Untitled Document

Bran Castle, best known as Dracula's Castle

The ancient Latin name of the Transylvanian region is ‘The land beyond the forest’ and to this day it conjures up images of exactly that: a land of mythical forests, spooky castles, howling wolves and, yes, visions of the man in the black cape: Count Dracula. This package offers tour operators an interesting choice: It can be made an add-on component to an existing itinerary around Central and Eastern Europe that only goes as far as Hungary, or it can be sold as a stand-alone package with a start and end date in Budapest to take advantage of more competitive airfares.

Daily schedule:

Day 1: Budapest – Oradea – Cluj Napoca (Klausenburg) (405 km, 160 km in Romania):
Departure from Budapest in the morning. Meet your Romanian guide at the border and drive to Oradea for a short sightseeing tour, visiting the Baroque Palace. Arrive in Cluj Napoca later that day. Accommodation and dinner at 3* hotel.

Day 2: Cluj Napoca – Bistrita – Borgo Pass (Tihuta) (180 km):
Breakfast. Start with a sightseeing tour of Cluj Napoca (Klausenburg) including the St. Mihail Cathedral, the Banffy Palace (housing an important Art Collection) and a walking tour of the historical center. Depart to Bistrita where you will have a special lunch (optional) at the “Golden Crown” restaurant. This is the place where Jonathan Harker (from Bram Stocker’s novel “Dracula”) ate before going to Borgo Pass. Arrive at the 3* “Dracula Castle” Hotel in Borgo Pass. Accommodation and dinner, vampires optional.

Day 3: Borgo Pass – Targu Mures - Sighisoara (160 km)
Breakfast. Back to Bistrita, a medieval Saxon city with predominantly gothic buildings. Travel on to Targu Mures, the city of roses, including a short sightseeing tour of the Palace of Culture and the medieval citadel. Then you arrive at fabulous Sighisoara, the only medieval town in Europe that is fully inhabited with its amazing Clock Tower, the house where Vlad the Impaler was born, the Covered Stairs and the Church on the Hill. Accommodation and dinner at a 3* hotel.

Day 4: Sighisoara – Brasov – Bran Castle – Sinaia (230 km):
Breakfast. Today we travel towards Brasov, but visit other places on the way, such as Raznov with its famous Black Church, the largest gothic monument in Eastern Europe. In Brasov we have a chance for more extended sightseeing, including the Schei Gate and the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral. The medieval centre of Brasov is a great place for walking about and a coffee-break. From here you depart to Prejmer and then to Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle. Our last stop is Sinaia with accommodation and dinner at a 3* hotel.

Day 5: Sinaia – Brasov – Fagaras – Sibiu (Hermannstadt) (180 km):
Visit the Peles Castle, former summer residence of the Romanian Royal family, built at the end of 19th century in a Neo-Renaissance architectural style. On the way to Sibiu, visit the the medieval stronghold in Fagaras, with its Museum. A sightseeing tour on foot around Sibiu includes a visit to the medieval citadel and the Art Museum of Brukenthal, the residence of the former governor of Transylvania, Samuel von Brukenthal. Sibiu was once the richest town in Transylvania. Accommodation at a 3* hotel. Festive dinner in the Golden Barrel wine cellar in Sibiu.

Landscape from Transylvania

Day 6: Sibiu – Alba Iulia – Hunedoara – Arad – Budapest (~575 km, 330 km in Romania)
Breakfast. Visit the Museum of Traditional Civilization in Astra, a village museum established in a large green park near Sibiu, where you can admire hundreds of traditional Romanian exhibits. Depart to Hunedoara Castle passing through Alba-Iulia, where the castle was once the main residence of Mathias Corvin, the King of the Hungarian Empire. A great example of classic Gothic architecture. Drive to Arad and towards Hungary.

Total distance: ~ 1250 km in Romania

Included services:

• accommodation at 3* hotels in double / twin rooms;
• meals on HB basis
• Assistance of a professional guide throughout the program
• sightseeing-tours in the most important cities (by coach or on foot);
• entrance fees to all the sites mentioned;
• parking fees.

Note: transportation service can be done by your own coach or can be added as a supplement to the main program. Optional transport supplement rates available on request.