Epic journeys
Accommodation
All activities included
Breakfast & Dinner
Transport & Fuel
Tour guide
Best travel experience
Introduction
The wildest county in Romania- Harghita. A fairytale place, hidden in the Transylvanian mountains, the beating heart of the Carpathians. Nature crafted here the most pristine landscapes in Europe, a realm of untainted wildlife, where large carnivores roam freely through the taiga, while the multitude of plants spread their fresh perfume.
Scattered over this surreal landscape, century-old cottages complete the scene as a final brush on an immersive painting. People here live their lives guided by the values of their rich cultural heritage, deeply rooted in the harmony between man and nature.
A unique place, one of the best kept jewels in Europe, which will enrich your understanding of the world through its complex, yet pure architecture.
Tour Overview
Day 1
Varghis gorges
* 7:00 am- you will be picked up in front of the hotel in Bucharest, thus starting our 5 days adventure
* First stop will be 4 hours away, close to the most pristine canyons in Romania – Varghis gorges. To visit them we will trek for around 8 km. We’ll cross bridges over foamy rapids, enter two hidden caves and recharge ourselves with the forest’s energy. At the end of the gorges, in a small clearing, we will have a picnic. This whole place is a natural wonder, with more than 122 known caves, 44 protected plant species, and 19 out of the 30-bat species living in Romania
* Visit to a mill in the middle of the forest, with no signal coverage perfect for connecting with the nature and the welcoming locals who will offer us freshly baked bread. You can also participate to the process of cooking traditional bread. Even if a wandering bear might appear from the forest, we will can safely go inside the old traditional houses, saved from demolition and brought here for restauration
* The lunch will be served in a perfect setting - freshly cooked meat next to the table, in pots, local cheese, warm bread and brandy
* Typical Hungarian sweets workshop (Kurtos Kalaks). We will cook and afterwards taste our own Kurtos Kalaks
* Afterwards, we will head to our select guesthouse- a rustic, yet a very modern accommodation
* We will have a spectacular traditional dinner accompanied by fine red wine
* First stop will be 4 hours away, close to the most pristine canyons in Romania – Varghis gorges. To visit them we will trek for around 8 km. We’ll cross bridges over foamy rapids, enter two hidden caves and recharge ourselves with the forest’s energy. At the end of the gorges, in a small clearing, we will have a picnic. This whole place is a natural wonder, with more than 122 known caves, 44 protected plant species, and 19 out of the 30-bat species living in Romania
* Visit to a mill in the middle of the forest, with no signal coverage perfect for connecting with the nature and the welcoming locals who will offer us freshly baked bread. You can also participate to the process of cooking traditional bread. Even if a wandering bear might appear from the forest, we will can safely go inside the old traditional houses, saved from demolition and brought here for restauration
* The lunch will be served in a perfect setting - freshly cooked meat next to the table, in pots, local cheese, warm bread and brandy
* Typical Hungarian sweets workshop (Kurtos Kalaks). We will cook and afterwards taste our own Kurtos Kalaks
* Afterwards, we will head to our select guesthouse- a rustic, yet a very modern accommodation
* We will have a spectacular traditional dinner accompanied by fine red wine
Day 2
Romanian wildlife
* We will start the day with a traditional breakfast, coffee and fresh milk
* Deer watching activity in the wilderness. For this we will get to a region belonging to 200- 250 Carpathian deer, fallow deer, 70 mouflons, hares and many other wildlife species
* Horseback riding. Somewhere in the middle of the forest we will discover the secrets of riding Icelandic horses * Local specialties picnic
* Bear watching activity. In the middle of the forest, along with professional rangers we will watch wild bears from the safe bear sanctuary
* Traditional dinner at the guesthouse
* Deer watching activity in the wilderness. For this we will get to a region belonging to 200- 250 Carpathian deer, fallow deer, 70 mouflons, hares and many other wildlife species
* Horseback riding. Somewhere in the middle of the forest we will discover the secrets of riding Icelandic horses * Local specialties picnic
* Bear watching activity. In the middle of the forest, along with professional rangers we will watch wild bears from the safe bear sanctuary
* Traditional dinner at the guesthouse
Day 3
Praid Salt Canyon
* Breakfast
* Trip to the Praid Salt Canyon- a unique phenomenon in Europe. We will be amazed by the spectacular erosional features of the landscape and the therapeutic properties of the mineral mud, similar with the one from the Dead Sea region
* Visit to “Tinovul de la Fantana Brazilor”- a taiga marshland reservation with unique ecosystem characteristics- 1000 years old trees, carnivorous plants and many other secrets
* Lunch at a traditional household
* Gemstone hunting- Corund aragonite- including a visit to The Snail Hill reservation, where aragonite is being born out of the waters of the most complex spring in Romania- Unicum spring
* Jewelry workshop- we will be guided in manufacturing jewels out of aragonite in the Aragonite Museum
* Traditional dinner at the guesthouse
* Trip to the Praid Salt Canyon- a unique phenomenon in Europe. We will be amazed by the spectacular erosional features of the landscape and the therapeutic properties of the mineral mud, similar with the one from the Dead Sea region
* Visit to “Tinovul de la Fantana Brazilor”- a taiga marshland reservation with unique ecosystem characteristics- 1000 years old trees, carnivorous plants and many other secrets
* Lunch at a traditional household
* Gemstone hunting- Corund aragonite- including a visit to The Snail Hill reservation, where aragonite is being born out of the waters of the most complex spring in Romania- Unicum spring
* Jewelry workshop- we will be guided in manufacturing jewels out of aragonite in the Aragonite Museum
* Traditional dinner at the guesthouse
Day 4
Krafts & Fantana Brazilor Taiga
* Breakfast
* Visit to the traditional coal production facility
* Horse cart safari on the vast Corund plateau, through the scattered cottages belonging to local craftsmen
* Homemade jam and syrup tasting session
* Fried trout lunch in the old Corund water mill
* Visit to the local pottery workshop, traditional pottery seminar
* Pottery workshop with the guidance of a local craftsman. The artifacts made will be packed, and you will be able to take them back home as memories
* Dinner at the guesthouse
* Visit to the traditional coal production facility
* Horse cart safari on the vast Corund plateau, through the scattered cottages belonging to local craftsmen
* Homemade jam and syrup tasting session
* Fried trout lunch in the old Corund water mill
* Visit to the local pottery workshop, traditional pottery seminar
* Pottery workshop with the guidance of a local craftsman. The artifacts made will be packed, and you will be able to take them back home as memories
* Dinner at the guesthouse
Day 5
Saint Ana Lake
* Visit to a local bio-certified beekeeper and seminar on the secrets of bee farming
* Visit to a tinder workshop, the only tinder workshop still running in Europe
* A surprise bio-lunch
* Visit to a local traditional weaving workshop and traditional weaving seminar
* Visit to Saint Anne Lake- a unique volcanic lake, formed in the crater of an old volcano, deeply hidden in the mountains of Transylvania
* Return to Bucharest
* Visit to a tinder workshop, the only tinder workshop still running in Europe
* A surprise bio-lunch
* Visit to a local traditional weaving workshop and traditional weaving seminar
* Visit to Saint Anne Lake- a unique volcanic lake, formed in the crater of an old volcano, deeply hidden in the mountains of Transylvania
* Return to Bucharest
What is included in the price:
- 4 nights guesthouse accommodation (single and double rooms)
- 2 meals/day (breakfast and dinner at the guesthouse). We can also offer alternatives for other types of diet
- Lunch in traditional households
- All the activities presented above
- Two professional tour guides (fluent English speaker), rangers, local guides and support staff for the activities
- English guided tours for the entire period
- Pick up from any city in Romania
- Transfer from and to the hotel
- Transport with bus or mini-vans for the entire duration of the adventure – fuel included.
What is not included in the price:
- Extra accommodation nights. Optionally, depending on the flight schedule, we can arrange extra accommodation with extra costs regardless the city
- Entrance tickets to all touristic attractions
- Airport transfers
- Flight tickets (optionally we can reserve the flights)
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
- Other personal spending
- Tips
IMPORTANT NOTE:
- Sometimes, some of the places we intend to visit may be closed at that time. But don’t worry. We have prepared tourist attractions at least as interesting as the previous ones.
- We can organize this tour all year long.
- The tour can be customized depending on the number of days you have available.
