12 days in Romania for a tour full of culture, spirituality and traditions

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Itinerary:

Day 1. Arrival in Bucharest and transfer to the hotel, meeting with the guide and city tour based on arrival time.        Hotel Capitol / Ambasador 4* accommodation -20km-

In this first day you will visit the Arch of Triumph, the Victoriei Square, the historical center, the Stavropoleos Monastery, the church of Saint Anthony, Hanul lui Manuc restaurant, the Orthodox National Cathedral, the Palace of Parliament (from the outside), the Revolution Square, the Romanian University, the Royal Palace, the Central Library and the former Central Communist Committee. In the evening, typical dinner in a restaurant with folklore show and stay overnight.

Day 2. Bucharest - Curtea de Arges - Cozia - Valea Oltului (river) - Sibiu - Sibiel. Dinner and overnight in Sibiel House Ana Ciortea 3* -280 km-

We go to Curtea de Arges, famous for the Byzantine-style monastery built by the Holy Prince Neagoe Basarab, between 1512 and 1517 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, we continue the trip on the Olt River Valley (the fourth longest in the country) and the Cozia Monastery, erected by the ninth of Vlad Tepes, Mircea the Elder. In the afternoon we arrive in Sibiu, a Transylvanian city designated a few years ago as the European cultural capital. Among the places of greatest tourist interest are the Bruckenthal Palace, the Bridge of Lies, the Orthodox Cathedral, the Catholic Cathedral and the Council Tower. We take the dinner and stay overnight in Sibiel, a preserved pitoresque village. To sleep in Sibiu, a supplement of 15 EUR/person is charges.

Day 3. Sibiel - Alba Iulia - Turda – Cluj Napoca. Hotel Capitolina 3* accommodation - 160 km -

After taking the breakfast, we arrive in the city of the Great Unification of the Romanian Principalities of 1918. In Alba Iulia we will see the ancient Catholic church where the famous Hungarian king, Mathias Corvin is bueried, then the ancient conserved fortress and the Orthodox Cathedral. In the afternoon we visit the fascinating Turda salt mine and after we go to the 'capital of Transylvania', Cluj Napoca.  After visiting the city, we take the dinner and free time.

Day 4. Cluj - Merry Cemetery of Sapanta - Monastery of Sapanta Peri - Sighet. Accommodation to Gradina Morii or similar 3*/4* in Maramures -150 km -

Located in the north of Romania, on the border with Ukraine, the Maramures region preserves intact its ancestral traditions, in a fairytale setting where time seems to stand still and where farmers still work with tools that have disappeared elsewhere. Today we visit the famous Merry Cemetery, a masterpiece created by the priest Stan Ioan Patras, famous for his fine humor. Then we arrive at the Monastery of Sapanta Peri with the tallest wooden church and in the late afternoon we stop at the Museum of the Memory of the Victims of Communism in Sighet, a former political prison in the communist era. We take a traditional dinner with local dishes and stay overnight.

Day 5. Sighet - Maramures wooden churches. Accommodation to Gradina Morii or similar 3*/4* in Maramures - 50 km-

Today we continue to visit the wooden churches of this region: Barsana (place of extraordinary beauty), Ieud (the oldest, dating back to 1364) and Rozavlea, which are UNESCO monuments. Later we see a "valtoarea", a wooden mechanism built in the river to wash clothes, still used by farmers.

Day 6. Maramures - Prislop Pass - Voronet - Gura Humorului (Bucovina). 3/4 * star accommodation - 150 km -

In the morning we go to visit a beautiful region, Bucovina, called the land of monasteries or the country of beech trees. Here are the typical frescoed churches of northern Moldova, today seven of them are UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Arbore, Humor, Moldovita, Rasca, Sucevita and Voronet. On this day we visit the Voronet Monastery, famous for its dominant blue color and for the fresco of the scene of the Last Judgment; we also visit the Dragomirna Monastery with the highest church in the region (42 meters).

Day 7. Moldovita - Sucevita –the Egg Museum - Marginea (Bucovina). 3/4 * star accommodation - 100 km -

On the seventh day we visit two of Bucovina's painted monasteries. The Moldovita Monastery was built by Prince Petru Rares, son of the Holy Prince Stephen the Great (Stefan cel Mare) in 1532 (painted in 1537 with the dominant yellow color). The fresco depicting the scene "The siege of Constantinople" is very well known. The Sucevita Monastery, however, was erected by the Movila brothers between 1582 and 1584. The church is the only one that conserves the external painting also in the north part, where there is the famous fresco "The Virtues Scale". The predominant color is green. Then,we will visit the International Museum of Painted Eggs and we will see a demonstration of manual ceramic works in Marginea (famous in the world).

Day 8. Bucovina - Targu Neamt - Agapia Monastery - Neamt Monastery - Piatra Neamt. Accommodation Hotel Central Plaza 4*  - 130 km -

We leave Bucovina region and go in the Neamt county to see the ancient medieval fortress Neamt, built by the Saint Prince Stephen the Great (Stefan cel Mare) in Moldova. Moldova is a particular land with many legends and stories about national heroes, struggles for territorial independence and for spirituality. We will discover unique landscapes by visiting the Monasteries of Agapia and Neamt. In the evening we go to Piatra Neamt.

Day 9. Piatra Neamt - Bicaz Gorges - Red Lake - Sighisoara. Accommodation Hotel Binderbubi / Korona 4* - 210 km-

After taking breakfast at the hotel we go to Sighisoara. We pass the Carpathian chain crossing the Bicaz Gorges, the most famous canyon in the country, passing next to the Red Lake, a lake originating from the natural barrier of a mountain. In the afternoon we will reach the city of Sighisoara, crossing the heart of Transylvania. The city is known as "The Pearl of Transylvania". After visiting the city, we take the dinner and stay overnight.

Day 10. Sighisoara - Viscri - Prejmer - Brasov. Accommodation Hotel Coroana Brasovului / Wagner 3* - 170 km -

We start the day with a visit to the conserved Saxon village of Viscri included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1999. Then, we visit the Prejmer Fortress (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and arrive in Brasov, a city in the soul of the country, surprising with the Saxon architecture and towards the famous objectives: the Black Church, the Council Tower, the Ancient Church of the Romanian district Schei, Tampa mountain, etc.

Day 11. Brasov - Bran - Sinaia - Bucharest. Accommodation Hotel Capitol / Ambasador 4* -200 km-

The first stop of the day is at the Bran Castle, located on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia and famous for its medieval but also modern history. The tour continues with a visit to Peles Castle, summer residence of the royal families, one of the most beautiful castles in Europe. It was built on the order of Carol I, with his personal money. We continue to visit the monastery of Sinaia dating back to the end of the seventeenth century in "brancovenesc" style.

Day 12. Bucharest – Otopeni.  See you soon! -20 km –

Rates  in double room:

For groups> 19 people via Travel Agencies, check the prices in the PDF format  catalog

For 18 persons group: approx  830 EUR/person

For 8 persons:  910 EUR/person

For 6 persons: 1040 EUR/person

For 4 persons: 1290 EUR/person

For 2 persons: 1690 EUR/person

Single room supplement: 220 EUR/person

The experience includes:

• Airport - Hotel / Hotel - Airport transfers, based on flights;
• Transportation by car / modern buses with air conditioning / heating climate, fuels and taxes included;
• Professional English Guide throughout the trip;
• Hotel pick-up & drop-off;
• Accommodation 11 nights in 3 * / 4 * structures, as per program;
• Half board treatment (breakfast and dinner including at least one dinner with folklore show);
• Tourist taxes;
• Non-stop assistance Soca Tour Romania.

Which is extra:

• Entries to the museums; about 40 EUR / person; possibly tips;
• Other expenses and drinks. For full board, calculate 15 EUR / Lunch with 3 dishes and water included.

❖Bank Account at Banca Transilvania:  RO77BTRLEURCRT0327720601 (SWIFT Code: BTRLRO22)  Name: SOKA TOUR SRL-D