Highlights
- Day 1: Welcome to Bucharest
- Day 2: Peles Castle & Sinaia
- Day 3: Bran Castle & Rucar-Bran pass
- Day 4: Poenari fortress & Transfagarasan road
- Day 5: Sibiu / Driving to Paltinis
- Day 6: Transalpina, the highest road in Romania
- Day 7: Back to Bucharest
Details of the tour:
Self-guided tour in Bucharest
Try an audio-guided tour in the city center and discover the main attractions: the Revolution square, the History museum, Calea Victoriei and the old town. If you have time, you can also go and visit the Parliament Palace, one of the most famous buildings in Bucharest.
We will also provide you with restaurant recommendations so you can try some delicious Romanian dishes.
Accomodation: hotel in Bucharest
Day 1: Welcome to Bucharest
Peles Castle & Sinaia resort
Sinaia is the former residence of kings. It was named after the holy mountain Sinai, a name that was given first to the Sinaia Monastery and then to the resort. The resort is located at an altitude between 798 and 1055m, on the southeastern slope of the Bucegi Mountains.
After you check in at your hotel, you can try a treasure hunt that will take you to see the main points of interest. During it, you can also visit Peles Castle. Peles Castle is built in the royal domain of Sinaia by the first king of Romania, becoming the summer residence. Completed in 1914, the castle has 160 rooms and more than 30 bathrooms.
Accommodation: hotel in Sinaia
Day 2: Bucharest to Sinaia
Bran Castle & Rucar-Bran pass
It is time to conquer the Romanian mountains. Leave Sinaia behind and go to Bran. On the way, you will pass through another mountain resort: Paraul Rece. You can admire the high peaks of the Carpathians because the road crosses the mountain.
Once in Bran, you will stop to visit the best-known castle in Romania: Dracula’s Castle. The most representative legend of Transylvania – that of Dracula or Vlad Tepes, is also related to Bran Castle. It is strategically located on the edge of a high cliff to increase visibility over the area. Initially, it was an irregular quadrilateral fortification, whose towers were built much later. Visiting the interior of the castle you will find out the connection between it and Dracula, but also what role the royal family of Romania played in the history of Bran.
After you visit the Bran Castle, go on to Curtea de Arges, an old town, ex capital of Walachia centuries ago. Until you get there, stop and admire the Bucegi mountains on one side and the Piatra Craiului mountains on the other because you will drive on the Rucar-Bran pass. You will spend your night in Curtea de Arges.
Accommodation: hotel in Curtea de Arges
Ready to see other UNESCO heritage sites in Romania? Book the Unesco sites in Romania tour in 14 days.
Day 3: Sinaia to Curtea de Arges
Curtea de Arges Monastery & Balea Lake
After that, take your car and go up to the mountains. First, you will reach the Poenari fortress, known as the real castle of Vlad the Impaler. It is closed for restoration in 2022, but you can admire it from below.
After this, continue your ride and stop on the Vidraru dam. Don’t spend too much time here, because the best is yet to come! Drive until Balea lac, the highest point on Transfagarasan, and stop here for a while. Tight parts, hairpins, and unbelievable views will keep you alert during the whole road. In the afternoon you will arrive in Sibiu, where you will spend your night.
Accommodation: hotel in Sibiu
Day 4: Transfagarasan-the most beautiful road in the world
Self-guided tour in Sibiu or Paltinis
After so many days in the car, you will probably need a break, so you have two options for this day. One option is to stay in Sibiu and discover this amazing city, visiting its museums and attractions and wandering its narrow, medieval streets. Sibiu is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Romania and it was included in the top 10 idyllic locations in Europe, made by Forbes magazine.
If you feel you don’t need a break, you can drive to Paltinis, a mountain resort near Sibiu. The road until there offers amazing views! Go back in the evening to your hotel in Sibiu.
Accommodation: hotel in Sibiu
Do you want to spend more than 7 days? Try the 10-day tour in Romania.
Day 5: Sibiu or Paltinis mountain resort
Driving on Transalpina
Take your car and drive on the highest road in the country, a road that is even wilder than Transfagarasan: TransAlpina. Alpine pastures and rocky peaks will make you want to stop every other meter and will make you wonder: which one do you like better: Transfagarasan or Transalpina? We will tell you where to stop on the way to have the best views and the most amazing pictures.
You will spend the night in Horezu, a mountain village known for its pottery masters.
Accommodation: B&B in Horezu
Are you ready to go further to the north Romania? Try this 6-day itinerary.
Day 6: TransAlpina – the highest road in Romania
Horezu & back to Bucharest
Day 7: Back to Bucharest
What should you know before a driving tour in Romania?
This is a kind of tour that includes accommodation, car rental and a predefined itinerary, but no guide. We book you the car and the accommodation and customize together the itinerary.
You will receive a detailed description of each day (detailed route, info about the attractions you will visit, restaurant recommendations, tips and tricks).
Plus, you will have an assistance phone number that you can use every time you need our help.
Yes, foreigners are allowed to drive in Romania. They must use their international driving license (IDL) for a maximum of 90 days. If they stay in Romania longer than that, they need to apply for a Romanian driver’s license in order to continue driving.
Driving in Romania can be quite challenging. Unfortunately, Romania has one of the highest accident rates in UE. It is important to respect the law and drive carefully. And if you do that it will be a real pleasure to drive in Romania, considering that it has some of the most beautiful roads in the world!
Mayke –
For sure, Secret Romania is the best agency in the country. I’ve already visited 72 countries and I always try to know the region I’m in with the help of an agency, tour or local guide and what Secret Romania provided was much more than just a true cultural immersion, the guides made my fiancée and I feel part of the place visited, not as mere tourists, but as locals, experiencing the region’s true culture and not as tourists looking only for what travel books want that you see.
I can say that the tour we did with them is in the TOP 3 of the best travel experiences we’ve ever had in life and I’m sure that if you are looking for an experience of Romanian culture and its places, there is no better agency for it. Secret Romania is the best.