Romania Via Transilvanica & Beyond Hiking Tour

Meet your guide and group at the designated hotel in Bucharest, the bustling capital of Romania, for a brief orientation before your adventure begins. Romania is a complex patchwork of historical provinces and ethnographic regions, each with their own wild landscapes and centuries-old cultural traditions. Travel into the rolling foothills of the rugged Carpathian Mountains, passing through Moldavia into Romania’s northernmost historical province, Bucovina. Disembark in the charming village of Sucevita, where many old houses built in the traditional local style with shingled roofs, wooden porches, and floral motifs are still in use today. Tonight, your accommodation is in a typical wooden house where you will enjoy a delicious welcome dinner of hearty Romanian dishes.

This morning, walk directly from your lodgings into a pristine spruce and beech forest for a wonderful off-trail hike. Your guide will choose a scenic spot to enjoy a picnic lunch made with locally sourced produce while taking in the beauty of your surroundings. Continue along the trail, reaching a hilltop with gorgeous views of the Sucevita Monastery and its exquisite setting at the foot of the surrounding hills. The Bucovina province is best known for its UNESCO-listed painted churches—Byzantine-style masterpieces from the 15th to 16th centuries, whose external walls are covered in exceptionally well-preserved frescoes. Meet up with the Via Transilvanica and follow it to the monastery and Church of the Resurrection, the best preserved of Bucovina's painted churches. Though it is still a functioning monastery and place of worship, the church's original 16th-century architectural structure and mural paintings have survived without their integrity being compromised. After time to explore the monastery, return to your guesthouse for dinner.

Today’s journey takes you deeper into the heart of Bucovina’s scenic splendor. After a short transfer to Palma Pass, begin hiking on the Via Transilvanica trail towards the village of Moldovita. The day’s walk offers a wonderful opportunity to learn about the flora and fauna of the region, with various bird species, wildflowers, and even glimpses of wildlife, such as deer and foxes. The trail traverses dense forests and dreamy open meadows, then descends to Ciumarna hamlet. From here, tackle a long climb to another picturesque hamlet, La Toante. After a picnic lunch with a fabulous view and a short rest in the shade of a fir tree, follow the trail down through the trees into the Moldovita Valley to your accommodations in the village. This area of the country is known for its traditional craft of egg painting—incredible kaleidoscopic designs created with wax “writing” and colored dyes. The Hutsul, who live in the northern Carpathians both here and in Ukraine, are renowned for their skill in this ancient tradition and you will see the process during your stay.

Today you’ll swap the Via Transilvanica for the Via Hutulca—another beautiful long-distance trail, that draws its name from the Hutsul, who live in the northern Carpathians both here and in Ukraine. Climb a long, gentle slope through pastoral hay meadows and make your way to the rounded ridges of the Bukovinian Subcarpathians. After some lovely beech and fir forest passages, descend to a grassy valley and the small village of Argel. From there you’ll take a delightful narrow gauge steam train, built in 1888 for forestry purposes, through the scenic countryside back to your departure point this morning. In the evening, enjoy a traditional dinner prepared by your hosts.

After breakfast, explore another sensational UNESCO-listed painted church at the more isolated and picturesque Moldovita Monastery. The Church of the Annunciation, while smaller than the one at Sucevita, has more vibrant and detailed frescoes. After enjoying this masterpiece, say goodbye to Bucovina and head south across the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and valleys, to the Hasmas mountains in Transylvania. This area of the range is home to the Szekely, a Hungarian subgroup who maintain a distinct culture and Hungarian dialect. Reaching Lacul Rosu (Red Lake), named for the reddish soils flowing from richly forested slopes into its waters, drop off your luggage before heading out on an exhilarating afternoon hike to explore one of the limestone outcrops overlooking the jaw-dropping 1,000-foot cliffs of one of Romania’s most spectacular natural wonders, Bicaz Gorge.

This morning, depart for a hike in the gorgeous and largely undiscovered Hasmas National Park. Set out through wide open meadows and pastures where flocks of sheep graze with their shepherds nearby. Climb through alpine forest and rock-strewn plains to the top of Hasmasul Mare at an altitude of 5,900'. Marvel at the breathtaking view over Eastern Transylvania and the Moldavian Carpathians. Here, white limestone spires and craggy cliffs contrast with dark spruce forest and green meadows punctuated by small lakes. Note that today's hike is flexible to weather and group conditions and can be shortened, as there are many excellent trail options in the park. Enjoy a picnic lunch in this spectacular scenery before descending from the ridge through the lower meadows, where your vehicle will be waiting at the end of the trail. Drive down through the mountains to the Saxon citadel of Sighisoara—a small, fortified medieval city whose historic center is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Spend some time this morning strolling along Sighisoara's cobblestone streets amid pastel-painted burgher houses and watch-tower spires in this magical medieval town. Built by the Transylvanian Saxons, who settled here in the 12th century, it is Europe's only inhabited medieval citadel. The Saxons were known for their craftsmanship, which shows in the architecture throughout the region. Take a short transfer to Saschiz, a Saxon village historically known for its distinctive blue pottery and UNESCO-listed fortified church, where you pick up the Via Transilvanica route again and hike through glorious forests and fertile open pastures to storybook Saxon villages and hamlets that are part of the cultural landscape. The trail takes you past some of the region's outstanding fortified churches, offering a snapshot of Saxon history amid idyllic rural scenery. Finish your hike in Mesendorf, a traditional Transylvanian village that seems frozen in time and spend the night in an enchanting old parish house reimagined as a modern guesthouse.

Depart on foot from Mesendorf for your final day on the trail and more spellbinding scenery. Hike over gentle hills and through verdant forests, past picture-perfect farms and shepherds tending their flocks. Your destination is one of the most beautiful villages in Transylvania, Viscri. Its centerpiece is the fortified church, originally built in the 12th century and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The afternoon is free to enjoy Viscri’s rural splendor, wandering its unpaved and cobblestone streets to admire the traditional tile-roofed houses painted in soft hues and marvelous church. Stay in a collection of historic country homes tonight, immersing yourself in the hand-painted furnishings and thick plastered walls. Toast to your wonderful adventure during a farewell dinner cooked and served by your delightful local hosts.

This morning, journey back to Bucharest together with your group for your onward flight, or continue your adventure with an extension to Bran and Peles Castles.