Discover Bulgaria and Romania

Journey from Bulgaria’s Black Sea shores to Romania’s fabled Transylvania on a richly layered small-group adventure. Take in centuries of history in Sofia and Bucharest, wander medieval Old Towns in Plovdiv, Sighişoara and Braşov, and visit remarkable UNESCO World Heritage sites ranging from painted monasteries and cliffside carvings to fortified churches and walled towns. Along the way, savor regional specialties, learn local traditions at a cooking demonstration, and trace the legends behind “Dracula” at Bran Castle and Vlad the Impaler’s reputed burial place.

Tour Highlights

Get acquainted with Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, on a city tour featuring the neo-Byzantine Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the medieval Boyana Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Visit the 10th-century Rila Monastery, a symbol of Slavic cultural identity and another UNESCO treasure, set amid forested mountains.
Travel to Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s cultural capital in historic Thrace, and stroll its cobbled Old Town, with beautifully restored houses and a remarkably preserved 1st-century Roman theater still in use today.
Stop in Nessebar, the “Pearl of the Black Sea,” whose ancient city is a UNESCO site with ruins reflecting its Greek and Roman past, then continue to seaside Varna to explore its Archaeological Museum and relaxed waterfront.
Admire two of Bulgaria’s most distinctive UNESCO sites en route to Romania: the Madara Rider rock relief and the Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari, noted for painted murals and carved female figures unique in the Thracian world.
In Bucharest, tour highlights including the vast Palace of Parliament, one of the world’s largest government buildings, and the open-air National Village Museum showcasing traditional architecture from across Romania.
Learn about Bucharest’s Jewish heritage during visits to the Choral Temple and the Great (Polish) Synagogue, followed by an evening wine tasting at a local restaurant.
Stay inside the medieval walls of Sighişoara, whose Historic Centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and visit the fortified church at Biertan plus the storybook Saxon village of Malancrav for a traditional lunch cooked over an open fire.
Explore Braşov, ringed by Carpathian peaks, including the famed Black Church and a museum housing Romania’s first printing press.

Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1: Depart U.S. for Sofia, Bulgaria
Day 2: Sofia, Bulgaria
Day 3: Sofia, Bulgaria
Day 4: Sofia • Rila, Bulgaria
Day 5: Sofia • Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Day 6: Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Day 7: Plovdiv • Nessebar • Varna, Bulgaria (Black Sea)
Day 8: Varna, Bulgaria (Black Sea)
Day 9: Varna, Bulgaria • Bucharest, Romania
Day 10: Bucharest, Romania
Day 11: Bucharest, Romania
Day 12: Bucharest • Sighisoara, Romania
Day 13: Sighisoara • Biertan • Malancrav, Romania
Day 14: Sighisoara • Brasov, Romania
Day 15: Brasov • Bran Castle • Prejmer, Romania
Day 16: Brasov • Sinaia • Snagov • Bucharest, Romania
Day 17: Depart for U.S.

Operator
Odysseys Unlimited