9 Days in the Heart of Romania

It doesn’t get much better than this 9 day itinerary in the heart of Romania. A country of immense beauty, rich history, and layers of mystique. This land of many legends and lore for countless movies and books has an incredibly beautiful countryside that will leave you mesmerized. The Transylvania region in particular is the heart and soul of this fascinating country and is where we decided to spend our time exploring. This adventurous 9 day itinerary flows smoothly and will allow you to see and experience some of the best sightseeing Romania has to offer.

9 Day Itinerary in the heart of Romania

• Day 1 – Arrive in Bucharest. Explore city at night.
• Day 2 – Bucharest – Walking day tour of the city. Visit and stroll through Unirii square, the historical center, Stavropoleos church, Victory Avenue, and Revolution square. Explore area outside old town.
• Day 3 – Sibiu – Road trip time! Drive from Bucharest to Sibiu. Explore UNESCO World Heritage Medieval old town. Visit various towers, town squares, and historical structures.
• Day 4 – Alba Lulia and Corvin’s castle –
• Day 5 – Sighisoara –
• Days 6 & 7 – Brasov –
• Day 8 – Peles Castle –
• Day 9 – Bucharest –

Day One – Arrive in Bucharest

We flew from Houston to Bucharest, Romania via Turkish Airlines with a very short layover in Istanbul. Side note about this, if you’re flying from the US, there are currently no direct flights to Romania. Both flights were pleasant and IST airport is a super modern delight to experience. It’s well laid out and was a joy to walk around in. There’s even a couple of hotels inside (more on this on the return flight adventure) for those with long layovers.

Going through customs is where the real fun begins. There was no order or formal lines to stand in, we just squeezed in where we could and made the best of the tight situation. US citizens don’t need a visa to visit Romania and the officers didn’t even ask us any questions other than if we’re there for work or vacation. I made a dad joke about being there to look for Dracula and he didn’t laugh. He stamped our passports and we were on our way to get our car from the rental place. Easy peasy right? Of course it wasn’t that easy!

Car Rental in Romania

Make sure your rental agency is located inside the airport! Yes, it’s a little more expensive than off premise car rental companies but you will have peace of mind of knowing that there are lots of people and security around. I saved some money going with an off-brand company and it was located in a not so nice area of town. It was also close to 10 pm and it was manned by some guys that looked like goons in the latest John Wick movie. I could seriously write a whole post about that fiasco, no joke.

But in all seriousness, go with the big known brands and you’ll be fine. And rent a car you must! Romania is a pretty big country and there is so much to see and you want to be able to do it at your own pace. This itinerary that you are reading about could probably be done via tour companies but you’ll be at their mercy and on their schedule. The car gives you the freedom to stay longer at some places, cut short some visits, or add your own spots to experience. Plus you can start at whatever time you want and it’s cheaper too!

Where to stay in Bucharest – InterContinental Athenee Palace Bucharest

Now this is a great storied hotel that is perfectly located for seeing everything this historic city has to offer. Readers of my blog know that I’m all about InterContinental properties worldwide and the Athenee Palace Bucharest is no exception.

Bucharest – Night 1 – Explore the city at night.

You will more than likely land in the evening like we did and be tired from flying overnight with little real sleep the last 14 + hours of flying or so. Resist the urge to go to sleep after checking in. You didn’t fly out all this way just to punk out on night one! Get showered, dressed, and head out for the night. Walk to the old town of Bucharest. This is where you’ll find lots of bars and restaurants and where the action is concentrated.

Xclusive Pub

We had our first beers and grub at the Xclusive Grill and it was a good 1st choice. The servings/portions were definitely American size so bring an appetite and the prices were fantastic. Matter of fact, the exchange rate is 1 USD = 4.60 Romanian Leu so everything was pretty cheap! We ordered some mixed grill plates and some calamari which were huge compared to back in the US which serves tiny calamari. All was pretty tasty.

The outdoor dining area was packed and there were a couple of tables around us with people drinking these green pints of beer and we said, why not? The waiter brought us some cold ones and I was so excited to make my 1st twitter post with my 1st Romanian beer that I didn’t realize until posting that Toborg is in fact a Danish beer. Fail on my part, lol. It’s all good. It turned out it was a decent beer and that’s what we drank the rest of the dinner.

Nobis Bar

After our late dinner we went across the street to the Nobis Bar which had a DJ spinning and a lively atmosphere. It’s situated on a busy intersection that’s perfect for people watching if you just want to lounge outside and listen to the music. Inside was a mainly younger crowd and they were definitely living it up in there.

Between the big meal, beers, and lack of sleep for the last 20 hours, it all caught up to us. It was time to call it a night. We took a different route back to our hotel to take in some different scenery. As cool as this place looked at night (see pic slideshow further below), we couldn’t wait to see it in daylight.

Day 2 – Getting to know Bucharest

As always, anytime you are visiting a new major city, book a walking tour in advance. I always recommend either a Viator Bucharest walking tour or one with GuruWalk. We chose GuruWalk for this trip but like to alternate between the two. We couldn’t have asked for better weather to get our walk on. Clear blue skies and 70-degree temps would make for a perfect day. Plus, the pictures just have more pop with that kind of backdrop. We met our guide and our crew at a pretty park that was at the Unirii Square water fountains.

Our guide did a great job going through several hundred years of history from the times of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula), to the world wars, and the communism era which came to a violent end with the 1989 Revolution.
All fascinating stuff mixed in with funny story telling and beautiful stops along the route. See map, walking tour itinerary, and pic slideshow below.

• Unirii square
• Old town
• Manuc’s Inn
• Stavropoleos Church
• Victory Avenue
• National History Museum
• The National Bank of Romania
• Macca-Villacrosse Passage
• Military Club
• Royal Palace
• Revolution square

The walking tour is 2 hours and 45 minutes so wear comfortable shoes. It’s technically “free”, but don’t be a cheap bastard, these people do an excellent job of informing and entertaining. You can tip whatever amount you want at the end of tour (cash only). I think we paid $20 USD. You will definitely work up an appetite afterwards and will pass many spots to eat along the way, including street food!

Lunch time

I seriously wanted to double back to where the tour had started to get some grilled street food we had passed by earlier but was overruled by my wife who did not want to retrace the whole route back, lol. So we settled on an Italian restaurant that was around the corner from our hotel. We ate outdoors along the busy street where it’s located and I finally had my first authentic Romanian beer! The food was average I hate to say but our waitress was cool AF and the beer was on point so it was a wash, lol.

Afternoon exploring

Fueled up and with a buzz from the Bucur cervezas, it was time to walk it off and explore other parts of this wonderful capital. We had no real agenda or list, we just walked around different avenues and stopped at various points that caught our attention. The weather was absolutely perfect and we wanted to take full advantage of it. Back in the day this would be called just getting lost in a city but it’s impossible to claim that now with a smartphone in your pocket 😂. Here’s some pics of some of the things we seen.

Dinner at La Mama!

Did you really visit Romania if you didn’t eat what many consider the national dish, Sarmale (Cabbage Rolls stuffed with a mix of pork/beef/veal ground meat)!? We asked the concierge at our hotel to recommend an authentic Romanian restaurant and she said we must try La Mama which was a few blocks down. It was a great choice. This place had a perfect ambiance with both indoor and outdoor dining (we came here twice and tried both). The food was outstanding and mouthwatering, and it was night and day difference from what we had for lunch. I highly recommend this place. My wife ordered the Sarmale and I ordered a pork shank dish which I had first tried in Las Palmas, Spain earlier in the year.

We paired our fantastic dishes with really good Romanian wine to end the evening. Wish we would have kept track of our steps this day. Had to be a record for us as we were beat. It was close to 10 pm when we called it night. We setup an early wake up call and reviewed our plan for the road trip the next day.

Day 3 – Sibiu “The town with eyes 👀”

After an early breakfast and checkout, we jumped in our ride for the 4-hour drive to the World Heritage Site, town of Sibiu. The scenic route between Bucharest and Sibiu will tempt you to stop at several points and you will drive through the breathtaking protected area of Cozia National Park. Feel free to stop at as many points of interest and overlooks as you want. We had overcast skies the entire day so it wasn’t worth pulling over to take pictures. But we absolutely would have if we had better visibility.

Sibiu is a very well-preserved fortified medieval town that is a must see for any visit to Romania. Nicknamed The Town with Eyes (due to the partly open rooftops on its historical buildings), you do get an eerie feeling like you’re being watched when walking around the town center. Because our adventure happened in the offseason, we were able to get an early check in (Noonish, as opposed to 4 pm). This allowed us to park our car (use the TPark app), drop our bags off in our room, get a proper restroom break, and start exploring the city immediately.

Where to stay in Sibiu – In the Old Town

We stayed at the very simple and budget friendly ELISABETH HOME Piata Mare in the old town. Situated in the main square, you can walk to every tourist site from this location. Our room overlooked the square and had nice views. It’s a no frills property but it was clean, safe, and walking distance to everything one could need. There are several hostels and regular hotels to choose from in and around the town center. Try to stay in the vicinity. Once we got established it was time to explore.

Top things to see and experience in Sibiu

In no particular order, these are some sites that you need to see while you’re visiting.

• Big Square (Piata Mare)
• Orthodox Cathedral “Holy Trinity”
• Lutheran Evangelical Cathedral & Tower
• Small Square (Piața Mică)
• Bridge of Lies
• Strada Nicolae Bălcescu
• Turnul Dulgherilor

Big Square (Piata Mare)

Known as the big or great square, this historic center is where we started our exploration and where you should too. Lots of historical monuments and buildings and a perfect spot for resting and people watching. It’s quite lively during the day and pretty chill at night. There are also some good places to eat as well.

Orthodox Cathedral “Holy Trinity”

While nothing to write home about on the outside, this church is pretty dazzling on the inside. We were quite impressed with the level of detail the original architects put into this beautiful church. I’ll say it again, cathedrals, mosques, and other major religion’s places of worship are some of the most impressive buildings I’ve ever visited. See slideshow below.

Lutheran Evangelical Cathedral & Tower

This place has a ton of history and old-world charm and the views from the top of the tower are spectacular! Only downside is you can’t go outside at the top. You can only take pics through the windows. Make sure you go to all 4 corners to see different parts of the town from above. Oh, and there’s a bunch of steps to get to the viewing room so get ready to have leg day.

Small Square (Piața Mică) and The Bridge of Lies

The Bridge of Lies is literally right next to the Small Square so I’ll lump them in together. The creepy eyes are really pronounced on the buildings here. Several shops and places of interest in this area and the infamous Bridge of Lies is actually a pretty romantic spot with nice flowers around it. Lots of legends about this bridge with the most famous being that the bridge has ears and possesses an inconceivable power so that if you tell a lie while on it, the bridge will begin to groan and make ominous noises. The Maury Povich of bridges, lol.

Turnul Dulgherilor

If you’re a fan of history like my wife and I are, then you will be thrilled seeing these towers up close and personal. It doesn’t take long for your mind to take you back in time to imagine what it was like guarding the town during medieval times. This tower section looks like straight out of a movie. Very well preserved and it will delight history and old war and defense buffs. There are 7 major towers in the old town.

Strada Nicolae Bălcescu and the rest of the old town

The Strada Nicolae Bălcescu is a main street that runs through the old town that is lined on both sides with shops, restaurants, and various boutiques. We didn’t take a picture of it (not sure why not) but it’s as nice as the 2 squares we explored. Pro tip, they’ve got good ice cream spots here so you can get your sweet fix.

After a while, we put our map up and just walked wherever we felt like it. Walking hand in hand with my wife through some parts of this old town, it reminded us of the Texas Rennaissance Festival. Once we started losing daylight, we made our way back to the main square for dinner and drinks. It was a great day of exploring with a ton of steps logged 😂. We drank enough to get a proper buzz and then retired to our room for the night.

9 Days in the Heart of Romania – Part 1 Conclusion

I will be splitting this trip up into 3 posts. Hope to have part 2 out next weekend and then part 3 the week after that. Trying to catch up on my trips! Thanks for reading and appreciate your time! Cheers.