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.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:  

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible.
• Our guesthouse is the family-run Villa Hermani in the village of Magura, the entire village is in Piatra Craiului National Park.
• Read more about our other initiatives here.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for reusable bottles.
• The payment of entrance fees to natural reserves and archaeological sites generates income, which is used for upkeep and development of these important sites. On this trip, fees go to the upkeep of Piatra Craiului National Park.
• The guesthouse grows fruit and vegetables, which are used for meals served to guests. Meat and cheeses are purchased from local shepherds.
• Our local partner co-founded the Romanian Ecotourism Association (AER), the first ecotourism association in Romania. The focus is on a sustainable evolution of tourism in Romania.
• With our partners, Rewilding Apennines, we rewild 100 square meters (1,075 sqft) of land per passenger who travels with us.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• Villa Hermani uses a solar thermal system and a wood central heating system.
• Our local partner holds certification of the Association of Ecotourism in Romania and the Blaue Schwalbe certificate: an eco-label for tourist accommodation.
• As this is a walking holiday, it provides a low impact way of exploring the destination.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring a reusable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

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.

Difficulty: This trek follows mountain paths throughout, which are generally well maintained but rocky and steep in sections, so not suitable for vertigo sufferers. 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. For this reason, you should have experience of hiking in the mountains and very good fitness.

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.