10 Days self-drive Trip from Bucharest to Transylvania & Maramures

Welcome to Romania and to Bucharest!

You will be picked up by our driver and transferred to your hotel in Bucharest.

Hotel check-in is available from 2 PM. For earlier arrivals, we recommend storing your luggage at the front desk.

At 6 PM meet you tour expert at the lobby of your hotel. Get a short briefing of the tour and take delivery of your car and touring pack.

Overnight in Bucharest

Your first stop will be the Orthodox Monastery in Sinaia, continuing with Peles Castle, the splendid Gothic-style castle built by the first king of Romania, Carol I of Hohenzollern Sigmaringen. Here, you will take a castle tour and discover some of the life of the Romanian royal family.

Now it’s time to visit the famous Bran Castle on a tour from Brasov. Here, you will complete the stories on a Dracula tour inside the castle.

In the afternoon, you will reach Brasov, and you will have time to explore the old town with the Black church.

Overnight in Brasov

The first stop of the day is at Rupea Fortress lying upon a hill on the way to Sighisoara. Rupea is one of the oldest settlements in Romania. The first clues show that the first settlements date back to 5000 BC.

You will drive to Viscri, the village that charmed the heart of Prince Charles through its simplicity and the way in which the locals preserve their traditions. The Fortified Church is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and it is a sight that should not be missed.

An important highlight of the tour is Sighișoara, the only inhabited medieval fortress included in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. This is the place where you can find out more about Dracula’s legends, and about the life of the real-life ruler, Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Tepes).

Overnight in Sighisoara

You will reach Biertan, the largest fortified church in Transylvania, built by the Saxons in the sixteenth century and nowadays listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Your next destination is Turda Salt Mine, a huge subterranean salt mine, where you will take that amazing photo that will amaze everyone! The sights inside the mine are otherworldly, attracting artists in search of spectacular views.

The last destination of the day is Cluj-Napoca, the capital of Transylvania and its most populous city.

Overnight in Cluj-Napoca

From Cluj-Napoca, you will drive to Surdesti Church, this rectangular building from 1766 and a height of 72m. The church was the tallest in Europe until recent years.

Your next destination of the day is Săpînţa, the world’s only community with a Merry Cemetery. The wood-carved crosses painted in bright colours display witty, humorous quatrains inspired by the lives of those who are no longer with us.

You will visit Breb, one of the best-preserved traditional villages in Maramures and explore the local’s way of living by coming in contact with them and visiting an authentic guest house.

Overnight in Breb village

Today’s schedule depends on your interests in rural life or city life.

You will drive to Cluj-Napoca and spend one more night in the city.

Overnight in Cluj-Napoca

The first destination of the day is Alba Iulia, with Alba Carolina Fortress. You will have the evening free to explore the fortress built in 1700s and surrounded by 12 km of walls and built in the shape of a star.

In Sibiel you will visit the Glass Icon Museum, a collection of hundreds of icons from all over Romania, all painted on glass. The village is located in between the Transylvanian hills, in a pittoresque valley from where the surrounding villages can be seen.

The day ends in Sibiu, Europe’s ‘Gastronomic capital’ and one of the seven medieval fortifications in Transylvania. For your free time in Sibiu we made a list of things to do.

Overnight in Sibiu

Corvin Castle, also known as “One of The Seven Wonders of Romania”. It is one of the  largest castles and an important piece of history for Romania. Corvin Castle is also the largest medieval castle in Transylvania, surpassing even the mysterious Bran Castle and the royal Peles Castle.

Densus Church is one of the oldest Romanian churches still standing. It was built in its present form in the 13th century on the site of a 2nd-century Roman temple, with materials from the Dacian Sarmizegetusa Fortress. Inside the church, there are 15th-century mural paintings that show Jesus wearing traditional Romanian clothes, unusual for those times.

In the evening, you will reach Sibiu, and the day will come to an end.

Overnight in Sibiu

Transfagarasan Highway was built between 1970 and 1974, with the army’s logistical support, the aim being to connect the historical provinces of Transylvania and Walachia on a previously inaccessible route. The construction has involved great sacrifice, and only Ceausescu’s immeasurable ambition made the task possible. The project’s cost to the country was high, especially since many lives were lost during its achievement. Now, the highway is considered one of the most spectacular in Europe, with corners that would make it the greatest motorsport circuit in the World.

Curtea de Argeș is the first capital of Wallachia, Romania’s southern region, and it is a truly charming place, full of history and surrounded by a curious legend. The main attraction of the town is the Curtea de Argeș Monastery, built between 1515 and 1517. It is one of the most famous architectural monuments in Wallachia, and it is part of Romania’s list of historical monuments. During the rule of Carol I, the cathedral was turned into a necropolis for the Romanian Royal Family.

After Curtea de Arges you will drive to Bucharest.

Overnight in Bucharest

After breakfasts, you can choose from taking a tour of Bucharest with one of our guides, or explore it on your own.

You will be transferred to the airport according to your flight schedule.

End of services.