Trip duration (days): 13
Required gear: sleeping bag, sleeping mattress, tent, camping stove and gas, backpack, trekking boots, waterproof and warm layers of clothes, frontlight, binoculars – you’ll have a complete list by email within 2 weeks of departure.
Accommodation: Tents and basic shelters. Chalets, guest houses and hotels may sometimes be an option (at your own expense).

1^ST DAY – Bucharest – Piatra Craiului Mountain

• Level rating: easy
• Highlights: – From Bucharest International Airport or Bucharest, by car, to Bran – visit of Bran Castle, then Râsnov Fortress and, in the evening, arriving at the foot of Piatra Craiului. The sunset on the limestone rock face is really impressive from this location. After setting up tent you will serve your first picnic-dinner (included) on the mountain.
• Accommodation: Tents near Plaiul Foii chalet, or Plaiul Foii chalet (should you want to book a room at Plaiul Foii, we should know as early as possible before in order to make the booking).

2^ND DAY – Plaiu Foii – Spirla shelter – chasing bears

• Level rating: easy to medium, 3-4 hours.
• Highlights: Wildlife observation from a good sighting spot (if we’ll get lucky, we may see some bears), and Zaplaz natural rock formation (if time permits).
• Accommodation: Spirla shelter (minimal conditions) or tents near Spirla shelter.

8:00 Breakfast (included)
09:00 Leaving our previous night’s camp site for Spirla Shelter
11:30 Pitching up the tents for the new camp site
12:00 Picnic lunch (included)

13:00 After lunch, we meet up with the park rangers to take us to a spotting place for the brown bears. (EUR 25,- photo tax for personal use or EUR50,- photo tax for commercial use are not included )
20:00 We’re back at camp and preparing our picnic dinner.

3^rd DAY –Spirla shelter – Ceardacu Stanciului – Funduri saddle

• Level rating: medium to difficult,  5-6 hours.
• Highlights: Piatra Craiului’s west walls, The Great Scree, Ceardacului Cave.
• Accommodation: Funduri shelter (minimal conditions) or tents near Funduri shelter

8:00 Breakfast (included)
09:00 Leaving our previous night’s camp site and heading towards the Great Scree
13:00 Picnic lunch (included) under the beautiful arcade near Stanciu’s Cave
16:00 Reaching Funduri’ Saddle the southmost extremety of the main ridge of Piatra Craiului
19:00 Dinner (included)

4^th DAY – Funduri saddle – ‘La table’ – Grind 1 shelter – Grind 2 shelter (on the main ridge) – optional return to sleep near Grind 1.

Grind Shelter

• Level rating: medium to difficult,  7-8 hours.
• Highlights: Piatra Craiului east walls, some sheepfolds, the main ridge.
• Accommodation: Grind 1 or 2 shelter (minimal conditions) or tents in the vicinity.

8:00 Breakfast (included)
09:00 Leaving our previous night’s camp site and heading towards “La table” area
13:00 Picnic lunch (included) in “La table” area
15:00 Reaching Grind I shelter and moving onwards to Grind II shelter located up on the ridge
17:00 Arrival at Grind II, located on the narrow ridge close to Piatra Craiului’s highest point “La om” peak.
19:00 Dinner (included)

5^TH DAY – Grind 1 (or 2, it depends on where we’ll choose to sleep) – Prăpăstiile Zărneștilor Gorge – Zărnești town – Sinaia mountain resort.

• Level rating: easy to medium,  4-5 hours easy hiking, then 2 hours by car.
• Highlights: Prăpăstiile Zărneștilor – spectacular gorge, arrival in Sinaia mountain resort in the evening.
• Accomodation: a guest house in Sinaia.

8:00 Breakfast (included)
09:00 Leaving our previous night’s camp site and heading towards the town of Zărnesti (4h) where we meet our driver who will take us to Sinaia
14:00 Lunch in Predeal (not included)
17:00 Reaching Sinaia and checking in to our accommodation
19:00 Dinner (not included)
Take the time in Sinaia to relax after the first trekking session

6^th DAY  – Sinaia – Peleș and Pelișor Royal Castles and transfer to Sighisoara

Peles

A day of relaxation visiting museums in Sinaia in the morning and exploring Sighisoara’s medieval center in the evening
• Highlights: Peles and Pelisor Castles, Sighisoara medieval city, the place where Vlad Tepes, who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula fictional character was born.
• Accommodation: a guest house Sighisoara.
09:00 Breakfast (included)
10:00 We are going to visit the famous Peles and Pelisor castles, as well as the Sinaia monastery (entry fees not included).
14:00 Lunch in Sinaia (not included)
18:00 Arrival at Sighisoara and check in.
19:00 Dinner (not included)

7^th DAY – Sighișoara – Sibiu medieval city – Alba Iulia – Pietroasa

Sighisoara

Transfer by car from Sighisoara to Pietroasa
• Highlights: Visiting Sighisoara medieval city, with the clock tower, torture chamber and other interesting sites
Visiting the city of Sibiu, medieval city in the middle of Transylvania and European Cultural Capital in 2007.
• Accommodation: Tents near Pietroasa Village
09:00 Breakfast (included)
You will have the morning to visit Sighisoara’s historical sites and afterwards we move on to Sibiu where we will have lunch (not included)
14:00 Lunch (not included)
20:00 Arrival at Pietroasa
20:00 Picnic dinner (included) after
pitching up the tents.

8^th DAY – Hiking in Apuseni mountains

Apuseni Mountains

• Level rating: easy- 4-5 hours easy hiking.
• Highlights: Poiana Glăvoi area
• Accomodation: tents

09:00 Breakfast (included)
10:00 We pack the tents and start our easy hike up the mountain
14:00 Picnic lunch (included)
16:00 Arrival at Glăvoi area, where we will set up our camp.
17:00 Relaxation to recover form the long roadtrip
19:00 Picnic dinner. (included)

9^th DAY – Hiking  and caving in Apuseni Mountains – Ponor Fortresses, The Living Fire caves

Focul Viu Glacier

• Level rating: rating: 6-7 hours of moderately difficult hike, 250 m height difference
• Highlights: Focul Viu Cave Glacier, Cetățile Ponorului limestone formations.
• Accomodation: tents

09:00 Breakfast (included)
10:00 We leave camp and head down to Ponor Fortress cave system,
stopping to admire the view from the balconies on the way
14:00 Picnic lunch (included) and moving on to Focul viu cave (Living
Fire), it’s name coming from the fact that on sunny days light comes in
through a hole in the ceiling of the cave and lights up the remains of
the glacial ice inside.
17:00 Arrival at Glăvoi area where we spend the rest of the day relaxing.
19:00 Picnic dinner. (included)

10^th DAY -- Hiking and caving in Apuseni Mountains – The Lost World caves

Galbena Gorge

•Level rating: Moderately difficult
hike, 7-8 hours
• Highlights: The Galbena gorges, the finest gorge in the Western
Carpathians, made by the river Galbena which springs from an
interesting underground water system.
The Evantai waterfall (Fan Waterfall) with it’s superb crystal clear water
and system of pools.
• Accommodation: tents in Glăvoi area

09:00 Breakfast (included)
10:00 We leave the Glăvoi area and set out in the woods to find one of  the most superbe gorge system in the country Cheile Galbenei
14:00 Picnic lunch (included)
18:00 Arrival at Glăvoi area where we spend the rest of the day relaxing.
19:00 Picnic dinner. (included)

11^th DAY – Hiking  and caving in Apuseni Mountains – The Lost World caves

• Level rating: Easy to moderate hike, 5-6 hours
• Highlights: ‘Lumea Pierduta’ cave network the largest system of caves, holes, tunnels and other interesting features carved in limestone in the area
• Accommodation: tents in the vicinity of Padis chalet.

09:00 Breakfast (included)
10:00 We leave the Glăvoi after packing our tents and start our adventure to the Lost World. You’re not going to find Arthur Conan
Doyle’s plesiosaurs flying around, but you’re surely going to be astounded.
14:00 Picnic lunch (included)
18:00 Arrival at Glăvoi area where we spend the rest of the day relaxing.
19:00 Picnic dinner. (included)

12^th DAY – Hiking  and caving in Apuseni Mountains – Padiș – Scărișoara Cave Galcier

• Level rating: Moderate hike, 7-8 hours

Highlights: Padiş, Cheile Gârdişoarei, Casa de Piatră, Izbucul Tăuz, Peştera Scărişoara

• Accomodation: tents in the vicinity Scărișoara Cave Galcier.

13^th DAY – Transfer to Bucharest, by car

On every day spent on the mountains, we’ll have the breakfast at 8.00. The hike will begin at 9.00.

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Area: Romanian Mountains: Apuseni Mts

Level rate: Moderate

Dates of departure: November – March, on demand

Nr. of team members: 2 – 12

Trip duration (days): 8

Required gear: Backpack, food, spot light (preferably front lamp), good boots, waterproof and warm changing clothes, water can, sweets.

On the way, we pass by Pitesti, Ramnicu Valcea city and by Sibiu Medieval City.

Accomodation: guest house in Rasinari 2^ND DAY SUNDAY
Visit Sibiu medieval city, transfer by coach to Vartop village, Apuseni Mountains

Rasinari Village, the one that gave to Romania 7 members of Romanian Academy conserves unalterated the winter traditions and a traditional lifestyle. Visit Sibiu, one of the nices medieval citadels in Romania and, for 2009, the European capital of culture. Sebes -> Alba Iulia -> Campeni -> Arieseni Having dinner in Vartop

Accommodation: hotel in Vartop

Leisure time at Arieseni (horse slaid)

Visit a part of Apuseni Mountains in a horse-driven slate.

9:00: have breakfast in the hotel.

9:30: transfer to Pestera Ursilor (Bears’ cave) in Chiscau Village (100 km). Visit the Cave, joined by a guide. The cave, the finest cave in Romania is suitable for guided tourists’ visit. In this cave were found traces of the bear cave (Ursus spelaeus), the biggest bear that lived in the Ice Age.

14:00: Short hike (30 minutes) to Groapa Ruginoasă (Redish Hole), the most spectacular geological reserve in Romania, containing a a small scale canyon, an early canyon that is being formed on sedimentary roks. You can see with your own eyes how a canyion is formed.

20:00: Dinner in Hotel in Vârtop

Accommodation: hotel in Vârtop

4^TH DAY TUESDAY

Caving in Carpathian Mountains

Getting in touch with the Romanian traditions and the villagers day by day style of life – traditional way of life, cooking, milking 9:00: breakfast at Vartop

9:30: optional transfer to Garda, typical mountain village, the main gate to Apuseni cave system (10 Km)(30 EURO)

10:00: horse slide visit to Poarta lui Ionele cave and Scarisoara cave glaciar – the biggest underground glacier in Romania – , local museum at Scărişoara

20:00: Dinner

Accomodation: hotel in Vartop

5^TH DAY, WEDNESDAY

Leisure time in Apuseni mountains

9:00: breakfast

9:30: optional program: – ski on Vartop slope ( 800m length, easy level); – visit local woodcrafts man in Garda ( 5 EURO); – traditional cooking in the village; – visit a local farm;

20:00: having dinner in Vartop

Accommodation: hotel in Vartop

6^TH DAY, THURSDAY

Transfer to Sighisoara Medieval Citadel Arieseni Village.

We are following Aries spectacular valley, until we reach Turda’s gorges (the most spectacular in Romania) just 1.8 Km long bur very dramatic landscape. The town of Turda is famous by it’s salt mine (“Salina”) with traces of roman exploatation. Optional: visit the salt mine (~ 5 EURO/pers)

Câmpia Turzii – the place of a dramatic moment in Romanian history: the assassination of the first Romanian leader, Mihai Viteazul (Michael the brave), that unified all the three teritories lived by the romanians for the first time, at 1600. He was the defeater of the great Turkish military leader Sinan Pasa.

Târgu Mureş city – the third important city in Transylvania, an important trade city on the Mures river banks, with a vivid history, a nice stronghold well preserved. The city is important for the commerce beetwin Transylvania and Moldavia, and has a big number of hungarians leaving toghether with the romanians. Centuries ago on the Mures River rafts and water mills could be seen.

Sighişoara medieval citadel. Spending the evening in the medieval atmosphere in Sighisoara.

Accommodation: guest house in Sighişoara

7^TH DAY, FRIDAY

Transfer by coach to Bucharest, capital city

Visit Sighişoara in the morning, the only citadel in Europe still inhabited since the middle ages. Leaving Sighişoara, heading for Brasov City.

15:00 visit Brasov, an old city, conserving the biggest gothic cathedral in Eastern Europe – the black church.

Predeal Resort, nice view over Bucegi Mountains

Evening walk in Bucharest, visit Bucharest by night.

Having dinner in Bucharest

Accommodation: *** hotel in Bucharest

8^TH DAY, SATURDAY

Transfer by coach from Bucharest to the Intl. Airport

Schedule according to the flight’s departure timing