Things to do in

Western Romania

Be picked up from the lobby of your hotel and embark on the journey towards the Small Carpathian Wine Region. This area is located on the south-eastern slopes of the Small Carpathians and is one of the eight winegrowing regions of Slovakia. Arrive at the Red Stone Castle, one of the most romantic castles of Slovakia, with vast cellars which were once used as warehouses for copper. To enter, you can pay an additional fee. Continue towards the historical town of Modra. Modra is famous for being the birthplace of Slovakian national hero Ludovit Stur, who fought for the autonomy of Slovakia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Stur also had a significant influence on the revival of the Slovak language and introduced the Slovak language standard. Learn more about his importance in Slovak history as you wander around the medieval town center. Next, visit Pezinok, the capital city of Slovak wine production. Enjoy a walking tour in the historical city center of Pezinok with the option of entering the Majolica Pottery Factory. Continue towards the small town of Svaty Jur to discover its charming streets. Finally, visit a local vineyard and see the traditional production of local wine, free from colorants or additives, by local farmers. Sample this local fine wine with a small snack before returning to Bratislava at approximately 6:00 PM.

Your tour will begin as you are taken from your hotel in Brasov by a professional guide. Once having departed Brasov, you will travel to the most spectacular road in Europe: Transfagarasan. You will stop first and visit the Brancoveanu Monastery, an ancient Orthodox monastery built at the foot of the Fagaras Mountains. Its mural and interior paintings were made in 1766 by the painters Ionascu and Pană, and you will leave the silence and harmony of the monastic life of this Orthodox monastery. You will then continue to the mountains which host the Transfagarasan Highway, the most spectacular and beautiful mountain road in Europe. The road has been featured on the UK motor show Top Gear, and traverses up through the mountains uniting Transylvania with Valachia. Whilst there you will experience great scenes, noisy waterfalls, and with some luck you may even see wild animals such as the brown bear or black goats. Moving onward, you will travel to the Balea Glacier Lake, where you will have lunch at the Lake Balea Chalet. You can then take a walk around the lake, and in summer can also climb up the slope near the lake. From the top of this ridge you will have wonderful pictures with the peaks of the surrounding mountains and the lake and cottage Balea. In the winter between December and March you can visit the ice hotel, as well as the neighboring ice church. You will later return to Brasov in the evening, with wonderful memories of your trip into the sky.

In the morning you will start your journey towards the Fagaras Mountains, some of the most massive and beautiful mountains in Romania, also named the Transylvanian Alps. Your first stop will be in the town named Curtea de Arges, at the bottom of the Fagaras Mountains, where you will visit one of the most remarkable monasteries in Romania. Next you will make a stop at the foot of the Poenari Citadel, a stronghold that became famous thanks to Dracula's Legend. From here you will be taken to Romania's most beautiful road, named by Top Gear "the best road in the world", the Transfagarasan, the second-highest road in Romania. The road reaches its highest point of 2034m at the Balea Lake. Here you will have an hour and a half break to enjoy the beauty of this place. You have numerous possibilities: a cable car trip between Balea Lake and Balea Waterfall; lunch in one of the chalets; or picnic or hike around this beautiful area​. ​With your batteries fully charged, you will now drive back to Bucharest arriving at around 20:00.

Enjoy an epic day-trip from Bucharest, following the ancient wine road built by the Romans 2,000 years ago. Re-opened to the public after almost a century of “hibernation”, the road displays beautifully restored manors, cellars and old monasteries. Along the way, you’ll visit two wine museums, stop for lunch in a traditional manor and enjoy wine tasting sessions at two prestigious wineries, surrounded by the endless vineyards of Dealu Mare – Romania’s most famous wine region. Short history: Romania is a country with a long standing tradition in winemaking, and the world’s 13th wine producer, despite losing half of its arable lands and suffering a loss of prestige several decades ago, when communists favored mass production over quality. Nowadays, the country has gone through a process of mass restoration, aiming to re-claim its rightful place among the Top 10 wine producers. Itinerary description: 1st stop: Bellu Manor Wine Museum Your guide will pick you up from the hotel and drive a bit over one hour to Dealu Mare, Romania's most famous wine region. As soon as you enter the Old Wine Road, you'll stop for a guided tour at the beautifully restored Bellu Manor – a marvel of old Romanian architecture. Built by Baron Alexandru Bellu in the 19th century, the manor is not just a great art collection, but also an important wine museum. With a great passion for wine and even owning a sparkling wine factory, the baron stored precious tools in the manor’s great cellar. It's the oldest wine press in Walachia with enormous barrels and extremely old wine-making tools going back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. 2nd stop: Lacerta Winery After learning about the long history of winemaking in Romania, it’s time for some actual wine tasting at Lacerta Winery. Same as Bordeaux and Toscana, Lacerta’s vine estate stretches along the 45th parallel and thus has the ideal climate for producing wines with a rich, complex and silken taste. Lacerta is one of the most modern wineries in Romania, with production techniques based on gravitational principles meant to limit the usage of pumps. You’ll be able to taste 6 types of high-quality Romanian wines alongside small plates of cheese & dry sausages in a fairy tale location, surrounded by the endless vineyards covering the hills of Dealu Mare, at one of the most beautiful wineries in the country. 3rd stop: Casa Colinelor - 1000 Chipuri Winery The third and final stop of the day is at Casa Colinelor (Hill House) where the 1000 Chipuri (1000 Faces) Winery is located. Here you will first serve lunch and then tour the property. During the wine tasting, you will admire the beautiful vineyards surrounding the house, visit the winery and also the cellars. There will be 6 glasses of wine, served alongside typical wine snacks. All the wines come from 1000 Chipuri, one of the most highly praised boutique wineries from the Dealu Mare wine region.

Visit the Curtea de Arges Monastery on this 12-hour trip. Completed in 1517, it serves as the necropolis of the Romanian royal family. Continue the drive on a highway that crosses the Carpathian Mountains. Next on the itinerary is cliff-top Poenari Castle, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries. Vlad the Impaler forced many of his enemies and political opponents to work on expanding the castle. Near the castle make another stop to see Vidraru Dam: at 525 feet, it is one of the tallest dams in Europe. A highlight of the tour is a drive on the Transfagarasan Highway. At the northernmost point of the tour, enjoy a short hike near Balea Lake.

The Transfagarasan mountain road (or national road 7C) is one of the most spectacular roads in the world, according to Top Gear. Located in Romania, it runs trough the Fagaras mountains and has more tunnels and viaducts than any other road in Romania. Discover this fantastic route with a daily bus transfer service between Sibiu and the Balea area, and explore the stunningly beautiful Balea waterfall and lake on your own. This is a touristic bus and will only go on route with reservation. The duration of transfers is approximate, and the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions.  The tour will be: Sibiu (Parking Thalia Hall) – Avrig – Cartisoara - Balea Cascada (Cable Car Station)  The return route is: Balea Cascada (Cable Car Station) – Cartisoara – Avrig - Sibiu (Parking Thalia Hall)

Situated on the northern bank of the Bega River in the Banat region, Timisoara impresses everyone with its charming and vibrant cultural life, and its rich historical heritage. Take your time to discover the first European city that used the horse-drawn trams (1869) and electrical street lightning (1889).  Timisoara was also the first Romanian city that reacted at the Revolution in 1989 against the Communist regime. The walking tour begins in the downtown quarter of “Cetate” (the former “Inner City”), with many old buildings in the styles of Art Nouveau or Baroque, large pedestrianized squares, and a general multicultural character. You will begin with a visit to Victory Square, known also by the name of Opera Square, enjoying a visit to the impressive Orthodox Cathedral, and the Opera and Theater House. Next, the Liberty Square hosts the Old City Hall with its Turkish inscription, showing again the mixture of cultures and religions who have lived here. The Union Square is dominated by the Catholic dome-church, the Serbian-Orthodox Cathedral and by the President's Palace – the Arts Museum. Also, walk through the interesting ruins of the old fortress, constructed in the Vauban Style.

Get picked up by your knowledgeable, English-speaking guide and head into the Carpathian Mountains for a day. Visit the pristine Piatra Craiului National Park on an intimate small-group tour that ensures you'll make the most of your outdoor trekking excursion. Follow one of two routes on a 5- to 6-hour hike through alpine meadows, fragrant forests, and country villages that seem untouched by time. See the cavernous Zarnesti Gorge and hike along the main ridge regarded as one of the most beautiful sites in the Carpathians. Learn about the traditional rural industries of cheese-making and shepherding. Refuel with hearty Romanian fare at a mountain hut or a local village. See a side of Romania that's hardly changed in generations.

Discover the best of Romania's nature and history on this full-day trip from Bucharest. Encounter brown bears at a bear sanctuary, visit Bern (Dracula's) Castle, and explore the city of Brasov. After getting picked up from your hotel, head to your first stop of the day, Libearty Bear Sanctuary. Here, get up close and personal with bears that have been rescued from captivity, have your photo taken with them, and watch them eat. Next, continue to Bran Castle, also known as Dracula's Castle. See for yourself why the castle has become Romania's number one tourist attraction and why it is one of the most expensive venues in the world. Finish your tour in Brasov, where history, music, and good food meet. Enjoy some free time to explore the city at your own pace before getting dropped off at your hotel in Bucharest at the end of the day.

Book your transfer from Lviv to the resort town of Bukovel in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains. Avoid the hassle of finding transportation and enjoy a private transfer in an air-conditioned car. Get out of Lviv and enjoy a holiday in the majestic Carpathian Mountains with a reliable private transfer. Enjoy drop-off at any hotel or guesthouse in Bukovel.