Compare Grand tour of Panama by Audley Travel vs On the high peaks of Transfagarasan by Eastern European Experience
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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4.5 | Great
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| Duration | 18 days | 3 days |
| Price From | $ 8,822 | $ 449 |
| Price Per Day | $ 490 | $ 150 |
| Highlights |
N/A
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| Trip Style | Private guided tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Internal airfare and ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
2 breakfasts , 1 dinner |
| Description |
Panama’s capital is the only city in Central America to have real heft on the global stage, and its mighty canal is undoubtedly an engineering tour de force. Comparatively few visitors venture farther afield, but our specialists have explored Panama’s remoter areas, from rainforests to coastal mangroves. They’ll tell you that other treasures lie in store on this twisting strip of land. They can suggest experiences beyond the city for your holiday to Panama, such as birdwatching around Gatún Lake (home to 385 species), exploring botany with the indigenous Emberá, and snorkeling with turtles in Bocas del Toro. |
Join us for an amazing trip taking you deep in the heart of Transylvania, visiting the 3 major cities, Brasov, Sibiu & medieval Sighisoara, while traveling on what is probably the most beautiful road in the world, the famous Transfagarasan. Be accompanied by an expert guide that will make you fall in love with this fairytale land. |
Day 1 : Panama City
Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Panama City. Arrive in Panama City today. You will be met at the airport and driven to your hotel in a private vehicle.
Day 2 : Panama City
Today you will explore Panama City, taking in the colossal Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal, the remains of the original capital Panama Viejo which was sacked by Henry Morgan in the 1600's and the beautiful colonial quarter of Casco Antiguo.
Day 3 : Panama City
Today enjoy a partial transit of the Panama Canal, travelling from the Pacific through the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks to Gatun Lake, the canal's watershed.
Day 4 : Coral Lodge
An early start this morning for your light aircraft flight to the San Blas Islands. Spend the day meeting the Kuna people, snorkel on pristine islets and enjoy a picnic lunch before you travel by boat onto Coral Lodge. All meals are included in your stay.
Day 5 : Coral Lodge
Day at leisure at Coral Lodge.
Day 6 : Panama City
This morning enjoy a short boat trip to the jetty at Miramar where you will be met and driven to Portobello to see the old Spanish fortifications used to defend against marauding pirates in colonial times. After lunch you continue back to Panama City.
Day 7 : Panama City
This morning you will visit the beautiful Soberania National Park for an easy hike along one of its famous birdwatching roads. After the walk you then take a boat ride on Gatun Lake, which was created for the Panama Canal in 1913 and is now a haven for wildlife as well as a transit for shipping.
Day 8 : Tranquilo Bay
Transfer to Panama City's domestic airport for your short flight to Bocas del Toro where you will be met and transferred by boat to the lodge.
Day 9 : Tranquilo Bay
Enjoy the wide range of inclusive activities on offer at Tranquilo Bay.
Day 10 : Tranquilo Bay
Activities at Tranquilo Bay.
Day 11 : Boquete
Enjoy a scenic journey by boat and road across the continental divide to the Pacific slope and the town of Boquete.
Day 12 : Boquete
Enjoy an easy trek on one of Central America's most beautiful trails today. You should see a variety of different landscapes and numerous bird species, perhaps even the elusive Quetzal.
Day 13 : Boquete
Day at leisure in Boquete.
Day 14 : Cala Mia
Transfer down from the cool highlands to the tropical plains surrounding David. From here you will be driven onto sleepy Boca Chica, where you travel by boat to Cala Mia.
Day 15 : Cala Mia
At leisure at Cala Mia.
Day 16 : Cala Mia
At leisure at Cala Mia.
Day 17 : International return flight
Travel back to Boca Chica by boat and then onto David airport by road for your short flight back to Panama City. Transfer to the international airport in time for your onward flight.
Day 18 : International return flight
Arrive home today to complete your journey.
1st day-Bucharest, Poienari, Peles Castle, Bran Castle and Brasov
Departure from Bucharest and drive towards the Poienari Castle, a legend and to many, a confusing mixture of truth, history and fiction due to the convolution between the novel “Dracula” and the factual history of Vlad III Dracula “The Impaler”, whose name inspired the book. Drive towards Sinaia, where you will visit Peles Castle, used as a summer residence by the kings of Romania. It was built at the wish of the first Romanian king, Carol I, after the plans of architects Johannes Schultz and Karel Liman and decorated by JD Heymann from Hamburg, August Bembe from Mainz and Berhard Ludwig from Vienna, hence the similarity to German castles. Peles Castle is a unique construction, one of the most important monuments of its kind in 19th century Europe. Discover one of the most famous legend in Romania, Bran Castle, commonly known as Dracula`s Castle and source of inspiration for Bram Stocker. First built in 1377 for safeguarding the trading route between Transylvania and the Ottoman Empire. It was restored later to finally become a gorgeous summer royal residence in 1920. For many years now, it has been an interesting medieval art museum. Fringed by the peaks of the Southern Carpathian Mountains, Brasov is one of the most visited places in Romania. Founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211 on an ancient Dacian site and settled by the Saxons as one of the seven citadels, it has been used as a backdrop in many recent period films. The city is surrounded by legends of vampires and medieval stories. We will have a walking tour so you can discover the old town center, the Black Church, the Council Square and the Hirsche House.
Afternoon at leisure in Brasov and overnight in one of the hotels from the Old Town Square.
2nd day-Sighisoara, Biertan and Sibiu
Departure from Brasov and move drive towards Sighisoara. One of the best preserved medieval citadel in Europe remains one of the most beautiful medieval city in Europe. It is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is as well the birthplace of Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad Tepes, ruler of the province of Walachia from 1456 to 1462. He is the one who inspired the Bram Stoker`s fictional creation, Count Dracula. After this, we will be heading to Sibiu with a short detour to visit Biertan, a fortified church built in the 15th century by the Saxons. It is part of the Unesco Heritage since 1993 and it boasts beside religious objects also a matrimonial prison. Next on our „to see list” is Sibiu, one of the oldest town in Transylvania. In 2007 was awarded with the title of European Capital of Culture. The main attractions are the Evangelical Church, the Orthodox Cathedral, the Roman Catholic Church, the Stairs tower and the Council Tower.
Overnight in Sibiu.
3rd day- Avrig, Transfagarasan, Vidraru, and Bucharest
After you have enjoyed your breakfast, we will depart towards Avrig and we will visit the summer residence of Baron Samuel von Bruckenthal. Built on Vienese model (the Schonbrun Palace), keeps the collection of 212 paintings and 129 engravings of the baron. Moving forward on our way to Transfagarasan, we will be having Fagaras Mountains on the West to East border of Romania with peaks from Moldoveanu(2544m) and Negoiu(2535m). A little bit more on the west, Olt river has managed to make a passage across the mountains, from Sibiu to Rimnicu Valcea. As this was the only road crossing the country from north to south ,it born the idea of having a road that went over the Balea lake on the north side that came all the way to south in Arges County. Before 2011, this road was the highest in Romania with its length to over 92 km. That being said, Transfagarasan is one of the most beautiful and spectacular. Next on our way is the Vidraru arch dam on the bank of the Argeş River in Romania, an engineering jewel. Built in 1966 to create hydroelectricity, it was the fifth largest dam in Europe at the time. It required 42 kilometers of tunnels, over a million hard rocks extracted from underground and nearly a million cubic meters of concrete to build, plus the loss of about 80 builders’ lives. Catch a glimpse of a statue of Prometheus watching over the dam from the top of Plesa Mountain, holding a flash of lightning in his hand to symbolize electricity. The ancient Titan—who in Greek mythology stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it to humans—looks like a modern-day superhero back dropped by the Frunţii Mountains and Ghiţu mountains that surround Lake Vidraru.
Drive back to Bucharest and drop off at your hotel.
