Castles, painted monasteries and wild Carpathian landscapes
Romania is a large country in southeast Europe crossed by the Carpathian Mountains. Transylvania has medieval Saxon towns, fortified churches and castles linked to the Dracula legend. Bucovina's painted monasteries, Maramureș's wooden churches and the Danube Delta's wetlands add variety. It suits road trippers, hikers and travellers seeking value.
Tap a card or a pin. Add a place to a day of your trip, or look for tours.
A hilltop castle marketed as Dracula's castle, with ties to the Wallachian prince Vlad the Impaler. It was a royal residence.
A lavish neo Renaissance royal palace in the mountains, built for King Carol I. Its interiors are ornate.
A hilltop citadel town with a clock tower and colourful houses, said to be Vlad the Impaler's birthplace. It is still inhabited.
A Saxon town under Tâmpa mountain with the Black Church and a big square. It is a great base.
A high mountain road with hairpins crossing the Făgăraș mountains to Bâlea Lake. It is open only in summer.
Monasteries with outer walls covered in bright frescoes, such as Voroneț. They are working monasteries.
Europe's best preserved delta, full of birds like pelicans, reached by boat. Villages offer simple guesthouses.
An elegant Saxon city with squares and the eyes of the city roof windows. It is lively with festivals.
Tall wooden churches and village life with traditional carved gates. The Merry Cemetery is nearby.
Saxon villages like Biertan and Viscri with churches ringed by walls. They feel frozen in time.
One of the largest administrative buildings in the world, built under Ceaușescu. Tours show its vast halls.
A huge salt mine turned into an underground park with a lake and Ferris wheel. It looks like a sci-fi set.
A Gothic castle with towers and a drawbridge over a ravine. It is one of the largest in Europe.
Mountains above Sinaia and Bușteni with cable cars to plateaus and rock formations like the Sphinx. Hiking is good.
A vibrant university city with cafes, festivals and the botanical garden. It is Transylvania's largest city.
Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it: pick cities, add places to days, see the weather for your dates.
Each city with a guide opens its own page: map, where to stay, what to eat.
Capital and air hub.
culture · Open the city guideTransylvanian base.
history · Guide comingSaxon city.
culture · Guide comingCitadel town.
history · Guide comingLively city.
nightlife · Guide comingBucovina base.
culture · Guide comingDanube Delta gateway.
nature · Guide comingElegant western city with Habsburg squares and cafes.
architecture, cafes · Guide comingHistoric city in the northeast with churches and museums.
culture, history · Guide comingSaxon towns and castles.
Brașov, Sighișoara, Sibiu
Capital and royal mountains.
Bucharest, Peleș Castle, Transfăgărășan
Painted and wooden churches.
Voroneț, Merry Cemetery, Maramureș churches
Delta and Black Sea.
Danube Delta, Constanța
High mountains with alpine roads, resorts and hiking.
Transfagarasan, Sinaia, Bucegi Mountains
Northeast hills with painted monasteries and rural life.
Voronet, Sucevita, Suceava
Choose how long you have, then add the whole route to a trip as places and nights.
Best: May to September. Warm weather suits hiking and road trips.
The Transfăgărășan high section opens only in the warm season, and winters are cold with skiing in the mountains.
January. Quiet season. Lower prices, fewer crowds.
36°F daily high, 29°F average, 1.7 in
Average of past years from NASA POWER, worked out at each city's position. A place far from these cities can be quite different.
The US State Department rates Romania Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions, noting earthquake risk.
Trains are slow and buses vary, so a car helps in rural areas.
Food, stays and transport are cheap.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Members see the rules for their own passport here.
Passport and visa rules change often and without notice. Always check the official pages before you book and again before you travel.
| Entry | Rules change, so check the EU's Your Europe page on entry rules for non-EU nationals and your own government's travel advice before you book. |
| Plugs | Type C, F; 230 V |
| Tap water | varies |
| Tipping | 10 percent in restaurants is customary. |
| Payments | Cards are widely accepted in cities; carry lei for villages. |
| Emergency | 112 |
| Etiquette | Romanians are hospitable and value politeness. Avoid calling Romania part of the Balkans in a dismissive way. |
| What to wear | Cover shoulders and knees in monasteries; women may be asked to wear skirts. |
| Driving | On the right |
| Between cities | Trains are cheap but slow, and buses connect towns. A rental car is best for villages and mountain roads. Bolt and Uber work in cities. |
| Main airports | OTP, CLJ, SBZ, IAS |
| Ride apps | Bolt, Uber |
The area was home to the Dacians before Rome conquered it in 106 AD, leaving the Latin based Romanian language. Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania were separate principalities facing Ottoman and Habsburg powers. Modern Romania formed in the 19th century and expanded in 1918. Communist rule under Ceaușescu ended in a 1989 revolution, and Romania joined the EU in 2007.
Researched 2026-10-13. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.