Dinner
Monday, October 6 - Arrival in Bucharest, Romania (Airport Code: OTP)
​Afternoon arrival to Coanda International Airport in Bucharest. Meet and greet by your English speaking tour guide Transfer to your downtown Bucharest hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Breakfast
Lunch
Tuesday, October 7- Bucharest
Begin with a city tour of Bucharest including the Revolution Square and former royal palace, the main avenues and Opera House. . Visit Stavropoleos Church in Bucharest and the unique Darvari Skete (an operating monastery in the middle of Bucharest. Visit the Church of the Patriarchy followed by lunch. Headed North take a stroll in the iconic Village Museum - one of the world's most interesting open-air museums with century old with original peasant households from all parts of Romania.
Return to your hotel with the balance of the day at leisure and dinner on own.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Wednesday, October 8 - Transylvania
This early morning leave for Transylvania with a detour to the Monastery of Hurezi, probably the brightest example of Brancovan architecture and decoration. The Last Judgment fresco at Hurezi is one of the best in the country. The town of Hurezi is one of the main pottery centers of Romania. Enjoy a traditional lunch in town. Continue to late 14th century Monastery of Cozia, featuring Serbian architectural elements and a superb icon and old bibles museum.
In the late afternoon reach Sibiu (Hermannstadt), formerly the chief city of the Transylvanian Germans. After check in enjoy time at leisure in the Old Town's lovely pedestrianized area.
Breakfast
Lunch
Thursday, October 9 - Sibiu
Sibu was the chif city of the Transylvanian Saxons and boasts a rich medieval architecture and layout. Enjoy a walking tour of the Great and Lesser Squares - landmarks of the Old Town (and UNESCO Sites) with the many merchant houses featuring "the sleepy eye" dormers. One of the landmarks of Sibiu is the impressive 1905 Orthodox Cathedral, a smaller replica of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Enjoy a Transylvanian lunch in town.
In the afternoon take an excurison to the moutnain village of Sibiel, visit the Orthodox Church as well as the world-famous Icon on Glass Museum: a splendor of artistic creativity of religious inspiration born from the richness of the Orthodox Christian tradition and the extraordinary fantasy of Romanian peasant painters. return to Sibiu with the remainder of the day at leisure. Dinner on own.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Friday, October 10- Maramures/Sighet
This early morning leave Sibiu and head North and visit the Monastery of Nicula before noon. This is the largest pilgrimage place in Northern Transylvania. The monastery holds the precious Mother of God Icon painted in 1691. Lunch en-route.
Reach 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 and lifestyle unspoiled for centuries. Visit the early 1720s wooden Church of Surdesti, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and until recently the tallest wooden structure in Europe. This is a good opportunity to learn about the Uniates (Greek-Catholic). Then stop in the villages of Mara Valley to learn about the local dowry tradition and to admire wonderfully carved wooden gates. Continue to the town of Sighetul Marmatiei. Enjoy a Maramures dinner at hotel.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Saturday, October 11- Maramures/Sighet
After breakfast, take an exclusively designed walking tour of the village of Iza including an iconon-glass workshop (learn about the technique), the local ancient-type plum brandy distillery and a typical whirlpool still used by the local women to wash heavy woolen blankets. Then drive to the nearby town of Sighetul Marmatiei to mingle with the locals at the bustling fruit and vegetable market where you will have the opportunity to sample various produce from cheeses to sausage.
Continue to one of Romania's most important sites: the Anti Communist Memorial - a political prison in the Communist times and one of the main memorial sites of the continent, alongside Auschwitz Museum and the Peace Memorial in Normandy. The visit here provides a direct connection to Romania's most recent history.
Time permitting visit the Ethnography Museum of Sighet: a wonderful window into the local culture from architecture to fashion.
Head west along Tisa River 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. Before returning to Iza, take a view of what is the tallest wooden structure in the world: Sapinta Peri. Late in the afternoon return to the village.
Time at lesiure for a walk or rest before your home hosted dinner and superb folklore show with live music and dances.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Sunday, October 12 - Maramures: Iza Valley, Rozavlea, Barsana Bucovina
Early morning Liturgy. After the Divine Liturgy we will have breakfast and check out. Continue exploring Maramures along the picturesque Iza River Valley – an excellent opportunity to witness the daily life in this corner of Europe and also meet locals. Stop in the village of Rozavlea for a visit to the 1722 wooden church (UNESCO) the exquisite Barsana Nunnery, an example of Maramures wooden church architecture at its best. Visit Bogdan Voda wooden church (UNESCO Site). Lunch en route.
In the village of Dragomiresti tour the unique local museum located in a 235-year old home. Continue your tour by crossing the scenic Carpathian Mountains through the picturesque Prislop Pass into the northern part of Moldavia called Bucovina. Enjoy an egg-painting technique demonstration by a local artist in her own home, this being one of the local traditions of the area. You will also have the chance to admire painted eggs from all over the world. After arriving in Gura Humorului, check into the hotel followed by a buffet dinner at hotel.
Breakfast
Dinner
Monday, October 13 - Bucovina/Gura Humorului
The Bucovina Monasteries Tour will reveal outstanding gems of medieval Moldavian architecture and artistry. Begin your day with Voronet, the most famous out of all, known as the Sistine Chapel of the East and featuring one the best Last Judgment fresco in this part of the World.
Next is Moldovita Monastery where the UNESCO Golden Apple Award given to the painted churches in 1975, is kept.
Enjoy a Bucovina lunch in the village of Suvevita. Later continue to the nearby Sucevita Monastery, 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 the Monastery of Humor, the only one without a belfry tower. Return to the hotel.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Tuesday, October 14 - Piatra Neamt/Brasov
Begin your day with a drive south to Piatra Neamt with a view of the Neamt Citadel, a medieval fortress initially built in the 12th century. Visit the Monastery of Neamt, the largest and most important in Moldavia and a superb example of Moldavia medieval architecture. Pay your respects at the tomb of Paisie Velicikovski, the author of Filocalia. Continue to the Monastery of Sihastria. Visit Agapia Nunnery -- the largest in the country.
Lunch en-route (Tusnad or similar). Head South thru the two counties with a majority of Hungarian population, via Safntul Ghoerghe (brief stop at the newly built Orthodox cathedral. In the late afternoon Then reach Brasov followed by hotel check in.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Wednesday, October 15 - Brasov
Brasov is an important Saxon town with a rich architectural heritage. The tour will reveal the Old Town with the late Gothic Black Church (largest in South Central Europe) featuring a unique collection of precious Anatolian rugs, the Council Square, Catherine’s Gate, the Guild Towers, Schei Quarter, the narrow Rope Street. In the Schei Disctict visit teh St Nicholas church and the first school in Romanian language. Lunch in town.
The town is a center of culinary art thru its many traditional Transylvanian restaurants. The balance of the day is your leisure to further explore.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Thursday, October 16 - Transylvania (Bran Castle) and Bucharest
This morning drive to the famous Bran Castle. This medieval structure was built in 1377 to safeguard the trading route between Transylvania and Wallachia and has been enlarged and restored a few times to become a royal residence under Queen Marie of Romania.
Head South to Sinaia mountain town. Named after St. Catherine Monastery on Mount Sinai, Sinaia became the unofficial capital of the Kingdom of Romania toward the end of the 19th century. After lunch in town visit the 1695 Sinaia Monastery built after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and St Catherine's. Then take a tour of the Peles Castle (elect own tour type), the royal residence of King Charles I of Romania and known as one of the most beautiful summer royal residences in Europe.
End your Romania tour with a drive to Bucharest and transfer to the hotel.
Breakfast
Friday, October 17 - Departure from Coanda International Airport (Airport Code: OTP)
Breakfast and Departure back home. Safe travels!