Heart of the East: Self-Launched Romania & Moldova Adventure

Fly into Henri Coandă Airport (OTP) and take the 780 or 783 express bus to Piața Unirii (~£1.20, 45 min) or a taxi/ride-hail for ~£10-12. Check into a hostel in the Lipscani old town area. Spend the evening walking the city's free orientation loop yourself: Stavropoleos Monastery, the Palace of the Parliament (book a guided interior tour online in advance if you want in, ~£8), and the Communist-era Civic Centre. Eat at a local bistro serving ciorbă and mici (~£8-10).

🚌Airport express bus ~£1.20

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Lipscani/Universitate (dorm £15-20, private double £30-40)

• →Self-guided Lipscani old town walk
• →Stavropoleos Monastery
• →Palace of the Parliament exterior (interior tour optional ~£8)

Take an early train from Bucharest Gara de Nord to Sinaia (~1.5 hrs, £5-7). Stow your bag at the station left luggage, walk 20 minutes uphill to Peleș Castle and buy a ticket on arrival (Peleș ground floor ~£10; the smaller Pelișor is cheaper). After the castle and gardens, continue by train to Brașov (~1 hr, £3). Check into a guesthouse in the old town and do an evening loop of Piața Sfatului, the Black Church exterior and the rope street — Strada Sforii.

🚌Bucharest–Sinaia train £6; Sinaia–Brașov train £3

🛏Guesthouse or hostel just outside the medieval centre (private double £30-38, dorm £14-18)

• →Peleș Castle self-guided visit (~£10)
• →Pelișor Castle (optional)
• →Evening walk of Brașov old town

Catch bus 20 or a marshrutka/minibus from Brașov's Autogara 2 towards Bran (~45 min, £1.50-2.50 each way). Buy your Bran Castle ticket at the gate (~£10-11) and go early — it's crammed after 11am. The Dracula connection is largely marketing, but the castle itself and the Râșnov citadel nearby are worth the trip (bus onward to Râșnov, ~£1). Back in Brașov, spend the afternoon on the Black Church (entry ~£3), Catherine's Gate and the Schei district, then a beer in the old town square (~£2).

🚌Local bus/marshrutka to Bran ~£4 return

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Brașov (as above)

• →Bran Castle (~£10-11)
• →Râșnov Citadel (optional ~£3)
• →Black Church (~£3)
• →Catherine's Gate & Schei district

Take a train or bus from Brașov to Buzău (~2.5-3 hrs, £6-8) and check into a small pension in town. In the afternoon, take a local minibus or taxi toward Pâclele Mari/Pâclele Mici (~35 km, taxi return ~£18-22 split between two) to walk the bizarre mud volcano reserve (small entry fee ~£3). Bring water and closed shoes; there's little shade. Return to Buzău for dinner at a local crâșmă (~£8).

🚌Brașov–Buzău train/bus ~£7; local minibus/taxi to mud volcanoes ~£10 share

🛏Small pension/guesthouse in Buzău (private double £28-35, dorm £12-15)

• →Berca Mud Volcanoes reserve (~£3 entry)
• →Self-guided walk in the reserve

Travel by bus or train east to Tulcea (~3 hrs, £7-9), the gateway to the delta. From Tulcea's passenger port, take a public/scheduled boat or shared ferry to the village of Mila 23 (~2-3 hrs, £10-14 one way — book via your guesthouse or at the port). Mila 23 is only reachable by water, so arrange a family-run pensiune in advance. Settle in, then visit the Ivan Patzaichin community centre/museum in the village (~£2) and eat a home-cooked fish dinner with your hosts (~£10).

🚌Bus to Tulcea ~£8; boat Tulcea–Mila 23 ~£12

🛏Family-run pensiune (guesthouse) in Mila 23, full-board guesthouses common (£25-35 half board)

• →Ivan Patzaichin Community Innovation Center (~£2)
• →Village walk in Mila 23

Join a half- or full-day small-boat excursion through the delta's canals and reed beds — your guesthouse can arrange a licensed local boatman (~£25-35 per person for a full day, cheaper shared). Look out for pelicans, herons, egrets and the occasional wild boar swimming between islands. If the boat runs to Sulina on the Black Sea, take it — the town's beaches and lighthouse are a nice contrast. Back to Mila 23 for another home-cooked dinner.

🚌Local boat excursion included in activity cost

🛏Family-run pensiune in Mila 23 (as above)

• →Full-day delta boat excursion (~£30)
• →Sulina town and Black Sea beach (if boat route allows)
• →Birdwatching in the reed beds

Boat back to Tulcea in the morning (~£12), then bus or train to Bucharest (~3.5-4 hrs, £9-12). Check into a hostel in the old town, then spend the evening at a cheap Romanian restaurant or on the terrace bars of Lipscani. Buy your onward Chișinău transport ticket tonight — an overnight bus or a flight if you'd rather save the day.

🚌Boat £12; Tulcea–Bucharest bus/train ~£10

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Bucharest (dorm £15-20, double £32-40)

• →Free evening in Bucharest old town

Two options: an overnight/early coach from Bucharest's Autogara Filaret to Chișinău (~8-9 hrs including border, ~£18-25), or a direct flight (Wizz Air / FlyOne, ~1.5 hrs, £30-60 booked ahead). On arrival, take a trolleybus or ride-hail (~£2-3) into the centre. Do your own orientation loop: Piața Marii Adunări Naționale, the Cathedral Park and Stephen the Great monument, then dinner at a Moldovan restaurant serving plăcinte and zeamă (~£8-10).

🚌Coach Bucharest–Chișinău ~£20 (or flight £30-60); local trolleybus £0.30

🛏Budget hotel or hostel in central Chișinău (dorm £12-16, private double £28-35)

• →Self-guided central Chișinău walk
• →Cathedral Park and Stephen the Great monument

Join a free/pay-what-you-want walking tour of Chișinău (book via GetYourGuide or turn up at the tourist office, tip ~£5) covering the Parliament building, City Hall and St. Pantelimon Church. In the afternoon, book a Cricova Wine Cellar tour and tasting directly online or through your hostel (~£18-30 depending on tasting tier; transport from the city ~£5-8 by trolleybus/taxi). The underground labyrinth of streets of wine is genuinely unlike anything else. Free evening back in town.

🚌Local transport/taxi to Cricova ~£6

🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Chișinău (as above)

• →Chișinău walking tour (tip ~£5)
• →Cricova Winery tour and tasting (~£24)

Take a bus or marshrutka from Chișinău's central bus station north toward Rezina/Saharna (~2 hrs, £4-5). Visit Saharna Monastery and its waterfall, then walk up to the hilltop hermitage caves for the view. In Rezina village, book ahead with a small local cheese-making project (ask your guesthouse or the Rezina tourist info point) for a cheese, jam and wine lunch (~£10-12). Continue by bus/taxi to Butuceni village and settle into a rural eco-guesthouse.

🚌Chișinău–Saharna marshrutka ~£5; local taxi to Butuceni ~£6

🛏Small eco-guesthouse/agro-pension in Butuceni (£28-38 with breakfast)

• →Saharna Monastery and waterfall
• →Hilltop hermitage caves walk
• →Local cheese project lunch (~£11)

Hike from Butuceni along the Răut river gorge to Orheiul Vechi (~2-3 hrs round trip, easy-moderate), visiting the cliff monastery of Mănăstirea Peștera, the ruins of the medieval city and the bell tower for the classic panoramic view (~£2 entry). In the afternoon, arrange a cooking class with an agro-pension in neighbouring Trebujeni (~£18-22, book ahead by phone or through your guesthouse) — expect sarmale, plăcinte and a lot of house wine. Stroll back to Butuceni through the village and rest up.

🚌Walking; optional local taxi £4

🛏Eco-guesthouse/agro-pension in Butuceni (as above)

• →Orheiul Vechi hike (~£2 entry)
• →Cave monastery visit
• →Moldovan cooking class in Trebujeni (~£20)

Travel south by bus from Chișinău (or from Orhei with a change) to Comrat, capital of the Gagauz autonomous region (~2-3 hrs, £5-6). Visit the National Gagauz History and Ethnographic Museum in Beșalma/Comrat (~£2-3, call ahead for the interactive wedding-traditions presentation) and take a winery tour and tasting at a Comrat producer such as Vinuri de Comrat (~£8-12). Finish at the Gagauz Sofrasi cultural and culinary complex near Congaz for a traditional feast with wine (~£15-20, reserve in advance). Overnight in Comrat or Congaz.

🚌Bus Chișinău/Orhei–Comrat ~£6; local taxis £5

🛏Guesthouse or small hotel in Comrat/Congaz (£22-30)

• →Gagauz History & Ethnographic Museum (~£3)
• →Comrat winery tour and tasting (~£10)
• →Gagauz Sofrasi feast (~£18)

Return to Chișinău by marshrutka (~2 hrs, £5). Spend the afternoon at Piața Centrală market (cheese, honey, smoked meats, cheap souvenirs), then optionally the National Museum of History of Moldova (~£3). If you have energy, a second wine stop — Mileștii Mici, holder of the world's largest wine collection — can be reached by taxi (~£15 return, tour ~£20) if booked ahead.

🚌Comrat–Chișinău bus ~£5; city transport £1; optional taxi to Mileștii Mici £7 share

🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Chișinău (dorm £12-16, double £28-35)

• →Piața Centrală market
• →National Museum of History (~£3)
• →Mileștii Mici winery (optional ~£20)

Last morning for a slow breakfast and a wander through the Cathedral Park or the Green Market. Take trolleybus 30 to the airport (~£1) or a taxi/ride-hail (~£6-8) for your onward flight. If you're flying out of Bucharest instead, overnight coach back (~£20) is the budget option.

🚌Trolleybus to airport £1 (or taxi £7)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Cathedral Park morning walk
• →Green Market souvenir stop