12-Day Romania Culture and Architecture Tour with Danube Delta

• Drive to the city of Tulcea and, after crossing the Danube River, enter the Dobrogea Plateau, the oldest mountain region in Europe, with over 600 wind turbines.
• Reach Tulcea and enjoy the fish tanks with local and exotic species at the Danube Delta Aquarium. You can also get a full diving suit and instructor and feed huge Danube sturgeon for 100 RON.
• You can also visit the Ethnographic Museum of Tulcea to learn about the local ethnic groups.

Overnight accommodation in Tulcea.

• Begin exploring the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. It is also known as a birdwatchers' paradise, as it is home to over 320 species of birds. You can try your hand at fishing or relax while browsing through the narrow channels.
• Taste Danube Delta cuisine at a local restaurant to experience the best local flavours.

Return to Tulcea and stay overnight.

• Head towards Prahova Valley and ferry across the Danube River before continuing north to the beautiful city of Brasov.
• Stop at the 300-year-old city of Sinaia, which was born around the Monastery of Sinaia, the jewel of the Carpathian Mountains.
• Visit Peleș Palace, also known as the Versailles of Romania, the royal residence of King Carol I of Romania, and considered the most beautiful summer royal residence in Europe.

Stay overnight in Brasov.

• Start your day with a walking tour down the cobblestone streets of Brasov and go back in time to when the town was the hub of Arab merchants.
• See St. Catherine's Gate, the oldest in the city, and then make your way to the front of the Synagogue. Visit the Black Church, the biggest church in Eastern Europe, with a 4,000-pipe organ. Surprisingly, it also holds the largest collection of oriental rugs in the country.
• Continue to Council Square and enjoy its lively atmosphere.
• Depart for Dracula Castle. The castle was built in 1377 as a border point on the trading route between Transylvania and Wallachia. Your guide will offer you full insight into the legend of Vlad Dracula.
• Drive along the Făgăraș Mountains, the highest mountain chain in Romania, and reach Sibiu, one of the gateways into Transylvania.

Stay overnight in Sibiu at a centrally located hotel.

• Take a walking tour around the 800-year-old city of Sibiu, one of the most beautiful German fortified cities of Transylvania. Marvel at the city's landmarks, including the Brukenthal Museum, assembled by Baron Brukenthal, governor of Transylvania, at the beginning of the 19th century.
• See the Evangelical Cathedral, then visit the Passage of Stairs linking the Upper Town to the Lower Town, the 1859 Liar's Bridge, and finally the original Pharmacy Museum.
• Depart for the heart of Transylvania, Sighișoara. On the way, stop at Biertan, the former seat of Lutheran bishops between 1516 and 1867 and one of the best-preserved medieval fortifications in the country.
• Optional dinner at the birthplace of Vlad Dracula (Vlad the Impaler).
• You can also choose to visit the amazing ancient oak tree reservation.

Stay overnight in Sighișoara.

• Enjoy a walking tour of the upper city of Sighișoara and visit the Clock Tower, Scholar's Stairs, and the Church.
• Return through the Saxon cemetery and leave for the medieval town of Bistrița. Also visit the famous Evangelical Cathedral of Bistrița and the nearby merchant building.
• Arrive in the small town of Sighetu Marmației and stay overnight at one of the local farms. The hosts will offer great homemade meals and house-made plum brandy. In this splendid region of Maramureș, the people have developed a robust community with a unique personality, traditions, culture, fashion, and lifestyle.

• Walk around the village to the nearby whirlpool. This is a century-old tradition, with the entire village coming here to wash their laundry.
• Tour the famous Merry Cemetery in Săpânța.

Stay overnight at the local house.

• Head to the Iza Valley and stop at the village of Dragomirești to visit a 235-year-old original complete household.
• Visit the wooden church of Ieud, and make a quick stop at the exquisite Bârsana Monastery, a great example of Maramureș wooden church architecture.
• Shop at the workshop of the local woodcarver in the village of Bârsana. The family has been carving gates in the area for centuries.
• Leave Maramureș and drive through the scenic Oriental Carpathian Mountains. The pass goes up to 1,500 meters.
• Reach Bucovina and stay overnight at a hotel.

• Head to Voronet Monastery, also known as the Sistine Chapel of the East. The eastern wall features the best-preserved Last Judgment fresco. You will also visit the Tree of Jesse.
• Next is Moldovița Monastery, followed by nearby Sucevița Monastery, situated right over a beautiful mountain pass and offering a great view of the Moldavian countryside.
• Visit Sucevița Monastery and see the Ladder of John of Sinai, considered one of the monastery's finest frescoes, rarely present in medieval Romanian art, which also displays valuable old Bibles in the country.
• Visit the village of Marginea, which has a black pottery workshop using a technique called "oxygen reduction."
• End your day with a visit to the Monastery of Humor and return to the hotel.

• Drive through the vineyards of Vrancea and arrive in Bucharest to take part in a brief orientation tour of the city.
• You can choose to relax or walk around Revolution Square close to your hotel.

• Take a city tour of Bucharest to view the Palace of the Parliament, Revolution Square, Cotroceni Quarter, a view of Nicolae Ceausescu's private residence, and a visit to the Romanian Village Museum.
• Visit Snagov Monastery and Mogosoaia Palace. Snagov Monastery is the legendary burial place of Vlad the Impaler, although his grave is empty to this day. The monastery is on an island on a lake in the middle of one of the biggest forests around Bucharest. It was first built by Vlad the Impaler during his rule. Today, it still shows the original paintings and fortification towers.
• Explore Mogosoaia Palace to see how the Wallachian aristocracy lived in the 17th century. This palace is the best example of Romanian architectural style.

Return to the city in the evening.

• Drive to Henri Coandă International Airport.

End of the tour.