Day 1: Bucharest - Tulcea

You'll be picked-up at the airport or from your hotel in Bucharest and driven to Murighiol, crossing the Danube at Giurgeni and traveling through the interesting Dobrogea province. A boat will transfer you to your accommodations in the Uzlina  hotel right in the heart of the Danube Delta.

Day 2: Danube Delta

Hot buffet breakfast at hotel. This morning, you'll explore the youngest territory in the world. (The Danube Delta started to form just 10,000 years ago and is still in the process of formation). On your exclusively charter boat you’ll have the chance to admire its scenic beauty and wildlife - it is known as the birdwatchers paradise, try your hand at fishing, or simply relax while browsing through the narrow channels. The Danube Delta cuisine is certain to provide an interesting dining experience! Afternoon drive to Constanta, Romania’s largest sea port. On the way pass thru Mamaia seaside resort. Take a tour of the Archeology section of the local museum, displaying Greek and Roman artifacts as well as the famous Roman Mosaic, one of the largest in the part of Europe. Later enjoy a Romanian dinner in a typical restaurant.

Day 3: Constanta - Iasi

Hot buffet breakfast at hotel. Early departure to Iasi, the capital of the historical province of Moldavia. You'll spend the afternoon on a walking tour of the city to admire landmarks including the famous Three Hierarchs Church, the neo-gothic Palace of Culture, and the National Theatre Building. You'll spend the night in Iasi at "Traian," a hotel designed by the famous French engineer Gustav Eiffel! Dinner on your own.

Day 4: Bucovina

After breakfast drive to the splendid region of Bucovina, the land of the outside painted monasteries, all of the part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Bukovina monasteries are gems of medieval Moldavian architecture and artistry. Each of them has a predominant color. Start your day with Voronet, the most famous out of all, known as the Sistine Chapel of the East. Voronet features one the best Last Judgment fresco in this part of the World. Receive a complete explanation of the fresco. Next is Moldovita. Get explanation of the outer frescoes. Moldovita Monastery is where the UNESCO Golden Apple Award given to the painted churches back in 1975, is kept. On the south facade of Moldovita is The Siege of Constantinople belonging to the 24 episodes of the Hymn to the Holy Virgin. Traditional lunch in the picturesque village of Sucevita. Drive to the nearby Sucevita, which is the largest of all, looking more like a mighty fortress than a monastery. The Ladder of John of Sinai is considered one of the best of the frescoes of Sucevita, rarely present in medieval Romanian art. In the village of Marginea visit the black pottery workshop - they use a technique called "oxygen reduction”, there is the same technique in Mexico only!  End your day with Humor, the only one without a tower as it was not built by a ruling prince. Dinner on your own.

Day 5: Bucovina - Maramures

A la carte breakfast at hotel. Drive west towards the splendid region of Maramures (northern Transylvania). Due to the relative isolation of their land, the people of Maramures developed a particularly strong community, with a unique personality, traditions, culture, fashion and lifestyle unspoiled for centuries. It is like a trip back in time. Admire the wonderfully carved wooden gates along Iza Valley including an original 235 year old household.  As a cultural connection, stop in the village of Rozavlea for a visit to the workshop of a famous master carver. He represented Romania in the 1999 Smithsonian World Festival in Washington, DC. Later, visit the exquisite Barsana Monastery, a great example of Maramures wooden church architecture. In the afternoon reach the village of Iza on Iza Valley. This will be our base for the next two days. Accommodation in a private house in the village. Dinner (and plum brandy) is included so that people get deeper into the local culture. Our hosts will join for dinner so this will a cultural interchange.

Day 6: Maramures: Iza / Sighetul Marmatiei / Sapinta Village

After breakfast, take an exclusively designed walking tour of the village of Iza including an icon-on-glass workshop, a plum brandy distillery and a typical whirlpool. Enter the new Orthodox church of the village which will be in the process of getting painted in fresco. Drive to Sighet for a visit of the Anti Communist Memorial - a political prison in the Communist times. The visit here provides a direct connection to Romania’s most recent history. Optional visit to the house of Nobel Prize winner, Elie Wiesel. View of the famous Tisa bridge is included. Continue west along Tisa River (very close to the Ukrainian border) and reach the village of Sapinta world famous for its "Merry Cemetery". Here each wooden cross carries a funny epitaph about the person's life. Late in the afternoon return to Iza for dinner and accommodation.

Day 7: Maramures - Cluj – Alba Iulia - Sibiu

Following breakfast, you'll be driven to Sibiu via Cluj Napoca –the largest city of Transylvania, a wonderful centuries-old town where you'll visit the St. Michael Gothic style cathedral. Brief stop at Alba Iulia, famous for its Vauban style citadel. The destination is Sibiu, formerly onfiltered=f cities of the Transylvanian Saxons. Its well-preserved old town is dating from the Middle Ages. In 2007, Sibiu was declared the Cultural Capital of Europe. Orientation tour on the way to the hotel including the old belts of fortifications and guild towers. Hotel check in and dinner on your own. Suggested is Crama Sibiul Vechi, probably the best restaurant in town serving all traditional Transylvanian dishes (reservation two days in advance strongly suggested)

Day 8: Sibiu - Biertan - Sighisoara

Hot buffet breakfast at hotel. Start your day with a leisurely walking tour of Sibiu, the chief city of the Transylvanian Germans. Visit the old surrounding defense walls and the remaining towers each belonging to a certain guild. One of the landmarks of Sibiu is the Bruckenthal Museum assembled by baron Bruckenthal, governor of Transylvania at the beginning of the 19th century, the second ever opened in Europe. The Evangelical Cathedral was completed in its actual shape in 1520, but inside, there is an exquisite fresco of the Crucifixion on the north wall of the choir dating from 1445. Visit the Passage of Stairs linking the Upper town to the Lower town, the 1859 Liar's Bridge and the Byzantine style Orthodox Cathedral, a replica of St. Sophia in Constantinople. Do not miss the original Pharmacy Museum. In the afternoon, you'll venture to Biertan fortress church, a World Cultural Heritage site that hosts the largest wing altar in Romania and was used for more than 300 years as the official residence of many Transylvanian Bishops. Upon your arrival in Sighisoara, you'll understand why it is considered to be the best preserved medieval town in all of Europe. Continuously inhabited since the early Middle Ages, Sighisoara is the birth town of Prince Vlad Dracula! Dinner at hotel.

Day 9: Sighisoara

Hot buffet breakfast at hotel. Before starting your walking tour of old Sighisoara attend a lecture on Vlad the Impaler –Dracula, what is truth and what fiction. Sighisoara is one of a kind. A World Heritage Site, this is the only still inhabited medieval citadel in Europe. It was developed by the German settlers as of late 12 C. It stands on a network of tunnels and catacombs and, according to one version of the myth; this is where the Pied Piper brought the children of Hamelin after their ungrateful parents refused to pay him his due. Walking tour includes the two squares of the Citadel (Upper Town), the Scholars’ Staircase, the Ducklings’ Square, the Tinsmiths’ Tower, the House with Antler, the Tower with Clock (climb up for a great view), the Torture Chamber and the Weapon Museum. Sighisoara is the place where the famous Vlad the Impaler Dracula was born in 1431. The Birthplace is today a restaurant and one of the main tourist attractions. The rest of the day is at leisure. Dinner on your own.

Day 10: Sighisoara - Brasov - Bran - Sinaia

Following breakfast, it's off to Brasov for a tour of another beautifully unique city. You'll have a busy morning with visits to St. Nicolae church, the Museum of the first Romanian school in Transylvania, and the magnificent Black Church - largest gothic style church in South-Eastern Europe and featuring a collection of over one hundred 17th century Muslim prayer rugs. Later, it is time for Bran Castle also known as Dracula Castle – one of the major attractions of the country. The castle was built in 1377 to safeguard the trading route between Transylvania and Wallachia, enlarged and restored a few times since then. A guided visit of the castle is included. Drive through Predeal, Romania’s highest town. Late afternoon arrival to Sinaia mountain resort. Named after St. Catherine Monastery on Mount Sinai, Sinaia became the unofficial capital of the Kingdom of Romania towards the end of the 19th century. Orientation tour of the resort including the famous Casino, inspired by the one in Monte Carlo. Once the famous Orient Express train use to regularly call here and it still does once a year on its way from Paris to Constantinople. Farewell Dinner at Palace Restaurant

Day 11: Sinaia - Bucharest

In the morning, your first stop is the Peles Castle, the awesome former summer residence of the Romanian royal family, built in German Renaissance style. From there, you're off to the Sinaia Monastery, a beautiful example of the Wallachian - Byzantine architectural style and the first building in Sinaia. Your day concludes with a panoramic tour of the capital of Romania OR take our BULGARIA EXTENSION OR THE BLACK SEA & DANUBE DELTA EXTENSION.