Itinerary

Day 1 Sofia

Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria, located at the foot of the mountain massif Vitosha. One of the oldest cities in Europe, the history of Serdica-Sredets-Sofia can be traced back some 7000 years. The well preserved town walls date back before the 7th century BC, when Thracians established their city next to the most important and highly respected mineral spring, still functioning today. Sofia has had several names in the different periods of its existence, and remnants of the city's millenary history can still be seen today alongside modern landmarks.

Meet your driver for a private airport transfer with vehicle and driver.

Central Hotel (3*) is located in the heart of Sofia and is in proximity to all key administrative buildings, banks, shopping centers, museums, cultural and architectural landmarks.The hotel contains 25 bedrooms, which have all the modern amenities for a relaxing and comfortable stay. There is a breakfast room, and a restaurant that serves both Bulgarian and international cuisine. Guests can also dine at the delightful garden during the summer. You can relax at the lobby bar with one of your favorite drinks and spend time with friends. In the Central Hotel's wine cellar, guests will find a wide assortment of Bulgarian brand wines and aperitifs from declared regions. Work out at the gymnasium and later, relax in the sauna or solarium, a place to rejuvenate yourself.

Overnight at Central (3*).

Day 2 Sofia

Enjoy a walking tour with your private guide along the main tourist attractions of Sofia and view the Roman walls of ancient Serdika, St. George Rotunda, one of the oldest fully preserved churches in Europe dating from 4th century AD. The most important religious buildings such as the Mosque, the Synagogue, St. Joseph Catholic church and the Orthodox churches of St. Nedelya, St. Petka, St. Sophia, the Russian Church and St Alexander Nevski Cathedral - cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, the former Royal Palace, the National Theatre, the Mineral Baths, the Parliament, the statue of Tsar Liberator, and the Sofia University. Visit the Crypt of St Alexander Nevski Cathedral with the best collection of icons in Bulgaria. After lunch continue your tour to the suburb of Boyana where you can visit the Boyana Church a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the National Museum of History.

Overnight at Central (3*).

Day 3 Sofia

Enjoy a day trip to Veliko Turnovo - the medieval capital of Bulgaria. It is situated 220 km/ 140 miles east of Sofia. During a short tour of the city you will get familiarized with St Forty Martyrs Church dated from 13th century, the Konak where the First National Assembly was held after the Liberation and where the Turnovo Constitution was ratified in 1879. Walk along the Samovodska Carshiya - a market street with houses, shops and workshops from the Revival Period. Enjoy your lunch in a local restaurant. Continue your afternoon with Tsarevets - the fortified hill which for two centuries between 1185 and 1393 was the center of political and religious power in the Second Bulgarian Empire. View the remains of the Royal Palace, the Patriarchate and the city walls with the famous Baldwin Tower where Emperor Baldwin I was held prisoner by Tsar Kaloyan after the Battle of Adrianople in 1205.

Overnight at Central (3*).

Day 4 Sofia

Enjoy a full day tour to Rila Monastery, the biggest monastery in Bulgaria, one of the most remarkable monuments on the Balkan Peninsula. The monastery was founded in the l0th century by the Bulgarian monk St. John of Rila and was rebuilt in the l3th -l4th century and it is situated 120Km/75 miles south of Sofia in the beautiful surroundings of Rila Mountain. In the four-storied dormitories there are more than 400 cells, 4 chapels, guest-rooms, a cook-house, unique in terms of construction and design. A museum with a rich library is arranged at the monastery. Since 1983 it is included in the list of monuments of the world culture and natural heritage compiled at UNESCO. Lunch is included in the tour price.

Overnight at Central (3*).

Day 5 Bucharest

Bucharest is the capital city, industrial, and commercial centre of Romania. By European standards, Bucharest is not an old city, its existence first being referred to by scholars as late as 1459. Since then it has gone through a variety of changes, becoming the state capital of Romania in 1862 and steadily consolidating its position as the centre of the Romanian mass media, culture and arts. Its eclectic architecture is a mix of historical, interbellum, Communist-era and modern. In the period between the two World Wars, the city's elegant architecture and the sophistication of its elite earned Bucharest the nickname of the "Paris of the East" or "Little Paris" (Micul Paris). Although many buildings and districts in the historic centre were damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes and Nicolae Ceau?escu's program of systematization, many survived. In recent years, the city has been experiencing an economic and cultural boom.

Meet your driver for a private airport transfer with vehicle and driver.

Flight is required, currently not included in the quote.

Airport transfer with private vehicle and driver.

Reopened in December 2002, the Opera Hotel (3*) is perfectly located in the center of the business and cultural area of Bucharest, yet remains very quiet at the same time It is uniquely decorated with a style reminiscent of old Bucharest, with an impressive collection of pictures representing the city between the two world wars. Antique china and silver objects are also placed throughout the rooms and the staff wear vintage 20th century uniforms, adding to the old world charm. The hotel has a breakfast room and bar, and is located near many exquisite local restaurants. The Opera Hotel welcomes you into a warm and cozy atmosphere, right in the hub of Bucharest.

Overnight at Opera Hotel (3*).

Day 6 Bucharest

Enjoy a full day tour of Bucharest, called "Little Paris". Start with The Palace of the Parliament – admire the luxurious display of crystal chandeliers, mosaics, oak paneling, marble, gold leaf, stained-glass windows. Visit Cotroceni Palace and Museum. Continue to the Village Museum with 50 buildings representing the history and design of Romania’s rural architecture. See Bucharest’s Arc of Triumph, built in honour of the Romanian soldiers who fought in the First World War.

Overnight at Opera Hotel (3*).

Day 7 Brasov

Brasov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brasov County. The city is located in the central part of the country, about 166 km from Bucharest. It is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians, and is part of the Transylvania region. Centrally located Brasov is a good starting point for trips around Romania: the Black Sea resorts, the monasteries in northern Moldavia, and the well-preserved wooden churches of Maramure. It is also the largest city in a mountain resorts area. The old city itself is very well preserved, and is best seen by taking the cable-car to the top of Tâmpa Mountain (995 m), a beautiful lookout.

Morning drive north towards Transylvania. Optional stop in Urlati for a snack and wine-tasting (not included). While crossing the Southern Carpathians, stop in Sinaia to visit one of the most beautiful castles in Europe - the famous Peles Castle, a masterpiece of German New-Renaissance architecture, commissioned by King carol I in 1873 and completed in 1883. Its 160 rooms are adorned with the finest examples of European art, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows, walls covered with Cordoba leather, Meissen and Sevres porcelains, ebony and ivory sculptures. Drive through the village of Bran to Brasov, the largest city in Transilvania. Once arrived in Bran, visit Dracula’s Castle, the place where Dracula was imprisoned before he was taken to Budapest. Bran Castle is home to a rich collection of Romanian and foreign furniture and art items from the XIVth-XIXth centuries. It sits up atop a 200 ft. tall rock, overlooking the picturesque village of Bran. On the grounds bellow there is an open-air ethnographic museum of old village buildings with exhibits of furniture, household objects and costumes. Time-depending, stop in Moeciu at Palamari’s Cultural Center and enjoy the open air exhibition of the Maramures architectural complex). Continue to Brasov with a visit to Prejmer Fortress. Brasov the city  where Dracula was betrayed by the rich merchants of Brasov and because of this betrayal he ended up to be imprisoned for 12 years in Pesta and Visegrad by his cousin - Mathias Corvinus, King of Hungary.

Casa Wagner (3*), one of the most recently opened hotel in Brasov, located in a monument classed building dating back to 1477, is right in the historic center, on the pedestrian plaza known as the Council’s square. The hotel offers 12 luxurious and spacious suites that have been refurbished to preserve the past while accommodating modern needs and amenities. The location boasts exquisite views toward Piata Sfatului, Black Church and Tampa Mountain as well as many other tourist attractions. Perfectly suitable for leisure guests, Casa Wagner Hotel is a lovely choice for a stay in this Transylvanian town.

Overnight at Casa Wagner (3*).

Day 8 Sighisoara

Central Sighisoara has preserved in an exemplary way the features of a small medieval fortified city, it has been listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Each year, a Medieval Festival takes place in the old citadel in July. The houses inside the Castle of Sighisoara show the main features of a craftsmen's town. And there are some houses which belonged to the former patriciate, like the Venetian House and the House with Antlers.

Start your Old City tour with the Town Hall Square, where you can admire the colorfully painted and ornately trimmed baroque structures. Visit the Black Church, the largest gothic church in Romania. Continue your visit and see Catherine's Gate errected in 1559, the only original gate that still survives since medieval times. Visit Weavel's Bastion, the largest medieval bastion in Brasov and the best-preserved among the seven original watchtowers constructed around the city walls.

Transfer to Sighisoara with your own vehicle and driver.

The Sighisoara Hotel (3*) is situated in the historic center of the city, inside the medieval citadel, surrounded by towers, old buildings and stone streets. The rooms are comfortable and include full amenities. The restaurant is specialized in local cuisine, has a great selection of wines and is a great place to experience the medieval ambience of the region. Enjoy the perfect combination of the comfort of three stars with the simplicity, refinement and good taste specific to centuries past.

Overnight at Sighisoara (3*).

Day 9 Sibiu

Sibiu is one of the largest cities in Transylvania, Romania with a population of about 160,000. It straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt. It is one of the most important cultural and religious centres in Romania as well a major transportation hub in central Romania. The city used to be the centre of the Transylvanian Saxons in Romania until World War II. Sibiu was designated European Capital of Culture for the year 2007 together with Luxembourg.

Explore the Old Town of Sighisoara with cobbled streets, burgher houses and ornate churches. Start your tour along the medieval street and visit the Clock Tower known as the Council Tower, built in the second half of the 14th century and expanded in the 16th century. Continue our tour with the Venetian House, built in the 16th century. Visit Dracula's house where Vlad Tepes was born in 1431 and lived with his father until 1435 and enjoy a walk on the covered stairs to the Church on the Hill.

Transfer to Sibiu with your own vehicle and driver, with a stop to Biertan, one of the first German settlements in Transylvania. The name was firstly attested in 1283. It had an urban organization, notice the franconic style of the rows of houses around the central square overlooked by a grandiose fortress-church.

Placed at the crossroads of Alba Iulia and Emil Cioran streets, The Ramada (4*) Sibiu is ideally located in historic Sibiu and has a stunning view over the city. After a walking tour of the area, relax in the comfort of your room and on your free time check out “Yssima beauty salon”, the “Ramada Wellness Center” with the fitness room, sauna, massage and Jacuzzi. Go for a drink at the Lobby-bar, Centrum-bar or Jazzy-bar. For dining, visit the restaurant which specializes in international cuisine. Enjoy your stay at the Ramada Hotel in Sibiu and experience this historic medieval city.

Overnight at Ramada (4*).
    
Day 10 Bucharest

Enjoy a relaxing city tour of Sibiu, the European Capital of Culture in 2007, a medieval city with narrow streets and gothic arhitecture. Considered to be the jewel in the crown of German Siebenbuergen (Transylvania), the town dates back from 1400 and is one of the main tourist attraction in Romania. Visit Brukental Museum, the oldest museum in Romania with a vast collection of paintings, antiques, coins, and rare books, built by governor of Transylvania, Samuel Brukenthal between 1777 and 1787.

Leave Sibiu and cross the mountains on the Olt River Valley, one of the most spectacular valleys crossing the Southern Carpathians. Visit Curtea de Arges, the first capital of Wallachia with the old Princely Court and the Manole Monastery - the place where tree of the four Romanian Kings are buried.

Reopened in December 2002, the Opera Hotel (3*) is perfectly located in the center of the business and cultural area of Bucharest, yet remains very quiet at the same time It is uniquely decorated with a style reminiscent of old Bucharest, with an impressive collection of pictures representing the city between the two world wars. Antique china and silver objects are also placed throughout the rooms and the staff wear vintage 20th century uniforms, adding to the old world charm. The hotel has a breakfast room and bar, and is located near many exquisite local restaurants. The Opera Hotel welcomes you into a warm and cozy atmosphere, right in the hub of Bucharest.

Overnight at Opera Hotel (3*).

Day 11 Bucharest

Airport transfer with private vehicle and driver.

Depart from International Airport. End of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart (Int`l Airport) (standard).

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