Planning a trip to Romania and wondering how to spend 1 week seeing some of the most amazing places to visit? In this travel blog you can find a road trip itinerary for Romania for 7 days. Renting a car is easy, affordable and the best way to explore the country. Traveling to Romania is full of surprises.
This 1-week Romania itinerary blog is written by Margot van der Linde, her first travel blog as a member of the Traveltomtom team!
This is a story about a girl that was planning to visit Rome, but ended up traveling to Romania! My plan was to go on a city trip to Rome, but the flight tickets were extremely expensive for the day I wanted to fly. Solution: the "go to anywhere" option on Skyscanner. I love it and it made me discover a new country that I had not been thinking about visiting before.
I scrolled a little bit and found a return ticket Amsterdam - Bucharest for €50. Since I had never been there I thought why not, let's give it a try! During my google search I found out that traveling to Romania is not just Bucharest and there are so many cool places to visit, especially the countries natural beauty.
I traveled to Romania during the autumn season (October) and the nature was showing its brightly red, orange and yellow colored trees.
So instead of a city trip to Bucharest only, I decided to go a 1 week road trip in Romania. Looking back now I can say: it was the best decision ever! In total I spent 8 days traveling in Romania but since there are so many cool places to see you can easily extend your Romania itinerary with a couple days. A lot of places are just not found yet by the standard tourists.
Day 1-2: Bucharest
The internet was right. With all due respect but Bucharest is not the most beautiful city you'll ever see, but restaurants and bars are very affordable, the people are friendly and you can see all the Bucharest highlights in a short amount of time.
I always prefer to start with seeing a few of the “must-see tourist attractions” according to tourist websites, followed by getting lost and exploring some hidden gems.
One of the best things to do in Bucharest is to join a free walking tour on your first day, so a local can show you around and tell you where to go to.
Here are some of my Bucharest travel tips:
- Arcul de Triumf, followed up by a walk in the Herăstrău Park.
- Especially for the Dutchies and of course art lovers: Grand Café van Gogh.
- Walk along the Calea Victoriei to see beautiful old buildings.
- The most beautiful hidden gem you'll find in this city: Patriarchal Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helena.
My Bucharest hotel recommendation is the Mercure Bucharest Unirii.
Day 3-4: Peleş Castle & Brasov
Renting a car in Romania is very easy and affordable and I got mine in Bucharest. I packed my stuff and drove to my first stop: Peleş Castle. The castle is closed on Monday (of course just when I was there), but the exterior is already breathtaking enough and therefore definitely worth adding to your Romania itinerary.
Maybe it’s even better visiting Peleş Castle on Mondays when there are just a few tourists.
After a walk and a drink with a pastry, I drove to my final destination for that day: Braşov, a cute, beautiful small town.
I would recommend to visit Brasov an extra day if you have time on your Romania itinerary. Not only does it have amazing cafes and restaurants, but also a "Hollywood sign" up on the hill.
You can go there by gondola, but I recommend you a hike. The walk will take you about an hour. With every minute the views are getting more and more beautiful until you reach the viewpoint on top of the hill.
The world is literally at your feet! One of the best things to do when visiting Brasov. After enjoying the view you can walk to the other side of the hill, where you can stroll down in the nature.
During autumn, every tree is brightly colored in yellow, red and orange. Back at the city square you can eat and drink in a lot of cute restaurants and cafes. Another nice thing to do in Brasov is a walk along the city wall, especially during golden hour.
Recommended place to stay in Brasov is the Casa Wagner Brasov. This amazing hotel is right at the city square!
Day 5-6: Bran Castle & Făgăraş
The Romania road trip continues by visiting the famous Bran Castle or better known as the Dracula Castle. It is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Romania. This castle is a very touristic spot, but it is worth adding it to your Romania itinerary. Also, the village where the castle is located has some nice restaurants.
The best part about driving in Romania is that the highway ends directly in the small villages, where cows walk in the streets and old people are sitting in front of their tiny houses. Every highway ends in a village and every village ends with a highway. That's why you don't have to overthink your route for Romania: every road trip will bring you to cute villages and of course shows you the beautiful nature. I booked a hotel for the night in Făgăraş. Nothing special, only worth because it was a very good place for the night before visiting the Transfăgărăşan.
Day 6: Transfăgărăsan
Difficult name, hard to pronounce but one of the best things to do in Romania. The Transfăgărăsan is a scenic mountain road of the southern section of the Carpathian Mountains. Keep in mind that a part of the Transfăgărăsan is closed during winter. Come prepared with warm clothes (even during autumn), water, food and make sure to fill up your tank before this amazing road trip. There are no gas stations around, it is all just unspoiled nature high in the mountains.
Also start the journey early, so you'll be in the next village before sunset. But trust me the Transfăgărăsan road trip is going to be breathtaking, a highlight on your Romania itinerary.
The road climbs up in the mountains, so views constantly get better. There are multiple stops created for taking pictures, so keep your hands on the steering wheel while driving all the bends. Top Gear made an episode in this valley, so you can take their driving skills as example 😉.
A (touristic) stop is the Bâlea Lacul. After this stop you'll go through a tunnel which brings you to the other side of the mountains. In my opinion an even more beautiful part of the Transfăgărăsan road trip. If you're lucky you'll see bears, foxes and other wild life!
The road follows the mountains, a beautiful lake and a water reservoir, ending in a couple of small villages.
I decided to stay in Curtea de Argeş. This was the best location for the night to make my drive back to Bucharest the day after not too long, and also to be “home” before sunset. Driving here during the night is definitely not recommended.
Day 7-8: Târgoviste & Bucharest
The Romania road trip comes almost to an end. I went back to Bucharest via Târgoviste. Here I was just enjoying my last moments of my Romania itinerary, rethinking the travel memories I made on this road trip. Târgoviste is a small village with nice ruins and a park. A nice stop before heading back to Bucharest.
I hope all the above tips for going on a 1-week trip in Romania were helpful and that this itinerary and amazing photos inspire you to visit Romania soon. May you have any questions please leave us a comment below.
Enjoy your trip to Romania!