Highlights of Romania: Self-Launched from Cluj-Napoca to Bucharest

Fly into Cluj-Napoca International Airport (many direct connections from London Luton, Stansted, and other European hubs via Wizz Air or Ryanair). Check into your hostel or budget hotel in the city centre and spend the evening exploring the vibrant Old Town. Grab a traditional Romanian dinner at a local restaurant on Piața Unirii — try mămăligă (polenta) and sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls) for around £6-10. The city's Austro-Hungarian architecture and buzzing café scene make for a great first night.

🚌Fly into Cluj-Napoca (Avram Iancu Airport). Budget flights from UK typically £30-80 one-way. Airport bus to centre ~£0.50.

🛏Retro Hostel Cluj or Lol & Lea Hostel — budget dorms from £12/night, private rooms from £30/night

• →Stroll Piața Unirii and admire St. Michael's Church
• →Explore the Old Town streets and local bars
• →Traditional Romanian dinner at a local restaurant

Take an early morning bus or shared minibus (maxi-taxi) from Cluj-Napoca towards Baia Mare, then continue towards the village of Breb or Botiza in the Maramures region (total journey ~3-4 hours, ~£8-12). En route, stop in Breb to wander the village and admire the intricately carved wooden gates. In the afternoon, visit Desești Wooden Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site still used for active religious services. Settle into a local guesthouse in Botiza for an authentic rural Romanian experience — many offer home-cooked dinners.

🚌Bus/maxi-taxi from Cluj-Napoca to Baia Mare (~£6), then local minibus toward Botiza (~£4). Alternatively hire a private driver for the day via local Facebook groups or guesthouse recommendations (~£40-50 shared between travellers).

🛏Casa Iurca de Calinesti or a local guesthouse (pensiune) in Botiza — from £18-25/night including breakfast

• →Visit the village of Breb and its carved wooden gates
• →Visit UNESCO-listed Desești Wooden Church
• →Weaving demonstration at a local guesthouse in Botiza
• →Home-cooked dinner at your guesthouse

Spend the day exploring the highlights of Maramures. Start at the famous Merry Cemetery in Săpânța (entry ~£2), where over 800 colourfully painted wooden crosses tell the life stories of locals in witty verse. Continue to Sighetu Marmației to visit the Memorial Museum of the Victims of Communism and the Resistance (Memorialul Victimelor Comunismului), housed in a former political prison (entry ~£3). In the afternoon, visit the stunning Barsana Monastery, one of the tallest wooden structures in the world and a masterpiece of Maramures craftsmanship (free entry). Return to your guesthouse in Botiza for dinner.

🚌Hire a local driver for the day or join a day-tour from your guesthouse (~£15-25pp). Alternatively use local buses, though connections are infrequent — a local driver is the most practical option here.

🛏Same guesthouse in Botiza as previous night

• →Visit the Merry Cemetery in Săpânța (entry ~£2)
• →Explore the Memorial Museum of the Victims of Communism in Sighetu Marmației (entry ~£3)
• →Visit Barsana Monastery (free entry)

Leave Maramures and travel south toward Transylvania. The journey from Botiza/Baia Mare to Sighișoara by bus and train takes around 4-5 hours — take a local bus to Baia Mare, then a train toward Cluj or Sighișoara via Dej (~£10-15 total). En route, stop in the Transylvania wine region for a tasting at a local winery (book in advance via local tourism offices or GetYourGuide, ~£10-15). Arrive in Sighișoara — a perfectly preserved UNESCO-listed medieval citadel — in the afternoon. Wander the cobbled streets, climb the Clock Tower (entry ~£3), and explore the Tailor's Tower. Dinner in the citadel's atmospheric restaurants.

🚌Local bus from Botiza to Baia Mare (~£3), then train Baia Mare to Sighișoara via Dej/Cluj (~£10-12). Journey ~5 hours total.

🛏Burg Hostel Sighișoara (inside the citadel walls) or Pensiune La Poarta — from £15-30/night

• →Wine tasting at a Transylvanian winery en route (~£10-15)
• →Explore Sighișoara's UNESCO-listed medieval citadel
• →Climb the Clock Tower for panoramic views (entry ~£3)
• →Visit the Tailor's Tower and wander cobbled streets

Take a bus or hire a local day-taxi to explore the fortified Saxon churches of the Transylvanian countryside. Drive through UNESCO-listed Biertan village, with its remarkable double-walled fortified church (entry ~£2). Enjoy a simple lunch at a local family home or rural restaurant. In the afternoon, arrive in Sibiu — one of Romania's most beautiful cities and European Capital of Culture 2007. Explore the Great Square (Piața Mare), the Council Tower, and the famous 'eyes' of Sibiu (dormer windows on old rooftops). Dinner in the city's excellent restaurant scene.

🚌Bus from Sighișoara to Sibiu (~£4, ~1.5 hours). For Biertan detour, take a local bus or shared taxi (~£5-8 return). Alternatively, book a driver for the full day (~£30-40 shared).

🛏Felinarul Hostel Sibiu or Am Ring Hotel — budget rooms from £20-35/night

• →Visit UNESCO-listed Biertan fortified church (entry ~£2)
• →Explore Biertan village's Saxon architecture
• →Wander Sibiu's Piața Mare and historic centre
• →Climb the Council Tower for views over Sibiu (~£1.50)

Head out from Sibiu toward the Făgăraș Mountains foothills. Visit the ruins of the Cistercian monastery at Cârța (free entry), an atmospheric medieval ruin along the Olt River. Continue to the village of Lisa to see the Vâltori hydraulic wool-processing workshop — a living example of generations-old craft (small donation or entry fee ~£1-2). Enjoy a simple lunch with a local family (arrange in advance through your guesthouse or local tourism board, ~£8-12). In the late afternoon, arrive in Viscri — a remote, beautifully preserved Saxon village. Visit the fortified church restored with support from King Charles III's foundation (entry ~£3) and explore the King's traditional house museum.

🚌Bus or shared taxi from Sibiu toward Rupea (~£5), then local transport or arranged pickup to Viscri (~£5-8). The village is remote — pre-arrange transfers with your guesthouse.

🛏Local guesthouse in Viscri — Casa Elisabeta or similar, from £20-28/night including breakfast

• →Visit Cârța Cistercian monastery ruins (free)
• →See the hydraulic wool-processing Vâltori workshop in Lisa
• →Lunch with a local family (~£8-12, arrange in advance)
• →Visit Viscri fortified church (entry ~£3)
• →Explore King Charles III's traditional house museum in Viscri

Start the morning with a peaceful walk through Viscri village, calling in at the local blacksmith's workshop. After breakfast, make your way to Brașov — one of Transylvania's most striking cities, founded in 1211 by Teutonic Knights. Spend the afternoon exploring the Gothic Black Church (entry ~£3), the White and Black Towers, the Council Square, and the first Romanian school. The old city walls and colourful Saxon houses are a delight to explore on foot. In the evening, head to the small village of Măgura (30 mins from Brașov) for dinner and an overnight stay at a rural guesthouse.

🚌Local bus or shared taxi from Viscri to Brașov (~£8-12, ~1.5 hours). Bus to Măgura village from Brașov (~£2-3).

🛏Guesthouse in Măgura village (e.g. Pensiunea Măgura) or budget hotel in Brașov — from £22-35/night

• →Morning stroll through Viscri and visit to the blacksmith
• →Explore Brașov's Old Town and Council Square
• →Visit the Gothic Black Church (entry ~£3)
• →Walk the city walls and visit the White Tower

Today visit Bran Castle — the famous 'Dracula's Castle' — a dramatic fortress perched on a rocky bluff, once home to Queen Marie of Romania (entry ~£10). Explore the castle's atmospheric rooms and turrets. Enjoy a traditional lunch in the village below, or at a fortified church courtyard restaurant (~£8-12). In the afternoon, visit the impressive medieval Râșnov Fortress (entry ~£4), with panoramic views over the surrounding Carpathian foothills. Optional evening activity: book a bear watching experience in designated bear hides with specialist guides (book in advance via local operators, ~£30-50pp). Return to Măgura for dinner and a potential campfire at the guesthouse.

🚌Bus from Brașov/Măgura to Bran (~£1.50). Local bus onward to Râșnov (~£1.50). Return to Măgura by bus/taxi.

🛏Same guesthouse in Măgura as previous night

• →Visit Bran Castle / Dracula's Castle (entry ~£10)
• →Lunch with traditional dishes at a local restaurant
• →Visit Râșnov Fortress (entry ~£4)
• →Optional: Bear watching with specialist guides (~£30-50, book in advance)
• →Evening campfire at guesthouse (weather permitting)

Make your way from Brașov toward Bucharest, stopping en route at Peleș Castle in Sinaia — one of Europe's most beautiful royal residences, a fairytale Neo-Renaissance palace set against the Carpathian Mountains (entry ~£8-12; book timed entry tickets in advance online). Explore the ornate interior or wander the gorgeous grounds. Then continue by train to Bucharest (Sinaia to Bucharest Gară de Nord, ~1.5 hours, ~£5). On arrival, drive or walk past the enormous Palace of Parliament — the world's second-largest administrative building. Check into your Bucharest hotel and spend the evening exploring the Old Town (Centrul Vechi) for dinner.

🚌Train from Brașov to Sinaia (~£3, 45 mins). Train Sinaia to Bucharest Gară de Nord (~£5, 1.5 hours). Metro or taxi to city centre (~£2-4).

🛏Pura Vida Sky Bar & Hostel or Hotel Cișmigiu — budget options from £18-40/night

• →Visit Peleș Castle in Sinaia (entry ~£8-12)
• →Scenic train journey through the Carpathians to Bucharest
• →View the Palace of Parliament exterior
• →Explore Bucharest's Old Town (Centrul Vechi) for dinner

Enjoy a final breakfast in Bucharest before heading home or extending your trip. If you have time before your flight, explore the city further — visit the Village Museum (Muzeul Satului, entry ~£4) in Herăstrău Park for an open-air collection of traditional Romanian architecture, or stroll through the grand boulevards of the city centre. Bucharest's mix of Belle Époque grandeur, communist-era brutalism, and buzzing modern cafés makes it worth an extra night or two if your schedule allows. The Henri Coandă International Airport is well connected; allow 45 minutes from the city centre by express train or taxi.

🚌Express train from Gară de Nord to airport (~£4) or taxi (~£12-15).

🛏Check-out — depart or extend your stay

• →Optional: Visit the Village Museum in Herăstrău Park (~£4)
• →Stroll Calea Victoriei and the grand boulevards
• →Final coffee and pastry at a Bucharest café
• →Transfer to Henri Coandă Airport