Budapest to Sofia Adventure
10 days, Budapest to Sofia
Itinerary
Day 1Budapest
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting.
We recommend booking pre-accommodation to fully explore this breathtaking city.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
Ibis Styles Budapest Center (or similar)
Day 2Budapest to Balla Géza Winery
Enjoy a morning free to explore Budapest to get a feel for this charming city. After check out we visit a G Adventures-supported social enterprise café and enjoy a drink and optionally order a bite to eat before we leave Budapest to travel to the Balla Géza Winery for a wine tasting and traditional Romanian dinner. Tonight’s accommodation will be at the winery’s guesthouse on the property.
Free Time
Enjoy a free time this morning to explore Budapest.
Your G for Good Moment: Nem Adom Fel Café and Bar
Stop for a refreshment at Nem Adom Fel Café and Bar, whose proceeds help fund a non-profit by the same name, which means "Never Give Up." Most of the employees at this social enterprise café are living with a disability, and the charity advocates for rights for the disabled all over Hungary. Your meal helps this café to invest in the charity's efforts, which also includes supporting rural Roma communities through much-needed social programs.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Balla Géza Winery Visit
Balla Géza Winery is located in at the foothills of Arad, which was a region known for its wine growing. Since 1999 Balla Géza has been working to bring back the legendary wines from this lost region. Visit the Minis vineyard famous for red wines throughout history. Enjoy a wine tasting with the group and then sit down to a traditional Romanian dinner featuring three different courses. If time allows explore the grounds and then head to the winery's guesthouse where we'll be spending the night. In the morning breakfast is included.
Optional Activities - Day 2 HideShow
Budapest Morning Walking Tour
Wander through Budapest on an early morning walk that ends at Great Market Hall, the city's largest (and oldest) indoor public market. Visit Gellert Hill to learn about the history of Buda and Pest, divided by the Danube River. On a clear day, capture amazing panoramic shots of the river as it snakes through this ancient city. Continue onto Liberty Square, then take a quick peek at the Gellért Thermal Baths to learn about its place in Hungarian culture. Upon arriving at Great Market Hall, sample local specialties that have been enjoyed in this busy market for over 120 years. Remember to bring your camera (and some cash) for market shopping.
Accommodation
Balla Geza Winery (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 3Balla Géza Winery to Sighișoara
Enjoy breakfast at the Balla Géza Winery before traveling to the enchanting town of Sighișoara. Use your free time here to explore the cobblestone streets and medieval architecture.
Explore the medieval walled citadel with its cultural attractions and great restaurants and bars.
Sample some Romanian cuisine—the Casa Dracula (original home of Vlad, the model for Count Dracula) is now a restaurant specializing in hearty meat and game dishes of the region.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Free Time
Take some time to explore medieval Sighișoara.
Optional Activities - Day 3 HideShow
Clock Tower Visit
FreeEnjoy a visit to the Clock Tower, also known as the Council Tower -- it's Sighisoara's main point of attraction. It was built in the second half of the 14th century and expanded in the 16th century. After a fire in 1676 when the town's gunpowder deposits located in the Tailors' Tower exploded, Austrian artists rebuilt the roof of the tower in its present baroque style and, in 1894, colourful tiles were added.
Casa Dracula (Vlad Dracul Restaurant)
10-50RON per personYou will not be digging your canine teeth into any humans at the Casa Dracula. Once the original home for Vlad the Impaler, who was the model for Count Dracula, it is now a restaurant specialising in the hearty meat and game dishes of the region.
The History Museum (Muzeul de Istorie)
5RON per personExplore the Renaissance furniture, medical instruments, fine arts, and more in this museum located inside the Clock Tower -- it's been around since 1899!
The Church of the Dominican Monastery Visit
FreeEnjoy a visit to the Church of the Dominican Monastery. Built in the late Gothic style, it was last repaired in 1929, quite some time after it was first attested in a document back in 1298.
Accommodation
Hotel Sighisoara (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 4Sighișoara/Braşov
With a local guide, venture into the Romanian countryside to visit traditional villages. Get a true sense of life in this less-visited region. Visit charming Brasov.
Enjoy a half-day guided tour of Sighisoara and nearby countryside. Take in the beautiful rolling scenery and visit medieval villages and fortified churches.
In the early evening, transfer to the city of Brasov, the best preserved medieval city in Romania.
Sighișoara Region Guided Tour
Visit some of the city before heading further afield. Coast over rolling hills and into rural villages, learning about the life and folklore of olden times from our expert local guide.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Central Residence Annapolis Brasov (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 5Braşov
Visit the picturesque Bran Castle and learn the history (and rumours) of this fascinating place.
Impressively situated on a rock outcrop and dominating the valley, this 14th century castle is steeped in history and folklore. Soak in the gorgeous countryside as you learn about the creepier side of Romania.
Bran Castle Visit
Visit the picturesque Bran Castle, impressively situated on a rock outcrop and dominating the valley. This 14th century castle is steeped in history and folklore and is an unmissable highlight. Sometimes called "Dracula's Castle", it served as a defense point to protect the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. Rumours abound regarding Dracula's interaction with the castle. You'll have to visit to find out the truth.
Optional Activities - Day 5 HideShow
Catherine's Gate (Poarta Ecaterinei) Visit
Get ready to go back in history with a visit to Catherine's Gate, built in 1559 and the only original gate to have survived from medieval times.
Schei District Visit
During the Saxon rule of Brasov, from the 13th to the 17th century, Romanians were forbidden from owning property inside the citadel walls and so they settled in the southwestern Schei district.
Walk up Strada Prundului to Piata Unirii and the beautiful St. Nicholas Church; then, wander around the small curving streets that gradually slope upwards against the hill. Continue to the southern end of Schei and you'll end up on the gravel road to the impressive Solomon's Rocks (Pietrele lui Solomon), a popular picnic area for locals during the weekend but relatively quiet all other times.
Black Church (Biserica Neagră) Visit
8RON per personThe Black Church is the biggest church between Vienna and Istanbul. It's a famous landmark of the town of Brasov, is Romania's leading Gothic church, and has the largest church bell in the country, weighing a hefty 7 tons (6,350 kg)! Explore its beautiful interior, including stained glass windows and its collection of 119 Turkish carpets, the largest in Europe.
Accommodation
Central Residence Annapolis Brasov (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 6Braşov/Bucharest
Travel to Bucharest and enjoy an orientation walk. Take time to explore the Soviet-esque architecture, the beautiful cathedral, or indulge in Bucharest's international cuisine.
Train
Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Orientation With CEO
Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.
Optional Activities - Day 6 HideShow
Arch of Triumph Visit
FreeEnjoy a visit to the Arch of Triumph to marvel at the exterior of this historic monument. The arch was initially built to celebrate Romania's independence so troops could march under it on their return to the city in 1878. The current arch was built in 1936, it replaced the wooden and quickly built structures that stood before.
National Village Museum Visit
Check out examples of Romanian rural architecture at this outdoor museum that's literally a park 10 hectares large. It boasts rural homes built in the styles throughout Romania as well as churches, outhouses, and mills -- you'll really feel like you're walking through a Romanian village. To give an even more authentic feel to things, many structures are filled with furniture and pieces from the eras they replicate.
National History Museum Visit
Boasting more than 650,000 items, the museum, inaugurated in 1972, gives visitors a true understanding of Romanian culture. Housed in the former historic monument once known as the Palace of the Post, it is situated in the old historical centre of Bucharest.
Palace of the Parliament Visit
Enjoy a visit to the Palace of the Parliament, which contains both chambers of the Romanian parliament as well as the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC). It's the world's largest civilian building with an administrative function, according to the World Records Academy; it's also the most expensive administrative building.
Bucharest Bike Tour
20RON per personYou can always cover more land on a bike! Get out an explore on two wheels.
Museum of the Romanian Peasant
Visit the Museum of the Romanian Peasant for a interesting look inside the rural culture of Romania. The museum displays a collection of costumes, artifacts of Romanian peasant life, and religious icons.
Accommodation
ibis Styles Bucharest City Center (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 7Bucharest/Veliko Tarnovo
Enjoy some free time to explore more of Bucharest in the morning before travelling to Bulgaria and one of the oldest cities in the world, Veliko Tarnovo. Wander the medieval town, visit the museums, or sample your first taste of Bulgarian cuisine.
Enjoy this charming town and opt to visit the Tsarevets Fortress just outside the city.
Free Time
Get out and explore.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Hotel Tarnava (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 8Veliko Tarnovo
Enjoy the morning in the medieval town of Veliko Tarnovo. In the afternoon, visit the hilltop village of Arbanasi. Soak in the views over Veliko Tarnovo.
Arbanasi Village Visit
Enjoy a visit to Arbanasi. This hilltop village was the residence of choice for the wealthy Roman elite and is still a country haven for the high-flyers of modern Bulgaria. The views all around and down to Veliko Tarnovo are amazing.
Optional Activities - Day 8 HideShow
Nativity Church Visit
6BGN per personVisit the 16th-century Church of the Nativity to see the amazing murals.
Accommodation
Hotel Tarnava (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 9Veliko Tarnovo/Sofia
Travel to Sofia and take an orientation walk of the capital city. Later, wander down the pedestrian street or visit the eclectic Ladies' Market.
A mix of western grandeur and Soviet bulk, Sofia boasts a gold-domed church and delicious international dining.
Sample modern takes on Bulgarian and international food, with some great trendy dining opportunities.
Orientation With CEO
Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.
Local Bus
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Optional Activities - Day 9 HideShow
Ladies' Market Visit
FreeEnjoy a visit to the eclectic Ladies' Market - Sofia’s biggest market for fresh produce, meats, fish, cheeses and spices.
St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Visit
Free-6BGN per personDon't miss the stunning gold-domed Alexander Nevsky church, honouring the Russian liberators whose contribution saw the end of Ottoman rule in Bulgaria.
Vitosha Boulevard Visit
FreeEnjoy a stroll down Sofia's chic pedestrian area, Vitosha Boulevard.
Accommodation
Hotel Budapest Sofia (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 10Sofia
Depart at any time.