Transport

TRANSPORT IN EUROPE: Half the fun of travel is the travelling itself, that’s why we like to travel the local way – whether that means mingling with commuters on a local train, watching the scenery roll by from the window of a long distance bus, arriving on a high speed train in the city centre of your next destination, or navigating each city’s public transport system. In Europe, you are guaranteed to travel by genuine local public transport wherever possible, which puts you right in the centre of the action. Train , Private vehicle , Taxi

Meals

7 breakfasts, 1 lunch

Guide

All Intrepid group trips in Europe are accompanied by one of our local European group leaders. ’Local’ in this context means a leader who is European or lives in Europe. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Your leader takes care of logistics, will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. At Intrepid we also aim to support local guides in the individual cities or locations we travel to. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend an optional local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.

Accommodation

OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION: The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances. TWIN SHARE BASIS: Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. We pair up solo travellers with another traveller of the same gender as per the gender marker on each of their passports. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on different Intrepid trips than your own. CHECK-IN TIME: Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination. PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION: If you’ve purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights. FACILITIES: Your accommodation may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don’t provide kettles or fridges. Hotel (7 nights)

Others

Transylvania - Halloween Party Bucharest - Walking Tour with Local Guide Bran Castle - Tour Brasov - Walking Tour with Local Guide Viscri - Fortified Church Viscri - Sock Project Visit Viscri - Local Home Cooked Lunch Turda - Salt Mines Tour Cluj Napoca - Walking Tour with Local Guide Cluj Napoca - Hoia Forest Guided Trek

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Day 1 Day 1: Bucharest
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Bucharest

Buna Ziua! Welcome to Bucharest. Often called the ’Little Paris of the Balkans’, Romania’s capital is known for its Belle Epoch architecture, thumping nightlife and communist sites. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, you might like to get a head start and explore the city by night. After the meeting, why not head out for a group dinner to get your first sample of Romania’s unique cuisine.
Day 2 Day 2: Bucharest / Brasov
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Bucharest / Brasov

This morning, meet your local guide for a private tour of Bucharest. After taking in the recently restored Old Town, you’ll visit some of the more significant sites of the revolution of 1989, which culminated in the ousting and execution of communist leader Ceausescu, and the end of Romania’s 42-year communist rule. Visit the huge Piata Unirii – one of Europe’s largest squares – and the Ceausima – Bucharest’s 12-storey Palace of Parliament. The palace is the second largest building in the world, after the Pentagon. The former dictator ordered the construction of this monster, a building of staggering scale and opulence that includes 1100 rooms and 4500 chandeliers. In the afternoon, travel by train to the 13th-century Saxon city of Brasov. Also known by its German name of Kronstadt, this town flanked by mountains and city walls was once a major medieval trading centre.
Day 3 Day 3: Bran Castle / Brasov
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Bran Castle / Brasov

No trip to Romania would be complete without a visit to the famous Bran Castle. The castle was built by the Saxons in 1382 to defend the Bran pass against the invading Turks. With its fairy-tale turrets and whitewashed walls, it’s far from menacing and spooky, but is undeniably impressive, sitting on a high cliff top and surrounded by pine trees. After, return to Brasov for a guided walk around town, checking out the ornate churches, townhouses, old city walls and squares surrounded by gingerbread-roofed merchants’ houses. Visit Brasov’s main attraction – the gothic Black Church (Biserica Neagra), which took its name from its blackened appearance after a fire in 1689.
Day 4 Day 4: Viscri / Sighisoara
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Viscri / Sighisoara

This morning, you’ll travel by private vehicle to Viscri – this small Transylvanian village was originally inhabited by Saxons from the Luxembourg area, and the whole scene is picture-postcard rural. This idyllic village of red tiled roofs is a UNESCO World Heritage site, virtually unchanged for 900 years. You’ll visit the town’s fortified church (thought to be the oldest in Transylvania) and learn about the Sock Project, which supports the local Roma community. After a home cooked lunch at the house of a local family, continue to the 12th century town of Sighisoara, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site for its well-preserved medieval Old Town. After a quick orientation walk, you have all afternoon free to explore the city.
Day 5 Day 5: Sighisoara / Cluj Napoca
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Sighisoara / Cluj Napoca

Medieval Sighisoara is famed as the birthplace of Vlad Dracul III – better known as Vlad the Impaler, the ruler of Walachia province from 1456 to 1462 and whose name was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s iconic Count Dracula. Walking through the town is like taking a trip back in time to the medieval age, and it’s easy to image streets crowded with vampires, evil counts, wolves and peasants riding through the untamed countryside on horse-drawn carts. After a morning of exploring, travel by train through pastoral fields and untouched Saxon towns to Cluj Napoca – the unofficial capital of Transylvania. When you arrive, maybe head out for a stroll around the Gothic streets of the 2000-year-old town.
Day 6 Day 6: Cluj Napoca
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Cluj Napoca

This morning, visit the Turda Salt Mines – a former salt mine converted into an underground amusement park. Maybe hire a rowboat, go bowling or visit the museum showcasing salt mining in the region – the options are endless! Salt is thought to be a protective tool against all sorts of evil beings, and legend has it that if you pour an unbroken line of salt across the entranceway to your house, vampires and demons won’t be able to get in. After your salt mine visit, return to Cluj for a city tour with a local guide. The rest of the day is free to explore.
Day 7 Day 7: Cluj Napoca
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Cluj Napoca

Today, you’ll head out for a daytrip to the Hoia Forest – a famous haunted forest with reports of ghost stories, apparitions, faces identified in photos and UFO sightings. Over the years, locals and tourists report anxiety and the feeling of being watched in this forest and the local vegetation features strangely shaped trees and charring on tree stumps and branches. The forest became famous in the late 1960s when a military technician took photos of a UFO above Poiana Rotunda (Round Meadow). If you’re lucky, the forest may even be covered in mist! After a short transfer from your hotel, you’ll meet with a local guide for a 4-hour hike within the forest, along gentle hills and valleys. Listen to the legends and visit the Round Meadow where the first UFO was sighted. After, head back to your hotel for a free afternoon.
Day 8 Day 8: Cluj Napoca
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Cluj Napoca

With no further activities planned, your trip ends today and you can depart your accommodation at any time. If you want to stay longer, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.

8 days tour

Halloween In Transylvania (Northbound)

This tour includes:

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Itinerary of your trip Halloween In Transylvania (Northbound)

Day 1: Bucharest

Day 2: Bucharest / Brasov

Day 3: Bran Castle / Brasov

Day 4: Viscri / Sighisoara

Day 5: Sighisoara / Cluj Napoca

Day 6: Cluj Napoca

Day 7: Cluj Napoca

Day 8: Cluj Napoca

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