Itinerary

1. Day 01: Bucharest

   • Welcome to Romania! Your English-speaking Romanian tour guide will meet you at Moxa Boutique Hotel, centrally located in Bucharest.

   • Drive to Snagov to visit Snagov Monastery, where Vlad was buried after his assassination, according to the legend. The monastery is located on a small island of Snagov Lake. Its architectural style follows that of the monasteries on the Holy Mount Athos in Greece.

   • End your first day in Romania with a welcome dinner in one of Bucharest's top traditional restaurants. 

   Accommodation: 4* hotel. Meals: Welcome dinner. Entry fees: Snagov Monastery.

2. Day 02: Bucharest – Poienari – Sibiu

   • Morning drive to Poienari.

   • Enjoy a morning visit to Poienari to see the ruins of Vlad's old and faithful fortress. The fortress, located close to the Fagaras Mountains in a canyon formed by the Arges River, is perched high on a cliff—in fact, a steep precipice. To visit the impressive fortress and admire the unique and breathless view from the top, you’ll need to climb over 1400 stairs.

   • Late afternoon, arrive in Sibiu.

   • Spend the evening in Sibiu, the European Cultural Capital for 2007. The fortified town has been the center of Romania's German minority since medieval times, and it is one of Romania's most beautiful cities. The city contains the largest concentration of tourist attractions in Romania.

    Accommodation: 4* hotel. Meals: breakfast. Entry fees: Poienari Citadel.

3. Day 03: Sibiu – Hunedoara – Alba Iulia - Turda

   • Leave the impressive medieval town of Sibiu and head next to Hunedoara. 

   • Visit the greatest Gothic-style castle in Romania, Corvinesti. The edifice was built in the 14th Century on a former Roman campsite. It served as a fortress until the mid-1400s, when it became the residence of Transylvania's ruler, Iancu de Hunedoara. Iancu upgraded the fortress, which soon became the most beautiful castle in Transylvania.

   • From Hunedoara, drive to Turda, a small town with an intimate medieval atmosphere and home to one of the oldest Salt Mines in Romania.

   • Delight yourself with a vampire menu for dinner, a delicious reason to travel to Transylvania! Still, an evening to fear, you’ll attend the killing of a vampire; you’ll be part of the crowd seeking to take the bloody creature to a special place where the ritual can begin!

   • An Evening sitting follows the Ritual of Killing the Living Dead; the Romanian term is Sezatoare. 

   Accommodation: 4* hotel, often called a medieval fantasy with beds. 

   Meals: Breakfast and a special menu for the 3-course dinner. 

   Entry fees: Corvinesti Castle. 

   Special events: The Ritual of Killing of the Living Dead and Masquerade Part.

4. Day 04: Turda - Cluj-Napoca - Borgo Pass

   • Prepare to descend to the heart of one of the biggest saline in Romania, the Salt Mines of Turda, with impressive halls named after kings and queens.
   • Drive next to Cluj Napoca for a city tour that will reveal beautiful medieval buildings, such as Saint Andrews Cathedral.
   • Today, you'll enjoy stunning scenery while following the steps of Jonathan Harker (Bram Stoker's character from the Dracula novel) to Borgo Pass.
   • You are at Dracula's Castle in Borgo Pass, a 3* hotel built by Bram Stoker's imagination.
   • Enjoy a candlelit dinner at the castle, followed by a bonfire nearby, with all the correct stories for a night to remember. 

   Accommodation: 3* hotel. 

   Meals: Breakfast, Candle-Lit dinner, and bonfire. 

   Entry fees: Salt Mine in Turda.

5. Day 05: Borgo Pass - Sighisoara

   • It is time to leave this wonderful area and head next to the medieval citadel of Sighisoara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded by Saxons during the 12th century, Sighisoara still stands as one of Europe’s most beautiful and inhabited fortified cities. It is also the place where Vlad the Impaler, known as Dracula, was born. 

   • Visit Sighisoara's main attraction, the Clock Tower, to submerge yourself in the medieval atmosphere. Built-in 1360 and standing 60 meters tall on top of the citadel's hill, it hosts a museum and offers a great view over the citadel.

   • View The Torture Room –this small but interesting museum is housed at the foot of the Clock Tower in the same room where prisoners were tortured and confessions were extorted during the Middle Ages. Some of the amazing torture instruments and methods are on display.

   • Behold, The Medieval Weapon Collection—it is very small but contains an interesting selection of medieval weapons (swords, arrows, etc.).

   • See the Church of the Dominican Monastery, known for its Transylvanian Renaissance carved altarpiece, baroque pulpit, Oriental carpets and 17th-century organ. 

   Accommodation: a charming 3* hotel located in the citadel's heart. 

   Meals: Breakfast. 

   Entry fees: Clock Tower, The Torture Room, The Medieval Weapons Collection. 

   Tip: You can serve dinner on a personal account in Vlad Dracul's house, which has been turned into a cozy restaurant today.

6. Day 06: Sighisoara - Bran - Brasov

   • Explore Transylvania's symbol, Bran Castle. The edifice owes its fame to its unique charm and to the myth Bram Stoker created around Dracula. Documentary evidence of the castle dates back to 1377.

   • My next stop is the Medieval Saxon City of Brasov. Brasov's most famous landmark is the Black Church, the largest gothic edifice in South-Eastern Europe. 

   • Return to Bran in the evening for the Royal Dinner at Bran Castle. 

   Accommodation: 3* hotel, centrally located in Brasov. 

   Meals: Breakfast and Royal dinner at Bran Castle. The exquisite dinner will be served at Queen Marie' Tea House. 

   Entry fees: Bran Castle.

7. Day 07: Brasov - Sinaia - Targoviste - Bucharest

   • In the morning, drive to Sinaia, the pearl of mountain resorts in Romania.

   • Explore the main point of attraction, the royal Peles Castle. The edifice was built in 1873 and is an architectural mixture of the German School and neo-renaissance style. The castle has 160 rooms opulently decorated in leather and wood from the most valuable tree species. Peles Castle is one of Europe's best-preserved and most beautiful royal residences.

   • Continue your journey with Targoviste, the former capital of Walachia County, situated on the right bank of the Ialomita River. There, you can visit the ruins of Vlad Tepe's old court.

   • Late arrival in Bucharest, past 7:00 pm (based on normal traffic conditions). You can complete your stay with an add-on program in Bucharest if you wish. 

   Accommodation: N/A. 

   Meals: Breakfast. 

   Entry fees: Peles Castle, Targoviste Citadel