Bucharest - Curtea de Arges - Poienari Castle - Vidraru Dam - Transfagarasan Road - Balea Lake - Sibiu - Sibiel.

National Military Museum Bucharest (Muzeul Militar National) - As you depart from Bucharest, enjoy the stunning city center.

Curtea de Arges Monastery - Explore Curtea de Arges Monastery, the foremost pilgrimage and prayer site in Arges County. Established during the reign of voivode Neagoe Basarab between 1512 and 1517, the monastery is central to the renowned Romanian legend, “The Legend of Master Manole.” Due to its fame and spiritual significance, Curtea de Arges Monastery is featured in many Romanian promotional materials.

Poienari Castle - Pause at the base of the Fagaras Mountains to visit a fortress constructed by Vlad the Impaler: Poenari Citadel, a robust stronghold on a high hill overlooking the area. To reach the fortress, climb 1,480 steps.

Transfagarasan Highway - The Transfagarasan road, also known as The Top Gear Road, is one of the world’s most spectacular routes. Situated in Romania, it traverses the Fagaras Mountains and presents a challenge for drivers with its sharp hairpin turns. Constructed between 1970 and 1974 by military forces, the Transfagarasan features more tunnels and viaducts than any other road in Romania. Experience the breathtaking scenery of the Balea area, including mountains and a waterfall, as you visit Lake Balea and Lake Vidraru.

Vidraru Dam - Pause at Vidraru Dam for stunning photographs of the lake and the Fagaras Mountains.

Capra Waterfall - Stop at Capra Waterfall.

Le Lac Balea - Balea Glacier Lake is situated in the Fagaras Mountains at an altitude of 2,042 meters. Stop here for incredible photos of the lake and the road. Enjoy a coffee at Balea Chalet on the lake’s shore. Transfer to Sibiel village for an overnight stay at Ramona House, a homestay-style pension with en suite rooms.

Sibiel - Hunedoara Castle - Alba Iulia Citadel - Sibiel.

Castelul Corvinilor - Visit Hunyadi Castle, one of Romania’s seven wonders and Transylvania’s most captivating fortress. The castle is rumored to be cursed and is considered one of Europe’s most haunted castles. Equally eerie is the Bear Pit, where prisoners were thrown to animals after their usefulness ended.

Cetatea Alba Iulia - Alba Iulia’s star-shaped citadel is one of Transylvania’s most underrated attractions. The walls of this beautifully preserved citadel – the largest in Romania – enclose grand monuments and museums, glittering churches, and archaeological treasures.

Sibiel - Sibiu - Medias - Bistrita - Borgo Pass.

Sibiu Tourist Information Center - Sibiu is the heart of Germanic Transylvania. Saxon colonists named the town Hermannstadt. Sibiu is located on the site of one of Romania’s largest medieval fortresses. In the Middle Ages, Sibiu was surrounded by three concentric rings of fortified walls. Some have survived, along with a fascinating network of squares, staircases, and towers dating from the 13th to 18th centuries. Visit the Big Square, the historic center of Sibiu, first mentioned in documents in 1411 as a cereal market, existing since 1366 when the city’s third fortification belt was completed.

Visit the Little Square, the second-largest historic site in Sibiu and one of the town’s most beautiful areas, and Huet Square, dominated by the Evangelical Church, the oldest in Sibiu, and the Liars’ Bridge. Highlights include The Big Square, The Little Square, The Council Tower, The Bridge of Liars, The Evangelical Cathedral, and the oldest house in town.

Visit Medias old town for about 60 minutes, including The Evangelic Cathedral. During the Middle Ages, Medias, like most other Transylvanian towns, was heavily fortified. Its 33 craft guilds built, maintained, and defended the bastions of the walled city against invaders. The fortified church of St. Margaret was the core around which the citadel gradually developed. The center of the ancient settlement of Medias retains a medieval feel with narrow winding lanes, centuries-old houses, and a large pedestrian square surrounded by colorful facades.

Drive to Borgo Pass, the location of Dracula Castle in the Dracula Book. Overnight at Dracula Castle Hotel, with en suite rooms.

Borgo Pass - Targu Mures - Biertan - Sighisoara.

Targu Mures National Theatre - Located in the heart of Transylvania, Targu Mures is one of the most beautiful towns.

Biertan Fortified Church - Visit Biertan Fortified Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Rising sharply above a cluster of Saxon-style buildings, Biertan’s fortified church is a poetic sight surrounded by medieval-themed inns and pastel-colored houses.

Centrul Istoric Sighisoara - Explore Sighisoara medieval town, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler. Enjoy a walking tour of Sighisoara Citadel. Sighisoara’s pastel-colored buildings, stony lanes, and medieval towers are so resplendent you’ll rub your eyes in disbelief. Fortified walls encircle Sighisoara’s lustrous merchant houses, now home to cafes, hotels, and craft shops. Visit Sighisoara medieval town, including The Clock Tower, The Church on the Hill, and the house where Vlad the Impaler was born. Lunch can be arranged in Sighisoara medieval town at Dracula House Restaurant.

The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Sighisoara - Prejmer - Bran Castle - Rasnov Fortress - Brasov.

Peasant Fortified Church at Prejmer - Visit Prejmer Fortified Church, one of Eastern Europe’s best-preserved fortified churches. This superbly preserved complex has the most powerful fortified walls in Transylvania, at 4.5 meters thick. Prejmer’s fortress was originally constructed in the early 1200s by Teutonic knights. The 270 storerooms were once used by Prejmer’s inhabitants during times of war when each family would retreat into its own room. Only by being inside the fortress and the defense corridors can you glimpse the bygone eras when every day was a battle for survival.

Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle) - The next stop is the infamous Bran Castle, also known as Dracula Castle, where you will uncover the truth behind the legends! To get there, travel through Prahova Valley. The breathtaking natural beauty unfolds before your eyes, but the most spectacular view is from Busteni, where you can admire the peaks of the Bucegi Mountains. A traditional lunch can be arranged in Bran village.

Rasnov Citadel: Garden and Panoramic View - Travel to Rasnov town, which, besides its picturesque streets with medieval houses neatly arranged, will enchant you with the gorgeous Rasnov Fortress, one of Transylvania’s best-preserved peasant fortresses. Enjoy a beautiful panorama over Barsa Land from the very top of the fortress.

Brasov Historical Center - Transfer to Brasov, arriving around 6 pm. Overnight at Casa Timar Pension or similar, with an en-suite room and breakfast included.

Brasov - Peles Castle - Snagov Monastery - Bucharest.

Peles Castle - Today’s first destination is the tourist town of Sinaia, where Peles Castle is located, the summer residence of the former Romanian royal family. Peles Castle is one of the world’s most beautiful museums and was built over nearly 40 years by King Charles I. The breathtaking natural beauty unfolds before your eyes, but the most spectacular view is from Busteni, where you can admire the peaks of the Bucegi Mountains.

Snagov Monastery - There are many gaps to fill regarding the life of Vlad the Impaler. While his life has been exploited and his heroic battles against the Turks highly praised, little is known about the last hours of his legendary life. It is believed that Vlad’s decapitated body was found in the woods around Bucharest by the monks of the Snagov Monastery and brought here to be buried since both Vlad and his father had donated money to the church. But Snagov was also a place of punishment. In a small cell, Vlad the Impaler invited his victims to kneel in front of an icon of the Virgin Mary. Suddenly, a trap door would open, and his guest would be sent to a ditch below where stakes stood erect, ready to pierce his body. Decapitated skeletons found here stand as proof of these horrific crimes.

Another legend says that after the battle with the Turks in 1476, subsequent to which he died, the body of Vlad the Impaler was secretly buried in the Christian manner inside either of the churches. In one version of the story, Vlad was murdered in a nearby forest, and the monks of the monastery found the body. Perhaps the monks felt indebted to Vlad for the additions he insisted be added to their abode, most bizarrely, the prison and the torture chamber. Whatever the reasons, the monks dressed the body richly and put it to rest in front of the church altar.

Peasants talk about the “hidden treasures” of the Impaler. Sensing death, Vlad had them make cast-iron barrels in which he placed silver, gold, and precious jewels; he then ordered the course of a river to be diverted by a dam (perhaps the Dambovita River) after getting rid of the riches, he gave free flow to the river, and all the peasants involved were impaled!

Visitors who cross the lake by boat or over the bridge reach the quiet, remote monastery that brings the legend alive! One can pay respects at Dracula’s tomb, located at the altar’s footsteps, and admire the beautiful frescoes, some of which date back to the 15th century. Locals tell stories about a different church that existed here, which fell into the lake together with its steeple during a storm. When the wind blows, they say you can hear a chime rising from the bottom of the lake.

Nevertheless, people are superstitious, and the monastery has had its fair share of bad luck: floods, earthquakes, the burning of the bridge connecting it to the mainland during the 1821 revolution, as well as being transformed into a prison in the 19th century. Although there has been much debate around the real tomb of Vlad the Impaler, whether you are a Dracula fan or not, the monastery of Snagov is worth a peek! It was once an important hub of cultural and monastic life: it hosted a printing shop as well as a mint. When visiting, travelers understand why it was used as a refuge as well as a prison. As for the vampire hunters, what better place to end a trip to Romania than the legendary burial place of the count of all counts: Count Dracula?!

Transfer to Bucharest City at your hotel.

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Private tour
• Transport by air-conditioned minivan or private vehicle
• Driver/guide
• 3-course dinner, wine and Romanian plum brandy in Sibiel village on Day 1 and Day 2
• 5 nights’ accommodation in unique locations, including Dracula Castle
• Dinners and breakfasts included
• Priority access to skip long lines

• other meals, entrance fees

Embark on an enthralling and all-encompassing voyage through Transylvania! This well-orchestrated tour is intended to deeply engage travelers into the lore and chronicles of Dracula, providing a journey that is simultaneously spooky and educational.

The tour’s versatility of including famous monuments such as Bran Castle alongside rarely visited yet colorfully intriguing spots, for instance, the fortified churches of Biertan and Viscri, ensures a thorough insight into the region’s customs and history.

The inclusion of meals, mobility, and other conveniences within the tour package further enhances the visitor experience, making it more integrated and relieving.

To sum it up, the ‘Dracula Beyond the Legend’ private tour presents an extraordinary and unparalleled opportunity to unearth the abundant cultural history and legends of Transylvania.

• Transfagarasan Road is only open between July and October. In the rest of the year we will cross the mountains in Day1 via Olt Valley. Poienari Castle is under renovation. We can see it from the buttom of the mountain. Hotel in Borgo Pass is closed. We will stay instead in Bistrita town or change the itineray by visiting Turda Salt Mine, overnight in Cluj Napoca area or Turda town.
• Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
• Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately

If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.