Carpathian Walking & Bears

Name: Carpathian Walking & Bears
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 4.6 (111 reviews)

111 reviews

Activity

Wildlife

Overview

Hike through the majestic mountains and rustic villages of central Romania while searching for wild brown bears

History and geography conspired to make Transylvania in central Romania one of the most wild and fascinating regions in Europe. For centuries, the local people have existed in harmony with a variety of wildlife, including the highest concentration of wolves, lynx and bears on the continent – almost half the European population of brown bears is recorded in the Carpathian Mountains. Meanwhile, dense forests have remained largely untouched. Our days are spent on walks through spectacular canyons, virgin forests and Saxon villages. We go in search of brown bears and explore the medieval town of Brasov as well as Bran Castle, best known as the residence of Dracula.

Key Information

Trip Code: WVR
Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Countries: Romania
Carbon Footprint: 22kg CO2e per person per day

What's Included

All accommodation: 7 Classic nights (Villa Hermani)
All breakfasts, five packed lunches and six dinners
Immersive itinerary with all transport and listed activities
Expert tour leader to enhance your adventure
Group arrival and departure transfers available

Don't Forget To

Request a single room if required, purchase travel insurance and arrange any visas and vaccinations.

5 days of Wildlife

Pace:

5 days of walking at a moderate pace

Terrain:

Altitude maximum: 5,941ft (1,811m); average: 4,265ft (1,300m)

Day 2: 13 km / 8.1 miles
Day 3: 12 km / 7.5 miles
Day 4: 20 km / 12.4 miles
Day 6: 7 km / 4.3 miles
Day 7: 18 km / 11.2 miles

Highlights

Explore the wilds of central Romania, home to brown bears, Saxon villages and the Carpathian Mountains
Visit the largest brown bear sanctuary in Europe and opt to join a bear-watching evening with a forester
Hike through the spectacular landscape: meadows, forests and mountain trails
Visit Vlad the Impaler’s Bran Castle, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Enjoy an authentic Carpathian welcome at Villa Hermani in the remote village of Magura

Itinerary

First Destination: Magura
Next Destination: Magura

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Magura
Next Destination: Magura

Begin your adventure at the family-run guesthouse, Villa Hermani, in the quaint village of Magura within Piatra Craiului National Park.

It is approximately 105mi (170km) from Bucharest Airport and takes around 3hr 30min to reach by road. Therefore, we highly recommend you join the group minibus transfer.

After arrival, your tour leader ensures a big Romanian welcome with a welcome dinner.

Want more time in Bucharest? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Meals included:Dinner

Start from the guesthouse this morning and hike uphill across the flower meadows, enjoying splendid views over the wide landscape of small hamlets and mountains. We stay on the ridge and walk slowly downhill through beech forests to the busy commune of Bran.

The main attraction here is Bran Castle, which was built on the border to Wallachia, where Vlad the Impaler, Duke of Wallachia, once ruled. Vlad was a brutal tyrant and provided inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Stoker never actually visited Bran Castle, but saw an image of it and felt it was the perfect setting for his gothic tale. Explore the medieval castle if you wish (ticket not included), learning the myths and legends that surround this imposing fort.

In the afternoon, we are picked up and return to quiet Magura.

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Strap on your hiking boots to explore the tranquil scenery around our home for the week. Between gentle meadows and scattered farmsteads, our path leads through a landscape where life still moves with the seasons – hay harvests in summer, grazing animals on the pastures.

We pass a simple orthodox church and the small village school, where only a few children are taught. Among traditional wooden houses and rustic barns, we see new buildings and older ones adapted to modern needs.

This evening offers a special adventure: watching wild brown bears in their natural habitat. A forester takes us to a safe hide deep in the forest. These are managed by the forestry commission and access is dependent on their permission, which is why it is organised and paid for locally. Not being able to get access to the hides is extremely rare.

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Hike to the shepherd village of Sirnea today. Our route takes us past farmhouses, over natural hiking trails, across meadows and through forest.

All the houses are built along mountain ridges with deep ravines and valleys in between. Many of the alpine meadows are used as valuable grazing land. Early in summer, livestock is driven up to graze there until late summer or autumn. Cheese is also produced in the alpine pastures. The shepherds live all summer long along bears and wolves. Therefore, fierce shepherd dogs guard the flocks – we must be cautious!

For lunch, we have a delicious shepherd’s meal in the meadows with splendid scenery to enjoy.

In the afternoon, we head back to Magura.

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Rest your hiking boots today and take a combination of old-fashioned train and electric bus to Brasov (approximately a one-hour ride), the cultural and economic heart of the region.

The city, with a medieval heart, has been a mix of nations since it was founded in the 12th century. Enjoy a guided tour and time to explore the cultural highlights of the centre at leisure.

Late afternoon, we taste Romanian cuisine in a traditional restaurant before taking the train back to Magura.

Please note: Potential delays in train services can be expected in summer. The last train back to Magura is normally around 8.20pm.

Meals included:Breakfast

Head down to the valley by minibus and visit LiBearty, the largest brown bear sanctuary in Europe. Set in oak and hazel forests, it is home to more than 100 rescued bears, many of whom suffered years in captivity as dancing bears or in circuses.

From the sanctuary, we go on a gentle hike across meadows to the village of Vulcan. This region around Brasov is closely related to the history of the Transylvanian Saxons, settlers who emigrated 800 years ago from the Rhine‐Moselle valleys. Their well-fortified churches have attracted international attention and some are World Heritage sites.

At a fortified Lutheran church, we are welcomed with coffee, tea and cake in the yard, while we also learn about the history of the church.

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The first highlight this morning is a hike through Zarnesti Gorge, which was formed 3m years ago by water cutting through the limestone massif of Piatra Craiului. We hike up to Curmatura Cabin at 4,820ft (1,470m), right under the walls of Piatra Craiului, which is open to hikers year-round.

If weather and fitness allow, we can go further and climb Piatra Mica, the highest peak is at 5,941ft (1,811m). The return leads us over shepherd meadows and forest into the valley and finally up again to Magura.

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The adventure comes to an end after breakfast. Bid a fond farewell to the guesthouse, which may feel like a second home by now, and begin your return journey home.

Alternatively, if you’d like to extend your adventure, speak to your sales representative to discuss our large range of extension options.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, deposit-only payments, and full ATOL protection available.

Call us on 0203 733 5948

Your Group, Your Adventure

Want to choose your travel companions? Gather your family and friends and let us create a Private Adventure just for you.

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Accommodation

Villa Hermani, a private guesthouse in Magura

We spend seven nights in Villa Hermani, a private guesthouse in the remote village of Magura. It’s ideally situated for our adventure, sitting at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains and within Piatra Craiului National Park.

The property has twin and single rooms in a range of sizes and styles, almost all of which have private facilities (there are two rooms that share one bathroom). There is free wifi at the guesthouse.

Our friendly hosts, German couple Hermann and Katharina Kurmes, possess a wealth of knowledge on Transylvania, wildlife conservation and serve delicious homemade food.

Essential Information

The trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate) and has a Wildlife Rating of Three. For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

Hiking: Walking times will vary from half to full days. There are numerous uphill sections on paths and tracks with walking distances up to 12mi (20km). Optional longer walks are sometimes available. The trip goes up to altitudes of almost 6,560ft (2,000m), so good fitness levels are required. The exact trails, lengths and difficulties may be adapted according to the weather, trail conditions and group fitness.

Seeing brown bears: The chance of seeing brown bears from the hide is good; our groups have also seen wolves, beavers and other wildlife here too. Our tour leaders are knowledgeable about the local wildlife but, as with all wildlife viewing, we cannot guarantee which animals you will see.

The hides we visit are managed by Romania’s national forestry authority as part of their bear-management system. Small amounts of food are sometimes placed near the hides to help keep bears foraging in their natural forest habitat rather than approaching towns and villages. The placement and quantity of this food are entirely determined by the forestry authority and are outside of our control.

The specific hides used on this trip have been selected because the forest management team is considered responsible and restrained in how this practice is carried out. The quantities provided are not large or frequent enough to alter bears’ natural behaviour or make them dependent, and bear sightings still vary seasonally. Groups observe from inside the hide only and do not have direct contact with wildlife, while tour leaders provide insights into brown bear ecology and conservation, helping raise awareness and support for protecting these species and their habitats.

Our on-the-ground partners are involved in the Foundation Conservation Carpathia and ensure these hides continue to follow good ecological practice. This collaborative approach also supports broader conservation aims within the Carpathian region.

Flexibility: The itinerary may be followed in a different order due to various reasons such as weather and local conditions, but we will still do all these activities even if on different days.

Key details

Guesthouse: Villa Hermani, Sat Magura 130, Măgura 507133
Phone: +40 740 022 384
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing in the evening, but if you miss it the leader will update you separately
Airport: Bucharest (OTP)

Getting to the guesthouse

Villa Hermani is approximately a 3hr 30min drive from the airport. Your options for this journey are:

Take an Exodus transfer
Exodus provides one group arrival transfer from the airport, which is timed to coincide with the arrival of a chosen flight from London, UK. You may join this transfer at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the group arrival transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.

Make your own way
It’s not possible to reach Villa Hermani by public transport. We therefore highly recommend joining the group transfer where possible. If not, a cab from the airport costs around €200. On arrival, please make the staff aware that you are part of an Exodus group and they will have more details on meeting with your leader and group

If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.

Catching your return flight

There’s a group departure transfer to Bucharest Airport (OTP) for customers who Exodus booked onto a chosen flight to London, UK. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.

Romania

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Romania. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

All breakfasts, five packed lunches and six dinners are included.

Meals are a mixture of fresh local produce and Romanian/Transylvanian specialities.

Transylvanian cuisine is influenced by several traditions and cultures (German, Hungarian and Romanian cuisine) but maintains a distinct character with a love for homemade cooking. Soups are a staple, main meals tend to be hearty with a strong focus on local produce, while desserts are varied and plentiful.

Breakfasts are usually a small buffet including an egg dish, cold cuts, cheeses, boiled eggs, vegetables, spreads, bread, yoghurt, cereals, jam, juice, herbal teas and coffee.

Lunches included on this trip will usually be self-made sandwiches; you can choose your own fillings from the morning buffets.

Each evening there is a choice between a meat or vegetarian dish. Dinner on the first evening is typically a light snack (cold platters with local food and bread) due to the late arrival of the group.

On one evening, we enjoy dinner in a typical Romanian restaurant in Brasov. This meal is not included, allow approximately 120 Romanian lei (US$25) – without drinks – for this.

Vegetarian and special diets can be catered for, but options can be limited throughout Romania – please inform the office of any specific requirements upon booking.

Romania has warm summers and snowy winters. Rainfall is usually quite low except in the mountains; spring and summer are the wetter seasons. The weather changes abruptly from winter to summer and spring is generally short. The Carpathian Mountains can be blanketed in snow until mid to late May at higher altitudes. Summer days are often long and warm with 10 to 11 hours of sunshine, while nights can range from pleasantly warm in the lower valleys to cold at higher elevations. September temperatures tend to be lower than those in July and August but changeable weather with cloud, rain and chilly daytime temperatures can occur at any time of the year. Expect temperatures in the village to be lower than Bucharest.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

You’ll also find Thriving Nature, Thriving People moments across our trips. These experiences are often a highlight of your adventure, while also benefiting the natural world or local communities.

On this trip, we:

Visit the LiBearty Sanctuary in Zarnesti, where bears rescued from captivity receive the much-need medical attention and love they need

Carpathian Walking & Bears

Activity Level

Comfort Level

Activity

Overview

Hike through the majestic mountains and rustic villages of central Romania while searching for wild brown bears

Key Information

What's Included

Don't Forget To

5 days of Wildlife

Highlights

Itinerary

Dates & Prices

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, deposit-only payments, and full ATOL protection available.

Your Group, Your Adventure

Accommodation

Villa Hermani, a private guesthouse in Magura

Essential Information

Key details

Getting to the guesthouse

Catching your return flight

Romania

Reviews

Wondering first time experience with Exodus

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bears and Walks

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Walking with Bears in Romania

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Wonderful experience in Translyvanian Mountains

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Absolutely wonderful!

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Romania

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Carpathian Walking &amp; Bears

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Perfect walking and wildlife holiday

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Superb trip with excellent walking and lots of bears

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

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