Best of Romania Self-Launched: 10 Days from Bucharest

Pick up a hire car at Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport (budget ~£35–45/day with Dacia or Europcar — split between travel companions to reduce cost). Head south-west and make a stop at Ostrov Monastery, a peaceful riverside Orthodox monastery in the Danube valley. Then tackle the highlight of the day: the Transfăgărășan Highway (DN7C), one of the most dramatic mountain roads in Europe. Drive the sweeping switchbacks over the Carpathians before descending into Sibiu, a beautifully preserved Saxon city. Check into a central guesthouse or 3-star hotel in the old town. Note: the Transfăgărășan is typically open June–October only; check road conditions before travelling.

🚌Hire car from Bucharest Airport. Alternatively take a Flixbus or CFR train to Sibiu (~£12–18) and arrange a day tour of Transfăgărășan via GetYourGuide (~£35).

🛏Old Town Hostel Sibiu or a 3-star guesthouse in the historic centre (~£20–30pp)

• →Stop at Ostrov Monastery — free entry, small donation appreciated
• →Drive the Transfăgărășan Highway (DN7C) — free, fuel cost only
• →Evening wander around Sibiu's Piața Mare (Grand Square) — free

An action-packed day of castles and citadels. Start early and drive to Hunedoara to visit Corvin Castle (Hunyadi Castle), one of the largest and most dramatic Gothic castles in Europe. Entry is roughly £8. Continue to Alba Iulia to explore the star-shaped Alba Carolina Fortress — walk the ramparts and visit the coronation cathedral. Then head north to Cluj-Napoca, Romania's vibrant second city. Check in and explore the Old City Centre on foot: Unirii Square, St Michael's Church and the lively café culture. Optional: detour to Turda Salt Mine, a surreal underground world of salt caverns and a Ferris wheel (~£8 entry).

🚌Continue by hire car (Sibiu–Hunedoara ~1.5h, Hunedoara–Alba Iulia ~1h, Alba Iulia–Cluj-Napoca ~1.5h). Without a car: Flixbus Sibiu–Cluj-Napoca (~£9) and hire a local driver for the castle detour (~£40–50 shared).

🛏Retro Hostel Cluj-Napoca or budget 3-star hotel near Unirii Square (~£18–28pp)

• →Tour Corvin Castle, Hunedoara (~£8 entry, self-guided)
• →Explore Alba Carolina Fortress, Alba Iulia — free to walk the ramparts
• →Walking tour of Cluj-Napoca Old City Centre — free self-guided or book a free walking tour via GuruWalk
• →Optional: Turda Salt Mine (~£8 entry, book via GetYourGuide)

Head north-east through the Transylvanian countryside toward Bucovina. Stop in Bistrița for a brief wander through the old town — it's famously mentioned in Bram Stoker's Dracula as Jonathan Harker's last stop before Castle Dracula. Continue east toward Voronet, arriving in time for a traditional Romanian dinner at your guesthouse. The Varvara de Bucovina-style guesthouses in this region are charming, affordable and often serve home-cooked mămăligă, sarmale and local ţuică plum brandy.

🚌Hire car Cluj-Napoca to Voronet area ~3.5–4h. Without a car: CFR train Cluj-Napoca to Suceava (~£10–14, ~3.5h) then local bus or taxi to Voronet.

🛏Local guesthouse near Voronet village, e.g. Pensiunea Bucovina-style B&B (~£18–25pp including breakfast)

• →Sightseeing stop in Bistrița old town — free
• →Drive through the Bârgău Pass (Dracula country) — scenic, free
• →Traditional Romanian dinner at guesthouse (~£10–14)

This is the spiritual heart of the itinerary. Bucovina's painted monasteries are UNESCO-listed masterpieces — the exterior frescoes in vivid blues, reds and ochres have survived 500 years of harsh winters. Start with Voronet Monastery itself (the 'Sistine Chapel of the East', famous for 'Voronet Blue'), then drive to Moldovița and Sucevița monasteries. All charge a small entry fee (~£2–3 each). Each monastery feels distinct — take time to walk around the painted walls and step inside. Afternoon drive south to Iași, Moldova's historic capital.

🚌Hire car is strongly recommended for this day — monasteries are spread across rural Bucovina and public transport connections are very limited. A dedicated monastery day tour from Suceava is available via GetYourGuide (~£30–40) if without a car.

🛏Budget hotel or 3-star option in Iași city centre, e.g. Hotel Astoria or similar (~£22–32pp)

• →Visit Voronet Monastery (~£2 entry, self-guided)
• →Visit Moldovița Monastery (~£2 entry)
• →Visit Sucevița Monastery (~£3 entry)
• →Evening arrival and walk in Iași

Spend the morning exploring Iași, one of Romania's most important historical and cultural cities. The Palace of Culture is a neo-Gothic masterpiece housing four museums — the History Museum and the Art Museum are worth the entry (~£4 combined). Walk to the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral, one of the largest in Romania, and stroll past the National Theatre. After lunch, drive south-west to Piatra Neamț, a charming mountain town in the Eastern Carpathians. Explore the compact old town on foot, visit the St John the Baptist Church and climb up to the fortress hill for views over the Bistrița valley.

🚌Hire car Iași to Piatra Neamț ~2h. Without a car: CFR train or maxi-taxi (~£5–8).

🛏Guesthouse or 3-star hotel in Piatra Neamț (~£20–28pp)

• →Palace of Culture, Iași (~£4 entry for selected museums)
• →Metropolitan Cathedral, Iași — free entry
• →Walking tour of Iași old town — free self-guided
• →Neamț Citadel (~£3 entry)
• →Walking tour of Piatra Neamț old town — free

A spectacular drive-through day. Head west through the Bicaz Gorge (Cheile Bicazului), one of Romania's most dramatic natural landscapes — sheer limestone walls rise 300m above the road. Stop at the Red Lake (Lacu Roșu), a natural dam lake formed by a 19th-century landslide. Cross into Transylvania and detour through Corund, a small village famous for its pottery stalls lining the main road — great for affordable souvenirs. Continue to Biertan, a UNESCO-listed village with a magnificent fortified Saxon church. End the day in Sighișoara, arguably Romania's most atmospheric medieval town.

🚌Hire car is ideal for this rural route. Without a car: local maxi-taxis cover some stretches but the full day route is difficult without your own wheels.

🛏Guesthouse in Sighișoara citadel or lower town, e.g. Pension Claudiu or similar (~£18–25pp)

• →Drive Bicaz Gorge — scenic, free (small parking fees ~£1)
• →Stop at Red Lake — free to view, short walk around the lake
• →Browse Corund pottery market — free to browse, souvenirs from £2
• →Visit Biertan Fortified Church (~£3 entry)
• →Evening stroll in Sighișoara Citadel — free

Spend the morning properly exploring Sighișoara's medieval citadel — birthplace of Vlad the Impaler (the real Dracula). Climb the Clock Tower (~£3) for sweeping views and wander the cobbled streets. Then drive to Viscri, a remote Saxon village preserved almost unchanged for 800 years and famously visited by King Charles III. The Viscri Fortified Church (UNESCO) is the highlight (~£2 entry). Local women still sell hand-embroidered crafts from doorways. Head to Brașov in the afternoon and check in — the city sits dramatically below Mount Tâmpa and the medieval walls. Evening walk along Strada Republicii and up to the Black Church.

🚌Hire car Sighișoara–Viscri ~30 min (partly gravel road), Viscri–Brașov ~1.5h. Without a car: train Sighișoara–Brașov (~£5, 1.5h) and a day trip to Viscri via GetYourGuide (~£25).

🛏Hostel or 3-star hotel in Brașov old town, e.g. Kismet Dao Hostel or Rolling Stone Hostel (~£16–24pp)

• →Sighișoara Clock Tower (~£3 entry, self-guided)
• →Visit Viscri village and Viscri Fortified Church (~£2 entry)
• →Walking tour of Brașov old town — free self-guided
• →View of Brașov Hollywood-style sign on Mount Tâmpa (free hike or cable car ~£4)

A morning packed with Romania's most famous castles. Start with a full Brașov city tour on foot — Council Square (Piața Sfatului), the Black Church (~£3) and the old medieval bastions. Then drive to Bran Castle (~£10 entry), perched dramatically on a rock above the village — famously (if loosely) linked to Dracula. Continue south to Sinaia and visit the stunning Peleș Castle (~£10), the neo-Renaissance summer palace of Romanian kings, set in a forested mountain valley. Then head down through the Prahova Valley to Bucharest. Check into your hotel near the old town.

🚌Hire car Brașov–Bran ~30 min, Bran–Sinaia ~45 min, Sinaia–Bucharest ~1.5h. Without a car: buses connect Brașov–Bran (~£1.50); CFR train Sinaia–Bucharest (~£4).

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Bucharest old town (Lipscani area), e.g. The Doors Hostel or Hotel Cișmigiu (~£20–30pp)

• →Brașov city tour with Council Square and Black Church (~£3 Black Church entry)
• →Bran Castle (~£10 entry, book online to skip queues)
• →Peleș Castle, Sinaia (~£10 entry, exterior and interior tour)
• →Evening arrival in Bucharest

A full day to explore one of Eastern Europe's most underrated capitals. Start with the Palace of the Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului) — the world's second largest administrative building, a colossal monument to Ceaușescu's megalomaniac vision (~£8 guided interior tour, book at the door or via GetYourGuide). Walk north through the old town (Lipscani), a maze of bars, cafés, Orthodox churches and communist-era apartment blocks. Visit the Village Museum (Muzeul Satului) on the shore of Herăstrău Lake — an open-air collection of 300+ authentic rural buildings from across Romania (~£5). Evening: eat traditional Romanian food at a restaurant in Centrul Vechi — look for ciorba, mici and papanași.

🚌Walk or use Bucharest metro/tram (single ticket ~£0.50). Return hire car if driving.

🛏Same Bucharest old town hotel/hostel as Day 8 (~£20–30pp)

• →Palace of the Parliament guided tour (~£8, book in advance)
• →Self-guided walk of Bucharest Old Town (Lipscani) — free
• →Village Museum (Muzeul Satului) (~£5 entry)
• →Optional: Ceaușescu's former residence — Casa Primăverii tour (~£6 via GetYourGuide)

A relaxed final morning. If time allows, grab a last coffee on a terrace in Piața Unirii or pick up final souvenirs — Romanian ceramics, honey, palincă (fruit brandy) and embroidered textiles are all great options from the city market or Piața Obor. Transfer to Henri Coandă Airport: take the 783 express bus from Piața Unirii (every 40 min, ~£1.50, journey ~45 min) or a taxi via the Bolt/Uber app (~£12–16). Allow 2–3 hours before your flight.

🚌Bus 783 from Piața Unirii to Henri Coandă Airport (~£1.50, ~45 min). Bolt or Uber taxi ~£12–16.

🛏No accommodation — departure day

• →Final coffee and souvenir shopping in central Bucharest — free/variable
• →Airport transfer via 783 express bus (~£1.50) or Bolt/Uber (~£12–16)