3-Day Transylvania Tour: Cities, Sights & Local Life
What you need to know about this Transylvania tour from Cluj-Napoca:
- A 3-day private trip starting from Cluj-Napoca to visit major attractions and discover the authentic charm of Transylvania!
- Included: full-time guide/driver, all transport costs in a modern car, 2 nights accommodation with breakfast, entrance fees in standard itinerary, and water in the car. Not included: other meals and entrance fees if itinerary is changed
- You will visit the famous cities of Transylvania: Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara Citadel, and get a guided tour of their most important landmarks!
- Standard itinerary includes Viscri village, Bran Castle, Transfagarasan Road, Alba Iulia Citadel and Turda Salt Mine
- Itinerary can be changed to include Biertan Church, Libearty Bear Sanctuary, Peles Castle or Corvin Castle. Or we can include some village walks and visits to locals!
- Tour can be extended with 1night in Brasov so itinerary will be more relaxed and you can visit more places! [extra 170 Euro/person]]
- After your booking is confirmed, we can adjust the itinerary. Just please book in advance so I'm free :)
Additional information
Entrance fees NOT included:
- Libearty Bear Sanctuary ~15 Euro/pers
- Rasnov Citadel - 10 Euro/person
- Transfagarasan cable car - 15 Euro/person (needs to be paid anytime EXCEPT for July-Oct when the road is open for driving)
- Corvin Castle ~10 Euro/person
- Peles Castle (possible to visit ONLY IF tour is extended with 1 night in Brasov)
30% deposit required when booking.
Medium cancelation policy - cancel with 7 days in advance before the tour to get a full refund.
Moments to expect in the Transylvania tour from Cluj:
Day 1: Sighisoara Citadel, Viscri village & Brasov
We start our tour by driving through the beautiful hills of Transylvania to Sighisoara Citadel. Fortified in the 15th-century, this is the best-preserved and still inhabited citadel in Europe, now part of UNESCO heritage! We'll see its defense towers, cobbled streets, medieval townhouses, ornate churches and birthplace of Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration for Dracula).
Next, we drive to the village of Viscri, the most famous of the UNESCO Saxon villages where King Charles of the UK bought a house! We explore the village, visit its fortified church before enjoying a traditional lunch in a charming village house.
Finally, we drive to Brasov and visit Old Town landmarks such as Council Square, the Black Church before settling into a nice 3* hotel in the city centre.
Optional for Day 1: the Fortified Church of Biertan
Instead of visiting the village of Viscri, we can go to the village of Biertan to visit the most beautiful and impressive Saxon fortified church in Transylvania, also part of UNESCO heritage. There are many stories and legends about it, including how the local priest dealt with couples who wanted to divorce!
Day 2: Bran (Dracula) Castle, Transfagarasan Road & Sibiu
After a filling breakfast, we visit Bran Castle, the #1 tourist attraction in Romania also known as Dracula Castle. I'll tell you the real story of this impressive 14th-century fortress and if there's any connection to Dracula!
Next, we drive on the famous Transfagarasan Road but only in July-October; outside this period we take the cable car right above it. The views of Balea Lake, Fagaras Mts., and Transylvania from 2,200m are simply breathtaking!
Finally, we drive to Sibiu, well known for its cultural events and gastronomy. We go for an evening tour of the city's main squares and sights and look for houses 'with eyes'!
Optional for Day 2: Libearty Bear Sanctuary & Rasnov Citadel
Instead of Transfagarasan Highway, we can visit 2 other sights in the Brasov area. Libearty Bear Sanctuary is home to over 100 brown bears rescued from captivity in poor or abusive conditions (e.g. circuses) or abandoned. They are now happy, you can see them play and learn about their lives!
Next, we go visit the impressive Rasnov Fortress perched on top of a mountain with a perfect defensive position that has never been conquered by the Ottomans! The fortress is well-preserved and has spectacular views of the entire area!
Day 3: Alba Carolina Citadel, Turda Salt Mine & return to Cluj-Napoca
After our breakfast, we take to the roads again and travel to Alba Iulia to visit Alba Carolina Citadel, the largest in Romania. Dating from Roman times, this Vauban type citadel was the spiritual capital and birthplace of modern-day Romania in 1918.
Then we drive another 1 hour to Turda Salt Mine, a 2,000-year-old mine with huge grottos at more than 110m below ground - now beautifully decorated with lights and turned into an impressive amusement park! There's even an underground lake with boats that can be rented. And did you know that breathing salty air is healthy for your lungs? That's why we'll spend a couple of hours here :)
Optional for Day 3: Corvin (Hunyade) Castle
We can replace Alba Iulia Citadel or Turda Salt Mine with a visit to Corvin Castle in Hunedoara. This 15th-century Gothic-meets-Renaissance fortress was the residence and seat of power for Transylvania’s medieval kings - so there is a lot of history and legends here! The castle is well preserved and we'll roam through the Knight’s Hall, the Diet Hall, the torture chamber and many others. We'll not finish the castle tour before I will tell you the legend of the castle's 28m deep fountain or why its symbol, the raven, has a golden ring in its beak!
[extra cost 150 Euro, ticket included]
Optional: extra night in Brasov, Peles Castle & others
If you want to see more from Transylvania or visit all the sights possible on this tour at a slower pace, I recommend we stay one extra night in Brasov. This way we can go visit Peles Castle in Sinaia, the Summer residence of the Romanian royal family. Or we can also include some village walks, or even a short hiking trip. Lots of options, and Transylvania is the perfect place for slow travel!
[extra cost of 150 Euro / person, tickets not included]
Guide
Other guides for this tour
Cancelation & refund policy
MediumSends us or the guide an email 3 days before the tour informing us you can't make it and you'll get a full refund of your payment, no questions asked.
Location details
- Starting point: Cluj-Napoca
- Nearest airport: Cluj-Napoca Avram Iancu Airport
- Nearest train station: Cluj-Napoca
- Landscape: Cities, countryside, hills
Reviews from travellers
I did the 4 day version of this trip with Mihai and it was really good, I saw everything I wanted. the team prepared an itinerary based on what I wanted and they also gave me accommodation options, so I could choose everything I wanted. I saw the tourist spots of Transylvania but also got to see rural life and slow down, which was great. Mihai, the guide, was super friendly and easy going.
We extended our the three day Transylvania trip to four days and we were so glad that we did. Our guide, Florin, was awesome. He made each city come alive with his stories of their history and people. His dialogue kept us interested and entertained! What a wonderful introduction to Romania for us Americans.
The tour experience, and our tour guide Florin exceeded my expectations. Florin was truly a fountain of knowledge; able to provide historical context for each of our stops (4 cities and 3 castles) which really brought the entire trip to life. Thank you Florin for giving us a tour of your beautiful country - unforgettable.
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