Transylvania Tours are our specialty as we’re based in the region and best positioned to unveil to you its true charm.

“Timeless”  

Is the word used to describe Transylvania by its most famous ambassador, HRH Prince Charles of Wales after more than 20 yearly visits.

We agree: Transylvania gives you that feeling of stepping back in time, slowing down, taking it easy. There is so much to see and do in Transylvania that an 8-10-days tour will make you want to return for more.

We organize guided or self-guided private trips, as well as group tours in Transylvania.

For inspiration, please have a look at our suggested Transylvania Tours which can be customized as you please.

Or write us at info@true-romania.tours about your interests and we’ll send you a tailor-made tour proposal.

What is Transylvania? And where is it?

Transylvania is one of the main historical regions of Romania together with Wallachia and Moldova. It is situated in the central-Western part of the country. What is properly known as Transylvania lies within the Carpathian mountain range but the smaller regions of Banat, Crisana, Satmar and Maramures can also be considered as part of extended Transylvania and they border Hungary, Serbia and Ukraine. Tours of Transylvania can be easily combined with other regions of Romania and neighboring countries.

Transylvania is part of Romania since 1918. For many centuries before that it was part of the Hungarian or Austro-Hungarian empires being at an important crossroad of large empires and also at the border of Christianity.

Transylvania is the name used in English and comes from Latin and it translates as the land across the forest. In Romanian, locals usually call the region Ardeal. Other important versions of the name are the German Siebenbürgen or Transsilvanien and the Hungarian Erdély. Many of the towns you will visit in Transylvania also have names in Romanian, Hungarian and German and often also in Yiddish as these were the main ethnic groups of Transylvania.

It has a population of about 7 million people and the largest cities are Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara, Brasov, Sibiu, Oradea, Arad.

7 reasons to visit Transylvania

Promoted as “the best region to travel to” a few years ago by Lonely Planet, there are many fascinating places to include in a tour of Transylvania:

1.Fortifications and legends

Transylvania’s rich history is best understood by visiting its majestic medieval castles – Corvin, Bran and Peles, the medieval towns, such as Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara, which are some of Europe’s best-preserved medieval settlements. Any Transylvania tour should also include one of the fortified churches built by the German-Saxons who colonized the region between the 12th-14th century, now UNESCO sites (such as Viscri, Biertan, Prejmer). Alba Iulia is the largest fortress in the country, has a star shape and it is hugely important in Romania’s history. Other emerging destinations are Timisoara, Oradea and Cluj Napoca.

2.Rich culture and centuries-old traditions

Transylvania’s multi-ethnic heritage (Romanian, German, Hungarian, Jewish and Gypsy) is delightfully apparent in the folk costumes, architecture, cuisine, music and festivals. Whenever possible we try to plan our Transylvania tours to include local events and festivals such as the medieval festivals in Sighisoara and Sibiu, the “shooting of the Rooster” in Apata, Fuga Lolelor in Agnita (the run of the Lole), Udatul Ionilor in Talmacel (Sprinkling of Johns), the Sibiu International Theater Festival or Haferland week.

Colorful centuries-old traditions are alive and well in the small villages of Transylvania. People here still make a living at such time-honored occupations as shepherds, weavers, blacksmiths and carpenters.

3.The beauty of nature

Transylvania is surrounded by the Carpathian mountains so travelers can walk through serene alpine meadows covered with scores of wildflowers, trek around glacial lakes, take in the lush-green scenery while horse riding or mountain biking, climb curious rock formations, photograph fossil traces of 15,000-year old cave-bear species, track gold eagles or other rare birds, study endangered flora, wander in the countryside, picnic in the fields or observe wild animals (Romania has the largest population of bears, wolves and lynx in Europe). And some of the UNESCO protected ancient and primeval beech forests of the Carpathians are in Transylvania.

Bicaz and Turda gorges and scenic roads like the Transfagarasan or Transalpina get you really close to some of the most beautiful natural spots in Romania. And there are waterfalls too!

So hiking, biking, horse-back riding and nature observation tours in Transylvania are becoming increasingly popular.

4.Traditional farming

Traditional farming has ensured that for centuries peasants were self-sufficient, trading excess goods for others they didn’t have. Nowadays there are still many peasants who embrace this lifestyle: vegetables come from their own garden, eggs from their chickens, fruits from the orchard, milk from cows, water from the well and heat from the fireplace. During our tours of Transylvania we often include visiting farms or going to local markets which will offer you an insight into this old way of farming still practiced here and a taste of the produce.

5.Charming rural accommodation and boutique hotels

The feeling of stepping back in time is offered also by the accommodation options you have in Transylvania. In the larger medieval towns, some of the centuries-old historic buildings were turned into welcoming boutique hotels. While in rural areas a few typical houses open their doors to discerning guests seeking tranquility. And then there are the castles, manors or fortresses once owned by nobility, some now revived as comfortable, upscale lodging. We include such experiences in our Transylvania tours and we weren’t surprised when the Financial Times wrote an article about “Transylvania’s growing reputation as the new Tuscany”.

6.Winter magic

Now imagine all the above under snow or frost? The castles and medieval towns look like they came out of fairytales. And in the medieval squares of Sibiu, Brasov and Cluj there are delightful Christmas markets. There is an ice hotel up in the mountains, dog or horse sled rides are an option and so is snowshoeing. Tours of Transylvania in winter are truly magical.

7.HRH Prince Charles of Wales about Transylvania

HRH Prince Charles of Wales is Transylvania’s most important ambassador. He fell in love with Transylvania years ago, visits yearly, owns property here, established a branch of his charity and has supported many heritage conservation projects. He calls it “the last corner of Europe where you see true sustainability”. Viscri, the place he often visits is usually included in our tours of Transylvania.

The Wild Carpathia documentaries did some justice in presenting what Transylvania (and more broadly Romania) has to offer. Here you can see the first episode.

How to travel to Transylvania?

From the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore and other far-away countries:

• Bucharest is the largest airport in the country and it is 3-4 hours’ drive by car from Transylvania. There are many airlines that fly to Bucharest and you will have to connect through other major European airports (like Frankfurt, London, Vienna, Munich, Warsaw, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Istanbul) or through Doha or Dubai. So getting to Bucharest is a very common way to start a tour of Transylvania.
• The major airlines that have connecting flights through big European airports to one of the main airports in Transylvania (Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara and Sibiu) are Lufthansa, Austrian and Turkish. There are a few direct flights from outside Europe directly to Transylvania with Wizzair from Dubai and Tel Aviv.

How to travel from Europe to Transylvania:

• By plane to airports in Transylvania: Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu, Timisoara. Airlines like Lufthansa, Austrian, Blue Air, Wizzair, Tarom, and Turkish have direct flights from major European cities to one or all of those airports.
• By land (car or train) you can start your tour of Transylvania from Budapest, Belgrade, Sofia, Kiev, Chisinau or other cities from close nearby countries (Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine or Moldova).

Here are a few testimonials from previous travelers who’ve thoroughly enjoyed our Transylvania tours:

Are you convinced that a tour of Transylvania should be your next adventure?

Please contact us by email at info@true-romania.tours and tell us about your interests and we’ll work on a tailor-made tour of Transylvania for you.

Our Romania tour operator company is licensed as Via Transylvania Tours by the Romanian Tourism Authority. We are featured in the Bradt and Routard travel guides, have exhibited at WTM in London and ITB in Berlin travel fairs and since 2017 we are present on TripAdvisor where you can read reviews from our previous tours of Transylvania and Romania.

We look forward to hosting you in Transylvania!