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Ffestiniog Travel · Escorted tour

Rural Romania – Where Time Stands Still

12-day escorted tour through Transylvania and Bucovina, two steam railways included

Illustration of Rural Romania – Where Time Stands Still

Ffestiniog Travel operates this 12-day escorted tour through rural Romania, departing from London with flights to Cluj-Napoca and ending in Sucevita. The journey combines train travel on two narrow gauge steam railways with coach transport and stays in family-run homestays and guest houses across Transylvania and Bucovina. Day 2 begins with a train from Cluj to Mediaş before settling into accommodation in the village of Veseud, where you explore Saxon villages with fortified churches. Day 4 takes you to the UNESCO World Heritage citadel of Sighişoara before continuing into Eastern Transylvania. On Day 9, you ride the Vaser Valley Forestry Railway, a 20km steam route through a valley with no road access, followed by a BBQ lunch. Days 10 and 11 focus on the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina and another forestry railway. The tour is capped at 12 people and includes a London-based tour leader plus a local Romanian guide throughout. Accommodation, most meals from locally sourced organic produce, and admissions are included. This tour suits escorted travellers interested in cultural immersion, railway journeys, and traditional village life.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure is listed: September 2027. Confirm availability and book early.
  • Hotel accommodation is only in Cluj-Napoca and Vişeu de Sus; other nights are in guest houses or family homestays, which vary by location.
  • The tour covers 7 lunches and 8 dinners, but other meals are not included.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Cluj-Napoca

    Flight to Cluj Napoca

    Morning flight from London for an early evening arrival in Cluj. Overnight hotel stay.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Veseud

    Mediaş & Veseud

    Morning train to Mediaş, arriving in time for lunch (included). We spend 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. 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 2Train journey from Cluj-Napoca to Mediaş, arriving in time for lunch before settling into guest house accommodation in Veseud.
  • Day 4Visit the fortified citadel of Sighişoara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and birthplace of Vlad the Impaler.
  • Day 9Ride the 20km Vaser Valley Forestry Railway behind steam through a valley with no road access, where timber is removed by train, followed by a BBQ lunch at the upper terminus.
  • Day 10Visit the Painted Monasteries at Sucevita and Moldovita and take a trip on another former forestry railway.

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, 7 lunches and 8 evening meals
  • Admissions to monasteries, fortified churches and Merry Cemetery
  • Airport and other transfers
  • Local taxes/fees
  • All gratuities
  • Services of a tour leader from London and throughout the tour plus local professional Romanian guide

Questions travellers ask

Is this an escorted or independent tour?
It is fully escorted. Ffestiniog Travel provides a tour leader from London throughout the tour plus a local professional Romanian guide.
Which trains are included?
The tour includes rides on the Vaser Valley Forestry Railway (20km, steam-hauled, near Vişeu de Sus) and a former forestry line near Moldovita and Sucevita.
What is included in the price?
Flights in Economy Class from London, rail travel as specified, coach transport, accommodation (hotel in Cluj and Vişeu de Sus; guest houses or family homestays elsewhere), 7 lunches and 8 dinners, admissions to monasteries and fortified churches, transfers, local taxes, and gratuities.
What is the group size?
The maximum group size is 12 people.
When does this tour run?
Ffestiniog Travel lists one departure in September 2027 at 3,660 GBP per person.
How much walking is involved?
The tour includes exploration of Saxon villages, the Sighişoara citadel, and visits to monasteries and the Merry Cemetery. Daily activities involve walking through villages and sites, though no strenuous hiking is mentioned.

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