Highlights of Hungary and Romania- 10 days tour

Day 1 Arrival to Budapest, Hungary

In the afternoon, after your arrival in Budapest, you will meet your English speaking tour guide. Your guide will drive you to your accommodation and after you will have time at leisure.

OPTIONAL: In the evening enjoy a Dinner while cruising the Danube. Overnight in Budapest – Hotel centrally located

Day 2: Budapest City Tour

You will have a great start of day by exploring the stunning capital city of Budapest. The morning city tour will take you on the tree lined Andrassy Avenue to the magnificent Heroes’ Square. The area around it is worth a stroll. Continue to the hustling and bustling Central Market (an Eiffel Company project), a show in itself and a great place for buying quality Hungarian souvenirs.

After visiting some of the main interest, like the Parliament, the Fine Arts Museum, the Hungarian National Museum, cross the Danube into Buda and admire the former Royal Palace.

The tour of the Castle Hill includes a view of the colorful Gothic Matthias Church (the church of royal weddings),  view of the Fishermen’s Bastion, Middle Ages small streets and houses, Vienna gate and the northern bastions walk, St. Magdalena Church ruins and ending up to the Gellert Hill where there is the best view of Budapest. Return to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure. You may try a cake and coffee at Gerbeaud coffee shop or try one of the goulash specialties on Vaci Street. Dinner on your own.  Overnight in Budapest – Hotel centrally located

Day 3:  Budapest – Aquincum Roman Ruins – Szentendre – Visegrad Citadel – Budapest

Start your day with a visit to Aquincum Roman Ruins located in the northern part of the city. Continue to Szentendre – the most picturesque small town along the Hungarian stretch of the Danube and home to sculptors and painters. The town is a charming monument to the 18th century with its cobbled streets and unexpected alleyways and has a unique atmosphere. Stroll around, visit various workshops.  Afterwards drive north along the Danube to Central Europe’s largest medieval castle keep which is Visegrad. With its two parts, such as the 13th century citadel perched on the hill and the 14th century royal palace at the bottom, Visegrad lived its golden age during the Renaissance King, Matthias who extended the entire structure. Visegrad is also the place where the famous Vlad the Impaler – Dracula was held prisoner by the same King Matthias in the second half of the 15th century. Return to Budapest in the afternoon.

OPTIONAL: In the evening you can enjoy a relaxing experience at the thermal baths in Budapest.

Budapest has been called the “city of thermal baths”. There are over 118 thermal springs, with a water temperature between 21 and 78 degrees Celsius. The most popular public baths are Szechenyi Thermal Baths, Gellert Thermal Baths, Rudas Baths or Dandar. Overnight in Budapest – Hotel centrally located

Day 4:  Budapest – Cluj Napoca

Early in the morning, we depart towards Cluj Napoca. Upon arrival, you will have some free time for lunch. Later on, visit the birth house of Matthias Corvinus, Hungary’s most renowned 15th-century king, and learn fascinating stories about his life, as well as the importance of wine in the region. Continue the tour to the large Union Square to admire the classic Gothic style of the 14th-century St. Michael’s Church, and the large equestrian statue of Corvinus that rests in front of it.

Continue walking until you arrive at the “Street of the Intellectuals,” famous for its many educational institutions, including the Babes-Bolyai University. As you walk, learn from your knowledgeable guide about the fate of the witches living in Cluj in the Middle Ages, and the formation of the Guilds. Walk past the remains of the city’s defensive walls and arrive at a newer part of the old city, named the Avram Iancu Square. Admire the Orthodox Cathedral that rests here, built in the 1930s, as well as the National Theater, built in 1906 by a team of Viennese architects. Overnight in Cluj Napoca – Hotel centrally located

Day 5:  Cluj Napoca – Turda Salt Mines – Sinaia

Right after breakfast, we drive towards Sinaia with a stop in Turda, at the salt mines.

In this area, the salt deposits were formed 13 million years ago, and the result of two thousand years of work will amaze you. The hundred meter galleries open into a huge room carved in salt with a 90 meter height, and in the middle of it you can enjoy a boat ride on the salt lake. If you are in search of spectacular images to capture, this is the place to be. A glass elevator provides an astonishing overview of the mine. All year long the temperature is constant, between 10 to 12 degrees Celsius, and the salty air has proven therapeutic properties, especially for people with respiratory problems.

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. Once the famous Orient Express use to regularly call here and it still does once a year on its way from Paris to Constantinople. In the evening, you may try one of the Serbian specialties at Taverna Sarbului. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Sinaia – Hotel centrally located

Day 6:   Sinaia & Peles Castle – Bran Castle – Brasov

Right after breakfast, take an orientation tour of  Sinaia including a view of the Casino building inspired by the one in Monte Carlo and a stop to Sinaia Orthodox Monastery. Visit one of the most important tourist attractions of the country: Peles Castle, the former royal residence of King Charles I of Romania and known as one of the most beautiful summer royal residences in Europe. Later, journey north to the village of Bran. The attraction is the well known Bran Castle also known as Dracula Castle. The castle was built in 1377 to safeguard the trading route between Transylvania and Wallachia, enlarged and restored a few times since then. The connections between this place and Vlad the Impaler Dracula is still under debate, but the castle is definitely worth a visit. Enjoy cheese sampling in the village of Bran – know for its high quality cheeses. Drive to the nearby Brasov, formerly the leading town of the mighty Transylvanian Saxons, in time to see the Gothic Black Church with its precious collection of Anatolian prayer rugs. Brasov has one of the best preserved medieval quarter and fortifications. Continue to the old Romanian Quarter, Catherine’s Gate old towers and the narrowest street in South – Central Europe. The rest of the day is at leisure in the lovely predestrian area of Old Brasov with its many outdoor cafes. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Brasov – Hotel centrally located

Day 7:   Brasov – Harman Fortification – Sighisoara

Leave town for an exclusive visit to one of the typical Transylvanian fortified churches: Harman. Its uniqueness consists in the fact that it is the only structure with dwellings attached to the church. Later drive through the picturesque Transylvanian Plateau with its quaint villages and fortifications. On your way to Sighisoara you will get the chance to meet a Gypsy family in their own home for an authentic cultural interchange. We will end this day in Sighisoara, one of the most preserved medieval city in Europe.

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. Visit the exquisite Spoonman Exhibition of Transylvanian Arts & Crafts. 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. Overnight in Sighisoara – Hotel centrally located

Day 8: Sighisoara –  Biertan –  Sibiu

Depart Sighisoara on the way to Biertan to visit the unique, UNESCO-listed fortified Saxon church. Opportunity for a short walk in the village.

Continue to Sibiu where you will enjoy a leisurely walking tour of old town with the Great and Lesser Squares, merchant houses with their “sleepy eyes” dormers. One of the landmarks of Sibiu is the Bruckenthal Palace assembled by Baron Bruckenthal, Governor of Transylvania at the beginning of the 19th century. View the Evangelical Cathedral and the Passage of Stairs linking the Upper town to the Lower town, the 1859 Liar’s Bridge and, time permitting the Byzantine style Orthodox Cathedral, a replica of St. Sophia in Constantinople.  Overnight in Sibiu – Hotel centrally located

Day 9: Sibiu –  Bucharest

Leaving Transylvania, you’ll drive on the scenic Olt River Valley and Gorge, one of the most beautiful in Romania. Brief stop at Cozia Monastery featuring on the best late 17th century Last Judgment fresco on the Western façade. Time permitting visit the Roman Ruins at Arutela. Arrive to Bucharest in time for a city tour.With a population of approximately 2.2 million, Bucharest is the largest city between Berlin and Athens. Known as “Little Paris” this city has an incredibly mixed architecture. Your tour will be including the Arch of Triumph, the great avenues, the Revolution Square, a view of the former private residence of the Ceausescuand a guided visit to the Palace of Parliament – the second largest building in the world. The remainder of the day at leisure in the city. Overnight in Bucuresti – Hotel centrally located

Day 10: Bucharest Departure

After breakfast, departure transfer to the airport.