Romania in 5 Days: a First Great Tour

Five days is not enough to know Romania — but it is exactly enough to fall for it. This self-drive loop from Bucharest strings together the country's greatest hits: a fairy-tale royal castle, three medieval towns, Dracula's fortress on its crag and one of the most spectacular mountain roads in Europe. Rent a car, point it north into Transylvania, and let the scenery do the rest.

How to do this trip

This is a self-drive route, and a hire car is essential. Public transport connects the big towns, but the castles, the Saxon villages and the Transfăgărășan sit off the timetable — with your own car you go door to door and stop where the light is good. Distances are short (most days run 1–3 hours of driving), but mountain roads are slow, so plan by time, not kilometres.

• When to go: May–October is the sweet spot. July and August are warm and busy; late spring and early autumn are quieter and just as beautiful. The Transfăgărășan usually opens only from around late June to October — outside that window it is closed by snow, and you swap it for a Saxon-village drive.
• No car? Do it by train and tours. Bucharest–Brașov–Sighișoara–Sibiu is a comfortable rail line, and you can reach Bran Castle and Peleș by local bus or a half-day tour from Brașov. You lose the Transfăgărășan, but the towns still shine.
• Base yourself two nights in Brașov and two in Sibiu to avoid packing and unpacking every day.

For the wider picture of the region, read our Transylvania guide alongside this itinerary — and see the town-by-town guides to Brașov, Sibiu and Bran as you plan each stop.

Day 1 — Bucharest to the Prahova Valley and Brașov

Leave Bucharest early and drive north up the Prahova Valley, the historic road into the mountains. Your first stop is Sinaia, home to Peleș Castle — a lavish neo-Renaissance royal residence with carved-wood interiors that feels transplanted from Bavaria. Tour the state rooms, then walk down to the town and its monastery.

• Continue over the mountains to Brașov (roughly 1 hour from Sinaia).
• Settle into the old town in the evening; dinner on or around Piața Sfatului, the main square.
• Tip: buy your Peleș ticket on arrival and note it is closed one or two days a week — check before you set off.

Day 2 — Brașov and Bran

A full day around one of Romania's most photogenic bases. Start on foot in Brașov: the pastel Council Square, the towering Black Church, and Rope Street, one of the narrowest lanes in Europe. Ride the cable car up Tâmpa for the Hollywood-style sign and a view over the red roofs.

• In the afternoon, drive 30 minutes to Bran Castle, marketed the world over as Dracula's Castle — a genuinely handsome fortress on a rock, more about atmosphere and legend than any real Vlad connection.
• On the way back, stop at Râșnov Citadel, a hilltop peasant fortress with sweeping views of the Carpathians.
• Return to Brașov for a second night.

Day 3 — Brașov to Sighișoara and Sibiu

Today you cross the Transylvanian heartland. Mid-morning, reach Sighișoara (about 2 hours), the best-preserved inhabited medieval citadel in Europe and a UNESCO site. Climb the Clock Tower, wander the cobbled squares and pass the ochre house said to be Vlad the Impaler's birthplace.

• After lunch, drive on to Sibiu (around 1.5–2 hours), through gentle hills and Saxon villages.
• Arrive in time for an evening stroll across the Large Square and the Bridge of Lies, under the famous "eyes" of the rooftops.
• Sleep in Sibiu.

Day 4 — Sibiu and the Transfăgărășan

Give the morning to Sibiu itself — the Upper Town's squares, the covered stairs, a coffee under the arcades — one of the most elegant old towns in the country. Then comes the day's showpiece.

• In season (roughly late June–October): drive the Transfăgărășan, the serpentine mountain road that climbs past Bâlea Lake to over 2,000 metres, with hairpins, waterfalls and glacial views. Go up and back, or loop down the far side.
• If it's closed by snow: take a Saxon-village loop instead — the fortified churches of Biertan and Viscri make an unforgettable, gentler alternative.
• Return to Sibiu for the night.

Day 5 — Sibiu back to Bucharest

An easy final drive closes the loop. From Sibiu you can either follow the scenic Olt Valley south through the Carpathians, or take the faster motorway if you have a flight to catch (roughly 4–5 hours either way, depending on stops).

• Break the journey at Cozia Monastery in the Olt gorge if you go the scenic way.
• Aim to reach Bucharest by afternoon, with time to spare before an evening departure.

If you have more time

Five days covers the classic best of Transylvania, but it barely scratches the surface. With 7 days you can slow the pace and add the painted monasteries or more of the Carpathians; with 10 days you can build a grand loop that also takes in Bucovina and Maramureș. See our 7-day Romania itinerary and 10-day Romania circuit for the longer versions of this trip.