Summits of the Transylvanian Alps

Explore the wild peaks of Romania, enjoying daily treks and summiting several mountains with an expert tour leader

Discover the Transylvanian Alps on foot, a mountain range in south-central Romania known in the hiking world for its wild landscapes. The trip is challenging but the rewards great. We have the chance to summit several peaks and spend two nights in mountain cabins to aid our ascents. For the most part, however, we base ourselves at Villa Hermani, a family-run guesthouse in the quaint village of Magura.

Sustainability and Impact

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.

Is this trip for you?

The trip is rated Activity Level 5 (Challenging). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Suitability: This trip is one of our most testing Activity Level 5 (Challenging) adventures − in part due to the difficulty of the La Om ascent (Day 4). Therefore, it is only suitable for hikers with mountain experience and very good fitness.

• Route: We follow mountain paths throughout, which are generally well maintained. There is a significant amount of scrambling, including on steep sections – particularly on the Day 4 ascent of La Om. Therefore it is not suitable for vertigo sufferers.
• Ascents and descents: The longest days can have an ascent of up to 4,879ft (1,487m) followed by a similar descent. This means walking uphill for approximately five hours and the same down again.

Itinerary: The walking hours stated in the day-to-day itinerary, which include lunch and photo stops, are given as approximates only and vary depending on your group’s pace. Additionally, the itinerary may be followed in a different order for various reasons, such as weather and local conditions, but we still cover all the listed activities.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Romania

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and tuberculosis (TB). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic. 

Visa

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.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/romania
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/romania
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/romania/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Romania.html

Food & Drink

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

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

Transylvanian cuisine is influenced by several traditions and cultures (German, Hungarian and Romanian) 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, cereals, juice, herbal teas and coffee.

Lunches included on this trip are usually self-made sandwiches – 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.

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

Weather

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 mountains can be blanketed in snow until 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.