The group is full! You can register for the waiting list. See also Armenian mountain hike.
Summer extension trip in Romania
The Romanian adventure trip combines mountain hiking culture and, of course, delicious food. The plan is to hike properly and enjoy unprecedented views of valleys, lakes, and mountain peaks. We will cross the Carpathian mountain range and climb to the roof of Romania: the 2544-meter-high Moldoveanu (and take in a whole bunch of other Romanian peaks along the way!).
After lacing up our hiking boots, we breathe in the historical atmosphere of the charming old town of Sibiu and the oldest city in Romania, Curtea de Argeș. We wander the streets and enjoy the reminders of distant times.
And of course, the itinerary includes a visit to Dracula's Castle in Poienari, which requires climbing approximately 1400 steps to reach!
This is an easy mountain trip in the Carpathian Mountains with a climb to the highest peak in Romania and local cultural experiences!
The trip is also suitable for those who have never been to the mountains before and who do not have great mountaineering ambitions, but would be happy to hike along mountain trails in beautiful places with a small backpack. In addition, everyone will get a much-needed dose of autumn sun and a nice culture shock! The weather in Romania in September marks the beginning of the velvet season for them, as the average daily air temperature remains around a pleasant +20...+24 degrees, but of course it is a little cooler in the mountains. :)
Carpathians. The Romanian Carpathians are probably one of the most mysterious mountains in the world. They have become a mecca for lovers of secrets, mysteries, Count Dracula and Gothic. However, Romania is not only associated with ancient castles, cobbled medieval streets, vaulted cathedrals and beautiful beaches - it is also home to unparalleled untouched wildlife. It is quite possible that you will see wild animals while traveling in Romania. Also worth seeing are the amazing and mysterious primeval forests, which are protected by UNESCO and occupy the largest area in Europe.
Transfagarasan! Any mountain road pales in comparison to Romania's unique and nerve-wracking Transfagarasan serpentine. The winding road, about 100 kilometers long, traverses the entire mountain range and offers indescribable views of the Carpathians, Alpine lakes, and waterfalls.
It's a completely useless task to describe all this - you have to see it with your own eyes! Let's add to all this delicious and rich cuisine and reasonable prices. Sounds irresistible, right?! ;)
NB! The trip is affordable for the average office worker. We will be hiking with small backpacks and spending all nights in huts/hotels.
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: climb to Moldoveanu peak and get acquainted with Romanian culture
Dates: 07.09-14.09.2024
Activity: easy mountain hiking
Adventure guide: Sergei Kleidov
Technical difficulty level: 1/5 (easy mountain hike without special equipment)
Physical difficulty: 2/5 (moderate effort, also suitable for an office worker)
Group size: min 6, max 15
Early bird (until 31.03.2024) — €1390
Late Registration (from 1.04.2024) — €1530
Please note: For community members discount of -5% applies (1320 € / 1450 €)
👉 SEE EQUIPMENT LIST HERE 👈
Travel cost
Price includes:
Entire trip organization and on-site guidance
Elamus+ Estonian-speaking tour guide (also speaks Russian and English)
Services of a local English-speaking guide both in the mountains and on cultural days
Local transportation, including airport transfers
All overnight stays throughout the trip (cabins/hotels)
All meals as per itinerary
Stylish Elamus+ sports shirt for each participant
Group pharmacy
The price does not include:
Flight tickets to Sibiu and back (~300-400 €)
Insurance (travel insurance and sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking)
Personal hiking equipment
Extra activities and transportation for them
Personal hygiene products and medications
Registering for the tour
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, a deposit (20%) must be paid within 3 business days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by email; if there are less than 30 days left until the trip, the total cost (100%) must be paid. Read more: frequently asked questions ja package tour information sheet.
Schedule and activities
DAY 1 - arrival in Sibiu
Upon arrival at Sibiu Airport (SBZ), the group will be met by a local representative and driven to an overnight stay near the Old Town of Sibiu.
Sibiu is located in the heart of the famous and beautiful historical province of Transylvania. The old town of Sibiu has preserved the grandeur of its early days and is home to many impressive buildings, ancient churches and fragments of powerful fortifications, including towers, bastions and sections of walls. The upper town is only a 10-minute walk from our accommodation. Those who wish can explore the city of Sibiu on their own, but in the evening there will be a joint introductory dinner in a traditional restaurant, during which we can discuss the upcoming mountain adventure with our mountain guide.
Overnight stay at My Continental Hotel (or similar).
Dinner is included in the price.
DAY 2 - first day of hiking
After a proper breakfast, the first stage of the Faragas Mountain Trail, or the first hiking day, awaits us.
First, we drive for about an hour and reach the foothills of the Faragas Mountains, where our hiking trail begins. We hike along the Râul Mare stream, later our trail winds uphill through beautiful forests. Our goal today is the Bărcaciu hut, located at an altitude of 1500 meters. A little before our final destination, the forest disperses and we can enjoy a beautiful view of the valley with the Olt River.
We will take a short break and then climb to a slightly higher plateau. Upon reaching there, we can admire a small lake in a large mountain pasture and a view of the surrounding mountains and Negoi Peak. In the evening, a warm dinner awaits us.
Overnight stay in the huts of Bărcaciu Hut camp.
The price includes breakfast, dinner, and a picnic lunch.
We will hike for about 5 hours during the day.
DAY 3 - second hiking day
After breakfast, we leave Bărcaciu Hut Camp and head towards Negoiu Hut Camp. Today, we will first climb Scara Mountain (2306 m). Here, we will once again have a magnificent panorama of the Romanian mountains. Don’t worry, we will take plenty of photo breaks to capture all the stunning views that open up before us. The subsequent descent will take us to Scara Rafuge (2146 m), where we can take a break and enjoy a picnic lunch.
The further hiking trail along the edge of the open valley basin towards Șerbota Peak is particularly beautiful. Shortly before Șerbota Peak at 2331 meters, we descend and reach the Negoiu Hut (1546 m) camp, where we can rest after a day of hiking.
We hike for 4-5 hours during the day.
Overnight stay in the Negoiu Hut camp hut.
The price includes breakfast, dinner, and a picnic lunch.
DAY 4 - Third day of hiking
The third day in the Faragas Mountains promises to be very active! Let's prepare ourselves for a proper hiking day, which should be within the reach of any slightly mobile hiker. No climbing skills or special equipment are required, the main thing is to be careful and follow the guide's instructions.
Namely, we will climb to the peak of the second highest mountain in Romania, Mount Negoiu, at 2535 meters. On our journey, we will also admire the Balea and Călțun lakes, and before reaching our overnight stop, we will visit two more smaller peaks – Laițel and Paltunu.
As if to thank you for an active day of hiking, our accommodation is located right on the shores of Balea Lake, in a picturesque valley. This view should not leave anyone indifferent. We will stay overnight at the Cabana Balea Lac camp, and a warm dinner will be waiting for us upon arrival.
At this camp we will also meet the escort car with our main luggage. Now we can refresh the contents of our bags and leave/exchange unnecessary things with the escort car.
We hike for 8-9 hours during the day.
Overnight stay in the cabins of Cabana Balea Lac camp.
The price includes breakfast, dinner, and a picnic lunch.
DAY 5 - Fourth day of hiking
In the morning we wake up, have breakfast and start a nice walk up from Balea Lake to the Șaua Caprei peak (2315 m). From there we hike past the Goat Lake (Lakul Capra), visit the monument to avalanche victims, and reach the peaks of Portița Arpașului and Arpașu Mic (2461 m). The path between these peaks is secured with chains. The locals call it La trei pași de moarte or “Three Steps from Death”. But there is no reason to worry, every hiker with a steady step will pass this section. And the beautiful views are on top!
This gives a good insight into this section of the mountain road, affectionately called “3 steps from death”. video.
After such a nerve-wracking experience, we descend to Podu-Giurgiului Lake and end the day by seeing what is visible from the top of Podragu (2307 m). Most likely tired, but also satisfied, we arrive at the Podragu hut camp, where we eat our fill and sometimes buy some hay.
We hike for 6 hours during the day.
Overnight stay in the huts of Podgaru Hut camp.
The price includes breakfast, dinner, and a picnic lunch.
DAY 6 - fifth hiking day (climb to Moldoveanu peak!)
Today is a very important day for us, because we plan to climb the roof of Romania, or Moldoveanu Peak. After breakfast, we start hiking. The climb to Moldoveanu begins from the third highest mountain in the Carpathians, or Viştea Mare (2527 m). There are also several smaller peaks on the way, all of which are added to our already quite impressive list of Romanian peaks. By the way, we will also take in the peaks of Târâța (2414 m), Ucea-Mare (2434 m) and Ucișoara (2418 m). Then just a short ridge and we will be on Moldoveanu, the highest mountain in Romania, which is 2544 meters high. After a rest, we will hike down to the Wallachia region. And a soft bed and running warm water, which we have probably been dreaming of for several days, await us, because we will be staying at a hotel near the Vidraru reservoir.
We hike for 7-8 hours during the day.
Overnight stay at the Vidraru 4* hotel.
The price includes breakfast, dinner, and a picnic lunch.
DAY 7 - Culture Day!
Now that we have had enough of the peaks, we deserve a slightly easier day of discovery and head to explore the rich culture of Romania. First, we take a look at the impressive 166-meter-high and 305-meter-long dam of the Vidraru Dam. Then we drive to Dracula Castle in Poienari, where Vlad III Draculea hid from the Tatars and Turks in 1462. 1480 steps lead from the valley to the castle on the hill. We make another stop in one of the oldest cities in Romania, Curtea de Argeș. It was the first capital of the Principality of Wallachia. The road leads through the beautiful Valea Oltului (Old Valley) to the Cozia Monastery. The monastery leaves an unforgettable impression, it is richly decorated and the interior of the church is decorated with many extraordinary frescoes.
The day ends with a nice dinner in Sibiu.
Overnight stay at My Continental Hotel (or similar).
The price includes breakfast and dinner.
DAY 8 - now it's time to go home!
After breakfast and before being taken to the airport, we will have a guided walking tour of Sibiu. Sibiu surprises with a very beautiful old town, with narrow streets in the lower town and many representative buildings in the upper town. Here you can see the multifaceted history of the former capital of Transylvania. After the walk, we will be transferred to Sibiu airport to start our journey home!
Breakfast is included in the price.
NB! There may be minor changes to the schedule and planned activities - for example, due to weather and conditions or passenger requests.
Romanian specificities
Romanians are sensitive about their cultural heritage, so you must ask permission before taking photos of historical monuments. Taking photos of strategic objects is not allowed (military installations, airfields, transport bridges).
Romanian police often ask tourists and locals for identification, so it is recommended to have a passport or driver's license on hand.
The national currency of Romania is the Romanian leu (€1 = 4,97 RON), but in many places it is also possible to pay in euros. Most major hotels and restaurants accept American Express, MasterCard and Visa credit cards.
Romania has one official language, Romanian. However, 90% of the population speaks English fluently.
Romanian cuisine is distinguished by an abundance of vegetables and meat: soup with meatballs and vegetables, pepper soup, stewed vegetables, cabbage rolls and grape leaves, smoked goat meat, etc.
Tap water is drinkable almost everywhere in Romania, although bottled water (apă minerală) is also widely available.
The sockets are like those in Estonia, no adapter is needed.
As a sign of special hospitality, Romanians love to kiss on both cheeks!
Travel documents, Covid and footnote information
The participant is responsible for the validity and orderliness of their travel documents. The following documents are required for this trip:
pass (visa is not required for Romania);
suitable for mountain hiking sports insuranceA suitable sports insurance policy must be carried and is a prerequisite for participating in the mountain hike;
travel insurance (including travel disruption, baggage, medical assistance);
If Romania requires a Covid-19 test or other related documents prior to travel, these are also the responsibility of the participant.
Read more also Elamus Pluss OÜ travel conditions.
Don't worry, let's do it!
Is this mountain hike within my reach?
Moldoveanu is a fairly easy mountain and no prior mountaineering experience is required. Previous hiking experience and active exercise in Estonia will of course be beneficial.
But I don't have any hiking gear, who can afford to buy it?!
You'll have to spend a little, but not much. For hiking in the mountains in Romania, you'll mainly need standard hiking clothing and basic hiking equipment (walking poles, backpack, etc.). Climbing equipment is not needed. We'll sleep and eat in mountain huts under the roof, so there's no need to carry camping equipment.
Okay, I registered. Now what?
To make your mountain hike more enjoyable, we recommend that you participate in our preparatory events before the trip - it's also part of the fun. We organize preparatory hiking training, give advice on suitable insurance and equipment, where to rent cheap equipment, what to train for, etc. We will definitely check the collected equipment just before the start of the trip and send reminders about important things.
Read more also frequently asked questions.
