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Romanian Rural Life Tour: Bran Castle and Bat Cave
4.9
75 Ratings
Brașov
This intimate group tour immerses participants in the essence of rural Romanian life. Explore traditional homes, discover the Bat Cave, embark on a hike through the nearby mountain forests, and gain insight into a lifestyle that is gradually fading away.
This intimate group tour immerses participants in the essence of rural Romanian life. Explore traditional homes, discover the Bat Cave, embark on a hike through the nearby mountain forests, and gain insight into a lifestyle that is gradually fading away.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Piatra Craiului National Park - Renowned as one of Romania’s most stunning mountain ranges.
- Magura - Situated within the Piatra Craiului National Park Mountains in the Southern Carpathians, the villages of Pestera and Magura provide an authentic experience of rural Romanian life. The full-day tour begins in central Brașov, where participants…
- Piatra Craiului National Park - Renowned as one of Romania’s most stunning mountain ranges.
-
Magura - Situated within the Piatra Craiului National Park Mountains in the Southern Carpathians, the villages of Pestera and Magura provide an authentic experience of rural Romanian life. The full-day tour begins in central Brașov, where participants meet their local guide and board a private vehicle for a 45-minute journey to the village. Along the way, participants can inform the guide of any specific interests to tailor the day’s itinerary.
Learn about the history of the villages, where traditional industries like sheep farming and cheese making are still practiced by many residents. Visit the Bat Cave for about 10 minutes. Then, embark on a moderate guided hike through the hills and meadows of Magura village for 3 to 4 hours. Participants can inform the guide if they prefer a longer or shorter hike and proceed at a comfortable pace. -
Pestera - Stop by the oldest guest house in the National Park.
After building up an appetite, enjoy a hearty lunch featuring simple Romanian cuisine made from local farm-fresh ingredients, including eggs, vegetables, and pork. Beer or wine can be purchased to complement the meal. From the guest house, take a walk through Pestera Village back to the car, which takes about 1 hour. A visit to the local church is also possible.

What's Included
- Visit the Bat Cave and the National Park’s oldest guest house
- Lunch included
- Personalized experience with a private guide
- Complimentary pick-up service from Brasov city
- Comfortable travel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle
- Delicious cheese tastings
- Visit the Bat Cave and the National Park’s oldest guest house
- Lunch included
- Personalized experience with a private guide
- Complimentary pick-up service from Brasov city
- Comfortable travel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle
- Delicious cheese tastings
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Additional Information
- Dress warmly: Sturdy and waterproof hiking shoes and warm clothes recommended
- Route may be changed without notice due to weather conditions
- Important note about Pestera and Magura Village - in those 2 villages the people never died because of cancer or heart attack - they leave an healthy life: working the land, taking care of animals (sheep and…
- Dress warmly: Sturdy and waterproof hiking shoes and warm clothes recommended
- Route may be changed without notice due to weather conditions
- Important note about Pestera and Magura Village - in those 2 villages the people never died because of cancer or heart attack - they leave an healthy life: working the land, taking care of animals (sheep and cows), preparing and eating home made food from their small farm (meat, eggs, milk), drinking fresh water from the spring and home made alcoholic drink called “tuica” made from different fruits as apples, plums, pears!
- The cheese tasting and lunch are taking place at one of the gueshouses in the area.
- Minimum 2 people. If you are single you pay as for 2.
- Please bring your own mask; we provide hand sanitizer. We are cleaning vehicles after every tour.
- When you book the rate as 1 person, in case we have other clients, we refund the difference you paid as solo traveler, after the tour.
- Meeting point: In front of Biblioteca Județeană “George Barițiu”, Bulevardul Eroilor 33-35. Please be aware that we provide pick-up and drop-off services exclusively within the city of Brașov, as well as for guests staying outside the old town. The pick-up time will vary based on the location requested. Additionally, we are happy to drop off guests at a different location than the pick-up point for an additional fee.
Location
Biblioteca Județeană "George Barițiu"
Bulevardul Eroilor
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(75 Ratings)
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1 star
Michael
Sep 28, 2025
Amazing experience!!! - Just posted this on Viator :
We completed the tour today. Alina was our guide. The tour was very well organized by Marian from Active Travel and the hike through the mountains was absolutely AMAZING, at an easy pace, accompanied by a lot of detailed explanations by Alina. The nature that we hiked through was varied and having a beautiful day made it even more breathtaking!!!
The 3 course lunch that was offered at the end of the hike was at an extremely beautiful guest house. It was beyond exceptional-tasty, varied, plentiful and served in a very Romanian authentic atmosphere!!!!
Thanks for an amazing day trip!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michael_b
Sep 28, 2025
A great experience !!!! - We completed the tour today. Alina was our guide. The tour was very well organized by Marian from Active Travel and the hike through the mountains was absolutely AMAZING, at an easy pace, accompanied by a lot of detailed explanations by Alina. The nature that we hiked through was varied and having a beautiful day made it even more breathtaking!!!
The 3 course lunch that was offered at the end of the hike was at an extremely beautiful guest house. It was beyond exceptional-tasty, varied, plentiful and served in a very Romanian authentic atmosphere!!!!
Thanks for an amazing day trip!!
Review provided by Viator
Gypsy2_25
Sep 4, 2025
Stunning scenery - This was a highlight of my trip to Romania. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking the entire time. The lunch was wonderful, with local products. One of the dogs from the village will opt to take the hike with you, which was a lot of fun too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eltonl403
Sep 4, 2025
Had a blast - Tiberiu was a great guide and the whole trip was honestly magical. The landscape is beautiful and the lunch was satisfying. Would definitely recommend and well worth the money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Priscilla_p
Aug 20, 2025
Knowledgeable Guide and Great Experience - Great experience! Dan was so knowledgeable and helpful! We totally enjoyed our day and especially the visit to Piatra Craiului and the villages.
Review provided by Viator
Irits841
Aug 19, 2025
A day in the village - It was a really great trip with amazing scenery and very knowledgeable and friendly guide , it felt very authentic and included a very tasty meal , I highly recommend the experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maxime_t
Jul 30, 2025
It was such a nice day and a sophisticating view! - It was such a nice day and a sophisticating view!
First stop was Bran Castle, I really loved it, I went there two times now and I can really recommend it.
The weather was a bit mixed so we had the option to do another hike through a stunning gorge. So we did and it was very remarkable. After that we drove to the restaurant in a village on top of the mountains. It was truly special because of the view and also because of the traditional and local food. It was beautiful to get an impression of romanian culture. The tour guide Dan was really friendly and knows a lot of his country and Transylvania. I've learned a lot about the life in Romania and about the history and culture - I'm sure this was also the best expierience next to the beautiful sceneries. Thanks a lot for this beautiful trip!
Review provided by Viator
Y7703gjvivianaf
Jul 26, 2025
Magic! - Beautiful place! Very charming! The Carpathians stuck to the city with those wonderful forests give it a peculiar and different tint! Full nature half a step from the city. Its history and its alleys invite you to lose yourself in it. It has a lot of magic. And that we got 3 days of constant rain!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
731allegrag
Jul 26, 2025
Amazing experience - Beautiful tour, absolutely recommended. Tiberiu, our guide, was very good and exhaustive, as well as very engaging. The landscapes are wonderful, you can breathe pure air and an atmosphere of peace, away from the chaos of the city; the typical lunch, included in the tour, is the final treat. They served us, among other things, local cheeses and polenta. Experience not to be missed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q9271xcericb
Jun 24, 2025
Hike - Marian was amazing! He showed us everything in a perfect way, the cave, Piatra Craului, etc.. very good activity in every way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor