Compare Halloween in Transylvania (Southbound) by Intrepid Travel vs 8-Day Classic Romania Tour from Bucharest by Tours4Fun

Day 1 Cluj Napoca

Bună Ziua! Welcome to Cluj Napoca, the unofficial capital of Romania’s Transylvania region. After your evening welcome meeting, you might like to explore the 2000-year-old city, hit up the famous Piezisa Street for a drink, or head out for dinner with your group to get a taste of Romania’s unique cuisine.

Day 2 Turda Salt Mines / Cluj Napoca

In the morning, visit the Turda Salt Mines, a former salt mine converted into an underground amusement park, complete with ferries wheel. You can even hire a row boat and play bowling. There is also a fascinating museum showcasing the history of salt mining in the region. Salt is a common protective tool against all sorts of evil beings; legend has it that if you pour an unbroken line of salt across the entranceways to your house, vampires and demons won’t be able to get in. After your salt mine visit, return to Cluj for a city tour with a local guide. The remainder of the day is yours to explore. In the evening, dress up for a spooky Halloween party with your group.

Day 3 Sighisoara

Travel by train through pastoral fields and untouched Saxon towns to the 12th-century town of Sighisoara (approximately 3.5 hours). Medieval Sighisoara is likely to seduce visitors more than any other place in Romania. The town is famed as the birthplace of Vlad Dracul III, better known as Vlad the Impaler, the ruler of Walachia province from 1456 to 1462 and whose name was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s iconic Count Dracula. Walking through the town is like taking a trip back in time to the medieval age, and it’s easy to image streets crowded with vampires, evil counts, wolves, peasants riding through the untamed countryside on horse-drawn carts and crooked old men doddering along the narrow streets. Head out with your leader for a quick orientation walk, then spend the rest of your day exploring in your own time.

Day 4 Sighisoara / Viscri / Brasov

After a free morning in Sighisoara, travel to Viscri, less than an hour away (but it’ll feel like you’re entering another world). The small Transylvanian village of Viscri was originally inhabited by Saxons from the Luxembourg area, and the whole scene is picture-postcard rural. This idyllic village of red tiled roofs is a World Heritage site, virtually unchanged for 900 years. After a home cooked lunch at the house of a local family you’ll visit the town's fortified church (thought to be the oldest in Transylvania), and learn about the Sock Project, which supports the local Roma community. Continue on to the 13th-century city of Brasov in the afternoon. Also known by its German name of Kronstadt, this town flanked by mountains and city walls was once a major medieval trading centre.

Day 5 Bran Castle / Brasov

No trip to Romania would be complete without a visit to the famous Bran Castle. The castle was built by the Saxons in 1382 to defend the Bran pass against the invading Turks. With its fairy-tale turrets and whitewashed walls, it's far from menacing and spooky, but is undeniably impressive, perched on a high cliff top and surrounded by pine trees. Afterwards, return to Brasov and enjoy a guided walk around town, checking out the ornate churches, townhouses, old city walls, and squares surrounded by gingerbread-roofed merchants' houses. Visit Brasov's main attraction, the gothic Black Church (Biserica Neagra), which took its name from its blackened appearance after a fire in 1689.

Day 6 Bucharest

This morning, travel by train to Bucharest. Often called the 'Little Paris of the Balkans', Romania's capital is known for its Belle Epoch architecture, thumping nightlife and communist sites. Meet your local guide for a private tour of the city, starting with the recently restored old town of Bucharest, then some of the more significant sites of the revolution of 1989, which culminated in the ousting and execution of communist leader Ceausescu, and the end of Romania's 42-year communist rule. Bucharest likes big things – the tour will also stop by the huge Piata Unirii, one of Europe's largest squares, and continue on to the ‘Ceausima’, Bucharest's 12-storey Palace of Parliament. The palace is the second largest building in the world (after the Pentagon). The former dictator ordered the construction of this monster, a building of staggering scale and opulence that includes 1,100 rooms and 4,500 chandeliers.

Day 7 Bucharest

Your Halloween tour ends today. There are no activities planned for the final day and you can depart your accommodation at any time. If you want to stay longer in Bucharest please check about additional accommodation when you make your booking.

Day 1 Bucharest

On the first day of your Classic Romania Tour, our guide will pick you up for a city tour of Bucharest, where the cultures of Western and Eastern Europe merge beautifully. Your city tour of Bucharest begins with the most distinctive building in the city, dating back to the Communist era: the Palace of the Parliament. Your guided tour of Bucharest continues with sightseeing in Bucharest's Old Town, sheltering several architectural gems and iconic structures. This is Bucharest's hot spot for nightlife. Accommodations for the evening are in Bucharest.

Day 2 Bucharest - Curtea de Arges - Cozia Monastery / Transfagarasan - Sibiu

On Day 2, we depart for the beautiful region of Transylvania, stopping en route at an important religious landmark, Curtea de Arges Monastery, a stunning religious edifice located at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. Afterward, we will take a road trip through the Olt Valley, and admire some of the stunning untouched landscapes of the region, before reaching Cozia Monastery. *In the summertime (Mid June to Early November), the trip to Cozia Monastery will be replaced with a road trip on Trasnfagarasan. Our next stop is Sibiu, named the European Capital of Culture in 2007. We'll take a walking tour of a city that triumphantly fuses history with multicultural elements. We will explore the Main Square of Sibiu before visiting Huet Square with the Evangelical Church. Afterwards, we will ascend the passage of stairs and cross the famous Bridge of Lies. Overnight in Sibiu.

Day 3 Sibiu - Sibiel - Alba Iulia - Turda - Cluj-Napoca

Your tour of Romania will continue with a rural replica of Sibiu: Sibiel, a quaint Transylvanian village appraised as one of the most authentic and well-preserved rural areas in Europe. After a short walk in the village, the tour continues with a short trip to Alba Iulia, where we will visit the largest fortress in Romania, surrounded by 12 km of walls and built in the shape of a star. The Alba Carolina Fortress was successively a Roman fort, a fortress during the Middle Ages and later a Vauban type citadel provided with bastions. Our next destination is the Turda Salt Mine, a huge subterranean cave carved in salt. Hundreds of meters of galleries open into halls, one of them 118 meters tall, with a lake at the bottom. The sights inside the mine are otherworldly, attracting artists in search of spectacular views. The journey continues with the largest city in Transylvania: Cluj-Napoca, proclaimed the city of arts. Overnight in Cluj-Napoca.

Day 4 Cluj Napoca - Breb - Barsana - Sighetu Marmatiei

The first few hours of the Day 4 program will be devoted to a city tour of Cluj-Napoca. The gothic St Michael's Cathedral overlooking the city's central square comes first on our list of attractions, followed by Banffy Palace, the former mayor's hall, and Mirror Street. From Cluj, we'll head to the northwestern part of Romania: Maramureș, a region resembling a fascinating open-air museum. Lacking rights and privileges for hundreds of years, the dwellers of these places have managed to overcome hardship by following two simple rules: live your life to the full, and cherish, above all, the richness of the soul. Maramureș people are considered to be the most hospitable Romanians and their traditional wooden houses are a living part of their history. You will visit Breb, one of the best preserved traditional villages in Maramures and experience the local way of living. For lunch, you will enjoy fresh products and delicious fruity liqueurs. Not far from Sighet is our final destination of the day: Sapinta, the world's only community with a cemetery full of mirth. The wood-carved crosses painted in bright colors display witty, humorous quatrains inspired by the lives of those who are no longer with us. Later in the evening enjoy a traditional Romanian dinner and folk performance. Overnight in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Day 5 Poienile Izei / Barsana - Sighetu Marmatiei - Targu Mures

On Day 5, we'll visit two ancient wooden churches that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Poienile Izei (Iza Meadows) and Barsana, the latter being one of the largest Orthodox architectural ensembles in Romania. Perfected across generations, the art of woodcarving remains the chief craft of the local community, as you will see in the workshop of a local artisan. After his demonstration, you will have the opportunity to buy unique hand-made souvenirs (own expense). Today you will have the opportunity to taste local specialties in one of the most picturesque and well-preserved regions of Romania. The locals still use their own harvest from their garden to make delicious dishes. In the evening we will reach Targu Mures, a city recognized for its ethnic and cultural diversity. Overnight in Targu Mures.

Day 6 Targu Mures - Biertan - Copsa Mare - Sighisoara - Viscri - Brasov

In the morning we will depart for Biertan, the largest fortified church in Transylvania, built by the Saxons in the 16th century. An important highlight of the Classic Romania Tour is Sighișoara, the only inhabited medieval fortress included in UNESCO's World Heritage list. Walking up the winding cobblestone streets lined with historic buildings, we reach the Clock Tower, from where you can admire the breathtaking views. The Tower shelters a museum of medieval weapons and a torture chamber. After visiting the tower we'll climb the three hundred wooden steps up to the Church-on-the-Hill, built in the XIV century. Fascinated by life in the countryside and the peaceful atmosphere of this Transylvanian village, His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, restored one of the traditional houses, making it the place where he returns every year in May. Besides admiring the specific architecture of Viscri houses, we'll enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride through the village, which will provide you the opportunity to enjoy the calm, rural scenery, and we will stop to visit the locals and enjoy some home-made cake. Then we will reach Brasov, a city founded by the Teutonic Knights, located at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Overnight in Brasov.

Day 7 Brasov - Bran - Sinaia - Bucharest

We will go on a walking tour of the city to explore one of the narrowest streets in the world, visit the beautiful Council Square, and admire the Black Church. Then it's time to visit the famous Bran Castle on a tour from Brașov. Here, you will discover the legend of Dracula on a Bran Castle tour. Bran is one of the world's spookiest medieval castles. It was built in the 13th century, set strategically atop a 60-meter cliff, towering over the most important access route into medieval Transylvania. Our Romania tour continues to Sinaia, which rose to fame thanks to the royal family who chose Sinaia as their royal residence in the 20th century. Our first stop will be the Orthodox Monastery in Sinaia, followed by Peles Castle, the splendid Gothic castle built by the first king of Romania, Carol the first of Hohenzollern. Here, we'll go on a guided tour of the castle. Overnight in Bucharest.

Day 8 Bucharest

Enjoy one last breakfast before hotel check-out and departure. Please provide your flight departure details as early as possible so that we can arrange airport drop-off accordingly.