Visit: BELGRADE, SREMSKI KARLOVCI, TIMISOARA, HUNEDOARA, ALBA IULIA, SIBIU, SIGHISOARA, TARGU MURES, BUCOVINA PAINTED MONASTERIES, BRASOV, BRAN, SINAIA AND BUCHAREST
Upon arrival transfer to hotel.
With a history dating back more than 7,000 years, Belgrade is a fascinating city to visit. Your morning sightseeing tour includes the city's main attractions: the imposing Kalemegdan Fortress, dramatically situated at the joining of the Sava and Danube Rivers; Republic Square and Mihajlova Street; Saint Sava Temple, the largest Orthodox Church in the city; and Tito's Memorial. The afternoon is free.
In the morning, departure to Sremski Karlovci, the museum-city that was the center of culture and religion in Serbia during the 18th and 19th centuries. After a short stop we continue to Timisoara. Romania’s third-largest city (after Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca) is also one of the country's most attractive urban areas, built around a series of beautifully restored public squares, and lavish parks and gardens. With western Romania's nicest hotels and finest restaurants, it makes a perfect base for exploring the Banat region.
In the morning, we travel to Hunedoara, where iron has been extracted since the Iron Age. One of its most memorable buildings is the Corvin Castle, a fine example of secular Gothic architecture with spiky, spooky fantasy topped with asymmetrical pointed towers and turrets. Continue to the city of Alba Iulia, a symbol of national unity in Romania. Built on 13th century foundations, the imposing Habsburg citadel is star-shaped with seven bastions and successive walls. Head to Sibiu for overnight.
Morning free at leisure. In the afternoon we take a panoramic walk through the city of Sibiu. Sibiu is one of the most important cultural centers of Romania and bears a strong resemblance to a southern German or Austrian town. The old city center has retained a largely Saxon aspect and managed to fuse the Middle Ages with the new.
Today, we travel first to the picturesque city of Sighisoara, the birthplace of Vlad Dracula. It is the only inhabited fortified citadel in Romania and is an enchanting city of sloping roofs, pastel facades and cobbled streets. We continue to Targu Mures.
Targu Mures remains a noticeably Hungarian town. Dating back at least to the 14th century it has long been an important commercial and academic center. After the visit that includes the Palace of Culture, we continue to Piatra Neamt through the Bicaz Gorge, the largest gorge in Romania, admiring the beauty of the landscape, the Red Lake and its hill station.
Departure to the Bucovina region to visit its monasteries, the most representative monuments of Moldovan art. Declared a World Heritage Site, these monasteries are one of the most important legacies of Byzantine art in the world, in which their brightly colored interior and exterior fresco paintings stand out. Visit of the Monasteries of Sucevita and the black pottery workshops of Marginea. In the afternoon visit the Voronet Monastery, considered the best architectural and pictorial example in the region, called the "Sistine Chapel" in the East. Return to Piatra Neamt.
In the morning, we leave Piatra Neamt and travel south to Brasov. Arrival in the afternoon, followed by a tour of the fascinating medieval city of Brasov. Visit the old town and see the exterior of the Black Church, the most representative Gothic monument in Romania.
Continuation towards the town of Bran. Visit of its famous Castle, also known as Dracula's Castle. In the afternoon arrival in the city of Sinaia, known as "the pearl of the Carpathians" because of its beauty. In the afternoon we will visit the wonderful Peles Palace, the former summer residence and retreat place of the royal family, built in the second half of the 19th century by the first King of Romania, Carlos I.
We will get to know the Romanian capital, once known under the nickname "Little Paris". The visit will take us to the Romanian Athenaeum, the Opera House, the Military Club of the Nation, the Military Academy and the Arc de Triomphe. Bucharest is Romania's capital and largest city, as well as the most important industrial and commercial center of the country. With 2 million inhabitants in the city proper and more than 2.4 million in the urban area, Bucharest is one of the largest cities in Southeastern Europe.
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight.
Inclusion
4* and 5* hotels
Daily breakfast
Touring by modern air-conditioned motor coach
Airport transfers
Professional English-speaking Tour Director throughout
Licensed local guides
Entrance fees included where indicated in bold letters
Luggage handling at hotels
Service charges and hotel taxes
Sightseeing Tours Included:
Belgrade (Kalemegdan)
Timisoara
Hunedoara (Corvin Castle)
Alba Iulia
Sibiu
Sighisoara
Targu Mures (Palace of Culture)
Painted Monasteries of Bucovina (Sucevita and Voronet Monasteries, Ceramica neagra Marginea)
Brasov
Bran (Dracula’s Castle)
Sinaia (Peles Palace)
Bucharest
Exclusion
International airfares
Optional activities
Other meals, drinks, tips and other personal expenses or services not specified on the program
Personal equipment
Travel insurance
Gratuities
Voluntary tips for guides or drivers
Travel and medical insurance
Any items not mentioned as included
Note
Hotel Accommodation
Belgrade: Hotel Moskva 5* / Hotel Prag 4* or similar
Timisoara: Hotel Continental 4* or similar
Sibiu: Hotel Continental Forum 4* or similar
Targu Mures: Hotel Continental Forum 4* or similar
Piatra Neamt: Hotel Central Plaza 4* or similar
Brasov: Hotel Aro Palace 5* / Ambient 4* or similar
Bucharest: Hotel Capitol 4* or similar
