Day 1

Bucharest
Arrival to the airport and transfer to hotel.

 

Day 2

Bucharest
Bucharest - a city known for its wide Parisian-style boulevards and fine pre-World War I buildings. Today start the tour with a visit to the Royal Palace - built in the early 19th century and the former seat of the State Council,  it also houses the National Art Museum in its South Wing, Stavropoleos Church - it has an arabesque facade with a columned portico carved with delicate tracery, Patriarchal Cathedral -the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Church and is located on a hill overlooking the southern side of the city. See Palace of Parliament -a  colossal building and the third largest building in the world. Also visit the open air Village Museum. Have some free time. Overnight.

 

Day 3

Bucharest – Sibiu (276km/4h)
Leave Bucharest behind and drive to Sibiu. En route stop at Curtea de Arges, where you will visit the Episcopal Cathedral, which is made from polished white stone. It resembles a very large and elaborate mausoleum, built in Byzantine style, with Moorish arabesques. Continue to Sibiu and after arrival you`ll have some free time to explore the city on your own. Overnight.

 

Day 4

Sibiu
Start the day exploring Sibiu, which combines styles of the late Renaissance, Gothic, Classical and Transylvanian Baroque architecture. Discover Sibiu through its different historic stages: the little Saxon community established on the bank of a river, the little fortress with no more than one hundred inhabitants, the best fortified citadel in Transylvania, the medieval town, the greatest trade center in Transylvania, the best developed town in the Eastern part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Visit various churches, the famous Brukenthal Museum, towers, bastions, walls of fortification, old buildings, narrow streets, dark and mysterious inner yards. In the historic part of the city you can visit some of the churches of different denominations: the Roman-Catholic Church, the Evangelical Church, the Reformed Church, the Orthodox Cathedral, the Greco-Orthodox Church, the Franciscan Church and a Synagogue.

 

Day 5

Sibiu – Sighisoara (102km/1h20min) – Brasov (118km/1h20min)
Travel to Sighişoara, a beautifully preserved medieval town.  The city walls encircle cobbled streets lined with 16th century burghers’ houses and churches.  The citadel is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. You will also see the marvelous Old Clock Tower, which dates back to the 13th century. Each day a different wooden figure emerges from the belfry on the stroke of midnight. Visit Gothic Saxon Church of the Dominican Monastery - the interior has stark whitewashed walls, hung with colourful carpets, similar to those in Brasov's Black Church. In the afternoon continue to Brasov. Overnight.

 

Day 6

Brasov
Braşov - a medieval town with ornate Saxon churches and townhouses. Braşov boasts everything from dynamic modern city life to old world charm and fascinating scenery.  Here you will visit the 15th century Town Hall, with its quaint Trumpeter’s Tower on top, and the Lutheran Black Church. The Black Church is the largest Gothic church in the country, and its 7 tone bell is the largest in Romania. Inside there are fine hanging Turkish carpets and a huge organ with 4000 pipes built by Buchholz. Continue to the Orthodox St Nicholas’s Cathedral, which is easily recognized by its black spires. Next to St. Nicholas Church is the First Romanian School (started in 1583), and a statue of Coresi. Nearby is a cemetery, where Ioan Meşotă, Aurel Popovici, Vasile Saftu, and Nicolae Titulescu are buried. Overnight.

 

Day 7

Brasov – Bran (30km/40min) – Sinaia (48km/1h)
Travel to Bran and visit  ‘Dracula’s Castle’. The castle was created by the Saxons in the late 14th century to defend Braşov from invasion by the Turks. Continue to Sinaia - known as the “Pearl of the Carpathians “due to its magnificent mountain scenery and Royal Castle. Visit Sinaia Monastery, which was built between 1690 and 1695. The monastery is now home to 20 Christian Orthodox monks. Next stop is Peleş Castle, a royal palace set in a large landscaped Park.  It was built in the late 19th century for Romania`s first monarch, King Carol I, and took 39 years to complete.  It has over 100 rooms richly decorated in ebony, mother of pearl and leather, and each room is styled on a particular country. Romania`s first cinema was established in one of the castle’s rooms. You will then continue to Pelişor Palace. The Palace was also built in German Renaissance style and work was completed in 1892. You will have some free time and overnight. 

 

Day 8

Sinaia – Bucharest (124km/2h)
Depart for Bucharest airport for a final departure.