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Maramures: Guesthouse interior

Day 1:

Otopeni Airport – Brasov (170 km)

Arrival on Bucharest Otopeni Airport. Transfer to Brasov, via Sinaia. Dinner in the National Restaurant in Sinaia.

Accommodation at 3* hotel in Brasov. Overnight.

Day 2:

Brasov – Sighisoara – Bistrita – Baia Mare (370 km)

Breakfast. Departure from Brasov. Sightseeing tour in Sighisoara, the best preserved medieval citadel in Europe and the only one which is still inhabited, including the Tower Museum, the Cover Stairs, the Church on the Hill. Lunch in Bistrita (the Golden Crown restaurant).

Accommodation and dinner at 3* hotel in Baia Mare.

Day 3:

Baia Mare – Surdesti – Sapanta – Rozavlea – Barsana – Ieud – Baia Mare (250 km)

Breakfast. Sightseeing tour of Baia Mare, including the Stephen the Great Tower, the Mineralogy Museum, the Butcher's Guild; Lunch in Hotel Carpati in Baia Mare. Travel to Surdesti (the wooden church "Sfintii Arhangheli"). In Valea Marei you can admire the famous Romanian wooden carved gates. Drive to Sapanta via Sighetul Marmatiei. Visit the Merry Cemetery, unique in the world for its happy epitaphs carved on the funerary monuments by the local craftsman Stan Patras and the open-air handicrafts exhibition. Short breaks in Rozavlea, Barsana and Ieud for seeing the famous wooden churches from Maramures. Other objectives: all around the Historical Maramures, you can admire one of the eldest European civilization, with a lot of Dacians and pre-Christians symbols; the area is famous for woodencarved gates, handicrafts and wood-crafts.

Accommodation and dinner at 3* hotel in Baia Mare.

Sapanta: The Merry Cemetery

Day 4:

Baia Mare – Borsa – Bucovina Area (200 km)

Breakfast. Departure to Borsa. Optional programme in Viseu de Sus (only for groups): walking by old steam-train, also called "mocanita", crossing an outstanding natural region, the Vaser Valley (43 km). Crossing the mountains we arrive in Campulung Moldovenesc, where one can see the Woodcraft Museum. Accommodation and dinner at 3* guest-house in Bucovina area. Free time at your disposal.

Day 5:

Bucovina Area – Sucevita – Moldovita – Voronet – Campulung Moldovenesc – Gura Humorului – Piatra Neamt (200 km)

Breakfast. Visit, in a full-day trip, the most important UNESCO monuments: the monasteries with outdoor frescoes of Sucevita, Moldovita, Voronet (the most important, also called "The Sistine Chapel of the East", well known for its "blue of Voronet"), Humor and Arbore. In Campulung Moldovenesc a short break is necessary for lunch. Visit the Museum of Woodcraft.

Accommodation and dinner at 3* hotel in Piatra Neamt.

Day 6:

Piatra Neamt – Lacu Rosu – Corund – Brasov (300 km)

Breakfast. On the route to Praid, we go through Bicaz Gorge (the most impressive gorges in Romania) and reach the Red Lake Resort (natural lake, unique in Romania). Lunch. In Praid, enter in the salt mine by coach (underground park, church). In Corund an open-air permanent pottery exhibition is waiting for you.

Accommodation and festive dinner in Brasov (hotel 3*).

Maramures: Wooden Church

Day 7:

Brasov – Sinaia – Otopeni Airport (200 km)

Breakfast. Breakfast. In the last day of the trip, we go from Brasov to Sinaia, where we visit Peles Castle, former summer residence of the King Carol I of Romania, built in neo-renaissance German style between 1875 - 1883. Lunch in the National Saloon in Sinaia. Transfer and tourist assistance to the Bucharest Otopeni Airport for your flight home.

Optional: one supplementarry overnight in Bucharest at 3-4* hotels and transfer to the aiport in the following day.

Total distance: ~ 1800 km.

Included objectives:

· Sighisoara - the Tower Museum;
· Sighisoara - the mediaeval citadel (the only citadel still inhabited in Europe; firstly mentioned in 1208 under the name “Castrum Sex”); Objectives: the Cover Stairs, the Guilds’ Tower (9), Vlad Dracul House, the Church on the Hill;
· Baia Mare - Stephen the Great’ Tower, the Butchers’ Bastion;
· Baia Mare - the Mineralogy Museum;
· Surdesti - the “Sfintii Arhangheli” wooden church, second tallest wooden building in Europe;
· Valea Marei - ethnographic zone; wooden-carved gates with pre-Christian symbols;
· Sapanta - the Merry Cemetery (unique in the world); the Folk Art open-air Museum
· Sighetul Marmatiei - the former prison for political convicts, now called “Memorial to Arrested Thought”
· Vadu Izei, Calinesti, Rozavlea, Ieud – wooden churches;
· Barsana - wooden church, the tallest wooden building in Europe;
· The Ethnographic Zone of Maramures;
· Rail-trip with an old steam-train (“mocanita”) through one of the wildest valley in Romania (Vaser Valley) [optionally, only for groups];
· Moisei - the Heroes Monument;
· Campulung Moldovenesc - the Museum of Woodcraft;
· UNESCO Monuments: Voronet Monastery (outdoor blue frescoes; called “the Sistine Chapel of East”); Moldovita Monastery (outdoor red frescoes); Sucevita Monatery (outdoor green frescoes); Putna Monastery (the Stephen the Great’ tombstone)
· Outdoor frescoes monasteries: Humor, Arbore;
· Mitocu Dragomirnei - Dragomirna Monastery
· Suceava - The Throne Fortress
· Bicaz Gorges – the most impressive gorges in Romania
· Lacul Rosu - natural lake, unique in Romania
· Praid - arranged salt mine with an underground park, a church
· Corund - open-air permanent pottery exhibition
· Sinaia - Peles Castle, the summer residence of the King Carol I of Romania, built in neo-renaissance German style in 1875 - 1883.

Included services:

6 nights accommodation at 3* - 4* hotels, in double or single rooms;
Half board;
Festive dinner in Brasov
Transport by deluxe air-conditioned car, coach or mini-bus;
Transfers & tourist assistance from/to the airport;
Professional guidance throughout;
All objectives fees.