Romania

Touch down in Bucharest and transfer to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure, discovering the energetic nightlife or the communist-era architecture of the Romanian capital. Dinner and overnight stay in Bucharest.

After breakfast, depart towards Curtea de Arges, the former capital of Wallachia which sits on the banks of the Arges River and stop for lunch at a local restaurant. Continue your journey along the picturesque Olt Valley to Sibiu, one of the oldest cities in Transylvania, founded by Saxon colonists. Take a walking tour of the medieval old town where you'll see the city's Main Square and the Small Square, home to the beautiful cast iron Bridge of Lies and a Gothic-style Evangelical Church, with its spectacular 10,000 tube organ, the largest in the country. Enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at your leisure, exploring the atmospheric streets of Transylvania's best-preserved medieval city. Overnight stay in Sibiu. 

Breakfast at the hotel. Set off towards Sighisoara, the birthplace of the infamous Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. En route, visit the Fortified Church of Biertan, one of the most beautiful buildings in Romania, built in a Gothic and Renaissance style. Arrive in Sighisoara and discover the medieval city center, awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Take a fascinating walking tour and discover the city's most famous landmark: the Clock Tower. Continue towards Targu Mures, a charming town at the heart of Transylvania. Pass by the famous Place of Culture, with its highly decorated exterior before continuing to Bistrita, one of the seven best-preserved medieval cities in Transylvania and the place where Jonathan Harker, Bram Stoker’s hero, spent the night before arriving at Dracula’s Castle. Dinner and overnight stay in Bistrita.

Breakfast at the hotel. Set off for the region of Bucovina, home to unique painted monasteries and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Cross the land of Dracula and, in the afternoon, visit Moldovita Monastery, a true treasure of medieval art. Visit a painted egg atelier, who creates magnificently intricate painted eggs, a traditional Romanian artform, before discovering the amazing Voronet Monastery in the town of Gura Humorului. Known as the 'Sistine Chapel of the East', its frescoes were painted with an intense shade of blue known in the country as 'Voronet Blue'. After the visit, transfer to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay in Gura Himorului.

After breakfast set off through the charming villages and countryside of Moldavia, dotted with traditional houses, and visit the Monastery of Agapia, a well-preserved Orthodox convent. In the afternoon, cross the fabulous Bicaz Gorges, and explore this magical landscape on foot (weather permitting) before arriving at Lacu Rosu, the Red Lake, in time for lunch in a traditional restaurant. Continue to Brasov, founded by Saxon colonists, and the Southern gateway into Transylvania. It is home to the largest Gothic church in this part of Europe. Overnight stay in Brasov.

Breakfast at the hotel. The first stop of the day is the pretty town of Prejmer, to visit its Fortified Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Afterwards, continue to Bran to visit the world-famous Dracula's Castle, built as a defence fortress by the citizens of Brasov in 1377. Be immersed in the history and mysteries of this spectacular castle and feel like you have stepped into a by-gone era. Stop for lunch in a local restaurant in Bran before returning to Brasov. Enjoy an afternoon walking tour of its medieval historic center to admire its Austro-Hungarian Baroque buildings, the Ecaterina Gate and the unique Black Church. Spend the evening at your leisure. Overnight stay in Brasov.

After breakfast, cross the Carpathians towards Sinaia, one of the most beautiful mountain resorts, known as 'The Pearl of the Carpathians'. Here, visit the fabulous Peles Castle, an exquisite piece of architecture and one of the most spectacular castles in Europe. Continue to Bucharest and take a panoramic tour of this city of contrasts, with its large boulevards and magnificent buildings such as the Romanian Athenaeum and the Patriarchal Church. Visit the Houses of Parliament, built between 1984 and 1989, the largest building in Europe and the second-largest in the world after the Pentagon! End the day with a relaxing evening walking tour in the Old City centre. Enjoy a farewell dinner overnight stay in Bucharest.