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Map of Premium Belgrade to Bucharest including Romania and Serbia

Grand castles, medieval towns and revolutionary history in Romania.

Travel across the border from Belgrade, through the heart of Transylvania and on to Bucharest on an 11-day small group tour led by a locally-based leader. From medieval fortresses and fairytale castles to vampiric lore and enchanting old towns, this 11-day Premium journey will reveal Romania’s top sights and lesser-known charms. Marvel at endless mountain scenery, descend into an otherworldly salt mine, discover centuries of history and so much more in Romania.

Start
Belgrade, Serbia
Finish
Bucharest, Romania
Destinations
Romania, Serbia
Style
Premium
Theme
Explorer
Code
WMPB
Physical rating
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1, Max 12

Why you'll love this trip

premium accommodation

Our best accommodation and highest level of service.

premium experiences

Unusual, exceptional and authentic on-trip experiences.

premium knowledge

Led by our most experienced and highest rated local leaders.

  • Step into another world as you walk through ancient halls and hear the myths and legends surrounding some of the most impressive castles in Eastern Europe - Hunedoara, Bran and Peles.

  • Dine like royalty in Azuga, where you’ll share lunch with bubbles after a tour of the town’s winery – the sparkling tipples were the favourite of Romania’s last monarch, King Michael I.

  • Dive deep into one of the oldest salt mines in Europe, in use for about 2,000 years. Spanning more than 43 kilometers Turda Salt Mine contains a huge array of attractions - from an amusement park to a contemporary art museum to an underground lake.

  • Explore the charming cobbled streets and medieval marvels of Sighisoara – a UNESCO World Heritage city with historical churches, quaint cafes and museums, and a deep history dating back to the Romans.

  • Discover the Transylvanian Saxon villages of Malancrav, Medias and Biertan - home to historic fortified churches, timeless rural traditions, and fairytale scenery.

Is this trip right for you?

  • Many of the wonderful cities and sites of this trip are explored on foot. Please ensure you bring sturdy walking shoes and comfortable clothes, plus suitable luggage for navigating cobblestone streets.

Colourful buildings and Union Square of Timisoara Village, Romania
The third gates of the Alba Carolina Citadel, Alba Lulia, Romania
Couple trying wine on a wine cellar tour, Azuga, Romania
Houses in old Malancrav Village, Romania
The view of Corvins Castle in Hunedoara, Romania
Old peasant houses of Astra village museum, Sibiu, Romania

Itinerary
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Welcome to Serbia! Your adventure begins in Belgrade, the cosmopolitan capital. An Intrepid representative will meet you at the airport and you’ll be transferred to your hotel. Tonight you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travellers at 6 pm for an important welcome meeting. If you arrive with time to spare, check out the city’s many museums – including the one dedicated to Nikola Tesla, the Serbian-American inventor known for transforming our understanding of electricity; or get a caffeine fix with a Turkish coffee at a kafana – traditional coffee houses date back to the Ottoman era. Tonight you’ll join the group for dinner at one of the city’s fantastic local restaurants and learn about Serbian produce and cuisine.
Accommodation
  • Royal Inn or similar (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Belgrade - Military Museum - RSD350
  • Belgrade - Ethnographic Museum - RSD300
  • Belgrade - Nikola Tesla Museum - RSD800
  • Belgrade - Museum of Yugoslav History - RSD400
  • Belgrade - House of Flowers - RSD400
  • Belgrade - Danube River Cruise - RSD800
  • Belgrade - National Museum - RSD300
Meals Included
  • Dinner

This morning you’ll travel by private vehicle to Timisoara, crossing the Serbia-Romania border en route. Timisoara is a pretty park-filled city with a remarkable past. It was here that an uprising of local people sparked the Romanian Revolution in 1989, which saw the fall of the country’s Communist regime – reflecting the broader political change seen across Eastern Europe at the time. On a guided walking tour you’ll take in some of Timisoara’s most significant sights – including the grand and aptly named Victory, Liberty and Union Squares – and learn more about the city’s history.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Savoy Timisoara or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Timisoara - City Tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Today’s total driving time is approximately 3 hours

Today you’ll make your way to Sibiu, stopping on the way to visit the striking Hunedoara Castle (also known as Corvin Castle). The Gothic-Renaissance building looks like a cross between Hogwarts and something from a German fairy tale, with a huge drawbridge and a cluster of cloud-piercing turrets – you’ll learn more about its history, plus a few hair-raising myths, on a guided tour.

Upon arrival in Sibiu, you’ll get acquainted with the city’s cobbled streets and historic squares on a guided walking tour. Sibiu is something of a cultural heavyweight, known for its creative, bohemian atmosphere, rich history and eye-catching architecture. Explore what remains of the city’s medieval walls and towers, cross the legend-shrouded Bridge of Lies and take in the grandeur of Brukenthal National Museum, comprising numerous ornate palaces.
Accommodation
  • Continental Forum Sibiu or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Sibiu - Evening Walking Tour
  • Hunedoara - Castle Tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Today’s total driving time is approximately 4 hours

This morning you’ll head to the outskirts of the city to explore ASTRA Village Museum. Set across 96 acres surrounding a sparkling lake, this open air living museum seeks to preserve, showcase and celebrate Romanian folk culture and traditional ways of life. Wander the grounds to discover reconstructed old dwellings, windmills and workshops and learn how Romanian people of centuries past grew food, raised families and made a living.

The afternoon is yours to explore. You could gaze at the incredible interiors and towering dome of the Orthodox Cathedral, or admire the slightly less imposing (but equally magnificent) Gothic Lutheran church. Alternatively, grab a covrigi (a tasty Romanian pretzel), wander the old town and snap photos of the colourful, Wes Anderson-style architecture.
Accommodation
  • Continental Forum Sibiu or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Sibiu - ASTRA Village Museum
Optional Activities
  • Sibiu - Brukenthal Palace National Museum - RON39
  • Sibiu Museum of Contemporary Art - RON12
  • Sibiu - Holy Trinity Cathedral - Free
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Depart Sibiu and head to Alba Lulia, one of the oldest cities in Romania. It is home to an 18th-century citadel with a history that dates back to Roman times. Shaped like a seven-point star, the fortress features a collection of ornate gates and vantage points, as well as numerous museums and cafes. Wander the cobbled streets with an expert guide to hear more about what went on within these ancient walls over the last two millennia.

Next, take a drive into the Trascău Mountains to reach Coltesti and check in to Szekler Mansion, your exclusive feature stay. Freshen up in your room – decked out with local textiles and hand-painted decorative furniture – before enjoying a traditional dinner, which could feature hearty bowls of borsch or goulash, locally-made cheese and sarmale (smoky, meat-filled cabbage rolls).
Accommodation
  • Szekler Mansion (Feature Stay) or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Alba Lulia - Citadel Tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
Special Information
Today’s total driving time is approximately 2 hours

Prepare for an unforgettable underground experience as you make your way to Turda Salt Mine. The gargantuan subterranean space was renovated and opened to the public in the early 1990s and resembles an alien planet or a Bond villain’s lair. Don’t forget to pack a sweatshirt – it gets chilly 119 metres down. Once you resurface, you’ll discover plenty of choices when it comes to your optional lunch – including a nearby winery.

This afternoon, travel to Unesco-listed Sighisoara – your home for the next two nights, and birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the historical figure and inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Accommodation
  • Fronius Residence or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Turda - Salt Mines Tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Today’s total driving time is approximately 3 hours

This morning, explore the colourful streets of Sighisoara’s old town on a guided walk. You’ll visit the 14th-century Clock Tower that dominates the skyline (and offers 360 views from the top), and climb the 176 creaking covered steps that connect the upper and lower parts of town to reach the so-called Church on the Hill.

Drive to Malancrav to share lunch in a bucolic setting. The Saxon village was once owned by one family, the Apafis, and populated with German farmers. Highlights here include Apafi Mansion and a 14th-century church with the largest Gothic fresco in Transylvania. After your meal you’ll swing by the neighbouring World Heritage site of Biertan and its spectacular fortified church before heading to Medias – known for its medieval fortifications and wine (‘Golden Mediasch’ is even mentioned in the novel Dracula). Enjoy some free time before making your way back to Sighisoara for the evening.
Accommodation
  • Fronius Residence or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Malancrav - Village Stop
  • Medias - Town Stop
  • Biertan - Town Stop
  • Sighisoara - Walking Tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Today’s total driving time is approximately 2 hours

After breakfast you’ll make your way to Brasov, making a pitstop at hilltop Rupea Fortress. The restored citadel’s steep and rocky pathways spiral up to the highest point, offering broad sweeping views over the surrounding green fields. Next, you'll visit Bran Castle, perhaps Romania’s most famous attraction, given its associations with the tale of Count Dracula. Vampire myths aside (it was never actually host to Vlad the Impaler or Bram Stoker) the forested surroundings and lofty location of this 14th-century castle will have you hypnotised. This evening you’ll reach Brasov and will enjoy dinner together at a quality local restaurant.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Ambient or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Rupea - Fortress Stop
  • Bran Castle - Tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
Special Information
Today’s total driving time is approximately 3 hours

Your tour of Romanian castles continues with Peles, but this one is somewhat more modern. Built in the late 19th century, the neo-Renaissance creation is even more extravagant on the inside than it is on the outside. Return to Brasov, and in the afternoon join your guide for a guided walking tour to learn about the city’s most notable sights – including what’s left of the old medieval fortifications, the Black Church that was charred in the Great Fire of 1689 but since restored, and the wedge-shaped Council Square, lined with historic buildings. By now you’ll have spotted the fact that Brasov has its own Hollywood-style sign, perched high on the slopes of Mount Tampa. Ridd a cable car ride to the top, where you’ll enjoy sensational views of the town below. The journey only takes a few minutes – but if you’d prefer to hike up or down, the steep journey takes around an hour each way.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Ambient or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Mount Tampa - Cable Car
  • Brasov - Walking Tour
  • Peles - Castle Visit
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Today’s total driving time is approximately 2 hours

Enjoy a free morning in Brasov. Perhaps seek out tiny String Street, which is 44 inches at its narrowest point or indulge in some Romanian sweet treats such as kurtoskalacs, a cinnamon-sprinkled delight known as chimney cake, or papanasi, a sweet cream doughnut topped with blueberry jam. Depart the city and head for lunch in the Prahova Valley, where you’ll tour a local winery – known for its sparkling rose – in the mountain town of Azuga. Hit the road one last time, reaching Bucharest in the late afternoon.
Accommodation
  • Hotel Capitol or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Azuga - Winery Tour and Tasting with Lunch
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Today’s total driving time is approximately 3 hours

Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you’d like to spend some more time in Bucharest, let us know in advance – we would be happy to organise additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).
Optional Activities
  • Bucharest - Village Museum - RON30
  • Bucharest - Bike Tour - EUR25
  • Bucharest - Former Ceauşescu Residence - RON55
  • Bucharest - Romanian Athenaeum - RON10
  • Bucharest - Palace of Parliament Tour - RON60
  • Bucharest - Urban Adventures Bohemian Bucharest Markets and Mahallas Tour - EUR75
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Want to tailor this itinerary?

Meals

10 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle

Accommodation

Comfortable Hotel (9 nights), Feature stay (1 night)

Included activities

  • Timisoara - City Tour
  • Sibiu - Evening Walking Tour
  • Hunedoara - Castle Tour
  • Sibiu - ASTRA Village Museum
  • Alba Lulia - Citadel Tour
  • Turda - Salt Mines Tour
  • Malancrav - Village Stop
  • Medias - Town Stop
  • Biertan - Town Stop
  • Sighisoara - Walking Tour
  • Rupea - Fortress Stop
  • Bran Castle - Tour
  • Mount Tampa - Cable Car
  • Brasov - Walking Tour
  • Peles - Castle Visit
  • Azuga - Winery Tour and Tasting with Lunch

Premium Inclusions

  • Arrival airport transfer
  • Tipping for accommodation, activities and transport
  • Luggage transfer
  • Daily breakfast and signature local meal experiences
  • 24/7 on-ground support

Dates & availability

Trip departures are unavailable.

There are currently no scheduled departures on our Premium Belgrade to Bucharest trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.

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Important notes

1. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. There are a limited number of single supplements available per trip departure. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

Essential trip information

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