Self-Launched Maramures, Bucovina & Danube Delta: 5 Days from Bucharest

Start early at Bucharest Gara de Nord and take a train to Sinaia (roughly 1h30, ~£7-9 on CFR Călători, buy on cfrcalatori.ro or at the station). Walk or take a local bus up to Peles Castle — book your timed entry online in advance (closed Mondays; around £8-10), then peek at Sinaia Monastery next door (small donation). Continue by train to Brasov (~1h, ~£3-5), drop your bag at your guesthouse in the old town and wander Piata Sfatului, the Black Church exterior and the Rope Street — the narrowest street in Romania. In the late afternoon take an InterRegio train to Sighisoara (~2h30, ~£8-12). Stay inside the citadel walls if you can; the illuminated towers at dusk are the highlight. If you want the castle commentary the tour guide provides, a GetYourGuide Peles Castle day trip from Bucharest is around £45-55, but the train version is far cheaper.

🚌CFR trains Bucharest–Sinaia–Brasov–Sighisoara, ~£20-26 total; local buses/taxis for castle access ~£3

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Sighisoara Citadel (~£22-28)

• →Peles Castle self-guided visit (book timed ticket online)
• →Sinaia Monastery
• →Brasov Old Town walk: Piata Sfatului, Black Church, Rope Street
• →Sighisoara Citadel evening walk

A long travel day — be realistic and start at 07:00. Take a train or maxi-taxi from Sighisoara to Cluj-Napoca (~3h, ~£8-10), then a maxi-taxi or bus onward to Baia Mare and Sighetu Marmatiei (~4h, ~£9-12); check autogari.ro and local operators like Dacos or Normandia for schedules. Alternatively, the quicker option is a direct overnight-ish combination via Dej. From Sighet, local buses or a short taxi (~£4-6 each way) reach Barsana: see the wooden church and the UNESCO-listed Old Barsana monastery complex with its soaring wooden spires. Continue to Sapanta for the famous Merry Cemetery (entry ~£2), then the Peri wooden church nearby. Base yourself in Sighetu Marmatiei for the night and eat a hearty ciorba and mamaliga at a local restaurant (~£8-10). Accommodation here is simple but cheap.

🚌Train/maxi-taxi Sighisoara–Cluj ~£9; bus Cluj–Sighet ~£10; local buses/taxi to Barsana and Sapanta ~£10

🛏Pension or budget hotel in Sighetu Marmatiei (~£20-25)

• →Barsana wooden church
• →Old Barsana Monastery (UNESCO)
• →Merry Cemetery, Sapanta
• →Sapanta Peri wooden church

Head east by maxi-taxi or bus via Iacobeni/Campulung Moldovenesc to Gura Humorului (~3-4h, ~£8-10; services are limited so confirm times the night before, or ask your pension to help book). Drop bags and use local buses or a hired car with driver for the afternoon monastery circuit — Moldovita, Sucevita and Voronet are spread out and public transport between them is sparse. A half-day local driver is roughly £35-45 and splits well if you pair up with other travellers at your guesthouse; otherwise a GetYourGuide/Viator Bucovina painted monasteries day tour runs around £50-70. Entry to each monastery is about £2-3. Voronet's Last Judgement fresco on the blue background is the one not to miss; Sucevita is the largest and most fortified. Evening in Gura Humorului, dinner ~£9-12.

🚌Maxi-taxi/bus Sighet–Gura Humorului ~£9; local driver half-day shared ~£20 pp

🛏Guesthouse in Gura Humorului (~£22-28)

• →Moldovita Monastery
• →Sucevita Monastery
• →Voronet Monastery
• →Optional Humor Monastery if time allows

This is the tour's dead-mile day and the one to plan most carefully. Take an early bus or maxi-taxi from Gura Humorului to Suceava (~1h, ~£3), then the long train via Bacau to Tulcea (CFR changes at Bacau or Galati; ~7-8h total, ~£13-18). An alternative is an overnight train combination via Bucharest — slower but lets you sleep. Arrive in Tulcea in the evening, check into a guesthouse near the embankment and book your Delta boat for tomorrow morning directly with a local operator at the port or through your guesthouse (shared full-day boat ~£25-35 per person, or a group tour via GetYourGuide ~£40-55 including lunch). Eat fish soup (bors de peste) at one of the riverside restaurants, ~£10-14.

🚌Bus Gura Humorului–Suceava ~£3; train Suceava–Tulcea ~£15

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Tulcea (~£22-28)

• →Tulcea waterfront evening walk
• →Book Danube Delta boat trip for next day at the port

Be at Tulcea port by 08:00-08:30 for a full-day shared boat through the Delta's channels and lakes (UNESCO-listed biosphere reserve) — expect pelicans, herons, cormorants, reed beds and tiny fishing villages such as Sfantu Gheorghe or Mila 23 depending on your route. Most shared trips include a fish lunch; bring cash for extras and tips (~£5). Back in Tulcea by late afternoon, take a bus or train to Bucharest (~4-4h30, bus from Tulcea autogara is often faster and around £10-13; trains via Medgidia ~£10). You'll reach Gara de Nord or the coach station around 19:00-21:00, matching the tour's drop-off time. Note: entrance/boat fees and meals are not included in the operator's price either, so budget these separately.

🚌Shared Delta boat as part of activity; bus or train Tulcea–Bucharest ~£12

🛏Not included — onward travel or own Bucharest booking

• →Full-day boat tour of the Danube Delta channels (UNESCO)
• →Birdwatching and fishing village stops
• →Fish lunch in the Delta