Guide

Usually between four and 14 people plus cycling leader and support driver.

Others

All transport and listed activities Local bike hire

Accommodation

For most of the tour, we stay in guesthouses and family-owned B&Bs. All the buildings are very well kept, clean and one-off places to stay. These old buildings were never designed to be hotels, this means that a very limited number of single rooms are available and only on some nights. In some locations, bathrooms will be shared between a maximum of two rooms. Our hotel in Bucharest is a modern building with good facilities in the city centre. Worth knowing Single supplement is only available on five nights (days 1, 2, 5, 7, 8; limited availability). For all the other nights’ accommodation is on room-share basis.

Meals

All breakfasts, five lunches and six dinners are included in the price of the trip. Romanian cuisine has strong influences from the surrounding countries including Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary. We will try fantastic home-cooked meals on this trip as we spend most nights staying with local families and in guesthouses. Breakfasts will consist of homemade bread and cheeses plus a selection of locally sourced meats, salad, and tea or coffee. There are five picnic lunches, two at a local family home and three enjoyed al fresco. They are made by the staff at our guesthouses and will usually be sandwiches, salad, fruit and more of their homemade cheese. Some days we will have a traditional vegetable soup for lunch with homemade crème fraiche and bread. Dinners are usually centred around pork or beef. Lots of guesthouses will prepare sarmale cu mamaliguta, a traditional Romanian dish of minced pork wrapped in pickled cabbage leaves and served with polenta and a chilli. It’s not all about the food though; every household makes their own tuica (pronounced tsweeka), a spirit usually made from plums and flavoured with herbs from their garden or the surrounding area. This is usually drunk while being welcomed into the house and after dinner.

Transport

All transfers are on a private bus.

Not included:

Insurance

Others

— Travel insurance — Single accommodation (very limited availability) — Visas or vaccinations — E-bike hire

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Start Bucharest (Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Start Bucharest (Dinner)

Upon arrival, we will be greeted by an Exodus leader and transferred out of Bucharest to the small town of Vulcan in Brasov Country, Transylvania. This transfer is roughly three hours, but will be broken with a short stop.
Day 2 Day 2: Ride To Bucium, Stopping At Ohaba Flour Mill En Route (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Ride To Bucium, Stopping At Ohaba Flour Mill En Route (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

After breakfast, we set up our bikes and enjoy our first cycling experience in the region. We begin with an ascent, away from traffic and into remote pine-covered hills, stopping for a view of the snow-topped Bucegi Mountains. We then tackle a 4.5mi (7km) dirt road that offers us a glimpse of life in rural Romania. Please note, we may go in the opposite direction during rain to avoid the dirt road; this adds 6mi (10km) to the cycling distance. Today we also visit the oldest flour mill in Fagaras county, which is powered by the neighbouring river. The tale of how it survived the Communist period is fascinating. Our goal is the town of Bucium; however, if the weather is favourable, we may take a detour (adding 3mi/5km) to a nearby cave that served as a place of worship more than two centuries ago. At that time, the local people – the Dacians – would have prayed to Zalmoxis, a popular deity in the lower Danube region. Little is known about Zalmoxis, though what is known is based mainly on the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus.
Day 3 Day 3: Cycle To Carta At The Foot Of The Fagaras Mountains (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Cycle To Carta At The Foot Of The Fagaras Mountains (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

We ride to the village of Lisa, with the ridge of the highest mountain range in Romania, the Fagaras Mountains, as our constant companion. There we visit a wool mill to see how woollen blankets and clothes are still made using traditional methods. There is even a 100-year-old machine still in operation. We then cycle to the village of Cartisoara and on to Carta itself and visit the Cistercian monastery. The oldest buildings on the site date to around 1205 and, like many buildings in the area, have a fascinating history. Please note, on some departures our groups stay in Cartisoara and will visit the monastery in Carta on Day 4. The distances of each day would, therefore, change by 3mi (5km). We may also have time during the day to take a detour to Sambata Monastery, which will add 6mi (10km) to the day’s cycling.
Day 4 Day 4: Cycle To Biertan; Visit The Unesco-Listed Church (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Cycle To Biertan; Visit The Unesco-Listed Church (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Today’s ride starts with a crossing of the river Olt and continues along quiet country roads. We cycle past the fortified church of Richis as we make our way towards Biertan. Once there, we tour a Unesco-listed fortified church, which stands on a hill overlooking vineyards and fields. Building began in 1486 by the German-Transylvanian Saxon community when the area was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. As a late-Gothic church, it stands out thanks to the concentric ringed walls and huge towers, and is often considered one of the most impressive of its kind in Romania. It achieved Unesco status in 1993 and has numerous interesting buildings in the complex. The church contains some beautiful Renaissance pieces, while there are also three bastions, six towers and three rows of walls to ward off undesirables. Please note, the cycling today will be approximately 42mi (68km) if we sleep in Cartisoara, 39mi (63km) if we sleep in Carta.
Day 5 Day 5: Visit The Medieval Citadel Of Sighisoara (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Visit The Medieval Citadel Of Sighisoara (Breakfast)

Today we have a beautiful ride through the countryside and remote villages of Transylvania. Following the river Tarnava Mare, we pass hop fields and set our sights on Sighisoara. One of the few fully inhabited medieval citadels in Europe, this Unesco-recognised spot is fascinating. We have a free afternoon to wander the streets and immerse ourselves in places so wonderfully preserved and faithful to the origins. There is even the house where Vlad Dracul, father of Vlad the Impaler, was born.
Day 6 Day 6: Cycle To Cobor Farm (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Cycle To Cobor Farm (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Today’s ride follows a lovely quiet country road through the Transylvanian hills to Apold and Bradeni village. One of these places will be our perfect stop for a snack and looking around the fascinating old church. Then we hop back on the bikes to continue our ride through small farming towns and pastures. Today’s ride ends in the small village of Cobor. Here we will discover the beautiful story of an old abandoned house to a farm and guesthouse with organic vegetables cultivated in their own garden and involved in animal protection projects. The seeds originate in old varieties that produce less, but higher quality.
Day 7 Day 7: Cycle To Viscri; Explore The Town And Fortified Church (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Cycle To Viscri; Explore The Town And Fortified Church (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

After breakfast, we ride out of Cobor. The day starts with a short climb through the forest before a lovely stretch of road through several small towns takes us to Viscri. Here we can explore this pretty old town and visit a well-known fortified church and meet the brickmakers and blacksmiths who helped restore the building in 1991. It is now regarded as one of the best examples of a fortified church anywhere in the world. There will be plenty of time to fully explore Viscri, which we will tour by horse-drawn cart.
Day 8 Day 8: Transfer To Bucharest; Visit Brasov And, Time Permitting, Peles Castle On The Way (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Transfer To Bucharest; Visit Brasov And, Time Permitting, Peles Castle On The Way (Breakfast)

After breakfast, we take a long private transfer to Bucharest, stopping at the beautiful medieval town of Brasov en route. Here we climb the towers of the old fort for views over the town centre and 14th-century Black Church, before returning to street level for a short stroll on the cobbled pedestrian roads. We then hop back in the vehicle and continue towards Bucharest. If there’s time, we stop at Peles Castle, a forest-wrapped residence of the former Romanian royal family. We enjoy a short walk around the spectacular gardens before completing our journey to Bucharest, arriving at the end of the day.
Day 9 Day 9: The Tour Ends In Bucharest (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: The Tour Ends In Bucharest (Breakfast)

After breakfast, we have most of the day to explore Bucharest; we can wander the old streets and do last-minute shopping or visit some of the fascinating old museums and palaces before the trip ends. Either make your way home or speak to your sales representative to extend your stay in this fascinating city.

9 days tour

Cycle Romania

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Cycle Romania

Day 1: Start Bucharest (Dinner)

Day 2: Ride To Bucium, Stopping At Ohaba Flour Mill En Route (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Day 3: Cycle To Carta At The Foot Of The Fagaras Mountains (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Day 4: Cycle To Biertan; Visit The Unesco-Listed Church (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Day 5: Visit The Medieval Citadel Of Sighisoara (Breakfast)

Day 6: Cycle To Cobor Farm (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Day 7: Cycle To Viscri; Explore The Town And Fortified Church (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Day 8: Transfer To Bucharest; Visit Brasov And, Time Permitting, Peles Castle On The Way (Breakfast)

Day 9: The Tour Ends In Bucharest (Breakfast)

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