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BUDAPEST & TRANSYLVANIA EXPLORER TOUR

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A COMPREHENSIVE
EIGHT-DAY HUNGARY & ROMANIA PRIVATE TOUR
 
EXCLUSIVELY DESIGNED AND OFFERED BY COMPASS TRAVEL ROMANIA
 
Itinerary: Budapest City Tour  - Visegrad & Szentendre Day Trip - Overnight First-Class Sleeper to Romania - Sinaia & Peles Castle - Brasov - Sighisoara - Sibiel Home Hosted Lunch - Sibiu - Bucharest Tour

01
 
Day 1:
Arrival to Budapest, Hungary
Afternoon arrival to Ferihegy International Airport in Budapest. Meet and greet by your English speaking tour guide. Transfer to your hotel downtown the Hungarian capital. Check in. Time at leisure.
OPTIONAL: In the evening enjoy a Dinner while cruising the Danube.
T  Accommodation in Budapest at Hotel Cosmo City Center *** (or similar)
 
Day 2: 
Budapest Morning City Tour & Afternoon at leisure
Hot and cold buffet breakfast at hotel. This morning you begin your private tour of Hungary and Romania by exploring the stunning capital city of Budapest. The morning city tour will take you on the tree lined Andrassy Avenue to the magnificent Heroes' Square. The area around it is worth a stroll. Continue to the hustling and bustling Central Market (an Eiffel Company project), a show in itself and a great place for buying quality Hungarian souvenirs. Later, passing by the Parliament, cross the Danube into Buda and admire the former Royal Palace. The tour of the Castle Hill includes a view of the colorful Gothic Matthias Church (the church of royal weddings),  view of the Fishermen's Bastion, Middle Ages small streets and houses, Vienna gate and the northern bastions walk, St. Magdalena Church ruins and ending up to the Gellert Hill where there is the best view of Budapest. Return to your hotel. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. Suggested are visits to either one of: the Parliament, the Fine Arts Museum, the Hungarian National Museum, the House of Terror or stroll along Vaci Street - the main pedestrian drag and get into the atmosphere of the Hungarian capital. You may try a cake and coffee at Gerbeaud coffee shop or try one of the goulash specialties on Vaci Street. Dinner on your own.
B Accommodation in Budapest 
 
Day 3:   
Budapest - Aquincum Roman Ruins - Szentendre - Visegrad Citadel - Transfer to Keleti Train Station 
Hot buffet breakfast at hotel followed by check out. The so called Danube Bend is one of the most picturesque areas of the country and it also concentrates a number of attractions. Start your day with a visit to Aquincum Roman Ruins located in the northern part of the city. Continue to Szentendre - the most picturesque small town along the Hungarian stretch of the Danube and home to sculptors and painters. The town is a charming monument to the 18th century with its cobbled streets and unexpected alleyways and has a unique atmosphere. Stroll around, visit various workshops.  Afterwards drive north along the Danube to Central Europe's largest medieval castle keep which is Visegrad. With its two parts, such as the 13th century citadel perched on the hill and the 14th century royal palace at the bottom, Visegrad lived its golden age during the Renaissance King, Matthias who extended the entire structure. Visegrad is also the place where the famous Vlad the Impaler - Dracula was held prisoner by the same King Matthias in the second half of the 15th century. Return to Budapest in the afternoon. Transfer to the Keleti Railway Station for your comfortable overnight first-class sleeping car to Transylvania. The train leaves at 7:10 pm.
B  First class sleeping car (two bed compartment)
 
Day 4:  
Romania Tour: Sinaia & Peles Castle - Bran Castle - Brasov Walking Tour - Evening at Leisure
02Set your clocks one hour ahead. Arrive to Sinaia Station at 11:30 am. Meet and greet by the Romanian tour guide (to meet you at the train car). Named after St. Catherine Monastery on Mount Sinai, Sinaia became the unofficial capital of the Kingdom of Romania towards the end of the 19th century. Once the famous Orient Express use to regularly call here and it still does once a year on its way from Paris to Constantinople. Take an orientation tour of  Sinaia including a view of the Casino building inspired by the one in Monte Carlo and a stop to Sinaia Orthodox Monastery. Visit one of the most important tourist attractions of the country: Peles Castle, the former royal residence of King Charles I of Romania and known as one of the most beautiful summer royal residences in Europe. Later, journey north to the village of Bran. The attraction is the well known Bran Castle also known as Dracula Castle. The castle was built in 1377 to safeguard the trading route between Transylvania and Wallachia, enlarged and restored a few times since then. The connections between this place and Vlad the Impaler Dracula is still under debate, but the castle is definitely worth a visit. Enjoy cheese sampling in the village of Bran - know for its high quality cheeses. Drive to the nearby Brasov, formerly the leading town of the mighty Transylvanian Saxons, in time to see the Gothic Black Church with its precious collection of Anatolian prayer rugs. Brasov has one of the best preserved medieval quarter and fortifications. Continue to the old Romanian Quarter, Catherine's Gate old towers and the narrowest street in South - Central Europe. Hotel check in. The rest of the day is at leisure in the lovely predestrian area of Old Brasov with its many outdoor cafes. Dinner on your own.
Accommodation in Brasov at Hotel Bella Muzica ***
 
Day 5:    
Brasov - Harman Saxon Fortification -  Unique Saxon Trail Experience - Sighisoara Walking Tour & Evening at Leisure in the Upper Town
Hot and cold buffet breakfast at hotel.  Leave town for an exclusive visit to one of the typical Transylvanian fortified churches: Harman. Its uniqueness consists in the fact that it is the only structure with dwellings attached to the church. Later drive through the picturesque Transylvanian Plateau with its quaint villages and fortifications. Continue through the quaint villages and Saxon fortifications to discover the daily life, self-sufficiency and sustainbility and enjoy an exclusive tasting of organic Transylvanian ”like Grandma used to make” recipes. Next is Sighisoara, a World Heritage Site and the only still inhabited medieval citadel in Europe. It was developed by the German settlers as of late 12th century. It stands on a network of tunnels and catacombs and, according to one version of the myth; this is where the Pied Piper brought the children of Hamelin after their ungrateful parents refused to pay him his due. Walking tour includes the two squares of the Citadel (Upper Town), the Scholars' Staircase, the Ducklings' Square, the Tinsmiths' Tower, the House with Antler, the Tower with Clock (climb up for a great view), the Torture Chamber and the Weapon Museum. Visit the exquisite Spoonman Exhibition of Transylvanian Arts & Crafts. Sighisoara is the place where the famous Vlad the Impaler Dracula was born in 1431. The Birthplace is today a restaurant and one of the main tourist attractions. Hotel check in.
B Accommodation in the Upper Town of Sighisoara at The House with Antler ***
(Previously used by Prince Charles during his early travels to Transylvania)
 
Day 6: 
Sighisoara -  Biertan -  Gypsy Experience - Sibiu Walking Tour - Sibiel Home Hosted Dinner
Hot and cold buffet breakfast at hotel. Depart Sighisoara on the way to Biertan, a UNESCO World Heritage. As the former Seat of the Lutheran Bishops between 1516 and 1867, this place is proof of the important Heritage of the Transylvanian Saxons. Opportunity for a short walk in the village. Next is an exclsuively organized visit to a Gypsy Community, to viisit one of the homes and interact. Continue to Sibiu. The city was the European Capital of Culture in 2007. Visit local open air farmers' market. Hotel check in. In the afternoon enjoy a leisurely walking tour of old town Sibiu with the Great and Lesser Squares, merchant houses with their "sleepy eyes" dormers. One of the landmarks of Sibiu is the Bruckenthal Palace assembled by Baron Bruckenthal, Governor of Transylvania at the beginning of the 19th century. View the Evangelical Cathedral and the Passage of Stairs linking the Upper town to the Lower town, the 1859 Liar's Bridge and, time permitting the Byzantine style Orthodox Cathedral, a replica of St. Sophia in Constantinople. Drive to the village of Sibiel, known for its unique (and comprehensive) collection of icons-on-glass. Enjoy a home hosted lunch in local home in Sibiel, meant as a cultural interchange
B D Accommodation in Sibiu at Hotel MyContinental ***
 
Day 7
Sibiu -  Olt River Gorge - Cozia OR Roman Ruins at Arutela- Bucharest City Tour
03Hot buffet breakfast at hotel. Early morning departure. Leaving Transylvania, you'll drive on the scenic Olt River Valley and Gorge, one of the most beautiful in Romania. Brief stop at Cozia Monastery featuring on the best late 17th century Last Judgment fresco on the Western façade. Time permitting visit the Roman Ruins at Arutela. Arrive to Bucharest in time for a city tour. With a population of approximately 2.2 million, Bucharest is the largest city between Berlin and Athens. Known as "Little Paris" this city has an incredibly mixed architecture. Your tour will be including the Arch of Triumph, the great avenues, the Revolution Square, a view of the former private residence of the Ceausescus and a guided visit to the Palace of Parliament - the second largest building in the world. Hotel check in with the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Hotel check in with the remainder of the day at leisure in the city.
B Accommodation in Bucharest at Hotel Berthelot **** (centrally located)
 
Day 8: 
Bucharest Departure
Hot buffet breakfast at hotel (or boxed breakfast if your flight is early in the morning). Transfer to Coanda International Airport in Bucharest for your return flight.
 
 
 

Your Price Includes:
 
  • 6 nights at three and four star hotels (all centrally located)
  • 1 night first class sleeping car two-bed berth
  • fully insured sedan/minivan with climate control, for the entire distance
  • fuel & parking fees included
  • all sightseeing tours & cultural connections
  • three informal talks on: Ceausescu and His Times, Vlad Dracula: Truth and Fiction, the Gypsies and Their Journey (all by tour guide)
  • 7 meals: 6 breakfasts, 1 home hosted dinner
  • Tours Of Romania professional English speaking guides (driving)
  • guide's expenses
  • all transfers
  • porterage (except for customs areas)
  • VAT and local tax
  • detailed map of Romania.
You'll Visit 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
 
  • The town of Szentendre, Hungary
  • Andrassy Avenue
  • Historic Center of Sighisoara, Romania
  • Biertan Fortified Church
  • Harman Fortification (tentative list)
  • Historical Center of Sibiu

Not Included:
 
  • Other meals than stated
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Admission fees at sites, museums and museums
  • Credit card fee of 2.5%
  • Gratuities of any kind.