Transylvania and Bukovina by Bicycle — Self-Launched

Fly or bus into Sibiu (SBZ airport, or train from Bucharest/Brașov). Check into a central hostel or pension in the Lower Town. Spend the afternoon walking the Old Town yourself: the Large and Small Squares, the Bridge of Lies, the Lutheran Cathedral tower (small fee). Use the evening to pick up your rented bike from a local shop (Sibiu has several bike-hire/rental outfits — book ahead in summer) and test the gears. Eat a hearty ciorbă and papanași in a local crama.

🚌Airport bus or taxi from SBZ (~£2–5); trains from Bucharest ~6 hrs, £15–20

🛏Hostel or family pension in Sibiu Old Town (dorm £14–18, private twin £30–40)

• →Self-guided walk of Sibiu Old Town
• →Collect and fit rented bicycle
• →Lutheran Cathedral tower climb

First riding day — a gentle warm-up. Ride out of Sibiu on quiet lanes to Cisnădie, then push up to Cisnădioara and its hilltop Romanesque fortified church (entry a few lei, usually unlocked or caretaker on site). Continue through Rășinari, Poplaca and Gura Răului beneath the Cindrel Mountains, ~35–45 km of rolling asphalt and gravel. Stay in a village guesthouse or agroturism in Rășinari. Note: carry water — village shops close early on Sundays.

🚌Own bike; ~40 km riding day

🛏Village guesthouse/agroturism in Rășinari (£18–25)

• →Cycle Sibiu–Cisnădie–Cisnădioara
• →Visit Cisnădioara fortified church
• →Ride Rășinari–Poplaca–Gura Răului

A longer day (~55–65 km) following the Saxon fortified-church corridor east. Ride via Sibiel and Aciliu, then climb toward Biertan. The UNESCO-listed Biertan fortified church is the highlight — climb the tower and see the locking vestibule. Biertan is tiny, so pre-book a village guesthouse; there are only a handful of beds. Ask your host for the local Țuică and a home-cooked dinner.

🚌Own bike; optional shortcut by local minibus from Sibiel if legs are tired (~£2)

🛏Saxon village guesthouse in Biertan (£20–28)

• →Cycle ~60 km via Sibiel and Aciliu
• →Visit Biertan fortified church (UNESCO)

A loop day based in Biertan. Ride down to Richiș (Reichesdorf) and its fortified church — the local Evangelical community is tiny and the church is often opened by arrangement; ask at your guesthouse the night before. Continue to Mălâncrav, where the fortified church and the Apafi manor are worth an hour. Roll on to Mediaș for a coffee and the old town, then loop back to Biertan (~50–60 km).

🚌Own bike; ~55 km loop

🛏Saxon village guesthouse in Biertan (£20–28)

• →Cycle Biertan–Richiș–Mălâncrav–Mediaș
• →Visit Mălâncrav fortified church
• →Explore Mediaș old town

Big transfer day. Take a local minibus/bus from Biertan/Mediaș to Sighișoara (~1.5 hrs, £3–5) and spend the morning walking the citadel yourself (Clock Tower entry ~£4). Then push your bike on a bus toward Rupea/Bunești and ride the Via Transilvanica section up to Viscri — the Saxon village where Prince Charles bought a house — and its white fortified church (entry ~£3). Continue to Rupea, load the bike onto a bus to Brașov, then a short local bus to Bran. Stay in a guesthouse near the castle.

🚌Local bus Mediaș–Sighișoara £3–5; bus to Rupea/Bunești £2–3; bus Rupea–Brașov £3; local bus Brașov–Bran £2

🛏Guesthouse near Bran Castle (£20–30)

• →Sighișoara citadel and Clock Tower
• →Ride Via Transilvanica to Viscri
• →Viscri fortified church visit

Leave the bike at the guesthouse. Pre-book Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle) online via the official site or GetYourGuide for a timed slot (~£10–12) to avoid the queues. Take a local bus to Râșnov and walk up to the Peasant Fortress (~£3). Then bus into Brașov (£2) for a self-guided loop of the Black Church, Council Square and the Rope Street; the free walking-tour tip culture is also an option. If you have energy, the Tâmpa cable car gives the best viewpoint (~£4).

🚌Local buses Bran–Râșnov–Brașov ~£5 total

🛏Guesthouse near Bran Castle (£20–30)

• →Bran Castle timed entry
• →Râșnov Peasant Fortress
• →Self-guided Brașov old town walk
• →Tâmpa cable car (optional)

Ride from Bran via Zărnești and the Poiana Mărului valley — a genuinely beautiful forested climb on quiet roads, ~50 km to the Sercaia area. Keep your eyes open at dawn/dusk for bear warning signs, but do not leave the road or feed anything. From Sercaia, take a train or bus on to Sibiu (~£3–5) rather than riding the busy DN1. Evening back in Sibiu with a well-earned dinner in the Small Square.

🚌Own bike; train/bus Sercaia–Sibiu £3–5

🛏Hostel or pension in Sibiu (£16–25)

• →Cycle Bran–Zărnești–Poiana Mărului–Sercaia
• →Wildlife watching from the roadside only

Long travel day. Take an early bus or train from Sibiu toward Piatra Neamț / Bicaz (changing at Târgu Mureș or Cluj; total ~7–9 hrs, £15–22). If you can, break the journey to stop at the Bicaz Gorge (Cheile Bicazului) for a short walk on the marked trail near the Lacu Roșu end — easiest if you take a bus on the Bicaz–Gheorgheni road and hop off. Continue to Gura Humorului/Mănăstirea Humorului and check into a rural guesthouse. Book the whole leg the day before at the bus station.

🚌Intercity buses/train Sibiu–Piatra Neamț–Bicaz £15–22; local bus to Gura Humorului £3

🛏Rural guesthouse/pension in Mănăstirea Humorului (£16–24)

• →Scenic bus crossing of the Eastern Carpathians
• →Short walk at Bicaz Gorge

Easy first Bukovina riding day (~30 km). Cycle to Humor Monastery — its exterior frescoes are the oldest in Bukovina. Then ride through Gura Humorului to Voroneț, the famous 'Sistine Chapel of the East' with its Last Judgement fresco (entry ~£2–3 each; combined monastery tickets available locally). Back to the guesthouse for a home-cooked dinner of tochitură and mămăligă.

🚌Own bike; ~30 km

🛏Rural guesthouse in Mănăstirea Humorului (£16–24)

• →Humor Monastery visit
• →Cycle to Voroneț via Gura Humorului
• →Voroneț Monastery visit

A full riding day (~60–70 km) eastward. First a detour north to Cacica for the salt mine (guided underground tour, ~£5, bring a warm layer). Loop back south through Pleșa/Polish-influenced villages to Arbore Church, one of the smallest painted monasteries. Finish with a stop at the Marginea black-ceramics workshop to see the wheel-thrown black pottery. Sleep in Putna village, a short pedal from the great monastery.

🚌Own bike; ~65 km; short-cut option by local minibus £2–3

🛏Pension or monastery guesthouse near Putna (£15–22)

• →Cacica salt mine tour
• →Arbore Church visit
• →Marginea black pottery workshop

Ride south through forest to Sucevița Monastery — arguably the best-preserved of the painted monasteries, with its vibrant green Last Judgement. Continue over a ridge (~45–55 km total, some gravel) to Moldovița Monastery and its museum, which displays a Golden Apple award from UNESCO/Biennale recognition. Bed down at a village guesthouse in Vatra Moldovei. Note that Day 11 on the original tour is half-board only — plan dinner at your guesthouse or the one open restaurant in the village.

🚌Own bike; ~50 km

🛏Village guesthouse in Vatra Moldovei (£15–22)

• →Sucevița Monastery
• →Moldovița Monastery and museum

A relaxed loop on the fields and hills around Vatra Moldovei — quiet farm tracks, hay meadows, horse carts and shepherd huts (~30–40 km, mixed surface). No fixed itinerary: follow the small lanes toward Dragoșa or Sadova, stop for lunch with a village family if invited, and be back for dinner. This is the day the group tour spends recovering — use it the same way, or push further into the hills if you're feeling strong.

🚌Own bike; ~35 km

🛏Village guesthouse in Vatra Moldovei (£15–22)

• →Self-paced countryside cycle loop
• →Village lunch stop

Climb on forest roads toward the Rarău Massif for views of the Pietrele Doamnei rock towers (~45–55 km round trip with a stiff ascent; an e-bike or a taxi lift to the trailhead is a fair alternative). Abandon the bike at the trailhead and hike the last 40 minutes to the viewpoint. Afternoon back down for a slow evening — the guesthouse will happily do a barbecue if you ask in the morning.

🚌Own bike; optional shared taxi to trailhead ~£5

🛏Village guesthouse in Vatra Moldovei (£15–22)

• →Cycle climb toward Rarău Massif
• →Hike to Pietrele Doamnei viewpoint

Ride or take a local bus to Suceava (£2–3), leave the bike with a shop for return or box it for the train. Do a self-guided walk of the Princely Castle / Cetatea de Scaun and the Bucovina Village Museum (~£4 combined). Optionally attend a morning service at one of the monasteries before leaving — arrive respectfully and cover shoulders. Catch the overnight or late bus/train back toward Sibiu (or Cluj, from where connections run to Sibiu); ~£18–25. Have a farewell dinner wherever you land — a local restaurant in Sibiu or Cluj does the job nicely.

🚌Suceava–Sibiu/Cluj bus or train £18–25; local bus to Suceava £2–3

🛏Hostel or pension in Sibiu (£16–25) — or overnight sleeper/bus en route

• →Suceava Princely Castle self-guided visit
• →Bucovina Village Museum
• →Optional monastery morning service

Return the rental bike if you hired one locally (or check it onto your flight — Romanian carriers charge £30–60 per bike each way, so compare against hire). Breakfast, a final coffee in the Large Square, then the airport bus to SBZ. If you're flying from Bucharest or Cluj, the train takes 4–6 hrs — build in the connection time.

🚌Airport bus or taxi to SBZ £2–5

🛏None — departure day

• →Return rental bike
• →Last walk through Sibiu Old Town