Vlad the Impaler versus Dracula Tour

Activity level
1/5
Easy
CULTURE INTERACTION
2/4
Moderate
HISTORY FOCUS
4/4
Total
NATURE INTERACTION
1/4
Basic
TYPE

History Tour

LANGUAGE
DURATION

6 days

PRICE

from €720

Summary

Take an original Dracula Tour for an authentic discovery of the legendary Vlad the Impaler. His real story inspired the mythical Dracula you know so well from movies, books, and pop culture.

Our tour follows the medieval legacy of Vlad the Impaler with an added twist of history versus fiction, what’s true and what’s not in the legend of Dracula. This is not another Dracula tour with invented vampires, but an itinerary of great landmarks, medieval battles, and revenge. 

The medieval prince (Vlad Tepes in Romanian) is the main protagonist of our tour. He remains one of the greatest heroes in the history of Romania. Praised for his resistance against the Ottoman Empire, Vlad the Impaler was the prince of Southern Romania in a complicated time. He often used extreme violence like impaling to secure his throne against traitors. While the practice was widely used at the time, a defaming campaign led by his enemies created a distorted reputation that later inspired the Dracula myth.

The itinerary of the Dracula Tour includes the landmarks he built or used during his short reign. The ruins of the princely courts from Bucharest and Targoviste, medieval fortresses, and Sighisoara are the highlights of the tour.

The tour is available in English and Italian. 

Tour also suited for families and seniors. 

This tour can be modified according to your time and points of interest.

Day 1: Arrival to Bucharest

Transfer from Otopeni International Airport.

Accommodation: hotel in downtown Bucharest


Day 2: Vlad the Impaler in Bucharest

Vlad the Impaler built a small princely palace in Bucharest more than half a millennium ago. Known today as the Old Court, these ruins are the only remaining medieval attraction in Romania's capital. Their location in the heart of the Old Town easily allows us to discover on foot the oldest part of Bucharest.

The Old Court is also part of our Half-Day Bucharest Tour.

Optional afternoon visit to the Monastery of Comana, founded by the prince in 1461.

Highlights: the Old Court, the Old Town, the Monastery of Comana

Driving time: around 1-2 hours   Accommodation: hotel in downtown Bucharest


Day 3: The truth behind the myth

We leave Bucharest early morning and head to Targoviste to visit the ruins of Princely Court. This small town was the medieval capital of Southern Romania, and its court was fortified by Vlad the Impaler and many of the princes who fought the Ottoman Empire.

We continue to Poenari Fortress, the iconic site the prince used when he needed to escape. Enjoying a strategic location, on a mountain route to Transylvania, the fortress lies at an altitude of 850 meters.  Today, we can reach it with a bit of exercise, going up the 1,480 steps through the dense beech forest. Your effort will be fully rewarded once you get to explore the narrow corridors of the fortress and see the panoramic surroundings.

If the weather allows it, we drive to Sibiu on the high-altitude Transfagarasan. Built during the communist regime, this 90 km road offers a breathtaking drive across the Carpathians.

Optional visit to one of the most beautiful churches in Romania, Curtea de Arges.

Highlights: Targoviste and Poenari Fortresses

Driving time: around 6 hours   Accommodation: guest house in Sibiu


Day 4: Sighisoara, the birth place

Optional tour of Sibiu or morning for yourselves, followed by the drive to Sighisoara.

This small town is the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler who spent here the first four years of his life. Sighisoara is also a UNESCO Heritage Site and has one of the best-preserved medieval landscapes in Europe. We enjoy a walking tour, discovering the Upper Town, the Clock Tower, the Evangelical Church, and the Monastery Church. Like Brasov and Sibiu, Sighisoara too was founded by the German colonists who started coming to Transylvania in the 12th century.

What makes Sighisoara special is the fact that many of its medieval towers and enclosure walls are still standing.

Sighisoara is also part of our UNESCO Heritage Day Trip.

Highlights: Sibiu, Sighisoara

Driving time: around 2 hours   Accommodation: guest house in Sighisoara


Day 5: The myth

We leave Sighisoara early morning and drive to the medieval Bran Castle, falsely associated with the legend of Dracula. On our way, we stop to visit Rupea Fortress, one of the largest in the region.

Afternoon for yourselves in Brasov.

Highlights: Rupea Fortress, Bran Castle

Driving time: around 3 hours   Accommodation: guest house in Brasov


Day 6: Back to Bucharest

We head back to Bucharest on the popular Prahova Valley.

Optional stop to visit Peles Castle, one of the most beautiful in Europe. Once the summer residence of Romania’s royal family, Peles is now the most visited museum in the country. While this castle is not at all related to the Dracula myth, it's more than worth a visit before you leave Romania.

We also stop to visit the medieval Church of Snagov where Vlad the Impaler was supposedly buried after being assassinated. The actual burial place remains unknown until today.

Highlights: Snagov Church

Driving time: around 4 hours   

Back to top

Notes

Activity

Easy: Easy short walks on flat terrain.

Moderate: Up to 5 km walking per day or/and optional cycling routes and easy hikes.

Intense: Up to 10 km walking per day with some inclines or/and optional cycling routes and more demanding hikes

Challenge: Hiking on uneven trails at altitudes above 1,000 meters. Longer optional cycling routes. Requires good health and physical condition.

Ultimate: Full day of hikes and/or demanding cycling tours. Requires excellent health and physical condition.

Culture

Basic: Limited interaction.

Moderate: At least two or three cultural sights included in the tour.

High: Cultural visits everyday of the tour.

Total: All about culture.

History

Basic: Limited interaction.

Moderate: At least two or three historical sights included in the tour.

High: Visits at historical monuments everyday of the tour.

Total: All about history.

Nature

Basic: Limited interaction.

Moderate: At least two hours per day spent in nature.

High: Most activities take place in nature.

Total: All about nature.

These terms and conditions apply to any travel products and/or services you have booked with or purchased with us and guide the contractual relationship between you, the clients, and us, the tour operator Uncover Romania Tours.

Uncover Romania Tours is managed by SC Uncover the World SRL, CUI 33506269, License Number 40 from 24/10/2018.

The travel products and/or services presented on www.uncover-romania-tours.com or presented by our agents via email are sold by Uncover Romania Tours.

Uncover Romania Tours reserves the right to decline any booking, at its sole discretion.

1. Contract

1.1. To book a tour, you must fill out and sign the contract received from Uncover Romania Tours and pay a deposit.

By booking one of our travel products or services you acknowledge that:

a) You are over 18 years old;

b) You have read, understood, and accepted the contractual terms and conditions;

c) You express your acceptance of these terms and conditions on behalf of all clients named in the booking in case you include more clients besides yourself in the booking;

d) You are authorized by the other clients named in the booking to represent them;

e) You will provide full and accurate information needed for the booking both for You and the other clients named in the booking.

2. Personal information

2.1. In order for us to confirm your travel arrangements you must provide the following details: full name as in the passport, date of birth (for multi-day tours), passport number, passport expiry date, contact address, email, and phone number. Your booking cannot be confirmed without these details needed for contractual purposes.

2.2. By booking one of our tours you agree to provide us with this personal information. We will not disclose under any circumstances your personal information to third parties except when asked by state authorities. We will only use the information you provide for contractual purposes.

Check our Privacy Policy for more details.

2.3. You agree to let us use images of yourself taken during the trip for advertising and promotional purposes in any medium we choose as long as these images do not offend your dignity. You grant us a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable license to use such images for publicity and promotional purposes. You are entitled to deny the use of these images for this purpose based on the stipulations of the Romanian Law 677/2001.

3. Payments

3.1. A booking is confirmed once we have received a deposit from you. The value of the deposit (30% to 50%) depends on the total cost of the booking, the size of the group, and the time left until the beginning of the tour. If a tour is booked less than 30 days before the date of the tour, the payment will be done in full.

3.2. Uncover Romania Tours will send you at least 7 days before the departure date an invoice for the amount constituting the final payment for the travel products or/and services booked. In case the full payment is not received 3 days at the latest before the departure date, Uncover Romania Tours may change the rate payable for the travel product and/or services booked, or may treat the booking as canceled and shall retain the deposit paid on booking as a cancellation fee.

3.3. You can pay for your booking either by:

  • bank transfer to one of our accounts, opened on the name SC Uncover the World SRL at Banca Transilvania, for EUR: RO51BTRLEURCRT0V27712601; for GBP: RO19BTRLGBPCRT0V27712601; for USD: RO91BTRLUSDCRT0V27712601;
  • credit card (+1% commission fee for multi-day tours);
  • PayPal (+4.5% commission fee);
  • cash, in RON, based on the exchange rate announced in the previous day by the National Bank of Romania (www.cursbnr.ro) for deposits/final payments of City Tours and One Day Tours.

3.4. The commission fees associated with the above payment methods, except cash and credit card payments for City Tours and One Day Tours, are not included in the price of the tours listed on www.uncover-romania-tours.com. You are responsible for paying the commission fees associated with the preferred payment method.

3.5. Except for cash payments in RON, a 1% currency conversion fee will be added to the final price of multi-day tours.

4. Price

4.1. At any time before a booking is confirmed, we reserve the right to increase or decrease the prices of any of our travel products or/and services.

4.2.The price of a tour can be modified by us after signing the contract only in the case of important changes like alterations in the cost of transportation caused by an increase in the fuel price, significant changes in the exchange rate of the currency in which the tour is paid or unforeseen increases in local taxes at the destination. The price cannot increase by more than 8% and cannot be modified under any circumstances in the 30 days before the start of the tour.

4.3. You have the right to ask and receive a price discount if important changes, mentioned at point 5.2., lead to a significant cut of the travel products or/and services costs.

5. Refunds and cancellations

5.1. If you decide to cancel the tour with prior notice of at least 30 days, you will be refunded the deposit, minus the transfer fees and the costs that could not be recovered from third parties, for instance, accommodation and other local services already booked. You will not be reimbursed if you cancel the tour less than 30 days before its start except in cases of major force.

5.2. In the case of unforeseen events that could determine us to cancel the tour before its execution, you will be fully reimbursed in 14 days after the notification of this event. The clients are not entitled to any additional compensations in this case.

6. Clients' Rights and Obligations

6.1. You have the right to cancel this contract partly or entirely at any time. If the reason for canceling is attributable to you, you have the obligation to compensate Uncover Romania Tours for the prejudice caused if the cancellation takes place less than 30 days before the start of the tour. The values of the compensation cannot be more than the value of the deposit paid until that date. If the cancellation takes place more than 30 days before the start of the tour, the stipulations of point 5.1. apply.

6.2. You have the right to transfer the tour package to other parties who wish to participate in your place. In this case, the other party assumes the entire contractual rights and obligations, including a price increase if extra services are needed. The transfer cannot take place less than 7 days before the execution of the tour package.

6.3. You acknowledge that the type of travel products and/or services booked requires a certain flexibility and acknowledge that they will permit reasonable alterations to their booking. You also acknowledge that the routes, itineraries, accommodation, types of transportation, or schedules may be modified without prior notice due to various circumstances or events, such as sickness or mechanical breakdown, extreme natural phenomena in the location where the tour takes place, flight cancellations, strikes and other unpredictable or unforeseeable circumstances which are beyond the control of Uncover Romania Tours.

6.4. You have the rights to ask and receive a price discount if any changes in the execution of the tour have affected the services included in the contract except if the cause of these changes is provoked by your own actions if it's a consequence of unforeseen events and/or of the actions of a third party unrelated to the travel services included in the contract. The price discount cannot be greater than the costs of the services affected by the changes in the execution of the tour.

6.5. You are the only responsible party if you do not follow the tour program, if you lose your official ID documents and belongings or if your actions disrupt the execution of the tour.

6.6. You are responsible for securing travel and health insurance as well as applying and obtaining entrance visas to Romania if necessary. 

Citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area, or the United States of America do not need a visa to stay in Romania for a period of maximum of 90 days. Citizens with simple passports from other 58 countries are exempted from the Romanian visa requirement. Check the 58 countries here.

The list of countries whose citizens require a Romanian visa is available here.

The procedures for obtaining the visa are available here.

6.7. You acknowledge that the decisions of the tour guide are final on all aspects likely to affect the safety or well-being of any person participating in the tour. If you fail to comply with a decision made by the tour guide or affect the well-being or mobility of the group, you may be asked to leave the trip immediately, with no right to refund. You must comply with the laws and customs of Romania.

6.8. You acknowledge all tours involve a certain amount of personal risk and that it is also your responsibility to acquaint yourselves with all relevant travel information and the nature of their itinerary.

6.9. You must notify us in writing if the present contract was not fulfilled properly a maximum of 10 days after the end of the tour.

7. Uncover Romania Tours' Rights and Obligations

7.1. Uncover Romania Tours is responsible for the proper execution of the travel products/services sold to the clients as detailed in the contract.

7.2. Uncover Romania Tours must provide the clients, in a reasonable time before the start of the tour, all the necessary documents regarding the execution of the tour: invoices, detailed travel itinerary including accommodation and transportation reservations, the contact information of local guides, and relevant service providers.

7.3. If during or before the tour, Uncover Romania Tours acknowledges it is not possible to completely respect the tour itinerary because of major changes that could not be anticipated, it is obligated to inform the clients as soon as possible. If Uncover Romania Tours cannot fix the situation that created the major changes, it has to offer the clients alternative or financial compensations if any fees already paid by them were part of the services not offered. This compensation cannot be greater than the costs of the services affected by the changes.

7.4. Uncover Romania Tours is not obligated to pay any compensation claims for damages, expenses, losses, or changes to the execution of the tour which is attributable to the actions of the clients, the unforeseeable or unavoidable act, or omission of a third party unconnected with the provision of any travel products and/or services or a force major event.

7.5. Uncover Romania Tours will offer immediate assistance if you are affected by unforeseen circumstances during the execution of the tour. We will provide information regarding health services, local authorities, or embassy services if needed, and will assist you in identifying the best services needed. If you are responsible for the circumstances that created the difficulties, Uncover Romania Tours has the right to charge a reasonable commission that cannot be greater than the actual cost of these assistance services.

7.6. Uncover Romania Tours is not responsible for any damages, expenses, losses, or claims which are attributable to the fault of the clients, the unforeseeable or unavoidable act, or omission of a third party unconnected with the provision of any travel products and/or services or a force major event.

7.7. Uncover Romania Tours must respond in 10 days to any notification sent by you regarding the improper execution of the tour package, mentioning the compensations that apply, if the case, and identifying the responsible parties.

7.8. Uncover Romania Tours reserves the right to unilaterally modify this contract after it was signed and agreed by both parties in the event of unforeseen changes that affect the execution of the tour package. The CLIENTS will be informed immediately in this respect.

8. Insurance against bankruptcy

8.1. The clients are insured against the risk of bankruptcy of the Uncover Romania Tours by the Insurance Policy number 29315 from 10/10/2018 issued by OMNIASIG VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP SA. Address: 51 Aleea Alexandru, Bucharest, Romania. Phone: +40214057420. Email: office@omniasig.ro.

9. Major force

9.1. In the case of major force, both parties are exempted from any responsibility. This refers to any unpredictable events that may occur after the signing of this contract that escape the control of any of the two parties and that make it impossible for any of them to fulfill partially or totally any of their responsibilities. Major force events refer to natural disasters, riots, protests, schedule change of public or private transportation schedule, government decisions that may affect the tourism activity. The party or parties affected by major force are exempted from any responsibility linked to this contract. Both parties agree to limit as much as possible any damages caused. The party invoking major force is obligated to notify in writing the other party at the beginning (maximum 5 days) and end of a situation of force majeure. In the absence of this written notification, the situation of major force cannot be invocated. If this situation lasts for more than 15 days, the contract is canceled.

10. Governing law

10.1. The laws of Romania govern the booking conditions and contracts to the fullest extent allowable. Any disputes in connection with it must be initiated in the courts of Romania if the parties haven’t reached an amicable solution.

11. Updating of terms and conditions

11.1. Uncover Romania Tours reserves the right to update and/or alter these terms and conditions at any time, and it is the clients' responsibility to be familiar with them. The latest terms and conditions can always be found on www.uncover-romania-tours.com and will supersede any previous versions.

Price

5% discount for bookings done at least three months in advance

Vlad the Impaler Tour

The price below is per person and is based on two persons sharing a double room.

Discount rates for children.

Group of 2 persons: €1,365 per person

Group of 3 persons: €1,065 per person

Group of 4 persons: €908 per person

Group of 5 persons: €835 per person

Group of 6 persons: €720 per person

The price includes:

  • tour guide services and planning costs
  • accommodation plus breakfast every day
  • transportation costs (driver, car, gas costs, parking fees) 

The price does not include:

  • airfare, travel insurance

  • meals except for breakfast

  • entrance fees

  • other activities/tours booked by the clients

  • currency conversion fee (1%)

  • payment-related fees (1% for credit card, 4.5% for PayPal, variable for bank transfers)

Payment methods

Credit card, bank transfer, PayPal, cash (only for certain tours). The fees related to the payment methods are not included in the price.

Contact us if you’d like to get a price quotation for larger or smaller groups or a shorter/longer version of this tour.

Overview

TOUR STARTS

Bucharest (or other city)

TOUR ENDS

Bucharest (or other city)

INCLUDED MEALS

Breakfast every day

ACCOMMODATION

Local guest houses or boutique hotels

NUMBER OF KM

Around 1,100

TRANSPORTATION

Car or minivan

ATTRACTIONS

Cities: Bucharest, Sighisoara, Brasov, Sibiu

Landmarks: the medieval fortresses of Targoviste, Poenari and Rupea; Bran and Peles Castles; the churches of Snagov and Comana

NOTES

Discount rates for children

PRICE from

€720
What our clients say about us
Read more testimonials
by jhilard, Canada
April 2016
A fantastic tour

This was a fantastic tour - the guide was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. We would give this 10 stars if we could. We saw so much and learnt so much and at the end the guide even refused to take a tip. We felt more like we were being shown arou...

Read more
by jgoulden41
September 2017
Brilliant tour of Saxon towns of Transylvania

For any foreigners to Romania, Diana Condrea is the perfect guide. She speaks excellent English and has a deep knowledge of Romanian history, art and architecture. She was a fund of experience and advice about how to make the most of our 9-day tour o...

Read more
Poenari Fortress: The Eagles’ Nest of Vlad the Impaler

A visit to the scenic Poenari Fortress is a great chance to explore some intense medieval history but also a good way to exercise.

Find out more
Past Glory in the Fortress of Targoviste

Uncover one of the most important medieval monuments in Romania, linked to great princes like Vlad the Impaler and Constantin Brancoveanu.

Find out more