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Ffestiniog Travel · Escorted tour

Rural Romania

Escorted 12-day journey through remote Transylvania, Maramureș, and Bucovina on two steam railways

Illustration of Rural Romania

Ffestiniog Travel operates this 12-day escorted tour through rural Romania, departing from Cluj-Napoca and ending in Sucevita. The journey combines coach travel through remote villages with two rides on narrow-gauge steam railways, showcasing a way of life that has changed little over centuries. You stay in family-run homestays and a three-star hotel, eat meals prepared from locally sourced organic produce (several shared with village families), and visit Sighișoara's medieval fortress, fortified Saxon churches, and the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina. Day 9 features a 20-kilometre steam train ride through the Vaser Valley where timber is still transported by rail because there are no roads. The tour includes a local Romanian guide and a tour leader from London, and groups are capped at 12 people. This trip suits history lovers, food-and-wine travellers, and those seeking guided comfort with genuine cultural immersion rather than tourist infrastructure.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure is listed for 2026 (September); confirm availability before booking.
  • Hotels and guesthouses are listed as 'or similar', so your final accommodation may vary by tier and location.
  • Rail travel is limited to two scenic steam narrow-gauge railways; most days use coach travel.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Cluj-Napoca

    Flight to Cluj Napoca

    Afternoon flight from London for a late evening arrival in Cluj. Overnight hotel stay.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Veseud

    Mediaş & Veseud

    Morning train to Mediaş arriving in time for lunch (included). We stay for 2 nights in guest house accommodation in the village of Veseud, specially converted for tourist use with en-suite facilities. Dinner at the accommodation.

  3. Day 3overnight: Veseud

    Saxon Villages

    We explore Saxon villages with their fortified churches and have lunch with a village family.

  4. Day 4overnight: Praid

    Sighişoara Medieval Fortress

    Visit the fortified citadel of Sighișoara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, then continue into Eastern Transylvania. Accommodation with dinner for 2 nights at a homestay in Praid.

  5. Day 5overnight: Praid

    Hungarian Villages

    Drive to Corund, famous for its ceramics, then through a remote area with small Hungarian villages, stopping for lunch with a village family.

  6. Day 6overnight: Hoteni

    Maramureş

    We drive north, pausing at the Liliac Winery for wine tasting and a picnic lunch, crossing the Carpathians into Maramureş where life has remained almost unchanged for centuries. We stay for 2 nights in Hoteni.

  7. Day 7overnight: Hoteni

    Village Life

    Exploring local villages, we find old wooden churches, domestic industry, machines powered by water and fields worked by hand or horses. We also visit the Merry Cemetery, painted by local artists.

  8. Day 8overnight: Vişeu de Sus

    Vişeu de Sus

    Visit more remote villages, lunch with a village family, and continue to Vişeu de Sus, centre of the logging industry, for a 1-night stay.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Moldovita

    The Last Forestry Railway in Europe

    We take a ride along the 20km route behind steam in the Vaser Valley, where there is no road access and timber is removed by train. BBQ lunch provided at the upper terminus. We continue over the Prislop Pass into Bucovina to Moldovita for a 2-night stay.

  10. Day 10railovernight: Moldovita

    Painted Monasteries

    We visit the Painted Monasteries at Sucevita and Moldovita and take a trip on another former forestry railway. Lunch included and dinner at our accommodation.

  11. Day 11railovernight: Cluj-Napoca

    Return to Cluj

    Visit the Voronet Monastery before lunch in Gura Humorului and catching the early afternoon train across the mountains to Cluj, arriving mid-evening.

  12. Day 12

    Cluj to London

    Transfer to airport for afternoon flight to London, arriving late afternoon.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 4Visit Sighișoara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and medieval fortress, birthplace of Vlad the Impaler.
  • Day 9Ride the Vaser Valley Forestry Railway behind steam for 20 kilometres through remote forest with no road access; timber is still removed by train.
  • Day 10Visit the Painted Monasteries of Sucevita and Moldovita, decorated with frescoes, and ride a former forestry railway near Moldovita.
  • Day 7Explore Maramureș villages, see wooden churches, water-powered machines, and fields worked by hand or horses; visit the Merry Cemetery painted by local artists.

Included

  • Flights in Economy Class by scheduled airline
  • Rail travel as specified
  • Other travel by private mini-coach
  • Hotel accommodation in Cluj and Vişeu de Sus
  • Other accommodation in good quality guest house or family “homestay” with en-suite facilities
  • All breakfasts, 8 lunches and 8 evening meals
  • Admissions to monasteries, fortified churches and Merry Cemetery
  • Airport and other transfers
  • All local taxes/fees
  • Services of a tour leader from London and throughout the tour plus local professional Romanian Guide

Questions travellers ask

Is this tour escorted?
Yes. Ffestiniog Travel provides a tour leader from London and a local professional Romanian guide throughout the 12 days.
Which trains are included?
Two narrow-gauge steam railways: the 20-kilometre Vaser Valley Forestry Railway near Vişeu de Sus, and a former forestry railway near Moldovita.
What are the hotels like?
A mix of a three-star hotel (Grand Hotel Napoca in Cluj) and family-run homestays with en-suite facilities in villages including Veseud, Praid, Hoteni, and Moldovita.
What meals are included?
All breakfasts, 8 lunches, and 8 evening meals. Several meals include locally sourced organic produce. Some lunches are eaten with village families.
When does it run?
One departure in September 2026 is listed.
What is not included?
Four lunches are not included in the package cost.

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