you will get to the city early enough, you can take the cable car and go up on the Tampa Mountain from where you will have a beautiful panorama of Brasov. To get to Brasov we will recommend you a less traveled route going through the mountains and you will descend down towards Brasov having beautiful views of the town as you approach it,

Overnight in Brasov

Drive time: 5h

Then you will travel to Rasnov where you will visit a well-preserved fortress built in the 14^th as an escape fortress for the surrounding villages.

On the way to Peles castle you will pass by another mountainous area with spending views and you can stop at Azuga to admire the scenery.

Peleș is a picturesque Neo-Renaissance castle set in a beautiful location, surrounded by forests and mountains. It was the summer residence for the royal family of Romania and it impresses with its intricate outdoor and interior decorations.

Overnight in Brasov

Drive time: 3h

In the afternoon you can enjoy a walk in the countryside or you can explore the surroundings of Viscri on bike or horseback.

Overnight in Viscri

Transfer time: 1h

Then you will take the car and head to Ruginesti. On your way, you will cross the Bicaz gorges which have very beautiful scenery, as the road passes by a stream who shaped a zig-zag line in the limestone mountains.

Overnight in Ruginesti

Transfer time: 4h30’

In the afternoon you can enjoy some relaxing time or explore the village and surroundings.

Overnight in Vama

Drive time: 5h

Optional: You can have a detour before going to Moldovita so you can pass through a mountain pass near Sadova, an interesting place to see as the mountains slopes are covered with small wooden storage buildings for hay.

In Moldovita you can also visit the Lucia Condrea Egg Museum. Here you will be introduced to the Romanian Easter celebration as you will see over 5000 exhibits painted in different traditional styles.

As you travel to Sucevita you will pass again through a natural mountainous park (Pasul Palma/Ciumarna).

Then you can visit Sucevita Monastery known for its large number of paintings and very well-preserved frescoes. You will also be able to admire the monastery’s collection of religious artifacts and icons.

Voronet monastery is the most famous of the painted monasteries and, because of its beautiful paintings and frescoes, it is called “the Sistine Chapel of the East”. Its frescoes feature an intense shade of blue, the composition of the paint remaining a mystery even to this day.

Overnight in Vama

Drive time: 2h30’ or 3h if going to Sadova

Another option to cross the mountains is through Prislop Pass, which will also take you through forests and a 1400m high pass.

After your arrival in Baia-Sprie, you can have a relaxing time or enjoy the rest of the day at the Blue Lake (Lacul Albastru) located nearby. Going to the lake it involves some walking. You will spend the night at the guesthouse of a famous potter from the region.

Overnight in Baia-Sprie

Drive time: 4h30 if going through Tihuta Pass, 4h if going through Prislop pass

There are also unique places to see, such as Barsana monastery, a beautiful wooden monastic complex or the Merry Cemetery where the crosses are lively decorated with paintings and poems telling about the life of the deceased. There is also the Memorial of the Victims of Communism, where you can learn about the communist times in Romania as the museum is located in a former communist prison.

On this day as well you will cross the mountains twice, once on a road with many hairpin turns and the second time through alpine meadows where in the summer you can stop and pick up blueberries and raspberries.

Overnight in Baia-Sprie

Drive time: depends on the places you will visit (2-4h)

Cluj-Napoca is the largest city from Transylvania, a former fortified medieval town. Here you can explore the old center, visit Unirii Square, the King Matthias Corvinus birth house, Saint Michael’s Church or some of the museums. If you want to spend a relaxing time you can opt for the Botanical Garden or Central Park. Another option is to go to Cetatuia Hill from where you will have a nice panorama of the city.

In the afternoon you can visit Turda Salt Mine, an impressive place where you can row a boat on an underground lake, take a ride on a Ferris wheel or play soft sports while breathing the salty air.

Overnight in Coltesti

Drive time: 4h

You will spend the rest of the day in the surroundings of Sub Piatra, which is located in beautiful scenery, close to Apuseni Mountains. You can visit one of the many caves the Apuseni has, such as Scarisoara, Poarta lu’ Ionele or Vartop but you can also do some hiking as there are many interesting trails in the area, Huda lui Papara being one of them. Near the guesthouse you can go out for sunset and sunrise shooting which is usually very spectacular in this area with mountain scenery, barns mist, trees, shadows and a monastery in the valley.

Overnight in Sub Piatra

Drive time: depends on the activities you will do (up to 4 or even 5 hours if you decide to go to Vartop and Scarisoara caves)

A not-to-be-missed attraction during your self-drive tour is Transalpina road, the highest road in Romania and the one of the most beautiful ones in terms of scenery. In the evening you will drive in the valley of Transalpina where is located the guesthouse where you will spend the night.

Overnight in Obarsia Lotrului

Transfer time: 4h

You will then head towards Sibiu, a charming town built by the German-Saxons in the medieval times. You can wander through the narrow streets and cobbled squares of the old town, you can visit the Evangelical Cathedral but also some of the museums.

Overnight in Sibiu

Drive time: 4h

Once in Bucharest, if you have some time left you can explore the Old Town of Bucharest, a vibrant place with plenty of historical sights, museums and small cafes and shops.

Overnight in Bucharest

Drive time: 6h30’

Your tour of Romania ends here, so you will drive to the airport where you can drop off the car and take the flight back home.

This “Scenic Drives of Romania” tour is a tailor-made trip and we can accommodate your own interests and adapt the tour to your specific preferences. Therefore, we can shorten the tour or we can add other places of interest, such as the Iron Gates on the Danube (also a great drive) together with Beusnita Waterfall in South-western Romania or Saint Ana Lake in Transylvania. 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 14 nights in standard double rooms with breakfast included
• Rented car on the above itinerary: Dacia Duster or similar (4×4, manual transmission)
• Pottery lesson
• 7 dinners: 1 in Viscri, 2 in Vama, 2 in Baia-Sprie, 1 in Sub Piatra
• 1 lunch: in Viscri

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 60-80 EUR
• Meals, except those included above. On average you can pay for a meal 10-12 EUR