The gems of Central Europe - Hungary & Romania - from Budapest to Bucharest

Welcome to Hungary and its amazing capital city, Budapest. Transfer to your centrally located hotel and check-in. Meet your local guide and visit the main sights of the Hungarian capital city: Heroes Square, stroll along Andrassy Avenue to admire its magnificent buildings including Opera House, St. Stephens Cathedral, Parliament, and the Grand Synagogue. Explore the Castle district on foot, visit the wonderful Mathias Church and enjoy the vista of Budapest and its elegant bridges from Fisherman's Bastion. Dinner at a local restaurant.

This morning you depart towards Romania, your destination being the city of Timisoara, the 2021 European Cultural Capital. The tour of Timisoara starts with a brief introduction over Romania today, just to set a base for the story of Timisoara. The path we take follows the historical events starting with the Mongol invasion (1241) and ending in the contemporary times with the revolution against communist regime (1989). You learn about the 164 years of Turkish occupation and see where the hammam (Turkish public bath), bazaar (marketplace), Central Mosque or the cemetery used to be 4 centuries ago. During 18th century one of the first trams in the world connects the city center with Fabric and Iosefin neighbourhoods. The streets are enlighten by electric light, for the first time in continental Europe, at Timisoara (1884). The city is defortified, a new downtown is built (Piata Victoriei). The economy is booming and Timisoara is a very developed modern city. Check-in and have dinner at a local restaurant.

After breakfast, you depart towards Sibiu, making a stop in Alba Iulia, the memorable place of the Great Union of Romania. Here you will visit the impressive Orthodox Cathedral and the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the oldest standing cathedral in Romania. Most importantly, you will take a tour of the Habsburgic citadel, also known as Alba Carolina Citadel, in the time of the Roman occupation. Continue your journey towards Sibiu, the 2007 European Cultural Capital. Check-in at your hotel. The highlight of the day is a visit in Sibiel, where you will meet the locals and enjoy a traditional meal with Romanian wines and schnapps. Overnight in Sibiu.

Today you discover more about Sibiu, listed by Forbes in top 10 most idyllic places to live in the whole world. The town was settled by the Germans colonists in the 12th century and preserves until today its wonderful medieval atmosphere. The walking tour starts at the Grand Square where you will find the Catholic Church, the City Hall and the Brukenthal Palace, it continues with Liar’s Bridge, the Small Square and Huet Square. At noon, you depart towards Sighisoara, one of the few still inhabited medieval fortresses in the world. Sighisoara was settled by the Germans in the 13th century and it is one of the still inhabited medieval fortresses in the whole world, being also protected by the UNESCO. During the walking tour you will visit the Clock Tower, the birth house of Dracula’s vampire and the Church on the Hill. In the evening you arrive in Brasov, one of the largest cities in Transylvania. Check-in at your hotel and have dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Brasov.

Discover today the well-preserved old town with the medieval squares surrounded by small colorful houses and cobbled stone streets. The guided tour in the almost 800 year Old Town includes the Black Church, the largest Gothic construction of its kind between Istanbul and Vienna, the St. Nicholas Church and both the White and the Black Tower, as a time-standing symbol of the medieval times. Next, you drive to Bran, where you visit the famous Dracula Castle. The castle was built by the Transylvanian Saxons at the end of the 14th century and served as customs between the two Romanian regions: Wallachia and Transylvania. It is nowadays known as one of the top 100 castles in the world. Return to Brasov for dinner and overnight.

Today you drive to Sinaia, the finest alpine town in the Romanian Carpathian Mountains and once home of Romania’s first King, Carol I. Here is where you will find the Peles Castle, a superb royal residence built above acres of green meadows, deep inside the forest. Built in German Renaissance style, the Peles Castle is probably the most beautiful castle in Eastern Europe. In the afternoon you arrive in Bucharest and check-in at your hotel. Enjoy some free time in the evening and dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Bucharest.

Bucharest is the capital city of Romania and the sixth largest capital city of the European Union. The city tour in Bucharest will take you to the most important sites such as the Arch of Triumph, the Victory Square, the Roman Square and the Unification Square. At the Constitution Square you will see the Palace of the Parliament which is the second largest building in the world. The next destination on your program is the Village Museum, the largest open-air museum in Europe. Its items were transported by train from the northern region of Maramures to Bucharest. You learn more about the Romanian culture while you visit the peasant houses, the windmill and the wooden churches. In the evening enjoy a walking tour in the Old Town of Bucharest together with a farewell dinner with a spectacular folklore show and 1 glass of wine.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for your departure.