UNESCO Heritage Sites Tour

Day 1 - Sun. Bucharest

Arrival in Bucharest, capital of Romania. Transfer from airport to the Athenee Palace Hilton hotel 5*. Relax with a welcoming drink - get to know one another and discuss the travel program. In the afternoon, you may decide to explore the city or relax in the hotel's spa and in the evening to dine in the renowned Caru cu Bere Restaurant, Bucharest's oldest beer hall, dating from 1875, with Romanian folk music and dances.

Day 2 - Mon. Danube Delta

After breakfast, enjoy a sightseeing tour that will give you an overall impression of the most significant sights in Bucharest, including entrance to the Palace of Parliament. 

We leave Bucharest behind and drive to Tulcea and into the Danube Delta, the second in size and best preserved of Europe's deltas. This is a world class conservation area and a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, hosting over 300 species of birds, 45 freshwater fish species, 1,200 species of plants and trees in its numerous lakes and marshes. Spend two nights at the Green Village Resort 4*, in the Danube Delta. (B, L, D)

Day 3 - Tue. Danube Delta

Today we venture into the heart of the natural reserve. A boat safari through the maze of channels, waterways and lakes will give you the opportunity to view the Delta's amazing bird and plant life. Afternoon at leisure to further explore the area or enjoy a variety of activities available at the hotel: beach football, table tennis, fishing, canoeing, bicycle rides etc. (B, L, D)

Day 4 - Wed. Moldavia

We travel northwards into Moldavia to the unforgettable painted monasteries. Moldavia is a rural paradise: picturesque villages, bucolic scenery and colorful inhabitants. Its painted churches are among the greatest artistic monuments in Europe and UNESCO World Heritages Sites. Spend two nights at the Best Western Bucovina hotel 4* in Gura Humorului. (B)

Day 5 - Thu. Painted Monasteries of Moldavia

After breakfast, we take a tour of the most spectacular painted monasteries: Sucevita, Moldovita, Voronet and Humor. The painted exterior walls, decorated with 15th and 16th-century frescoes, are considered masterpieces of Byzantine art. Far from being merely wall decorations, the paintings represent complete cycles of religious murals on all facades. Their outstanding composition, elegant outline and harmonious colors blend perfectly with the surrounding landscape. Discover a little more about the local culture in the village of Marginea, renowned for its black earthenware and visit a pottery workshop. (B)

Day 6 - Fri. Wooden Churches of Maramures

We cross the remote Prislop Pass - the highest in Romania and reach Maramures. The last peasant culture in Europe is thriving here, with hand-built ancient wooden churches, traditional music, colorful costumes and ancient festivals. Visit the villages with hand-built wooden churches of Poienile Izei, Budesti and Barsana. These towering wooden churches have remained remarkably intact over the centuries and today are UNESCO World Heritage sites. 

Stay two nights in a tourist pension in Maramures, a wonderful rural retreat offering relaxing accommodation and great home-cooked food. (B, L, D)

Day 7 - Sat. The Villages of Maramures

After breakfast, discover Romanian rural life by exploring the charming villages of this remote northern region. Visit one of Romania's most unusual attractions, the Merry Cemetery of Sapanta, unique for its exuberantly colored and beautifully crafted wooden headstones. On the way, we stop to admire Vadu Izei, famed for its immense carved wooden gates that illustrate the social status of the inhabitants. (B, L, D)

Day 8 - Sun. Sighisoara

From Maramures we descend into Transylvania to find fascinating medieval towns, legendary castles and dramatic mountain peaks. Our next UNESCO site is Sighisoara. The best preserved and continuously inhabited medieval city in Europe, Sighisoara Citadel will make you feel like you're floating through another time and space. There are a thousand corners to discover here. We take a walking tour of the citadel. Afternoon at leisure to further explore this exciting medieval town and enjoy the excellent dining opportunities. Two nights are spent at the Sighisoara hotel 3*. (B)

Day 9 - Mon. Villages with Fortified Churches from Transylvania

If Sighisoara is enough of a surprise, it is nothing compared to the dozens of villages with fortified churches, founded by the Transylvanian Saxons and which survive almost entirely untouched to this day, surrounded, in most cases, by equally untouched ancient landscape. Built in the middle of the plain or on a hill top, dominating the region with their height and stateliness, seven of these fortified churches have been named UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We spend the day exploring the villages of Saschiz, Viscri, Biertan and Valea Viilor. We visit a local farm and look around the interior of a traditional Saxon house - a true rarity nowadays. Return to Sighisoara late in the afternoon. (B, L)

Day 10 - Tue. Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains

Breathtaking mountainous terrain awaits as we voyage deep into the Carpathian Mountains to the Dacian Fortresses. Dacians settled in what is today Romania from the 3rd century B.C. onwards. They founded a magnificent kingdom, centered in Sarmizegetusa (the capital) and surrounded by a defensive circle of fortifications in the Orastie Mountains. The six defensive works, the nucleus of the Dacian Kingdom, were conquered by the Romans at the beginning of the 2nd century A.D. Their extensive and well-preserved remains stand in spectacular natural surroundings and give a dramatic picture of a vigorous and innovative civilization.

Arrival in Sibiu, one of the most beautiful and well preserved historical towns in Romania and European Capital of Culture in 2007. Overnight at the Ramada Sibiu hotel 4*. (B)

Day 11 - Wed. Monastery of Horezu

Our agenda today takes us through the stunning territory covered by the Retezat National Park: 38,047 hectares of pristine mixed forest and glacial plateaus. The region is among Europe's last remaining largely untouched stretches of wilderness. 

We reach Horezu Monastery, situated in this idyllic mountain setting, the last UNESCO World Heritage site on our tour. Founded in 1690 by Prince Constantine Brancoveanu, the monastery of Horezu is a masterpiece of the 'Brancovan' style. It is known for its architectural purity and balance, the richness of its sculptural detail, the treatment of its religious compositions, votive portraits and painted decorative works. 

Return to Bucharest. Overnight at the Opera hotel 3*. (B) 

Day 12 - Thu. Bucharest

A last opportunity for city sightseeing and shopping (your own arrangements). Transfer to the airport for your flight home. (B)