Premium Belgrade to Bucharest

Dobro dosli! Welcome to Serbia. Your adventure begins in Belgrade. When you arrive at the airport, you’ll be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel. Tonight, you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travellers at a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive early, check out the city’s many museums – including the one dedicated to Nikola Tesla, the Serbian American inventor known for transforming the world’s understanding of electricity. Or, maybe get a caffeine fix with a Turkish coffee at a kafana – these traditional coffee houses date back to the Ottoman era. After the meeting tonight, you’ll join the group for dinner at one of the city’s local restaurants and learn about Serbian produce and cuisine.

This morning, you’ll travel by private vehicle to Timisoara, crossing the Serbia-Romania border. Timisoara is a park-filled city where an uprising of local people sparked the Romanian Revolution in 1989. This saw the fall of the country’s Communist regime – reflecting the broader political change seen across Eastern Europe at the time. On a guided walking tour, you’ll take in some of Timisoara’s most significant sights – including the grand and aptly named Victory, Liberty and Union Squares – and learn more about the city’s history.

Today you’ll make your way to Sibiu, stopping on the way to visit Sarmizegetusa Regia – the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Dacia. Romania’s answer to Stonehenge, Sarmizegetusa Regia was a centre of religious, military and political significance until it was invaded by the Romans in 102AD and is now UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the oldest and most mysterious historical sites in Romania. After touring the site with a local guide, continue to Sibiu, where you’ll get acquainted with the cobbled streets and squares on a guided walking tour. Sibiu is known for its creative, bohemian atmosphere, rich history and architecture. Explore what remains of the city’s medieval walls and towers, cross the legend-shrouded Bridge of Lies and take in the grandeur of Brukenthal National Museum before a free evening.

This morning you’ll head to the outskirts of the city to explore ASTRA Village Museum. Set across 96 acres surrounding a sparkling lake, this open-air living museum seeks to preserve, showcase and celebrate Romanian folk culture and traditional ways of life. Wander the grounds to discover reconstructed old dwellings, windmills and workshops and learn how Romanian people of centuries past grew food, raised families and made a living. The afternoon is free to visit the Orthodox Cathedral or admire the slightly less imposing (but equally magnificent) Gothic Lutheran church. Alternatively, grab a covrigi (a tasty Romanian pretzel), wander the old town and snap photos of the colourful, Wes Anderson-style architecture.

Depart Sibiu and head to Alba Lulia – one of the oldest cities in Romania. It is home to an 18th-century citadel with a history that dates to Roman times. Shaped like a seven-point star, the fortress features a collection of ornate gates and vantage points, as well as numerous museums and cafes. Wander the cobbled streets with an expert guide to hear more about what went on within these ancient walls over the last two millennia. Next, drive to the Trascau Mountains to reach Coltesti and check in to Szekler Mansion – your exclusive Feature Stay. Your room is decked out with local textiles and hand-painted decorative furniture and for dinner tonight you’ll sit down for a traditional meal which migh feature hearty bowls of borsch or goulash, locally-made cheese and sarmale (smoky, meat-filled cabbage rolls).

Today you’ll make your way to Turda Salt Mine. This huge subterranean space was renovated and opened to the public in the early 1990s and resembles an alien planet or a Bond villain’s lair. Don’t forget to pack a sweatshirt – it gets chilly 119 m down! When you resurface, maybe head to the nearby winery for lunch. This afternoon, travel to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Sighisoara – your home for the next two nights and the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the historical figure and inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

This morning, explore the colourful streets of Sighisoara’s Old Town on a guided walk. You’ll visit the 14th-century Clock Tower that dominates the skyline (and offers 360 views from the top) and climb the 176 creaking covered steps that connect the upper and lower parts of town to reach the so-called Church on the Hill. Drive to Malancrav for lunch in a bucolic setting – the Saxon village was once owned by one family, the Apafis, and populated with German farmers. Maybe see the Apafi Mansion and the 14th-century church that features the largest Gothic fresco in Transylvania. After your meal, swing by the neighbouring UNESCO World Heritage site of Biertan and its fortified church before heading to Medias – known for its medieval fortifications and wine (‘Golden Mediasch’ is even mentioned in the novel Dracula). Enjoy some free time before making your way back to Sighisoara for the evening.

After breakfast you’ll make your way to Brasov, making a pitstop at hilltop Rupea Fortress. The restored citadel’s steep and rocky pathways spiral up to the highest point, offering sweeping views over the surrounding fields. Next, you'll visit Bran Castle – perhaps Romania’s most famous attraction, given its associations with the tale of Count Dracula. Vampire myths aside (it was never actually host to Vlad the Impaler or Bram Stoker) the forested surroundings and lofty location of this 14th-century castle is a great setting. This evening you’ll reach Brasov and have dinner together at a local restaurant.

Your tour of Romanian castles continues with Peles. Built in the late 19th century, the neo-Renaissance creation is even more extravagant on the inside than it is on the outside. Return to Brasov, and in the afternoon join your leader for a guided walking tour to learn about the city’s most notable sights – including what’s left of the old medieval fortifications, the Black Church that was charred in the Great Fire of 1689 but since restored, and the wedge-shaped Council Square, lined with historic buildings. Round the day off with the Romanian sweet treat of chimney cake, or kurtoskolacs as the locals call it.

Today, you have a free morning in Brasov. Maybe seek out tiny String Street, which is 44 inches at its narrowest point or indulge in some Romanian sweet treats like papanasi (a sweet cream doughnut topped with blueberry jam). Depart the city and head for lunch in the Prahova Valley, where you’ll tour a local winery known for its sparkling rose in the mountain town of Azuga. Hit the road one last time, reaching Bucharest in the late afternoon.

Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you’d like to spend some more time in Bucharest, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.