Halloween in Transylvania (Northbound)

Intrepid Travel · 8 days

4.5

6 Reviews

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Duration

8 days

Tour Type

Small Group

Accommodations

Moderate

Physical Rating

Light

Guide Language

English

Experience Overview

Even without its bloodcurdling myths of Dracula, werewolves, haunted castles and curses, Romania is the perfect atmospheric place to spend an eight-day trip in October.

Highlights

Visit the 12th-century town of Sighisoara – the birthplace of Count Dracula (allegedly). Things are about to get medi-evil.
Break out your scariest costumes for a spooky Halloween party, where haunted tunes will echo through cobweb-covered corridors and lanterns will light up the foggy night.
Protect yourself against devils and demons with a visit to the Turda Salt Mines – a fascinating museum and underground amusement park showcasing the history of salt in the region.
Take a daytrip to the spooky Hoia Forest, known for ghost stories, UFO sightings, strange trees and questionable photos showing things unseen to the naked eye. You’ll meet with a local guide for a 4-hour hike packed with legends.
See the traditional Saxon village of Viscri for some traditional Romanian hospitality and some finger-licking home-cooked food.

Trip Details

Duration

8 days

Transportation

Train,Private vehicle,Taxi

Tour Type

Small Group

Guide Language

English

Starts

Bucharest, Romania

Finishes

Cluj Napoca , Romania

Accommodations

Moderate

Travel Style

Festivals and Events

Physical Rating

Light

Itinerary

Day 1: Bucharest

Buna Ziua! Welcome to Bucharest. Often called the 'Little Paris of the Balkans', Romania's capital is known for its Belle Epoch architecture, thumping nightlife and communist sites. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, you might like to get a head start and explore the city by night. After the meeting, why not head out for a group dinner to get your first sample of Romania's unique cuisine.

Included Activities:

Transylvania - Halloween Party

Optional Activities:

Bucharest - Bike Tour (25 EUR)
Bucharest - Palace of Parliament Tour (60 RON)
Bucharest - Village Museum (30 RON)
Bucharest - Former Ceausescu Residence (65 RON)
Bucharest - Romanian Athenaeum (10 RON)

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 2: Bucharest / Brasov

This morning, meet your local guide for a private tour of Bucharest. After taking in the recently restored Old Town, you’ll visit some of the more significant sites of the revolution of 1989, which culminated in the ousting and execution of communist leader Ceausescu, and the end of Romania's 42-year communist rule. Visit the huge Piata Unirii – one of Europe's largest squares – and the Ceausima – Bucharest's 12-storey Palace of Parliament. The palace is the second largest building in the world, after the Pentagon. The former dictator ordered the construction of this monster, a building of staggering scale and opulence that includes 1100 rooms and 4500 chandeliers. In the afternoon, travel by train to the 13th-century Saxon city of Brasov. Also known by its German name of Kronstadt, this town flanked by mountains and city walls was once a major medieval trading centre.

Included Activities:

Bucharest - Walking Tour with Local Guide

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 3: Bran Castle / Brasov

No trip to Romania would be complete without a visit to the famous Bran Castle. The castle was built by the Saxons in 1382 to defend the Bran pass against the invading Turks. With its fairy-tale turrets and whitewashed walls, it's far from menacing and spooky, but is undeniably impressive, sitting on a high cliff top and surrounded by pine trees. After, return to Brasov for a guided walk around town, checking out the ornate churches, townhouses, old city walls and squares surrounded by gingerbread-roofed merchants' houses. Visit Brasov's main attraction – the gothic Black Church (Biserica Neagra), which took its name from its blackened appearance after a fire in 1689.

Included Activities:

Bran Castle - Tour
Brasov - Walking Tour with Local Guide

Optional Activities:

Brasov - The Black Church (20 RON)
Brasov - Cable Car to Mt Tampa (50 RON)

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 4: Viscri / Sighisoara

This morning, you’ll travel by private vehicle to Viscri – this small Transylvanian village was originally inhabited by Saxons from the Luxembourg area, and the whole scene is picture-postcard rural. This idyllic village of red tiled roofs is a UNESCO World Heritage site, virtually unchanged for 900 years. You’ll visit the town's fortified church (thought to be the oldest in Transylvania). After a home cooked lunch at the house of a local family, continue to the 12th century town of Sighisoara, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site for its well-preserved medieval Old Town. After a quick orientation walk, you have all afternoon free to explore the city.

Included Activities:

Viscri - Fortified Church
Viscri - Local Home Cooked Lunch

Optional Activities:

Sighisoara - Covered Stairway - Free
Sighisoara - Church of the Dominican Monastery (10 RON)
Sighisoara - Church on the Hill (5 RON)
Sighisoara - The Clock Tower (16 RON)

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 5: Sighisoara / Cluj Napoca

Medieval Sighisoara is famed as the birthplace of Vlad Dracul III – better known as Vlad the Impaler, the ruler of Walachia province from 1456 to 1462 and whose name was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s iconic Count Dracula. Walking through the town is like taking a trip back in time to the medieval age, and it’s easy to image streets crowded with vampires, evil counts, wolves and peasants riding through the untamed countryside on horse-drawn carts. After a morning of exploring, travel by train through pastoral fields and untouched Saxon towns to Cluj Napoca – the unofficial capital of Transylvania. When you arrive, maybe head out for a stroll around the Gothic streets of the 2000-year-old town.

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 6: Cluj Napoca

This morning, visit the Turda Salt Mines – a former salt mine converted into an underground amusement park. Maybe hire a rowboat, go bowling or visit the museum showcasing salt mining in the region – the options are endless! Salt is thought to be a protective tool against all sorts of evil beings, and legend has it that if you pour an unbroken line of salt across the entranceway to your house, vampires and demons won’t be able to get in. After your salt mine visit, return to Cluj for a city tour with a local guide. The rest of the day is free to explore.

Included Activities:

Turda - Salt Mines Tour
Cluj Napoca - Walking Tour with Local Guide

Optional Activities:

Cluj Napoca - Botanical Garden (15 RON)
Cluj Napoca - Museum of Transylvanian History (10 RON)

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 7: Cluj Napoca

Today, you’ll head out for a daytrip to the Hoia Forest – a famous haunted forest with reports of ghost stories, apparitions, faces identified in photos and UFO sightings. Over the years, locals and tourists report anxiety and the feeling of being watched in this forest and the local vegetation features strangely shaped trees and charring on tree stumps and branches. The forest became famous in the late 1960s when a military technician took photos of a UFO above Poiana Rotunda (Round Meadow). If you’re lucky, the forest may even be covered in mist! After a short transfer from your hotel, you’ll meet with a local guide for a 4-hour hike within the forest, along gentle hills and valleys. Listen to the legends and visit the Round Meadow where the first UFO was sighted. After, head back to your hotel for a free afternoon.

Included Activities:

Cluj Napoca - Hoia Forest Guided Trek

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 8: Cluj Napoca

With no further activities planned, your trip ends today and you can depart your accommodation at any time. If you want to stay longer, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.

Exclusions

Flights to and from origin and destinations
Airport transfers (arrival and departure)
Anything else not explicitly listed in tour inclusions
Recommended gratuities/tipping
Optional activities/tours
Personal expenses
Travel insurance
Visas, meals and beverages not stated in the list of inclusions.

Important Information

Meals

When meals are not included, your tour leader (where available) will be happy to help with restaurant recommendations, bookings, and directions. Please let us know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. We willdo our best to accommodate these, though we cannot guarantee that every request can be met.

Luggage

You are responsible for your personal belongings throughout the tour. You will need to carry your own bags between the vehicle and your hotel room. Drivers will assist with loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle.

Mobility

Travellers requiring wheelchair access should contact our sales and service team, who can make enquiries on your behalf.

Fitness Level

This tour requires an Average level of fitness. Activities are paced gently and include leisure time. You may be expected to join guided walks of up to one hour, navigate short stairways and mild inclines, and manage your own luggage. You should also be able to board and exit all transport without assistance.

Travellers are expected to be self-sufficient and capable of handling all aspects of their journey. Please discuss your circumstances and support needs with your booking agent to confirm this trip is suitable.

If you are unsure, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking or travelling. (Note: I assume each tour has a different description depending on level of fitness required).

Sightseeing

If a planned site visit is unavailable due to changes in operating hours or holiday closures, the itinerary may be altered, or a comparable activity will be substituted where possible and subject to availability.

Visas

Visa conditions can change. Once you receive your travel documents, check with the relevant embassy, consulate, or immigration office of your destination for the latest information.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and valid travel documents and to comply with all entry requirements.
Non-Australian citizens must also confirm visa and identification requirements with the appropriate consulate or visa agency.
Certain occupations (for example, journalists, government officials, or those working in charities) may face additional restrictions when applying for visas, which could affect the type of application required.

Departure Dates & Surcharges: See checkout for live dates and availability.

AUD $2,790

(Tour only)

Per Person Twin Share

Duration: 8 days

Trip Type: Small Group

Activity Level: Light

Even without its bloodcurdling myths of Dracula, werewolves, haunted castles and curses, Romania is the perfect atmospheric place to spend an eight-day trip in October.

Check Availability Brochure

Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 26 Oct 2026

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Customer Reviews

Overall Rating

Excellent

4.5

Guide

Excellent

4.5

Itinerary

Excellent

4.5

Accommodations

Excellent

4.5

Transportation

Excellent

4.5

Tour Operator

Excellent

4.5

Food

Excellent

4.5

Briony

Traveled, October 2022

11/08/2022

Amazing trip and it was a great start and decision to go with this company for my first vacation without my family.

4.5

Abigail

Traveled, October 2022

11/09/2022

Book this trip now—you won't regret it. This was one of the best adventures of my life. Our group leader was amazing, the country was beautiful, and the activities had a great mix of everything that you would want to see and do. This was my first Intrepid trip, but I'm already booking more for the coming years. I will certainly be traveling with this company again.

Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company, dedicated to providing sustainable, experience-rich travel opportunities. They’ve been the leader in ethical, small-group travel since 1989 - taking people around the world for more than 30 years. They’re the world’s largest travel B Corporation - dedicated to being the best travel company for the world. In 2002, they established The Intrepid Foundation so their travellers could make a lasting impact on the communities they had visited. Although Intrepid Travel absorbs all administrative costs of The Intrepid Foundation, they are separate legal entities, allowing The Intrepid Foundation to grow independently. Intrepid Travel is made up of a collection of tour operator brands and 28 destination management companies all united by one vision: To change the way we all see the world.

In Business Since 1989

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