Bucharest – Curtea de Arges Monastery – Sibiu
Today we will transfer towards the city of Sibiu, where we enjoy a guided tour of the city,
Along the way we visit Curtea de Arges, the monastery where several Wallachian voivodes are buried, along with all the Romanian kings. The monument, built in XVI century, is the symbol of the sad legend of Manole, the artisan. It is said that he built his pregnant wife into the building foundation, to complete it. Then he himself was killed by the projects sleeping partner, the voivode Neagoe Basarab. The deep meaning of the legend is that any creation requires sacrifices.
Arriving in Sibiu, we enjoy the guided tour, including the city Highlights: Craftsmen’s Square, Huet Square and Evangelical Church, Bridge of Lies, Goldsmith Square, Great Square, Orthodox Cathedral, Roman Catholic Church, City Hall Tower. Sibiu was the largest and wealthiest of the seven walled citadels* built in the 12th century by German settlers known as Transylvanian Saxons. The city is divided in two sections, the Upper town, home to most of Sibiu’s historic sights, and the Lower town, lined with colorful houses on cobblestone streets and bounded by imposing city walls and defense towers overlooking the river Cibin. Traditional dinner in Sibiu and overnight.

Sibiu – Sighisoara – Brasov
This morning we visit Sighisoara, an old town whose origin goes back to the Roman times
Sighisoara is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved medieval towns in Europe.
Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this perfectly intact 16th century gem with nine towers, cobbled streets, burgher houses and ornate churches rivals the historic streets of Old Prague or Vienna.
During the city tour of Sighisoara we will see the Church on the Hill with its 500-year-old frescoes, the 13th century Venetian House and the Church of the Dominican Monastery, the 14th century Clock Tower and the Sighisoara’s citadel built in the 12th century.
An interesting visit is also The Vlad Dracul House, located in the Citadel Square, close to the Clock Tower. This ocher-colored house is the place where Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s famous Dracula, was born in 1431 and lived with his father, Vlad Dracul.
Leaving Sighisoara, we drive further to Brasov, one of the most visited places in Romania.
We stroll around the old Town Hall Square where we admire colorfully painted and ornately trimmed baroque structures. Visit the Black Church, the largest gothic church in Romania. Its interior is impressive and well-kept, and it houses one of the largest organs in Eastern Europe. We will walk in one of the narrowest streets in Europe – The Rope Street, which is approximately 120 cm (4 feet) wide;
Dinner and overnight in Brasov.

Brasov – Bran Castle – Peles Castle – Sinaia – Bucharest
This morning we visit Bran Castle, one of the most important touristic attraction in Romania, due to its links with the legend of Dracula. The landscape in this area is a harmonious mixture of different landforms. high mountains, plateaus, the curvy shapes carved by the rivers along their banks and the valleys that cross the land. The castle was built between 1377 and 1388. We will visit the castle and pass through its narrow winding stairways that lead through some 60 timbered rooms, many connected by underground passages, which house collections of furniture, weapons and armor dating from the 14th to the 19th centuries. The castle overlooks the picturesque village of Bran, which offers an open-air Ethnographic Museum consisting of old local-style village houses complete with furniture, household objects and costumes.
Later on, we reach another castle, the Peles Castle located in Sinaia. Peles Castle is a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance architecture, considered by many one of the most stunning castles in Europe. Its 160 rooms are adorned with the finest examples of European art, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows and Cordoba leather-covered walls. Until 1947 it was a summer residence for the royal family. Peles Castle was the first European castle to have electricity, it even has its own power plant. It has 160 rooms and each room is decorated in a different style or theme.
There is a Concert Hall, Music Room (India), Turkish Salon, Great Salon (Italy),Council Room (Switzerland), Moor Hall, and so much more. The Royal Library has a secret door and the castle’s 60-seat Theater, with royal box, showed the first movie projection in Romania in 1906. After the visits we stop in Sinaia, a picturesque mountain resort in Prahova River valley.
In the afternoon we reach Bucharest, for our last overnight in Romania.

Bucharest – Arbanasi – Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria)
Today we leave Romania, and transfer towards another interesting destination, Bulgaria.
Along the way we stop in Arbanasi, a small village in north central Bulgaria popular with tourists because of its well-preserved historical buildings and close proximity to Veliko Tarnovo, the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire.
The village was founded by Christians in the 15th century, and became the property of Roustem pasha, the Grand Vizir to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, in the mid-16th century. Many of the old buildings still have an Ottoman decor and design.
In Arbanasi we visit The Nativity Church, built in the 15th century. The church has beautiful frescoes inside
Later we reach Veliko Tarnovo, One of Bulgaria’s oldest towns. Veliko Tarnovo is the medieval capital of Bulgaria, with more than 7000 years of history. The houses, stacked one above the other, situated on the steep hills of the town, show a remarkable and unique architectural style. Guided tour of the city, dinner and overnight

Veliko Tarnovo – Kazanlak Thracian tomb *UNESCO – Plovdiv
This morning we transfer to Plovdiv, Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city, and the second biggest city in Bulgaria
Along the way we visit the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak *UNESCO. Discovered in 1944, this tomb dates from the Hellenistic period, around the end of the 4th century BC. It is a unique aesthetic and artistic work, a masterpiece of the Thracian creative spirit. This monument is the only one of its kind anywhere in the world. The exceptionally well preserved frescos and the original condition of the structure reveal the remarkable evolution and high level of culture and pictorial art in Hellenistic Thrace.
City tour of Plovdiv, where we will visit its most important sites, such as the Roman Stadium located in the heart of the city; the Ancient Theatre – one of the best preserved in the World; Roman mosaics in the Small Basilica and the Old Town of Plovdiv with its splendid Bulgarian Revival-style wooden-frame houses dating back to 18th and 19th century,
Dinner and overnight in Plovdiv.

Plovdiv – Rila Monastery – Sofia
This morning we drive to the Rila Monastery – the biggest and most important symbol of Bulgarian Orthodox church. The Monastery has been founded in the 10-th century and rebuilt in 13-th and 14-th centuries. It is one of Europe’s oldest and included in UNESCO’S list in 1983. Behind the 20 meters walls lie impressive monastery buildings, a church and a chapel with valuable murals.
In the afternoon, city tour of Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. The tour will include the most important sites of Sofia, such as Alexander Nevski Cathedral, which the biggest one in Bulgaria, the Holy Synod, St. Sophia Church, National Gallery for Foreign Art, National Library, National Palace of Culture, Borisova Garden, Eagle’s Bridge, Council of Ministers, Banya Bashi Mosque, St. Nedelya – an old metropolitan church, and the National Assembly Square.
Dinner and overnight in Sofia.

Sofia Airport
Breakfast at the hotel. Free time in Sofia until airport transfer for the return flight.