Day 1: BUCHAREST

Arrival in Bucharest and transfer to the centre of the Romanian Capital. Tour of the heart of the city: The Revolution Square (named in the memory of the Romanian revolution of December 1989), The Victory Avenue, The Royal Palace. Dinner and overnight in a hotel***.

Day 2: BUCHAREST - PITESTI

After breakfast, "the Little Paris" of the south-east of Europe is opening its gates: the Arch of Triumph, the Opera, the Patriarchal Church, the Parliament Palace (one of the largest buildings in the world, exceeded only by the Pentagon in Washington D.C.). Lunch in a specific restaurant in Bucharest. Discovery visit to the Village Museum - outdoor exhibition of rural houses brought from all the regions of the country - rich variety of Romania's countryside. Route for Pitesti, a small Middle Ages residence of Romanian princes. Dinner and overnight in a hotel***.

Day 3: PITESTI - CURTEA DE ARGES - SIBIU

Day in Wallachia, the first important region of Romania: nature, architecture, customs. Visit of the Curtea de Arges Monastery, the Romanian Kings' necropolis, continuing with the wonderful landscape of the Olt river: forests, lakes, spas, mineral springs. Lunch in restaurant On the Olt narrow path - visit of the legendary monastery of Cozia, were the "towers shadows" evoke a terrible history. Entry in Transylvania - a crossroad of culture: German, Hungarian and Romanian influences in the same space. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel *** in Sibiu (Hermanstadt).

Day 4: SIBIU - SIBIEL - CLUJ

After breakfast - city tour of Sibiu: Saxon influences in architecture (towers, squares, narrow streets, castles, gothic churches) and culture (Bruckental Museum). Typical lunch in a small village near Sibiu - Sibiel - good opportunity to discover the Romanian conviviality. Visit at the village's glass icons collection - naive art and spirituality. Departure for Alba Iulia and Cluj, two fortified cities with Austrian influences. Dinner and overnight in a hotel ***.

Day 5: CLUJ - BAIA MARE

Discovery of "the treasure city" - Cluj Napoca - called like that due to its tremendous beauty: Habsburg domination, Austro-Hungarian empire influences, Romania's treasure, a whole history: the Union Square and the Orthodox Cathedral, the Central Square and Saint Michael's Cathedral (14th-15th c.), the "Matias - Rex Hungariae" House, National Theatre, the Franciscan Church... Lunch in a restaurant. Departure for the most original region of Romania, Maramures. In Surdesti village - visit of the highest wooden structures of this kind in the world (75m), built in 1721. Arrival to Baia Mare, dinner and overnight in a hotel***.

Day 6: MARAMURES

Breakfast. Departure for Maramures, the land of the forests and sources, the county of extraordinary folk architecture (an art of wood): old houses, wooden churches, monumental gates. Visit of Rozavlea "wooden cathedral" and of the Merry Cemetery of Sapinta, unique in the world (cross painted in vivid colours and epitaphs written in satirical rhythms concerning the life of the dead one). Traditional lunch in the farmers' families - opportunity to discover Romanian traditional drink "TUICA" which has here 60 degrees alcohol!!! Dinner and overnight in a hotel***.

Day 7: BUKOVINA

Departure for Bukovina, the region of several monasteries built in the 15th century and later and painted on their outside walls, forming frescos which have been preserved down to our day and which count among the world's rare monuments in the appreciation of specialities as well as of UNESCO and honoured by the International Federation of Tourism Journalists and Writers (FIJET) with the award POMME D'OR (GOLDEN APPLE). Visit to Voronet and Moldovita Monasteries. A new face of Byzantine art. Lunch during the trip in a restaurant. In the afternoon - discovery of the Romanian tradition: wood art, architecture, woven materials and costumes, ceramics. The museum of Cimpulung: wood traditions in Bukovina. Arrival in Iasi, the capital of Moldavia, the city of poetry, the city of great loves. Dinner and overnight in a hotel***.

Day 8: IASI - AGAPIA - PIATRA NEAMT

Iasi, an open museum: the monumental Palace of Culture (neogothic style) and its museums (ethnography, history, art), the first University of Romania, the National Theatre, The Metropolitan Church...Lunch a in restaurant. Trip to Agapia and visit of the biggest monastery concerning the number of religious (400) from Romania. Arrival in Piatra Neamt, a small town in Bistrita Valley. Dinner and overnight in a hotel***.

Day 9: PIATRA NEAMT – BICAZ GORGES – SIGHISOARA - BRASOV

After breakfast, return to Transylvania through the most spectacular passage of the Romanian Mountains - the Gorges of Bicaz. The Red Lake and its drawn forest: a freak of nature and a point of touristic interest. Arrival in the citadel of Sighisoara, Transylvania's Pearl: narrow streets and quaint old houses with shutters and secret entrances remind one of the authentic background scenery found in a medieval movie. Visit of Vlad Dracul's house - the father of Vlad the Impaler, who inspired the character found in Bram Stoker's "Dracula". Lunch in a restaurant. Entry in Romania's Salzburg, Brasov (Kronstadt). Dinner and overnight in a hotel***.

Day 10: BRASOV and its surroundings

Visit for historical city of Kronstad, the biggest Saxons colony of Transylvania: Black Church (14th c.), a remarkable architectural monument which have an organ with 76 registers with 4.000 tubes and a big collection of medieval carpets, the City Hall Square, Schei Area, The Revolution Square,... Lunch and shopping time in the mountain resort of Poiana Brasov, 1020 m altitude. Transfer and visit to the Bran Castle, one of Dracula's castles, build in the Bran Pass in top of a rock. Discovered for the fortified Saxon's villages, which are part of the transilvanian pictures landscape. Dinner and overnight in a hotel***.

Day 11: BRASOV - SINAIA

After breakfast - free time in Brasov. Departure for Prahova Valley - the most important touristic region in Romania, in the Southern Carpathians, near the highest Romanian peak (1544m). Sinaia, named after the Mount Sinai, was the summer residence of the Romanian Monarchs (the Habsburgs). Lunch in a restaurant. Visit of the Peles Castle (1896), built in a German renaissance style, stuffed with art treasures. Afternoon in Sinaia resort. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel***.

Day 12: SINAIA - BUCHAREST AIRPORT

Breakfast and arrival at the International Airport Otopeni for your flight home.

The price includes:

Bus transportation;
hotel accommodations;
full board and traditional food experience;
traditional dinner and folk show;
entrances at all the visited points in the program;
Romanian guide and English presentations.