15 Days Romania & Bulgaria Tour Package
Duration: 15 Days / 14 Nights
Priced From: $3,984 pp dbl. occ
Dates: Sep, May, Jul, Sep
This exciting 15-day adventure to explore the true faces of two countries that earn themselves worldwide acclaim for their beautiful natural environments, their eclectic architecture and their wealth of historic sites begins in Bucharest, Romania’s glittering capital city. After comprehensive exploration of this magical capital once dubbed ‘The Paris of the East’, including visits to one of the oldest outdoor museums in Europe and the 6,000-room palace, we press on to the Bucovina monasteries and to admire stunning vistas over the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and on to the Transylvanian plateau to wander through the mediaeval streets of quaint fortified towns and visit the mythical home of Count Dracula at Bran Castle and what is often considered as one of the most beautiful castles in Europe at Peles Castle. An overnight rail journey takes us into Bulgaria, where we have the chance to soak in the unique atmosphere of the capital city, Sophia, to bask in a timeless natural glory amid rivers, waterfalls and soaring peaks in the Valley of the Roses, and to get to grips with Bulgarian heritage and culture with exploration of historic and religious sites. The Rila Monasteries don’t fail to live up to their reputation as one of the country’s most important and memorable cultural monuments.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Bucharest
Arrive in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Overnight in Bucharest. Dinner if required.
Day 2 Bucharest: City Tour - Suceava
Bucharest, the capital of Romania and the nation's powerhouse of cultural and economic life, was founded 500 years ago and it is a natural starting point for our visit to the country. During the 1930's its tree-lined boulevards and fin de siecle architecture earned it the nickname "The Little Paris of the East". There is even an Arc de Triomphe on the handsome Soseaua Kiseleff, itself longer than the Champs Elysees and alive with blossoms in the spring. Despite the massive reconstructions of the 1980's, Bucharest remains a 'Garden City', leafy and pleasant, with many sidewalk cafes. Our tour today will include the Cotroceni Palace and Museum where we see the 6,000 room Parliament Palace. We will also see the Triumphal Arch, the Romanian Athenaeum, and University Square. Other passengers arriving from our tour of Hungary will join us at this point. After lunch we will drive out to visit the Bucharest Village Museum. Situated in a picturesque environment on a lakeshore, this is one of the largest and oldest outdoors museums in Europe. Its exhibits, including houses, churches, water and windmills are of great historic and artistic value. We will have an early dinner in Bucharest today before heading to the airport for our evening flight to Suceava in the northeastern province of Romania. This is the heart of an area renowned for its 'painted' monasteries. Overnight in Suceava. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 3 Suceava - Bucovina Monasteries - Piatra Neamt
Today is spent visiting some of the most impressive Bucovina monasteries. These triumphs of Byzantine-influenced art reflect a flowering of Moldavian civilization in the 15th and 16th centuries. The "Painted" Monasteries are a major Moldavian destination, because of the vivid and animated frescoes on their church walls. In acknowledgement of their value, the monasteries in Becoming have been declared as UNESCO protected cultural sites. The art historians compare their artistic value with the mural paintings of the San Marco church of Venice. The secrets of the Moldavian painters who prepared the colors and the techniques that made the paintings incredibly resistant are still a mystery. We will visit Voronet, a nun monastery consecrated to St George, within walking distance from Guar Humorous town. Voronet is probably the most accomplished sample of artistic achievement in Moldavian architecture and painting. The monastery was built at a time of peace with the Turks, when Stephen had centralized the state, giving a new impetus to its economy and culture. We will also visit Humor Monastery, founded in 1530. After a visit to the famous Marginea black ceramics centre, we visit the Sucevita Monastery, the largest and arguably the finest of the Bukovina monasteries. The church inside the fortified monastic enclosure (1586) is almost completely covered in frescoes inside and out. After spending the balance of our day exploring this region we depart for Piatra Neamt, the capital city of Neamt County, in the historical region of Moldavia. Because of its location in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, it is considered one of the most picturesque cities in Romania. Overnight in Piatra Neamt. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 4 Piatra Neamt - Bicaz Gorges - Sighisoara
Today we depart for Sighisoara via the Bicaz Gorges. The road that slices through the Bicaz Gorges is among Romania's most spectacular. The gorge twists and turns steeply uphill for 5km, cutting through sheer, 300-meter high limestone rocks. At one point, the narrow mountain road runs beneath the overhanging rocks in a section known as the 'neck of hell'. This stretch of road is protected as part of the Hasmas-Bicaz Gorges National Park. A few kilometers west we will cross into Transylvania's Harghita County and immediately come to the resort area of Lacu Rosu or Red Lake. The alpine resort in this region sprang up in the 1970's and is still a magnet for hikers from both Transylvania and Moldavia. From the lake region, the main road continues via further mountain passed and beautiful scenery. We will stop for lunch today in Praid, and will also visit the spectacular Praid Salt Mine. Praid is the natural centre of the Salt Region, and one of the most important salt mines of Transylvania can be found here. The underground salt mountain once supplied the whole Seckler and Saxon lands with this indispensable mineral. The history of the village is linked to the salt. The salt mine and salt baths of Praid are well known all over the country. Our tour into the mine is by bus and is not strenuous. We travel about 1500 m into the salt dome, dropping about 25 m. Inside we visit the underground mining museum, which shows salt minerals, mining tools, and folk art objects. Our journey will end today with our arrival in Sighisoara. Sighisoara -- Schassburg in German, or Segesvar in Hungarian, the only inhabited Middle Ages city in Europe. Mentioned by historians as far back as 1191, Sighisoara has a long tradition in craftsmanship and trade and its fortifications and defense towers still witness for guilds as those of tinsmiths, butchers, hatters, and blacksmiths. Narrow winding streets, houses with thick walls and huge portals painted in vivid colours, towers, and churches, all old and very old (13th-16th centuries) enhance the charm of the place. Overnight in Sighisoara. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 5 Sighisoara - Sibiu
This morning we will start with a walking tour of Sighisoara. We will visit to the History Museum located in the former Town Hall. The Clock Tower, dated from the 14th Century, reveals a marvelous view over Sighisoara. We will also see the house where Vlad Tepes once lived. We continue on to Biertan, a former Saxon village south of Sighisoara. Here in Biertan we find a fortified church from 15th century, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage, representative of the unique Transylvanian phenomenon of building rural fortified churches. Surrounded by three lines of defense walls of 12m high and towers, the church was never breached by invaders. The next visit on our journey today brings us to Sibiu. Called Hermannstadt in German, Sibiu was the most important of the 12th century Saxon settlements in Transylvania and its industrious emigres, primarily from the Rhineland, the Moselle Valley, Flanders and Saxony, erected walls around it for protection. The first wall destroyed by invaders not long after its construction, but remains of a 15th century brick wall still stand. Because of the blood shed at its walls, the Turks, after an unsuccessful onslaught, called Sibiu the "Red City." Built into the walls are defense towers that were assigned to particular guilds and medieval houses. Upon arrival we will enjoy a sightseeing tour of Sibiu, one of the oldest towns on the Transylvanian Plateau. We will wander its old quarter, where houses with immense roofs have been built within the fortifications, giving Sibiu its powerful medieval aspect. The Tartans destroyed the town's first Citadel in the 13th century and the massive Evangelical Church now occupies the site. It took 200 years to build the church in the 14th and 15th centuries. Overnight in Sibiu. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 6 Sibiu - Brasov - Bran Castle- Sinaia
This morning we will depart for Brasov, stopping en-route in Fagaras town for a short visit. Upon arrival in Brasov we will enjoy a sightseeing tour. Kronstadt in German, Brasso in Hungarian, Brasov ranks second in size after Bucharest. The Old Town lies between two mountains, surrounded like a halo by the Carpathians, and the city of Brasov benefits from the influence of an ancient history. We will then continue on towards Bran for a visit to Bran Castle, erroneously claimed by some to be that of Count Dracula, the world's most famous vampire. Perched atop a rocky outcrop, this strategically located castle was built in 1377 to protect nearby Brasov from invaders. It also served as a customs station. The castle's rooms and towers surround an inner courtyard. Some rooms are connected through underground passages to the inner court. Bran is home to a rich collection of Romanian and foreign furniture and art items from the 14th-19th centuries. We also visit Sinaia, the "Pearl of the Carpathian Mountains". We visit the former royal summer residence built by Carol I Hohenzolern Sigmaringen of Romania (1881-1914). We will take a leisurely STROLL up to the 17th century Sinaia Monastery, an interesting cluster of churches and courtyards which take their name from the ancient Egyptian monastery on Mount Sinai. Overnight in Sinaia. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 7 Brasov - Cozia - Bucharest, Romania - Overnight train - Sofia, Bulgaria
Today we depart Sibiu for Bucharest (private coach). On the way we visit the monasteries of Curtea de Arges and Cozia, crossing of the southern Carpathians along the Olt River Valley, third in importance in Romania. Curtea de Arges was the first capital city of historical Southern province of "Tara Romaneasca" or Wallachia. The richest ornamented 16th century church of Wallachia will be visited here -- the necropolis of kings of Romania and Wallachian ruling princes --tombs displayed inside surrounded by breath taking architecture. The legendary master Manole inlaid his love and passion within the walls of the church leaving to the posterity a symphony in carved stone. Cozia Monastery, founded in 1388 and restored several times by Wallachian ruling princes, displays, inside and out, beautiful frescoes of 14th and 17th centuries. We then continue to Bucharest arriving in the late afternoon. After dinner we board our overnight train for Sofia, Bulgaria (single compartments NOT available; single supplements reflect sharing for this one night). Accommodation in First Class Sleepers. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 8 Sofia: At Leisure
Today is free to enjoy Sofia, capital city of Bulgaria. Surrounded by mountains, Sofia is roughly the central axis of Bulgaria, and most of the sights in this city are located within walking distance of each other. Above the city rises wooded Mount Vitosha with its rivers, waterfalls, and soaring peaks. More than 3,000 different plants grow in the mountain forests. The air here is crisp and clear. In less than an hour, you can be far outside the city surrounded by beech woods, beside a bubbling stream, in a 13th century monastery garden, or schussing on a pristine ski slope. Sofia itself is largely a city of wide boulevards and squares, pleasant parks, and enormous Socialist Realism-style buildings. In the 5th century BC, Sofia was the Thracian city of Serdika. When the Romans conquered Thrace, they made it the capital. Then the hordes of Attila the Hun set it on fire in the 5th century AD and Justinian rebuilt it. Overnight in Sofia. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 9 Sofia - Plovdiv
Today we travel (private coach) to the ancient city of Plovdiv, situated in the Plain of Thrace. Plovdiv was formerly known as Pulpudeva until Philip II of Macedon's weary horse collapsed under him here at the edge of the Thracian plain in AD 342. Since that was surely an omen, he built Philippolis on the site in the horse's honour. Later the Romans renamed it Trimontium -- the City on Three Hills. For five centuries, under Turkish rule when it was known as Philibe, it suffered much devastation. Today it is a city of great charm, with legacies of a hectic past. Plovdiv has a lovely "stariyat grad," or old town, with Turkish influences and a charming character. Our tour includes the Old Quarter, the Ethnographical Museum, and the Roman Amphitheatre. Within Trimontium, the historic heart of Plovdiv, typical 19th century Bulgarian homes line the streets. Overnight in Plovdiv. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 10 Plovdiv - Valley of the Roses - Veliko Turnovo
This morning we depart Plovdiv by private coach for the world famous Valley of the Roses. In this valley, 70 percent of the world's "attar", or extract from roses, is produced. Nimble- fingered women and girls do most of the picking, while donkeys are used to carry the petals away. In the town of Kazanlak we visit the Thracian Tomb (fourth and third centuries BC). The Thracians are regarded as the original Bulgarians, a people closely linked with the ancient Greeks. Before our climb over the Shipka Pass we will visit the Shipka Memorial Church. The golden Domes of this Russian-style church rise out of the hillside. After crossing the spectacular Shipka with its majestic vistas and momentous history we visit the open-air Ethnographical Museum of Etura, a recreation of a typical 19th century village. After a tour of the museum we continue on to Veliko Turnovo, once the capital of Bulgaria (1185-1396) and still showing the remains of its past glory -- fortress walls and palaces perched among the steep cliffs of the Yantra Gorge. Clinging to the crags that rise above the River Yantra, this capital of the second Bulgarian Kingdom of the Middle Ages is one of the country's most picturesque sites. It rises on three main hills: fortified Tsarevets; Trapezitsa, where boyars lived; and Sveta Gora, then the centre of a scholarly monastery, now a university site. Overnight in Veliko Turnovo. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 11 Veliko Turnovo: Town Tour
Today we have a tour of this town laced with history. We will admire the breathtaking views of this picturesque region during our tour of the Tsarevets Citadel (Castle of the Czar). This commanding position was first fortified in the 6th century and had become the royal centre of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom by the end of the 12th century. A short drive away is the hilltop village of Arbanassi, first settled by Albanian immigrants in the 15th century. We will have the opportunity to visit several of the houses in the region dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Balance of the day at leisure. Overnight in Veliko Turnovo. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 12 Veliko Turnovo - Sofia
Today we travel to Sofia (private coach) via the beautiful Danube Plain. En-route we will cross over the Troyan Pass and visit the nearby Troyan Monastery, Bulgaria's third largest. After a lunch break we will continue on the well-preserved 'museum-town' of Koprivshtitsa. It was here that the revolt against the Ottoman occupation began in 1876. A visit here gives us an insight as to how Bulgarians lived a century ago. Our WALK throughout the enchanting town will bring us to many unique houses with wooden columns, painted facades, richly decorated interiors, and lovely gardens. Overnight in Sofia. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 13 Sofia - Rila Monastery - Sofia
This morning we depart via private coach for the 10th century Rila Monastery, 121 km (75 miles) south of Sofia at the end of a winding road through high rock walls with formations like giant animals waiting to pounce. This most-revered of all Bulgarian monasteries lies nestled in a soft, green wood. Mountains rise all around it; below it the Rilska River races over a stony bed. In the 9th century, twenty-year old Ivan Rilski (John of Rila) fled to this peaceful place seeking escape from the sordidness of the world. Finding a cave in the woods above this present monastery site, he took up the hermit life. Here he fed the animals and the birds and prayed in the stillness to God. In time, like-minded men joined him and they built the first monastery here about a 2.4 km (1.5 mile) from the present site, where, today, you will find his tomb, the little Church of St. Luke, and the cave he inhabited. In the past, pilgrims were not deemed sinless enough to enter the monastery. The Rila Monastery is one of Europe's largest monasteries, located in some of Bulgaria's most beautiful terrain. Sightseeing of the monastery features the unsurpassed frescoes of the Church of the Blessed Virgin. Monks still practice within this five-domed treasure. Also contained within the exquisite fortress-like walls of the monastery is the Historical Museum featuring a collection of objects connected with the monastery's thousand-year history. After lunch we will return to Sofia. Overnight in Sofia. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 14 Sofia: City Tour
Today we have a sightseeing WALKING / bus tour of Sofia. We feature the Alexander Nevski golden-domed cathedral, the precious icon collection, and 4th century Saint George's Church and the Treasures of the National Museum of History, which is home to the world's oldest gold (4600-4200 BC). In this vast museum we will find important relics from every major site across Bulgaria. The remainder of the afternoon is at your leisure. This evening the tour group may have the chance to attend a folkloric performance at a local restaurant in the capital. Overnight in Sofia. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 15 Departure
Departure from Sofia. Breakfast. PRIJATNO PATUVANE!!
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