Romania Escorted Tours

Explore Romania

The Essence of Romania

Cut through by the Carpathian Mountains, criss-crossed by rivers, and hemmed by the Black Sea and Danube delta, Romania is home to a lively capital, lovely medieval towns, legendary castles, seven Saxon citadels, and countless cultural events.

Why choose a tour in Romania?

Romania is a country of remarkable contrasts, from busy cities and cultural hubs to bucolic villages and natural landscapes, from the boulevards of Bucharest to Byzantine ‘painted monasteries’ in Bucovina, and from fairy-tale castles to Dracula’s lair.

In the capital, Bucharest, the huge Palace of Parliament is second only to the Pentagon in the world’s largest government buildings; parks and lakes soften the cityscape, and architectural styles mix Belle Epoch with socialist structures and the lovely little churches hidden amongst them.

Smaller towns and cities include old-world Sibiu, with its with pastel-painted buildings and Bridge of Lies; Sighisoara, UNESCO listed as one of the best-preserved medieval towns; and Târgu Mures, the ‘city of roses’, with a Hungarian/Romanian cultural blend of churches, and monuments.

Cluj-Napoca is a vibrant, elegant and arty city, boasting the prestigious National Theatre; Sinaia is ‘The Pearl of the Carpathians’, its Peles Castle a confection of towers and spires; Bistrita hems its river with medieval merchant houses; and historic Brasov is known for its Saxon city walls.

Among the rural routes and villages are Malancrav, known as ‘the village where time stood still’; Biertan, the seat of Saxon bishops; the high Tihuta Pass, the factual road of Bram Stoker’s fictional ‘Borgo Pass’; and Bucovina’s ‘Sistine Chapel of the East’, the Voronet painted monastery.

The beautiful Bicaz Canyon is the gateway to Red Lake, studded with ancient, petrified trees; and the final miles of the medieval route from south to north takes travellers to the cobbled streets of Bran and its fortress, ‘Dracula’s Castle’, set atop a rocky cliff and steeped in myths and mystery.

Romania also marks the first miles of a fabulous Danube cruise, visiting the beautiful Mogosoaìa Palace, touring the pristine Biosphere Reserve of the Black Sea delta, and the monuments of metropolitan Bucharest. It continues upstream on the legendary river to Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, and Hungary, cruising past abbeys, palaces, and castles, and through the spectacular Iron Gate Gorge, and the sweeping curve of the Danube Bend.

And Jules Verne 'reveals' the Balkans, by teaming Romania with its Balkan neighbours on a road tour, which takes in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, straddling the Perlovska River with modern towers and medieval churches; and Serbia’s, Belgrade, its mix of monuments and eras ranging from a Middle Ages fortress to Tito’s tomb.

When to go on Romania holidays

With hot summers, cold winters, and generally temperate months in between, Romania’s climate varies from the warmest, around Bucharest in the south, to the cooler Transylvanian north, and colder and wetter altitudes of the Carpathian Mountains. In general, average temperatures across the country are a comfortably warm 20-22° in spring and autumn, and between 25 and 30° in June-August.

With departures from May to October, Jules Verne journeys are timed for the seasons best suited to the type and destinations of each tour.

Who are Romania tours suited to?

Those keen to discover the culture and history of the country will be enthralled with the wealth of art and architecture in Romania’s towns and cities; while naturalists are in their element following the flow of the Danube.

Choose the focus and tempo that meets your ideal, and you can be sure that, on Jules Verne’s small-group tours, you will be touring with like-minded travellers. We also offer ‘No Single Supplement’ dates for solo travellers on our Treasures of Transylvania tour.

Why book Romania tours with Jules Verne?

With 45 years’ experience and a passion for creating extraordinary adventures, Jules Verne takes you to iconic landmarks and lesser-known sites, with expert tour guides who share their local knowledge, and show you hidden gems. Memorable interludes on our tours in Romania include a visit to the 17^th-century hamlet of Arbanassi, now an open-air ‘museum reserve’ of cultural heritage; a journey through the country’s longest gorge, the 47km Olt Valley; and seeing the 40m-high sculpture of King Decebal’s Face, carved into the rock on the Danube’s bank.

All our guided tours to Romania are ABTA and ATOL protected, and we offer a 100% price guarantee, so you can book with complete confidence.