There are numerous possible arrival points in Romania. We can either pick you up in Bucharest (for flights landing before 9 am only, with a total transfer time of 3.5 hours) or Brasov (transfer time: one hour). If your flight lands later, we recommend arriving the day before, and booking a hotel in Bucharest, or transferring to Brasov. Our first destination is Tălișoara, a quiet and pretty village, where we will stay at a beautifully-restored old aristocratic house, offering comfortable accommodation and excellent food. We will take a warm-up ride in the surrounding countryside to get you used to the bikes and terrain, followed by a briefing over dinner with your guides. There should be time to relax or make a visit to see the local blacksmith in action before dinner.
Miclosoara Kalnoky Castle or Talisoara Castle
Dinner
Ride 20kmThis morning, after an excellent breakfast in the manor house, we will ride right out of the gates and into rural Transylvania. Our route takes us along the Olt River, passing through medieval villages that have changed little over the centuries such as Vârghis, Dacia and Rupea, where we will stop for a pleasant lunch. In the afternoon we continue on a leisurely ride to Viscri, our destination for the day, which is a historic Saxon settlement recognized by UNESCO for its archaeological importance. Best-known for its fortified church dating back to the 12th century, Viscri is a picture-postcard village with whitewashed walled houses, thatched roofs, and local artisans on its cobbled main street. It is also a great example of community tourism in action: the well-preserved buildings as well as arts and crafts have been supported and well-maintained to preserve an authentic and historic part of Transylvania. We stay in a charming, traditionally-restored guesthouse and will take some time to explore the town, visit the bakery or some of the many workshops. In the evening, we witness one of the most iconic images of rural Transylvanian life as great herds of cows return to the village from grazing in the surrounding pastures.
Viscri 125 or Critz Cross Guest HouseBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 69km
+477m
-446mThis morning, it's well worth taking a walk around Viscri before hopping on our bicycles again. We ride directly from our accommodation, heading west towards Dacia and Jibert villages, before crossing a wild forest hill to Cobor village. In Cobor, we will visit a biodiversity farm and have an organic local lunch with a fun ride along some lovely gravel roads through the forest, and a mix of local asphalt roads taking us to Cincsor. We are comfortably accommodated in a beautifully-renovated hotel that used to be a parish house.
Cincsor Transylvania Guesthouses or Hanul BrancovenescBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 54km+531m-647mFrom Cincsor, we ride north to a delightful village in rural Transylvania called Dealu Frumos, which translates as “the beautiful hill” and is considered the geographical centre of Romania. Our ride takes us along pleasant rural roads passing several more Saxon villages before reaching Agnita and then a detour to Movile village where we visit an interesting old fortified church renovation project and can enjoy a nice lunch in the village. We end the day in Sighisoara, another UNESCO World Heritage site, and famous in Romania as the best preserved of the seven medieval fortified cities. The impressive medieval citadel is home to endless stories and is a paradise for photographers. This evening you are free to enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants in the old town.
Fronius ResidenceBreakfast, Lunch
Ride 69km+535m-575mAfter another delightful Romanian breakfast, we will glide out of Sighisoara following gentle country roads. After following a wonderful off-road trail to pastoral Prod village (there is an asphalt option if preferred), we can take a rest and enjoy the lovely views. We then have a few gentle climbs to take us across some hidden hills to discover the remote village of Cund, a small German settlement where the local community have lovingly renovated many traditional old homes, to a high standard yet in keeping with the traditional architecture and culture to create a visually interesting and impressive village environment. After a local lunch in Cund and the chance to taste some locally made cheese, we can enjoy a more leisurely bike ride to the best boutique winery in the region for a well deserved and thoroughly enjoyable visit and wine tasting session. Bliss!
Valea Verde ResortBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 75km+736m-709mStart with a very pleasant pedal to Biertan village, which was the very first of Transylvania’s villages to receive UNESCO status. The impressive fortifications, imposing walls and soaring spires set against a backdrop of the green hills make for one of the country’s most distinctive images. Our ride then takes us through forested terrain to Alma Vii, another charming village and the venue for today’s lunch. Served in a typical Saxon cellar in the town's 13th-century fortified, we will sit down to more delicious Romanian fare, and maybe even hear the church organ being played above us! We will spend the afternoon riding through Hartibaciu valley until Nocrich, a pottery centre where we can take a breather and view the ceramics, before continuing to Sibu, our final destination. Sibu is a fitting final destination for our Transylvanian cycling adventure. Named the European Capital of Culture a decade ago, it is well worth exploring and a short walk from our hotel reveals ample evidence of its cultural heritage including museums, galleries, concert halls and elegant squares with excellent coffee-shops. The Medieval Fortress and the Brukenthal Museum in the old town should not be missed. We end our time together with a farewell meal and toast our adventures with some excellent Romanian wines.
Craft Inn or Republique HotelBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 72km+794m-754mDepending on your ongoing plans, we will drop you off at Sibu International Airport for your flight or arrange a transfer back to Bucharest (4 hours' drive). This trip ends in Sibu, which is a great place to stay and explore for a few days. Please contact us if you would like us to help make arrangements.
BreakfastDisclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.
DestinationsRomania
Tour MeetsBucharest, Romania
Fly in toHenri Coandă International Airport
Group Size2-16 riders
SpiceRoads jerseyWater bottleSupport vehicleGuide(s)Meals (as indicated)AccommodationSnacks and drinksLunchEntrance fees
International flightsDomestic flightsAirport pick upAirport drop offVisa feesAlcoholTips
This trip is fully supported and uses a mix of roads and trails including tarmac, gravel roads and a few off-road trails. We recommend mountain bikes, and will provide front-suspension MTBs as the default hire option, as we think that is the best piece of equipment for the terrain. However, hybrids or gravel bikes will work just fine. We start riding in Talisoara, a three-hour drive north of Bucharest and end in Sibiu, which is four-hours northwest of Bucharest.
We have five full days of cycling plus a warm-up ride on day one, and the full distance is 336 km. Each day we ride for 50-75 km on undulating roads and trails. Expect to ride at a leisurely pace, stopping often for visits and rest breaks. The terrain is up and down: we climb a total of 2,400 metres and average around 450 metres each day so there are lots of hills but no long climbs or very steep sections. On most riding days, we start after breakfast at around 9 am and ride for between 3-4 hours with stops and a leisurely lunch. We typically arrive at our destination late afternoon. Most riders should be able to complete the full distance and be able to ride comfortably at 20-22 kph, but if anyone needs a rest, there is a support vehicle following, so you can do exactly as much cycling as you wish. As we sometimes ride at different speeds, the guides will ride through the group to check on all group members and make sure everyone knows where each rest stop is located, so we can regroup and visit sites together. We encourage you to ride at a reasonable speed, enjoy the riding, take in views and immerse yourself in the surroundings. Faster, fitter riders can go ahead and regroup at designated meeting points. The tour is designed to flow and accommodate all riding styles.
Suitability: This trip is suitable for anyone with a reasonable fitness level and has been designed for all levels of rider. It is a good idea to prepare for the tour with some riding, especially practicing on hills, if possible. While there are no extended climbs on the tour, the rolling hills of Transylvania result in an average daily elevation gain of +440 m. While most of our cycling routes are quiet and free of traffic, expect to encounter some busier sections when entering villages or towns.
Biking Conditions: This tour follows a wide mix of roads and riding surfaces including gravel roads, forest roads, dirt tracks, broken roads and some good tarmac roads, with about 10% on dirt/gravel tracks, 10% on dedicated bike paths, 50% is on quiet roads with little traffic, and 30 % on roads shared with traffic.
Cycling Days: We have 5 1/2-riding days and ride point to point every day. Usually, there will be one or two main stops planned each day for visits and local cultural experiences and several short stops to regroup, refuel or take-in-the-views before we reach our finish point.
Accommodation We use a range of beautiful accommodation including restored medieval guesthouses, 4castles and 3-4 traditional rural hotels. The accommodation is 3-4 star level and of excellent quality.
There are numerous possible arrival points in Romania. We can either pick you up in Bucharest (for flights landing before 9 am only, with a total transfer time of 3.5 hours) or Brasov (transfer time: one hour). If your flight lands later, we recommend arriving the day before, and booking a hotel in Bucharest, or transferring to Brasov. Our first destination is Tălișoara, a quiet and pretty village, where we will stay at a beautifully-restored old aristocratic house, offering comfortable accommodation and excellent food. We will take a warm-up ride in the surrounding countryside to get you used to the bikes and terrain, followed by a briefing over dinner with your guides. There should be time to relax or make a visit to see the local blacksmith in action before dinner.
Miclosoara Kalnoky Castle or Talisoara CastleDinnerRide 20kmThis morning, after an excellent breakfast in the manor house, we will ride right out of the gates and into rural Transylvania. Our route takes us along the Olt River, passing through medieval villages that have changed little over the centuries such as Vârghis, Dacia and Rupea, where we will stop for a pleasant lunch. In the afternoon we continue on a leisurely ride to Viscri, our destination for the day, which is a historic Saxon settlement recognized by UNESCO for its archaeological importance. Best-known for its fortified church dating back to the 12th century, Viscri is a picture-postcard village with whitewashed walled houses, thatched roofs, and local artisans on its cobbled main street. It is also a great example of community tourism in action: the well-preserved buildings as well as arts and crafts have been supported and well-maintained to preserve an authentic and historic part of Transylvania. We stay in a charming, traditionally-restored guesthouse and will take some time to explore the town, visit the bakery or some of the many workshops. In the evening, we witness one of the most iconic images of rural Transylvanian life as great herds of cows return to the village from grazing in the surrounding pastures.
Viscri 125 or Critz Cross Guest HouseBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 69km+477m-446mThis morning, it's well worth taking a walk around Viscri before hopping on our bicycles again. We ride directly from our accommodation, heading west towards Dacia and Jibert villages, before crossing a wild forest hill to Cobor village. In Cobor, we will visit a biodiversity farm and have an organic local lunch with a fun ride along some lovely gravel roads through the forest, and a mix of local asphalt roads taking us to Cincsor. We are comfortably accommodated in a beautifully-renovated hotel that used to be a parish house.
Cincsor Transylvania Guesthouses or Hanul BrancovenescBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 54km+531m-647mFrom Cincsor, we ride north to a delightful village in rural Transylvania called Dealu Frumos, which translates as “the beautiful hill” and is considered the geographical centre of Romania. Our ride takes us along pleasant rural roads passing several more Saxon villages before reaching Agnita and then a detour to Movile village where we visit an interesting old fortified church renovation project and can enjoy a nice lunch in the village. We end the day in Sighisoara, another UNESCO World Heritage site, and famous in Romania as the best preserved of the seven medieval fortified cities. The impressive medieval citadel is home to endless stories and is a paradise for photographers. This evening you are free to enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants in the old town.
Fronius ResidenceBreakfast, LunchRide 69km+535m-575mAfter another delightful Romanian breakfast, we will glide out of Sighisoara following gentle country roads. After following a wonderful off-road trail to pastoral Prod village (there is an asphalt option if preferred), we can take a rest and enjoy the lovely views. We then have a few gentle climbs to take us across some hidden hills to discover the remote village of Cund, a small German settlement where the local community have lovingly renovated many traditional old homes, to a high standard yet in keeping with the traditional architecture and culture to create a visually interesting and impressive village environment. After a local lunch in Cund and the chance to taste some locally made cheese, we can enjoy a more leisurely bike ride to the best boutique winery in the region for a well deserved and thoroughly enjoyable visit and wine tasting session. Bliss!
Valea Verde ResortBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 75km+736m-709mStart with a very pleasant pedal to Biertan village, which was the very first of Transylvania’s villages to receive UNESCO status. The impressive fortifications, imposing walls and soaring spires set against a backdrop of the green hills make for one of the country’s most distinctive images. Our ride then takes us through forested terrain to Alma Vii, another charming village and the venue for today’s lunch. Served in a typical Saxon cellar in the town's 13th-century fortified, we will sit down to more delicious Romanian fare, and maybe even hear the church organ being played above us! We will spend the afternoon riding through Hartibaciu valley until Nocrich, a pottery centre where we can take a breather and view the ceramics, before continuing to Sibu, our final destination. Sibu is a fitting final destination for our Transylvanian cycling adventure. Named the European Capital of Culture a decade ago, it is well worth exploring and a short walk from our hotel reveals ample evidence of its cultural heritage including museums, galleries, concert halls and elegant squares with excellent coffee-shops. The Medieval Fortress and the Brukenthal Museum in the old town should not be missed. We end our time together with a farewell meal and toast our adventures with some excellent Romanian wines.
Craft Inn or Republique HotelBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 72km+794m-754mDepending on your ongoing plans, we will drop you off at Sibu International Airport for your flight or arrange a transfer back to Bucharest (4 hours' drive). This trip ends in Sibu, which is a great place to stay and explore for a few days. Please contact us if you would like us to help make arrangements.
BreakfastDisclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.
Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section.
If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is a mountain bike, hybrid or gravel bike, preferably with front suspension in good mechanical order if you prefer riding in comfort.
Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.
Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.
You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.
Health conditions in Romania are good, especially in the cities. In recent years, the range of health services has increased and become more modern. Hospitals and clinics provide proper care, but we recommend taking out travel insurance. There are no compulsory vaccinations for entering Romania. ~~~
Romania has a temperate climate, similar to the northeastern United States, or some parts of northern Europe, with four distinct seasons. Spring is pleasant with cool mornings and nights and warm days. Summer is quite warm, with extended sunny days. The hottest areas in summer are the lowlands in southern and eastern Romania but temperatures are always cooler in the mountains. Autumn is dry and cool, with fields and trees producing colourful foliage, much like New England. Winters can be cold, especially in the mountains. While not the rule, abundant snowfalls may occur throughout the country, from December to mid-March. Our trips typically start in May and run until October and you should expect temperatures as low as 15C/60F in Spring/Fall (Autumn) with cool mornings and evenings but warm in the daytime. You should pack some warm and waterproof clothes if travelling at this time of the year as it can rain and probably want arm-warmers, gilet and long pants and bring a few layers and a jacket for the evening. Daytime temperatures in Spring or Fall can vary between 7c (44F) – 17c (65F). Summer is warmer and can get quite hot with longer daylight hours and maximum temperatures of 35c (90F) in August and an average of 23c (73F). Expect to be cycling in shorts and short sleeves.
While not well known abroad, Romanian cuisine is a near-perfect reflection of the country's agrarian roots and cosmopolitan history. Dishes borrow heavily from neighbouring (and occasionally occupying) cultures – Turkish, Hungarian, Germanic and Slavic. The Turks brought meatballs (perișoare in a meatball soup), from the Greeks there is mussaca, from the Austrians there is the șnițel, and the list could continue and some recipes can be traced to the Romans, as well as other ancient civilizations. One of the most common meals is the mămăligă, the precursor of polenta, served on its own or as an accompaniment. Pork is the main meat used in Romanian cuisine, but also beef is consumed and a good lamb or fish dish is never to be refused. Wherever we eat the results are always excellent with a wonderfully rustic, homemade quality, built around staples such as pork, chicken and lamb, but made special through the addition of ample, organic fruits and vegetables. We will make sure you sample a wide range of local cuisines and make sure we visit or stay at lodges with excellent food. Dinners are usually quite meat-oriented with pork or beef and sarmale cu mamaliguta which is a traditional Romanian dish made of minced pork wrapped in pickled cabbage leaves and served with polenta and a chilli. Vegetarians and vegans and other dietary requirements can be catered for but please let us know in advance. ~~~
Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Cold water, some energy restoring local fruit and soft drinks are included in the tour price while riding. Soft drinks and other beverages during meals are not included. You may also want to bring electrolytes in powder or tablet form. Alcoholic drinks are available everywhere but are not included. It needs to be pointed out that Romania is one of Europe’s biggest wine producers, and while much of the output is aimed at the budget, student end of the market, quality is improving and several wines – both white and red – are worth looking for. The best winemaking regions for whites include the Târnave plateau, north of Sibiu, and Cotnari, near Iaşi. For reds, look for Dealu Mare (south of the Carpathians, near the Prahova Valley). Murfatlar, near the Black Sea, and Odobeşti, in southern Moldavia, produce both quality reds and whites. Drăgăşani, in southern Romania, is home to one of the country’s most promising new wineries, the Casa Isărescu. Another new and highly regarded winemaker is the Nachbil winery, located in the northwest of the country, near Satu Mare. And if that's not enough, pretty much every household makes their own Tuica (pronounced “tsweeka”) which is a spirit usually made from plums and flavoured with herbs from their garden or the surrounding area. This is usually drunk whilst being welcomed into the house and after dinner. ~~~
SpiceRoads does not require you to pay a surcharge for travelling alone. We will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveller of the same gender and if we can not match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share a single supplement is payable to guarantee your single room. The cost of the single supplement is listed above. ~~~
We recommend that you tuck away a few extra US Dollars for possible incidentals that might arise. It is always wise to have some paper currency in case of ATM absence or credit card problems. This will save you a lot of unnecessary worries. It is also customary to tip local tour guides and drivers; however, the amount you give should be dependent on the level of service you receive. ~~~
The Romanian leu is the currency of Romania. It is subdivided into 100 bani, a word that means "money" in Romanian. ATMs that accept major credit cards can be found in all sizable towns and cities. It’s best to use credit cards as a backup for cash. There are many foreign exchange offices in every city and town and at major attractions. The best currencies to take are EUROS. Costs in Romania are generally much lower than in western Europe or North America and you will find your hard currency will buy you a lot of drinks in Romania. ~~~
Romania remains generally safe, and it’s unlikely that you’ll have any problems; violent crime against tourists is almost nonexistent and petty crime is much less than in most Western countries. However, take the usual precautions about avoiding rowdy political demonstrations, not flashing money around and being aware of pickpockets in crowded places.
If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:
Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.
You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.
There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.
From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).
If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.
Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.
We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.
The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.
In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.
In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.
The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.
If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).
If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).
Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.
If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.
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