Dracula Beyond the legend - 8 day tour to Transylvania

Breakfast: -

On the first day of your Dracula tour, our tour guide will pick you up at 09:00 AM from your place for a city tour of Bucharest. Our capital is the place where the cultures of Western and Eastern Europe merge beautifully. Beyond this exotic mix, one can undoubtedly feel the inescapable influence of the communist regime.

Your day tour of Bucharest begins with the most distinctive building in the city, dating back to the communist period, the Palace of the Parliament. Also known as the House of the People, the impressive edifice entered the Guinness World Records as the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon. As you step through imposing marble rooms, your tour guide will share with you the grim details that enabled its construction.

Lunch: At your expense

Your day in Bucharest continues with a sightseeing tour of Bucharest's Old Town, which shelters several historical sites, architectural gems and representative buildings. In the surroundings, you can sightsee Curtea Veche (the Old Court), the first royal court in Bucharest and one of Vlad Tepes's residential place. In the middle of the ruins, you can see the bust of Vlad the Impaler. 

Dinner: At your expense

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish

Overnight in Bucharest

Breakfast: At the hotel

The tour from Bucharest continues with a trip to Targoviste, the former capital of Wallachia. Targoviste served as a Saxon colony throughout the 13th century, and due to its economic growth, it became a secondary residence for Wallachian princes during the 14th century. 

The Royal court was moved from Curtea de Arges to Târgoviște in 1431, and it was refurbished continuously over the years. The princely court was rather small before Vlad the Impaler restructured it to stand against enemy attacks, later on constructing the Tower of Chindia. In 1395, the city was attacked and set on fire by Bayezid I, and in 1462 the Ottoman invasion was only stopped from reaching the town by Vlad the Impaler's Night Attack. 

Targoviste city tour, together with Princely Church and Chindia Tower, is an introduction into the life and background of Vlad Tepes. 

Lunch: At your expense

*In the wintertime (November to July), the trip to Poenari  Castle and Transfagarasan Highway will be replaced with a visit to Curtea de Arges Monastery and overnight in Sibiu. 

Next on, you will head to Poenari Fortress built in the 13th century.

It was restored by Vlad the Impaler and became one of his main fortresses. The citadel is located at an altitude of over 800 m, and to reach it, there are more than 1400 steps to climb. Often called Vlad Tepes’s "Eagle's Nest," the fortress has been a strategic point thanks to its location. 

*Due to renovations, Poienari Fortress is closed and cannot be visited until 2024

 
Your day concludes with arriving at your accommodation, a hotel located near Transfagarasan Highway. There you can relax and get ready for a new day of you Dracula Tour. 

Dinner: At your expense at the hotel

Overnight on Transfagarasan

Breakfast: At the hotel

At the beginning of your day you can admire some stunning landscapes as you travel across the Carpathian Mountains. Transfagarasan Highway goes across Fagaras Mountains, the tallest mountains in Romania, reaching 2042m. From there, spectacular sceneries are visible, and some unique photographs can be taken as there are enchanting landscapes all around.

Sibiu is one of the medieval cities that, more than 600 years ago, the story of Dracula started to spread through the noblemen and merchants that inhabited the city. Meanwhile there, you will visit Astra Museum, an open-air museum that is home to original Romanian monuments. There you can take a ride with a traditional wooden carriage as well. 
The museum is home to more than 300 traditional buildings and thousands of classic household objects, structured in five large sectors. 

For the rest of the day, you will take a Sibiu walking tour to see how the city beautifully blends tradition with multicultural and modern elements. The journey begins in the Main Square of the town and continues with visiting some of the most famous landmarks in Sibiu: Brukenthal Museum, the "Holy Trinity" Roman Catholic Cathedral, and the Huet Square with its Evangelical Church.  You will then have a couple of hours to explore the city by yourself to immerse with this gorgeous, historic city.  For your free time in Sibiu, we prepared a list of things to do. 

Dinner: At your expense

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish

Overnight in Sibiu

Breakfast: At the hotel

The fourth day of your Dracula Tour will begin with visiting one of Dracula's castle in Transylvania, Corvin Castle (or Hunyadi Castle). According to the legend, Vlad the Impaler was imprisoned here for seven years. Corvin Castle is one of the largest medieval castles in Eastern Europe. It displays an impressive Renaissance-Gothic architecture, an inner courtyard, and gorgeous soaring towers and bastions. Vlad the Impaler spent his childhood with the future king of Hungary, Mathias Corvin and, Corvin Castle was their home while getting their military education. 

You will then head on to Orastie Mountains to visit the ruins of Sarmizegetusa Regia, a famous Dacian fortress. Sarmizegetusa Regia was the leading military, religious and political center of the Dacian Empire 2000 years ago. The fort had residential areas, workshops, and a sacred zone. The sacred zone is one of the most significant Dacian Sanctuaries, its layout being similar to Stonehenge. On the site were discovered seven temples: two round and five rectangular temples and an andesite altar. However, only the foundations of these monuments have been preserved until today. 

Lunch: At your expense

The guided tour continues with a trip to Densus village. Once there, you will visit Densus Church, considered one of the oldest churches in Romania. The church is supposedly constructed sometimes in the 7th century and the murals inside date from back in the 15th century, portraying Jesus Christ wearing traditional Romanian clothing. 

One hypothesis claims that Densus Church was a pagan temple because of the altar that is closer to South than East, the roof that is shaped like a dove, and the lion statues that are united by their tails. Another hypothesis is that the church was built as a mausoleum to the Roman general Longinus Maximus.

Dinner: At the hotel at your expense

Overnight in Deva

Breakfast: At the hotel

Your day will begin with a guided tour of Alba Iulia, a city situated at the center of Romania. A famous landmark is Alba Carolina Citadel, the largest medieval citadel in Romania, built between 1715 and 1738. The site was previously home to the other two fortifications: the Roman Castle of Legio XIII Gemina and the Bălgrad Medieval Citadel.

The medieval fortress was part of a fortification system created by Prince Eugene of Savoy designed to ensure the defenses of the newly conquered provinces of the Habsburg Empire. Alba Carolina Citadel is, therefore, one of the most representative Vauban bastion fortifications in Transylvania. It is one of the Roman Empire's main fortifications in the area as well. 

Lunch: At your expense

The next stop will be at Turda, where you will visit the salt mine that covers an area of almost 45 kilometers. Turda has been used for salt mining for hundreds of years, mentioned for the first time in 1075. Today Turda Salt Mine is a touristic destination being one of the most fascinating underground places in the world. The mine is the perfect location for a fun family trip. Mini-golf, ping pong, bowling, Ferris Wheel rides, boat rides on the underground lake, all these entertainment activities are available at Turda Mine. 

Dinner: At your expense

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish

Overnight in Cluj Napoca

Breakfast: At the hotel

You will depart from Cluj and head to Biertan Fortified Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is located in a nearby  Saxon village. Surrounded by three tall defensive walls, the church dates back from the 13th century and features a late-gothic architecture, representing a stunning medieval masterpiece. 

The guided tour continues with the medieval citadel of Sighisoara, the only inhabited medieval fortress in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Take a walk along the fortress's winding cobblestone streets lined with historical buildings until you reach the Clock Tower, the symbol of the city. The tower is home to a well preserved medieval weapon museum and a torture chamber. The citadel was built in the 12th century and further fortified in the 15th century. 

Lunch: At your expense

For those interested in Dracula's birth, Sighisoara medieval citadel is known to be the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler. In this small town of Transylvania, in the house of Vlad Dracul, his son Vlad spent the first years of his life. Therefore, you will have time to visit the place where the ruthless Wallachian ruler lived the first years of his life.

Dinner: At your expense

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish

Overnight in Sighisoara

Breakfast: At the hotel

The first destination for the day is the city of Brasov. Once there, you will take a city tour to discover some of Brasov's numerous attractions. You will go on a walk on one of the narrowest streets in Eastern Europe, Rope Street, explore the Council Square, and delve into the secrets of the gothic style church, the Black Church. The city of Brasov was one of the wealthiest medieval cities in Transylvania and today one of the main touristic sites in Transylvania. 

The tour continues with visiting the world famous Bran Castle, or Dracula's Castle. It is one of the spookiest medieval castles in Europe - often referred to as the home of Dracula. Bran Castle was built in the 13th century on a 60-meter cliff, guarding the most important access route into Transylvania. Here will find out more about the Romanian royal family, the connection with the Queen Mary, and the new age stories about the castle.  
You will depart from the Castle of Dracula and head back to the historical region of Wallachia - the land reigned by Vlad the Impaler.

If the time allows, will see on the way to the "Dracula castle," another fortress that dominates the surroundings: Rasnov fortress, first dated in medieval documents in 1335. A Hollywood sign marks the hill where the fortress is today, and invite the tourists to a castle tour.

Lunch: At your expense

The final stop for the day is Snagov Monastery, located on the small Snagov Island, where Vlad the Impaler is supposedly buried. 
*The place where Vlad was buried is uncertain, and many stories and legends are hovering around. According to the legend, Vlad the Impaler was not killed by the Otomans, but he was freed by his daughter and brought to Italy.

The most widely accepted legend depicts that Vlad the Impaler could not be Christianly buried after his assassination because of the rival aristocratic families. As a consequence, the monks from Snagov Monastery stole his body in secret, to bury him in a proper traditional way. 

Dinner: At your expense

Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish

Overnight in Bucharest

Breakfast: At the hotel

The airport transfer will take place according to schedule and your Classic Romania Tour will end.