Travel Romania in 7 days with this Romania road trip itinerary, designed and traveled by locals.
We are Koen and Veerle, and in 2022, we moved to Romania. We have lived in the country for almost two years, making Bucharest our home, and in the process, we fell in love with it.
In our first year, we traveled extensively throughout the country. This road trip, in particular, was one of our favorites. It took a little over a week and made us fall in love with the beauty of Romania.
For this road trip, we rented a Dacia Logan (a Romanian brand) for about 20 euros a day. This was very cheap, as unlimited kilometers and insurance were all included in the price.
This itinerary is for seven days. However, there is so much to see that you could easily extend it to however many days you like.
Skip Ahead To My Advice Here!
7 Day Road Trip Itinerary In Romania
Day 1 & 2: Bucharest
Our road trip starts in the capital of Romania, Bucharest. Bucharest has been our home for quite some time now, and we have gotten to know it well.
Bucharest lies in the southeast of the country and is the largest city in the country. Bucharest has over 3 million inhabitants (unofficially but accordingly), and this is definitely noticeable as the city consists of endless concrete flats, some of which are in very poor condition.
However, Bucharest has an upside. The city has a cozy center with lots of excellent restaurants and old buildings. It also has multiple great shopping malls that make for a great day trip. Our favorite is Parklake shopping mall, where the most popular one is Afi.
If you are done with the city’s hustle and bustle, you should definitely visit Therme Bucharest Spa, which lies on the edge of the town. This incredible spa, the largest in Europe, can easily keep you entertained for hours.
For day one in Bucharest, we recommend taking a two-hour walking tour that guides you through all the highlights of the city.
- Palace of Parliament: The walking tour starts at the Palace of Parliament, which is open to visitors and is the second-heaviest building in the world.
- Stravopoleos Covent: The city walk takes you across Union Square to Manuc’s Inn, and then you will walk through Lipscani Street to the Stravopoleos Covent.
- National Military Circle: The next landmark on your walk will be the National Military Circle.
- Romanian Athenaeum: From there, you will cross Revolution Square and come across the Romanian Athenaeum.
- Cismigiu Gardens: You will pass Calea Victoriei and you will end the walking tour at Cismigiu Gardens.
You can find this route with more information on the app ‘’GPS My City’’. We have done it multiple times with friends and family visiting us from abroad. It is a great walk. Alongside this walk, you will come across many excellent restaurants and shops, and you will get a great taste of the old town of Bucharest.
Bucharest Day 2 – Spa Day, Shopping & Museums
For the second day, we recommend visiting either Therme Bucharest Spa or one of the many shopping centers.
For museum lovers, there is an excellent variety of beautiful museums throughout Bucharest. When the weather is nice, we recommend the open air ‘’Muzeul Naţional al Satului “Dimitrie Gusti’’. This is an excellent stop if you want to learn more about Romania’s traditional homes and culture. There is also a wonderful museum of natural history.
Bucharest Traffic Tips
Bucharest traffic is challenging if you are not used to it. Many drivers don’t follow the rules, and there are too many cars in the city for the number of roads. However, if you pay attention and are not in a rush, you should be just fine.
Take into account that almost all GPS directions will send you right through the city center to get anywhere because there isn’t really a good highway around the city.
If you want to leave the city, as we did when we started our road trip, we recommend simply taking the road around the city. It will take you longer to get out of the city because it is a two-lane highway, but it is much easier to drive.
Day 3: Salina Slanic Prahova & Sinaia
Salina Slanic Prahova Tour
Once out of the city, the first stop is the salt mines of Slanic, Salina Slanic Prahova. The drive here is about 2 hours.
This mine opened in 1938 and has 14 chambers. For a long time, prisoners exploited it. Nowadays, it is mainly used as a tourist attraction.
You buy a ticket at the parking lot, and a small bus will drive you into the mine. This was quite a daunting experience because you drive down the mines for over 15 minutes, and you feel in your body that you are deep into the earth.
The mine was incredible and, by far, one of the most intriguing experiences I have ever had. The sheer size of the mine is astonishing.
The mine itself is really bizarre, as the locals don’t seem sure how to arrange it for tourists. For example, there is a mini-golf course, a bouncy house, a basketball court, and a playground in the mines. It seems a bit out of place, but it was still a great experience, and we definitely recommend visiting.
Overnight In Sinaia
From here, we drove to Sinaia. This one-hour and forty-minute drive is definitely one of our favorite drives. The landscape is breathtaking.
Sinaia is one of our favorite towns in the Carpathian mountains. The road to Sinaia is simply breathtaking, and the town itself has excellent restaurants and many hotels.
We spent the night at a great hotel with a swimming pool and spa.
Sinaia is actually one of the oldest locations in Romania for winter sports. The area has ten ski slopes and many resorts. There is a ski lift on the mountain, and during the winter, it is still very popular with winter sports fanatics.
Day 4: Castle Pelles, Castle Bran & Brasov
Pelles Castle Tour
The next day, we visited Castle Pelles. This is my favorite place in Sinaia. Mountains and forests surround it and offer excellent views.
Pelles was built between 1875 and 1883. For many years, it was the summer home of the royal family.
Former king Michael first moved back into the castle in 2008 and lived there until his death in 2017. He often walked around the premises and collided with tourists, as the castle was still open to the public.
We toured the castle and definitely recommend it. This castle is incredible because it is still fully furnished and all the information is also available in English. Each room tells a story, and overall, it is just a beautiful place.
Bran Castle Tour
After Sinaia we drove to another castle, Romania’s most famous castle. This drive is about 55 minutes.
Castle Bran was believed once to be the home of Count Vlad III Dracula. The castle dates back all the way to 1377 and has had many owners. The most famous one (according to the myths) would undoubtedly be Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler.
Count Dracula is, of course, known for his bad reputation, and many speculate that he was a vampire. Although this is just a myth, this castle fully embraces all the myths and legends about this ruler. Recently, though, it has been concluded that Vlad Dracula never lived in the castle – the connection between Dracula and Castle Bran solely came from the famous novel ‘’Dracula’’.
The castle itself lies on a hill and is very touristy. However, it is a beautiful castle with many rooms to explore, and outside, there is a nice restaurant.
Overnight In Brasov
From Bran, we drove to Brasov, where we spent the night. This drive is about 30 minutes.
Brasov is a bigger city in the mountains. It has it all—mountains, cozy squares, shopping malls, zoos, and dense forests. We absolutely loved Brasov.
In the afternoon we visited the black church and the very nice zoo.
In the evening, we dined at Dei Frati restaurant. This is a very popular restaurant, and we definitely recommend making a reservation. The food was delicious, and the staff was terrific. The restaurant is minor, in the middle of the city center, and an excellent foodie gem!
If you are interested in dining a little further from the center, we recommend Chef’s Boutique. We have had dinner here before, and everything was great.
We stayed at an Airbnb near the center and left the next day to visit the bear park.
Day 5: Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti & Sibiu
Bear Sanctuary
The drive from Brasov to Zarnesti is 40 minutes.
The Bear Park is a sanctuary in Zarnesti that houses many bears and other native Romanian wildlife that need rescuing. The park can only be visited with a tour. It is very big, but you should be able to spot many bears.
Romania is home to many wild bears, mostly in the Carpathian mountains. Not long ago, however, it was still legal to keep bears as pets. They would often live in very small cages and be there for entertainment. The bears in the sanctuary were freed from their cages and now live in the forest of the sanctuary, where they are protected.
Overnight In Sibiu
From the sanctuary, we drove to Sibiu. This is quite a long drive, taking over two hours. However, the road to Sibiu is incredible. It is surrounded by high mountains and ancient forests.
Sibiu has a very old city center. Its cozy streets make you feel like you’re going back in time.
In Sibiu, we had dinner at a local restaurant, spent the night, and left the following day to go to our following location, the mines of Salina Turda.
Local Tip: We had also been to Sibiu around Christmastime and visited the Christmas market. We definitely recommend this, as it was amazing.
Day 6: Salina Turda & Cluj- Napoca
Salina Turda Mines
The drive from Sibiu to Salina Turda is 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Salina Turda is a salt mine like the one in Slanic. These mines are a lot more touristy, and you can walk down to the mine, which we did.
Like the other mine we visited, these mines are strangely arranged. This one has a working Ferris wheel inside. It also has a table tennis court and a small lake on which you can row a small boat.
We personally liked the mines in Slanic better, but this is a personal preference.
Overnight In Cluj-Napoca
After the mines, we drove to Cluj. This is a 40-minute drive.
Cluj, or Cluj Napoca, is the second largest city in Romania. It has many universities and is also very popular among the locals.
When we moved to Romania, we often asked people in Bucharest what their favorite city in the country was, and most answered Cluj. And we get it! The city is fantastic, with many art studios, museums, and a beautiful church.
A great stop while here would be Grădina Botanică “Alexandru Borza,” the botanical gardens of Cluj. There is also an excellent museum on Jewish history that is worth a visit.
We enjoyed the terraces and the kind people. This city is home to a lot of younger people, which means that more people speak English, which was great for us. We had a lovely walk around the city and spent the night at an Airbnb.
Local Tip: If you decide to stay an extra night, you can take the most beautiful hikes from Cluj. Cheili Turzi offers a beautiful hike up to the valley with great views.
Day 7: Cluj- Napoca To Bucharest
The next day, we started driving back to Bucharest, which was a long drive of about 6 to 7 hours. The roads are good, though, and the drive back is lovely.
Trip Summary
This trip takes you over 1086 kilometers of beautiful roads. In total, the drive took over 15 hours and spread out over seven days. During this trip, you will visit Bucharest, Slanic Salina Prahova, Sinaia, Bran, Brașov, Sibiu, Salina Turda, and Cluj Napoca.
Now, this road trip has only covered a few highlights of Romania. There is so much more to see and do, but we hope this road trip story convinces you to come to Romania and explore this underrated country in all of its beauty.