Best Of Romania And The Danube Delta

Our trip begins in Bucharest. It is Romania's largest city and became the capital in 1832. It has gone through a period of urban renewal and modernisation and it is now a bustling city, at the centre of Romanian culture, art and media. For those arriving on time our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. Due to a number of flights arriving into Bucharest later in the evening, our welcome meeting will take place on the morning of day two. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Bucharest at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP), which is about 30 minutes' drive from the city centre. If you have free time on arrival then there's plenty to discover in the city's Old Town or there's a multitude of museums available to choose from including the National Museum of Romanian History, the Military Museum and the Folk Art Museum, to name but a few.

After our Leader does an initial welcome meeting, we leave the city and head into the Transylvanian countryside, stopping firstly in Sinaia, known as the 'pearl of the Carpathians'. You will have the opportunity to visit Pelisor Palace to see this fine example of an Art Deco and Art Nouveau interior. After the visit we continue to nearby Moieciu village where time permitting we can do a short walk in the Bucegi Mountain forests that are protected as a nature reserve. This walk covers a distance of approximately six kilometres and takes around two to three hours. It includes uphill and downhill sectionc (300m ascent and descent). This walk is graded as easy. Alternatively, you can explore Moieciu at your own pace rather than taking this alpine walk. Lastly, we will visit Bran Castle. The truth behind 'Dracula's castle' is even more fascinating than its myths! It was once home to the remarkable British born Queen Marie of Romania, granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Vlad the Impaler, the infamous 15th century ruler of Wallachia never lived here and there is no connection with the excellent novel by Bram Stoker - who never even travelled to Transylvania. Perched on a crag in a valley between two high mountain ranges, it controlled an international trade route, but is now a rural backwater. This evening we will stay in a quaint local guesthouse in Moieciu where you have the opportunity to have a delicious home cooked meal this evening. Romanian cuisine is hearty and their red wine is surprisingly good. Before a meal the locals tend to sip the aperitif, tzuica, a strong plum brandy.

We'll drive to the city of Brasov. Its old town still has its medieval walls, a town hall and several churches dating from the 14th - 18th centuries. There are also the ruins of an old citadel. Brasov is one of the most historic cities of Transylvania with its old buildings, cobbled streets and local atmosphere, all clustered within the medieval fortifications and overlooked by a magnificent 15th century Gothic cathedral. You have the option to visit the Gothic Black Church, which is considered by many to be the most important church in Romania. We then continue our drive for approximately two and a half hours to the medieval town on hilltop, Sighisoara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we spend about an hour. This is the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler. The town's colourful buildings encircle a central square where you can have a cup of coffee in a local café and watch the world go by. Alternatively you can climb up to the church and get a good view back over the town below. Our final drive of the day is to Bistrita, which takes us about three hours and we will arrive at our hotel in the evening.