Cozia Monastery Tickets and Tours

Transylvanian week

A Side of Romania We'd Never Find on Our Own

For anyone hesitant to book a fully guided tour: just do it. This was one of our favorite trips, and Gelu is the reason we got so much out of it. We wanted to see rural areas like Maramureș and Transylvania beyond the typical tourist attractions. My husband convinced me to hire a guide and I cannot believe how much it changed the experience. As a former journalist, Gelu has contacts and friends in every corner of the country. Because of that, we experienced a side of Romania we could never have found on our own. We ate meals in family kitchens, drank palincă with locals, and had genuine conversations about their lives today and during communism. It was refreshing to spend days at a time without encountering another American, or even a native English speaker. We really wanted to see the place where the Ceaușescus were tried and executed, but it was closed the only day we could go. Gelu made a phone call, and two women opened the museum just for us! Gelu was incredibly flexible and tailored the trip to our interests and energy level as he got to know us. One day I was sick and Gelu consulted his pharmacist daughter, then showed up at our hotel room with medicine and instructions. He then spoke with the owner of the inn who let us stay in the room as long as I needed past checkout time. My husband and I are in our early 40s and travel internationally a few times a year, normally planning everything ourselves. We love the freedom and spontaneity of independent travel and I worried a fully guided trip would feel too structured, but it didn't. Instead, it made the trip. I encourage everyone to visit before tourism changes some of the places and traditions that make this country special. There is so much more of Romania we want to explore, and we plan to return. Next time, I'll give Gelu the dates and leave the rest up to him.

4-Day Private Tour from Bucharest to Transylvania

Transylvania experience

Great experience, a great way to get to know this beautiful and very industrious area. Not only Dracula’s castle but much more.

Private Tour: 4-day Transylvania Famous Landmarks

Great Trip

Awesome trip, great sites to see, and my guide Pavel was great!