Heritage & Food Tour in Romania

Starting point: Bucharest

Ending Point: Bucharest

Total distance: approx. 1900 km (1180 miles)

Total driving time: approx. 25 hrs.

Average daily driving time: approx. 3hrs

Accommodation: Sibiel (2 nights), Viscri, Brasov, Bicaz lake (2 nights), Bucharest

Map Legend: H (Bucharest), B (Corvin’s castle), C (Sighisoara), D (Brasov), E (Bicaz lake), F (Bucovina painted monasteries), G (Urlati wine cellar)

Meet our driver at the airport and transfer to Bucharest Hotel. Rest of the day at your leisure.
Overnight in a 4 stars hotel, central located.

At 9.00 AM meet our tour guide at your hotel in Bucharest. Panoramic tour of the city with the main sights: Triumph Arch, Victoriei Palace, Victoriei Avenue, Athenaeum, Royal Palace, Parliament Palace, University Square, etc.
Next we’ll start an approx 4 hrs drive to Sibiu area.
On the route we’ll stop for a quick lunch to try “mititei”, a very popular Romanian meal, which is very popular for picnics or just a quick stop on the long drives. They are minced meat rolls with a recipe dating since 19th century, We’ll stop in one of the most famous places to have this meal – Dealul Negru.
The best way is to experience the Transylvanian rural life and food, therefore we will stay overnight in a small mountain village called Sibiel. It is one of the most popular places for rural and responsible tourism. It is a pastoral area inhabited for centuries by the Romanian shepherds.
We are inviting you to a Shepherd’s Dinner style (3 courses). The menu is based on polenta, cheese, mutton meat + desert, water, plum brandy, local beer / wine.
Accommodation in a local guest house.
Meals included: lunch, dinner

In the morning we’ll have a tasty breakfast served at the guest house.
First visit of the day will be at the Icons Museum from Sibiel, which preserves a large collection of icons painted on glass, an old and special tradition in Romania.
Next we will drive to discover this beautiful mountain area with charming villages spread along the hills and valleys. The route offers great views over the Carpathians mountains and over the green hills of Transylvania. A very old activity in these areas was and still is, growing sheep and cows and cheese production. 
At noon we will arrive and we’ll visit the Corvin’s castle in Hunedoara, the biggest medieval castle from Romania which impresses with its gothic architecture and massive walls and towers.
For lunch we can try the traditional “virsli” sausages, a recipe more than 300 years old, passed from generation to another. The sausages are made with sheep and pork meat.
In the afternoon we will be back to Sibiel village, just in time to enjoy a horse driven wagon ride through the village and its surroundings. It is a great way to see the village architecture and way of life. We will visit a local household to see how a regular family organizes its domestic activities, domestic animals, vegetable garden, etc.
Participate to a short cooking class to learn how to cook a traditional Romanian dish. The ones which don’t want to cook may just enjoy an afternoon in the garden or having a local drink.
In the evening you’ll be delighted by a home made traditional Transylvanian dinner (3 courses), made with locally produced ingredients. It is a type of meal often served by local families from this area. During the dinner plum brandy, berries liqueurs and local wine will be served.
Accommodation in the same rural guest house.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Breakfast. We will say farewell to our host and we’ll drive to the central part of Transylvania, an area rich in Saxon (German) heritages. Many towns and villages were built by Saxon settlers starting with 12th century. They preserve the old architecture, traditions and customs. Our food tour in Romania will reveal to you this beautiful and peaceful area and will delight you with the local cuisine influenced by Saxon (German) gastronomy.
In the morning we’ll have a walking tour in Sibiu's Old Town. Sibiu is one of the oldest and the largest medieval town from Transylvania and it still keeps the old charm and architecture. Highlights: Big Square, Little Square, Evanghelic Cathedral, Orthodox Cathedral, Liar’s bridge, towers and fortifications.
We’ll stop to take a pastry, very popular for the town which we are visiting.
Next we’ll drive along a very scenic route which pass over the spectacular green rolling hills of Transylvania. We’ll see cozy Saxon villages, old churches and fortresses. Transylvania was famous for its impressive defensive system from the South-East part, formed by fortified towns, fortresses and the unique Saxon fortified churches. These are unique kind of buildings which combine the religious and defensive structures having the role to protect the local community. Almost every village from this area has a type of fortification which make our tour like a trip back in history.
We’ll continue to Sighisoara, the pearl of Transylvania. Dating since 13th century, Sighisoara is the best preserved medieval town in Romania. Our walking tour of the old town includes: Clock Tower, Church on the Hill, House of Dracula (the birthplace of the famous Vlad Dracula), Tinsmith's tower, Tailor’s tower, etc. 
Lunch wil be served as Casa Vlad Dracul  - the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula).
We’ll have a main course and as dessert we’ll have another traditional dish called “papanasi”, dumplings with cheese, sour cream and jam.
At the end of our walk we will invite you to a small family cellar to taste some brandies and liqueurs.
We’ll end the day in the Viscri village, one of the most famous and charming old villages from Transylvania. It is a place where you feel that time has stopped.
Check-in to a local guest house. Enjoy some time at your leisure before dinner.
A Typical Transylvanian Saxon Dinner (3 courses) will be served at the guest house.  Water, plum brandy and wine are included.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner, pastry tasting, brandies and liqueurs tasting.

Breakfast. In the morning we will explore the Viscri village, local craftsmen, the fortified church and the small ethnographic museum. Then we’ll start to drive on the route to the Brasov area.
The famous Bran castle is the next on our visiting list. It is an impressive castle, former border point, built in 14th century. It became famous due to the legend of Dracula. 
After the castle visit we’ll have 1 hour free time to have lunch at your leisure or / and to have a look at the souvenirs market.
End the day in Brasov, a very important fortified town and trade centre back in the Middle Ages.
Check-in at Bella Muzica Hotel*** or similar, located in the heart of the old town.
In the afternoon we’ll explore the Brasov's Old Town, walking to the most important sights: Council Square, Black Church, Weaver’s Bastion, Ecaterina’s Gate, Rope’s street, St Nicholas Cathedral and the Museum of the First Romanian School and printshop.
The evening at your leisure. This time you can choose one of the many restaurants in the centre with a large variety of food choices.
Meals included: breakfast, 

Breakfast in the hotel. Check-out.
We will like to surprise you with a sweet gift, a sample of couple cookies made in Grandma's style. 
There are homemade cookies following old recipes which are hard if not impossible to find in any standard cake shop. Enjoy them along the route.
Our heritages and food tour in Romania will continue with the visit to Prejmer Fortified Church (UNESCO site), a unique sample of defensive and religious structure. 
We’ll drive north to Szekely Counties, a region with a high  Hungarian influence 
First stop will be at a local cheese small producer which makes artisanal cheese. Find more about the cheese production and have a quick taste of the local cheeses.
Lunch will be served in a restaurant along the route with Transylvanian Hungarian specialities (2 courses). The famous palinka before eating and a local beer after will complete the taste.
It is time to leave Transylvania and continue our experience with new regions – Moldova & Bucovina, the East part of Romania. But first we’ll have to cross the Eastern Carpathians mountains using again a very scenic route. We’ll stop at Red Lake to find more about how this lake was created and the story behind it. It is also the time to have a dessert, a “kurtos kalacs”, again a Hungarian speciality.
The route continues crossing the Bicaz Gorges, a really amazing place. Stop there for a short walk along the gorges.
Moldova, the eastern Romanian region will welcome us with another special place, the Bicaz Dam. Built in 1950 at the end of the Izvorul Muresului barrier lake, also known as Bicaz lake. It is the largest artificial lake from Romania. We’ll drive along the lake to our accommodation place, the Lostrita pension***, located on the shore of Bicaz lake, facing the Ceahlau mountains. It is a family runed hotel, with a great location, great views and excellent food.
Dinner with a fish based menu (3 courses). As we are on a shore of a big lake and many rivers around, it is probably the best place to try the Romanian fish dishes. Other choices are available on request. Water, 1 beer or glass of local wine are included.
Overnight at Lostrita Pension***.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner, Grandma’s cookies taste and cheese tasting

Breakfast. Today we’ll drive up north to visit Bucovina and its famous painted monasteries (UNESCO sites). In the morning we’ll drive along the Bicaz lake and then on the beautiful Transrarau mountain road. As passengers you just have to enjoy the scenery of the Rarau mountains.
First cultural visit will be at Moldovita monastery (UNESCO), dating back from 1532 and is due to the ruling prince Petru Rares. It has the aspect of a fortress, with imposing towers and high, thick walls. 
Beside the old and beautiful monastery we’ll also dedicate some time to visit: a painted eggs museum and workshop.
Bucovinean style lunch (2 courses) will be served in a local small restaurant.
Next visit will be at Voronet Monastery, founded in 1488 by Stephen the Great . It is famous for its original frescoes, the blue background colour and the best preserved and the most impressive representation of the Last Judgment.
Return to the accommodation. Special Dinner in the Moldavian style.
3 courses dinner plus water, 1 beer or a glass of local wine are included.
Overnight at Lostrita Pension***.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Breakfast, We’ll leave our host and Bicaz lake driving on our way back to Bucharest. Today we’ll have our longest drive (approx 6 hrs driving time) but we’ll make it as pleasant and comfortable as possible.
We’ll stop at Dealu Mare / Ceptura Wine area in the heart of an important viticol area for a wine tasting program, including 5 premium local wines, cheese, etc.
Possible stop for lunch at your leisure.
In the evening we’ll arrive at Bucharest Check-in the hotel.
Accommodation in a 4 stars hotel, with a central location.
Farewell dinner will be served at „Carul cu bere” restaurant, one of the most famous restaurants from Bucharest, focused on Romanian cuisine, a restaurant with an old tradition dating back since the 19th century.
Meals included: breakfast, dinner

Breakfast. According to your flight time we will transfer you to the airport.
Meals included: breakfast.