Best of Romania and the Danube Delta - 12 Days

Our trip begins today in Bucharest, Romania's vibrant capital. Once hailed the \ Paris of the East', the city lost much of its grandeur during its harsh communist regime and an earthquake in 1977. Today, it's reemerged as a European gem, thanks to its mix of Art Nouveau and Brutalist architecture, picturesque parks and thriving cultural scene.
For those arriving on time, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. Due to several flights arriving into Bucharest later in the evening, our welcome meeting will take place on the morning of day two. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in Bucharest at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP), which is around a 30-minute drive from the city centre. If you arrive earlier in the day, there's plenty to discover in the city's Old Town and many museums to choose from including the National Museum of Romanian History, the Military Museum and the Folk Art Museum.

This morning, we'll have a welcome meeting with our tour leader before we leave the city and head into the Transylvanian countryside. Our first stop is Sinaia, known as the 'pearl of the Carpathians'. We'll have the opportunity to visit Pelisor Palace - a brilliant example of Art Deco and Art Nouveau decor. After our visit, we'll continue to nearby Moieciu village where (time permitting) we'll take a short walk in the Bucegi Mountain forests that are protected as a nature reserve. This walk is graded as easy and covers a distance of approximately six kilometres and takes around two to three hours. It includes uphill and downhill sections (300 metres/984 feet of ascent and descent). If you don't want to take part in the walk, you can explore Moieciu at your own pace. Finally, we'll visit Bran Castle - also known as \ Dracula's castle'. The truth behind the castle is even more fascinating than the myth. It was once home to the British-born Queen Marie of Romania, granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Vlad the Impaler, the infamous 15th century ruler of Wallachia never lived here and there is no connection with the novel by Bram Stoker - who never even travelled to Transylvania. Perched on a crag in a valley between two high mountain ranges, it controlled an international trade route but is now a rural backwater. This evening, we'll stay in a quaint local guesthouse in Moieciu where we'll have the opportunity to tuck into a delicious home-cooked meal. Romanian cuisine is hearty (and their red wine is surprisingly good). Before a meal, the locals tend to sip the aperitif, tzuica, a strong plum brandy.

This morning, we'll drive to the city of Brasov. Its old town still has its medieval walls, a town hall and several churches dating from the 14th-18th centuries. There are also the ruins of an old citadel. Brasov is one of the most historic cities of Transylvania with its old buildings, cobbled streets and local atmosphere, all clustered within the medieval fortifications and overlooked by a magnificent 15th-century Gothic cathedral. We'll have the option to visit the Gothic Black Church, which is considered by many to be the most important in Romania. We'll then continue our drive for around two and a half hours to the medieval hilltop town of Sighisoara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler. The town's colourful buildings encircle a central square where you can have a cup of coffee in a local café and watch the world go by. Alternatively, you can climb up to the church and get a view back over the town below. Our final drive of the day is to Bistrita, which takes around three hours - we'll arrive at our hotel in the evening.

Leaving Bistrita this morning, we'll drive past high forested hills and fertile valleys dotted with orchards and meadows. Our destination is the village of Sapanta (around a two-and-a-half-hour journey) and here we'll see the Merry Cemetery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Each gravestone includes a humorous caricature and a short poem about the deceased. We'll also visit the Monastery of Barsana, which is one of the most photographed landmarks in the Maramures. The beautiful tall wooden church is a great example of the clever construction techniques used on these traditional wooden structures. For lunch today, we'll have an authentic and hearty meal in a villager's home. Romanian cuisine is delicious and often includes things such as pearl barley or polenta, fresh root vegetables and cabbage, stewed beef or pork, sour cream and home-baked bread. This afternoon, we'll continue our drive to Borsa, a small ski resort nestled in the Rodna Mountains.

Few settlements in Europe remain so untouched that bears still roam freely in the forests. Today, we'll we might catch a glimpse of one, as we take the narrow gauge railway from Viseu de Sus up the Vasar Valley to Novat. We chug slowly through the valley passing huge expanses of beech and spruce forest that echo with the sound of mountain rivers rushing through them. We'll then walk up a forested valley along lonely trails, enjoying the stillness and freshness of the forest. After a stiff climb of over 600 metres/1,968 feet, we'll reach a ridge where there are spectacular views across the Viseu Valley. We'll descend through hay meadows to Moisei, where we meet our bus. This ridge hike takes approximately five to six hours, covers 16 kilometres/10 miles and reaches a maximum altitude of 1,400 metres/4,593 feet (with a 500 metre/1,640 foot ascent and descent). This is the most difficult walk on the trip and is graded as moderate. Around one hour of the walk is a fairly steep uphill section along a tractor track and depending on the weather it can be muddy and rocky underfoot. An easier alternative self-guided route is possible whereby you walk alongside the railway tracks (covering around 10 kilometres/6.2 miles, takes two and a half hours and is mostly flat with only a slight downhill section). If you don't wish to walk at all then you can explore the town of Viseu de Sus at your own pace or you can take a longer journey on the train. Rather than getting off at Novat, you can pay an additional supplement to take the train to its final stop in Paltin. The train normally stops in Paltin for one to two hours. There's a cafe here and it's possible to take a short walk in the forest. You'll then need to board the train back to Viseu de Sus to meet the bus. Please note, if the railway is closed we'll take an alternative route to walk in this beautiful area.

Leaving Borsa by chairlift, we walk up onto the mountain ridge. We'll walk along the ridge top and if possible (depending on whether the shepherds are on this mountain at the time) we will stop at a shepherd's hut where we may be invited to sample some fresh sheep's cheese, washed down with tuica, the fiery local plum brandy. This hike in the Rodna Mountains is graded as easy and takes around two to three hours covering 5 to 6 kilometres/3.1 to 3.6 miles and reaching a maximum altitude of 1,416 metres/4,645 feet. There is a short steep uphill climb at the beginning of the walk followed by a long mild descent. If you don't wish to take part in the walk, you can remain on the bus and meet up with the group at the endpoint of the walk. After the walk, we meet our bus and drive east across the Carpathians to Moldavia and the northern region of Bucovina. Here we discover the remarkable medieval monasteries, founded during the reign of Prince Stephen the Great (1457-1504) and his successors. Whilst most Romanian churches have frescoes inside, what makes these so astonishing are the fantastic frescoes on the exterior walls. These vivid Biblical images were used to educate the medieval population in an exciting graphic fashion. Painted during the 16th century, the frescoes are a fusion of formal Byzantine style, with colourful folk art. The monasteries are now UNESCO World Heritage sites but also house thriving religious communities of nuns and monks. We stop at Moldovita, which is nestled beneath the forests of the Obcina Mare Ridge. Among the most interesting scenes pictured here are the Seige of Constantinople and the Last Judgement. After spending about an hour at the monastery we drive up to the Ciumirna Pass and continue through the forest to our accommodation near Sucevita.

Today we'll visit the Sucevita Monastery, the largest of the monasteries in the Bucovina region, with massive towers and stone walls protecting the inner buildings, which are decorated with portraits of historical legends and biblical scenes. There's a small museum showing some of the treasures of the monastery, the most valuable items being 17th-century embroideries, icons and goldwork. We'll spend an hour here discovering the monastery and museum. We'll then hike through the countryside along the forestry roads in a valley to the north of Sucevita. First, we'll take a trail through the beech woods to emerge in a grassy valley dotted with the houses that form the rambling village of Putna, close to the Ukrainian border. The walk is graded as easy with some moderate sections and we have plenty of time to complete it. It covers approximately 16 kilometres/10 miles and takes around five hours. There's a short steep uphill climb for about 20 minutes in the middle section and then another short descent. If you do not wish to do the walk, then the bus will drive to Putna via Marginea where you may like to visit a pottery maker. At Putna, you'll meet up with the rest of the group to visit the monastery. Walk completed, we'll have an hour visiting the Putna Monastery Museum. It was founded in 1466 and is the oldest remaining in Moldavia. Inside is the tomb of Stephen the Great. Following our visit, we'll meet our bus and drive for four hours to Bacau where we'll spend the night.

This morning, we'll set out to drive to the ancient port of Tulcea (a four-hour journey), the so-called 'gateway to the delta'. Here, we'll board our pontoon - a barge-style vessel resembling a large houseboat - that will be both our transport and our floating accommodation while in the Danube Delta. Though simple, it has a sundeck and twin berth cabins on the lower deck. It provides us with an innovative and flexible way to see the abundant birdlife of the delta and visit the tranquil and beautiful lakes hidden in the backwaters. From our pontoon, we can also use smaller boats to reach the more narrow waterways and reedy channels. After all the exploring we've done by road and on foot, this is now the perfect opportunity to relax and enjoy the slower pace of life in this peaceful wildlife reserve. We will have dinner on board our pontoon this evening.

The Danube Delta - over 4,000 square kilometres/1,544 square miles in all - is one of the great glories of Europe. It is a premier wildlife sanctuary and paradise for birdwatchers and photographers alike. We'll spend the day aboard the pontoon and smaller boats to give us the opportunity of viewing some of the many species which inhabit the delta. Apart from its rich wildlife, the Delta is simply a beautiful place to relax aboard our vessel. We'll make our way through a maze of channels fringed by vast reed beds and ancient willow trees. Whilst different birds are seen depending on the month of visiting, most people will see the spectacular White Pelican. Vast quantities of birds congregate here, including grebes, falcons, egrets, swans and cormorants. The marshy conditions make life difficult for the birds' terrestrial predators, making the delta an attractive haven and breeding ground for them. Much of this can be enjoyed from the sun deck of our pontoon. We'll also take time to visit a village in the Delta today. These are some of the most remote settlements in Europe and are far away from any roads. All meals will be taken onboard our pontoon.

We'll spend this morning cruising back to Tulcea, and after our last lunch on board, we'll drive back to Bucharest (a four-and-a-half hour journey), arriving in the early evening. The final evening is free for you to enjoy the capital.

This morning our tour leader will take us to explore Romania's capital, a remarkable blend of turn-of-the-century elegance and communist excess. Situated on the Danube Plain and set amid a series of lakes and spacious gardens, remnants of more gracious days still exist to charm visitors. We'll visit many of the older parts of the city to see some of the buildings that have earned it the reputation as the 'Paris of Eastern Europe'. We'll also make a visit to the fascinating Village Museum, which has assembled wooden churches, windmills and peasant dwellings from different regions of the country. This afternoon is free for you to discover more at your own pace and enjoy your final evening in the city. If you'd like to take a tour of the Palace of Parliament this afternoon, please speak to your tour leader at the start of the trip so they can check availability and help you book a ticket.

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Bucharest. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart from Bucharest at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP).