Written by Administrator | 11 August 2008

2012 ROMANIA & BULGARIA EXPLORER TOUR

A PREMIUM, COMPREHENSIVE EIGHT DAY TOUR OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF BOTH COUNTRIES

Itinerary: Bucharest Tour - Sibiu - Biertan - Sighisoara - Brasov - Bran and Peles Castles - Ruse, Bulgaria - Ivanovo Rock Hewn Churches - Veliko Tarnovo - Kazanlak - Plovdiv - Rila - Sofia Tour

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Day 2: Sibiu – Sibiel  Home Hosted Lunch – Biertan - Sighisoara
Hot & cold buffet breakfast at hotel. Hot buffet breakfast at hotel. Begin your day with a leisurely walking tour of Sibiu, the chief city of the Transylvanian Germans including the hustling and busling Sibiu Open Air Market (oportunity to sample fresh priduce). View the old surrounding defense walls and the remaining guild towers. One of the landmarks of Sibiu is the Bruckenthal Museum assembled by Baron Bruckenthal, governor of Transylvania at the beginning of the 19th century. The Evangelical Cathedral was completed in its actual shape in 1520, but inside, there is an exquisite fresco of the Crucifixion on the north wall of the choir dating from 1445. End you tour with the original Pharmacy Museum.  We'll then take a short drive to Sibiel village to tour the Glass Painted Icons Museum. After enjoying a traditional home hosted lunch at a local farmhouse, you'll head to the Biertan for a tour of to the impressive fortified Saxon church, an UNESCO World Heritage site and formerly the Seat of the Luteran Bishop of Transylvania for over three centuries. Today's final stop is Sighisoara – a World Heritage Site and the only still inhabited medieval citadel in Europe. Accommodation in the Upper Town. Suggested dinner at the Birthplace of Vlad Dracula.
B L Accommodation in Sighisoara at Hotel Sighisoara *** or The House with Antler *** (Upper Town)

Day 3: Sighisoara – Brasov
Hot & cold buffet breakfast at hotel. Before starting your walking tour of old Sighisoara attend an informal talk on Vlad the Impaler – Dracula, what is truth and is what fiction. Sighisoara is one of a kind. It was developed by the German settlers as of late 12th century. It stands on a network of tunnels and catacombs and, according to one version of the myth; this is where the Pied Piper brought the children of Hamelin after their ungrateful parents refused to pay him his due. Walking tour includes the two squares of the Citadel (Upper Town), the Scholars’ Staircase, the House with Antler, the Tower with Clock (climb up for a great view), the Torture Chamber and the Weapon Museum. Sighisoara is the place where the Vlad the Impaler Dracula was born in 1431. The Birthplace is one of the main tourist attractions. Passing through the picturesque Transylvanian Plateau we reach Brasov, for a tour of "The Crown City" of Transylvania. You'll marvel at unique local landmarks including the Gothic style 14th century Black Church, the St Nicholas Orthodox Church in Schei Quarter, The Old Town Hall and the Council Square right in the heart of the Old Town. Hotel check in with the remainder of the Day at leisure so you enjoy the lovely atmosphere of the Old Town Brasov.
B Accommodation in Brasov at Casa Wagner ***

Day 4: Brasov - Dracula Castle - Sinaia
Hot & cold buffet breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to the village of Bran. Tour Bran Castle also known as Dracula Castle. The castle was built in 1377 to safeguard the trading route between Transylvania and Wallachia, enlarged and restored a few times to finally become a royla residence under Queen Marie of Romania. After the visit enjoy a cheese tasting as this area is known for its high quality cheeses. Continue to Sinaia mountain resort. Named after St. Catherine Monastery on Mount Sinai, Sinaia became the unofficial capital of the Kingdom of Romania towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century when the Orient Express Train used to call here. Take a guided tour of Peles Castle and Gardens - the breathtaking former summer residence of the Romanian royal family. The evening is at leisure in the resort.
B Accommodation in Sinaia at Villa Camelia *** (wonderful fin-de-siecle residence in the heart of Sinaia resort)
 
Day 5: Sinaia – Ruse - Ivanovo Rock Churches - Arbanassi
Hot & cold buffet breakfast at hotel. A ride south to Bucharest and then across the Danube River then brings you into Bulgaria where you will change vehicles and tour guides. Take an orientation tour of the center of Ruse, the largest Bulgarian town on the Danube with its classical architecture before your visit to the cavernous Ivanovo Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue to the picturesque village of Arbanassi, near Veliko Tarnovo. Your afternoon highlight is a visit to the Church of Nativity, the most richly decorated church in all of Bulgaria as well as the 17th century Konstantsalieva House. 
B Accommodation in Arbanassi at the traditional style Izvora Hotel ****
 
Day 6: Veliko Tarnovo – Kazanlak – Plovdiv
Breakfast at hotel. Morning walking tour of Veliko Tarnovo, the anicent capital of Bulgaria. We will journey through the heart of rural Bulgaria today en route to Plovdiv, the country’s second largest city. As we wind through picturesque Rose Valley, we make a stop in the town of Kazanlak at the world famous Thracian Tomb, you get an up-close view of the wonderfully preserved Hellenistic frescoes dating back to the 4th century BC. Another must-see is The Rose Museum. Upon arrival in Plovdiv, the center of Bulgarian industry, we tour the lovely The Old Town including the large Roman Amphitheatre. Evening at leisure.
B Accommodation in Plovdiv at the Famous House Hotel *** (or similar)
 
Day 7: Plovdiv - Rila Monastery – Sofia
Hot and cold buffet breakfast at hotel. You’ll enjoy a scenic ride through beautiful Mesta Pass on the way to Rila Monastery, Bulgaria's most famous tourist site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in the 10th century by St. Ivan Rilsky, the monastery was at the center of Bulgarian culture and Orthodox belief for centuries and today the most visited cultural site of Bulgaria. Once in the capital Sofia take a panoramic city tour with the Rotunda of St George and a visit to Alexaner Nevski Cathedral. Hotel check in with the evening at leisure.
B Accommodation in Sofia at Hotel Art ***
 
Day 8: Sofia Departure
Hot & cold buffet breakfast at hotel or boxed breakfast for early departures. Time at leisure until your transfer to Sofia International Airport for your return flight.


Tour Price & Discounts: CLICK HERE

• 7 nights accommodations at three and four star hotels
• fully insured sedan with climate control for the enire distance
• fuel and parking fees
• all sightseeing tours and culotural connections
• 9 meals: 7 breakfasts, 1 home hosted lunch, 1 dinner
• cheese sapmpling in Bran village
• services of experienced tour guides (one for each country)
• border crossing fees
• guide's expenses
• Bucharest & Sofia City Tours
• admissions to sites and museums
• airport transfer on departure
• portrage at hotels
• maps of Romania and Bulgaria.

• other meals than stated
• alcoholic beverages
• photo/video fees at museums