21-day Romania & Bulgaria grand tour

Sofia

Day 1: Welcome to Sofia

Start your trip in Sofia. Your guide will wait for you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. If you arrive in the morning, you will have your afternoon free to rest or to explore on your own the capital of Bulgaria.

Sofia

Day 2: Sofia Guided Tour

After a delicious breakfast at your hotel, it’s time to get to know Sofia better. Your guide will take you to see the main attractions in town. Start your visit to Bulgaria’s capital with a stop in front of its cathedral Saint Aleksandar Nevski. After you explore its old interior, just a few meters away from it you will discover where the name Sofia comes from. After lunch on Vitosha boulevard, you will visit a church dating back to the 10th century, today it is a UNESCO heritage site.

Rila Monastery

Day 3: The Symbol of Bulgaria: Rila Monastery

One of the symbols of Bulgaria is the Rila monastery. The largest monastery in Bulgaria was built in the mountains surrounded by enchanting scenery. It has been a UNESCO heritage site for over 30 years. The natural park surrounding it took its name.

A day trip from Sofia will offer you the opportunity to learn the cloister’s history, to visit its museum and to enjoy the natural landscape around it.

Sofia - Plovdiv

Day 4: En Route to Plovdiv

Don’t forget you are on holiday, so you need some time to relax. Take a free morning and get some extra sleep, go shopping in Sofia or just discover the city on your own.

In the afternoon, after checking out, your guide will drive you to Plovdiv. Enjoy the stunning scenery along the way.

Plovdiv

Day 5: An Ancient City: Plovdiv

The second largest city in Bulgaria, Plovdiv, is a mix of Roman, Thracian, and Bulgarian influences with modern touches.

You will visit the Roman Amphitheatre, a jewel preserved from the 1st century and used today for concerts and other events. Walk the narrow streets paved with cobblestone and see the colorful houses with their traditional balconies. Alongside these ancient treasures you will find modern restaurants and cozy cafes where you can relax along the way. Plovdiv will be a real surprise!

Nessebar

Day 6: The Black Sea Jewel: Nessebar

After almost a week in Bulgaria, it’s time to meet the Black Sea. One of its most beautiful cities is Nessebar, a citadel built on an island connected to the shore by a strip of land, a man-made isthmus.

The majority of the streets there are pedestrian or with very few cars, so prepare for a long walk on the cobblestone alleys. The traditional Bulgarian houses and old Roman and Medieval ruins made Nessebar a UNESCO heritage site. You will spend the night here, in the city.

Madara - Veliko Tarnovo

Day 7: An Old Capital: Veliko Tarnovo

The last city hosting you in Bulgaria is Veliko Tarnovo. You will spend 3 nights in the old capital of the Second Bulgarian kingdom.

On your way to Veliko Tarnovo, the guide will stop so you can visit another UNESCO heritage site in Bulgaria: the Madara Ride -- a relief dating back to the 7th century. You will have the afternoon free to explore Veliko Tarnovo on your own.

Veliko Tarnovo - Arbanassi

Day 8: UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi

Start your day with a guided walking tour of the old town in Veliko Tarnovo. You will discover the imposing Tsaravets fortress housing the royal and the patriarchal palaces, the Trapezitsa fortress, and Samovodska street, which is framed by local shops and handicraft workshops.

You will enjoy lunch with a view in one of the buildings on the cliff. In the afternoon your guide will take you to Arbanassi, an old village next to Veliko Tarnovo, also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Devetashka Cave - Lowetsch - Hotniski

Day 9: Nature Near Veliko Tarnovo

Bulgaria is known for its natural wonders, so you can dedicate this day to discover them. Your first stop will be near Lowetsch to visit the Devetashka Cave. You will be amazed by its gigantic interior and big holes in the ceiling.

After enjoying your lunch in a cozy restaurant in Lowetsch, you can visit the covered bridge so like the one in Florence. On the way back to Veliko Tarnovo you can also see the Hotniski waterfall. And if you are brave enough and not too tired, the route next to the river will take you to other small waterfalls. You will spend your last night in Bulgaria in your hotel in Veliko Tarnovo.

Basarabovo - Bucharest

Day 10: Monasteries Carved in Stone: Basarabovo and Ivanovo

Today, leave Bulgaria behind and set off to explore Romania. Before arriving in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, your guide will take you to see two churches carved in rock: Basarabovo and Ivanovo.

Ivanovo church is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so you cannot miss it! Use the evening to discover Bucharest on your own!

Bucharest

Day 11: Welcome to Bucharest, the Capital of Romania

Welcome to Romania! The first place you will discover here is the capital, Bucharest. A walking tour in the city center will take you to see historic highlights of this town: old inns, royal buildings, and ruins associated with Dracula.

In the afternoon, the Parliament palace, the second largest building in the world, will unveil its secrets. You will spend your night in Bucharest and the next day you will go to Transylvania.

Sibiu

Day 12: The Gateway to Transylvania: Sibiu

After a long ride from Bucharest on the Oltului gorge, you will arrive in one of the most beautiful towns in Transylvania: Sibiu.

In the afternoon, after you check in at your hotel, the guide will show you the city center and the medieval buildings that make Sibiu such a lovely place! Probably you will want to stay here longer, but Transylvania has other interesting places!

Corvin Castle - Turda Salt Mine - Cluj Napoca

Day 13: A Fairytale Castle and a World of Salt

The number 13 brings bad luck? Not on this tour! The 13th day covers two secret gems that will make you wonder: “Why did you take so long to come here?”

Corvin Castle, one of the most beautiful castles in Europe, will show you what a fairytale means. Turda salt mine, an underground fun park carved in salt, is an impressive natural wonder. In the evening you will arrive in Cluj Napoca.

Cluj Napoca

Day 14: Cluj Napoca, the Most Modern City in Tansylvania

Cluj Napoca, the biggest city in Transylvania, is also the most modern town in Romania. But the gourmet restaurants and funky pubs in the city center are housed within old buildings full of history.

Learn more about the important attractions and see what Cluj has to offer to its visitors. You will spend the night in a hotel close to the city center.

Barsana - Sapanta - Sighetu Marmatiei

Day 15: Ancient Maramures

After leaving the big city behind you will have the chance to get to know a more traditional part of Romania, a part that is preserved from ancient times.

In the evening you will arrive in Sighetu Marmatiei, but before that, your guide will stop so you can visit a UNESCO heritage site that is over 300 years old – Barsana monastery.

The other 7 monasteries in Maramures are UNESCO heritage sites, but they are spread all over the region.

Another place you will visit on this day is the Merry Cemetery, a cemetery like no other in the world, with funny messages and colorful crosses.

Gura Humor

Day 16: Traditional Villages on the Way to Bucovina

Another historical province in Romania waiting to be discovered is Bucovina. On the way to Bucovina, you will pass through some traditional villages in Maramures and you will stop to admire unspoiled nature and big wooden gates, a symbol of the place.

If you are lucky, you can even spot people in traditional costumes! In the evening you will arrive in Campulung Moldovenesc where you will stay for 2 nights.

Moldovita - Sucevita

Day 17: Painted Monasteries of Bucovina

Romanians are known to be a religious group, so a big part of their heritage are churches built hundreds of years ago. In Bucovina, you will visit three painted monasteries, UNESCO World Heritage sites, considered works of art. You will discover here colors found nowhere else in the world that still intrigue the scientist, making them wonder: "How were they obtained?”

Bicaz Gorge - Sighisoara

Day 18: Natural Gems of Romania

Colorful Bucovina will charm you, but it is time to see other gorgeous places in Romania. The long road to Sighisoara passes throughout high mountains and enchanted corners.

Your guide will stop in Bicazului gorge so you can admire what nature can create. You'll also make a stop at the Red lake. If you get here during the sunset, you will understand where its name comes from. You will end your day in Sighisoara in an old B&B.

Sighisoara - Brasov

Day 19: Medieval Times

Today is a medieval day. Start it with a delicious breakfast and after that go inside the citadel. The cobblestone streets, the 300-year-old houses, and the well-preserved towers of Sighisoara will show you why it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage sites list.

You can also enjoy your lunch here and in the afternoon, you will visit another medieval city, Brasov, that will also host you for that night.

Bran - Peles - Bucharest

Day 20: Famous Castles of Romania

Two amazing castles that made Romania famous are on the way from Brasov to Bucharest. The first one, Bran Castle, is considered to be the castle of a well-known vampire: Dracula.

The second one, Peles Castle, was the summer residence of the Romanian Royal family. You can visit both and stop for lunch in Sinaia, a beautiful mountain resort.

In the evening you will arrive in Bucharest where you can take a long walk in the city center.

Henri Coanda Airport

Day 21: Good-bye, Romania!

Your extended holiday in Bulgaria and Romania ends here. Twenty-one days are not enough to see all the attractions of these countries but are more than enough to get a comprehensive image of them. And you can always come back!