The 13 Best Fortress & Citadel Tours from Bucharest

1.Peles Castle, Dracula’s Castle and Medieval Town of Brasov in one day

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 241 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $37Our pick

Leave Bucharest at 7:00 am for Peles Castle, Bran Castle, and Brasov’s old center. Expect a long day, castle entry fees of about €34 extra, and travel times shaped by traffic. Guides such as Vlad, Ana, Dana, and Marius have earned praise for clear local stories and good organization.

“We had a brilliant day at both castles and in Braşov. Be prepared for queues at Peles which may impact the amount of time you have in the other locations.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Bran & Peles Castle with Rasnov Citadel Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 158 reviews · from $112

Travel from Bucharest through the Prahova Valley to Peles Castle, Rasnov Citadel, and Bran Castle. You get a small group of up to eight, hotel pickup in central Bucharest, guided visits, and scenic mountain roads. Guides such as Vali and Vili are known for friendly, informative commentary.

“Great guide, made us laugh a lot and very informative! Definitely recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.2-Day Medieval Transylvania with Brasov,Sibiu and Sighisoara Tour from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 145 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $120

Travel from Bucharest through the Carpathians to Peles Castle, Bran Castle, Brasov, Sighisoara, and Sibiu. Guides such as Alex, Marius, Emanuel, and Bogdan have led this route. You arrange your own Sighisoara hotel and pay castle entry fees separately.

“What an AMAZING experience! Marius was an exceptional tour guide on our journey through Transylvania and Prahova. HIGHLY recommend anything from their exceptional business. You won’t regret it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Day Trip to Medieval Bulgaria- Small group tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 75 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $78

Travel from Bucharest into northern Bulgaria with a guide such as Pavel, Alexia, Gabriel, or Alin. Visit Ivanovo’s rock-hewn churches, Tsarevets Fortress, and traditional Arbanasi in about 12 hours. Pickup and transport are included, but lunch and entrance fees are extra.

“It was amazing trip!!! Very interesting, information.we sow so beautiful places. Our guide Pavel very educated, polite, very good driver and very good speaker. All information was easy to understand..”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Visit Bulgaria – Veliko Tarnovo Medieval Fortress – Private tour from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $177Top rated

Travel privately from Bucharest to Veliko Tarnovo with a guide such as Alin, Octavian, or Victor. See Bulgaria’s cliff monastery, medieval Tsarevets Fortress, Arbanasi’s old houses, and Samovodska Charshiya. Expect a long but flexible day with driving, walking, separate entrance fees, and lunch at your own cost.

“Our trip was enhanced by a guide who was not only knowledgeable but also genuinely attentive to our needs. Communication was a standout, as we were consistently updated, keeping us in the loop. Even when faced with the unexpected closure of a scheduled house visit, our guide swiftly arranged a delightful alternative, taking us to a beautiful waterfall. The lunch experience was equally memorable, situated in an excellent restaurant nestled among quaint souvenir shops. The food was superb, and the added pleasure of a scenic view truly rounded off a perfect day.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Princely Court of Târgoviște and Curtea de Argeș Monastery

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 50 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $210

Spend about 10 hours with an English-speaking guide visiting Târgoviște’s former princely court, the Golești Museum of Viticulture and Pomology, and Curtea de Argeș Monastery. Private hotel transfers, air-conditioned transport, and Wi-Fi are included. Golești may be replaced by Poienari Castle on request.

“Fantastic experience. This was a private excursion with Alin who took really good care of me. He was so full of knowledge about the history, geography, economics, sociology and politics of Romania and its neighbouring regions that the day literally flew by - despite being a very long tour. The scenery in the trip was spectacular and we spotted several wild brown bears, which was the main reason for me booking this trip. I cannot recommend Alin and doing the private tour highly enough.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Private Tour: Transylvanian Castles and Brasov’s Medieval Old Town

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 8 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $192

Travel by private car from Bucharest to Peles Castle, Bran Castle, and Brasov with an English-speaking guide such as Mihai, Dan, or Mircea. Expect mountain scenery, royal rooms, Dracula lore, medieval streets, Wi-Fi, bottled water, and a long but flexible day.

“Mihai arrived on time and unfortunately I was still locked in our room. It took another 3/4 hour to get out and he was not fazed by the delay. SO that was a great start. We finally set off on our day tour to Peles castle, Bram castle and Brasov Old Town. Getting to Peles castle the queues were a bit long. School holidays and a weekend combined and he was quite happy to wait in the queue for us to get the tickets but we decided to take the time to instead to explore the grounds. I am sure the inside is great and like many of the manors…”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Day trip to Dracula’s Castle, Peles Castle and Medieval Brasov

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $37

Travel from Bucharest through the Prahova Valley to Peles Castle, Bran Castle, Sinaia Monastery, and medieval Brasov. An English or Italian-speaking guide such as Anna, Vlad, Dan, or Eugen leads the day. Bring advance castle tickets, walking shoes, and patience for a 12-hour schedule.

“Vlad is super. Very kind and helpfull person. The tour is Very complete and we enjoyed. I would recomendo.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.3-Day Medieval Transylvania Package Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 31 reviews · 3 days · from $588

Travel from Bucharest in a small group of up to 16 with an English-speaking driver-guide such as Matthew or Mathew. Visit monasteries, Saxon villages, Sibiu, Sighișoara, Brașov, Bran Castle, Peleș Castle, and Sinaia, with two hotel nights and breakfast included.

“Our three days in Transylvania with Matthew were fantastic. It was a small group—just the two of us and another couple—which made the experience even more enjoyable. Our guide was an excellent driver, and we felt safe and well taken care of throughout the trip. We saw some incredible sights just off the side of the road, and the forests were absolutely stunning. The castles we visited were impressive, and the towns of Sibiu and Brașov were really charming and full of character. Both hotels we stayed in were perfect—not too big, with very good breakfasts. Overall, the trip was great value, and we’re very happy with our choice.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Hike to Poenari Fortress, Vidraru Dam, Argeș Monastery – Private

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $167

Travel from Bucharest by private, air-conditioned vehicle to Curtea de Argeș Monastery, Poenari Fortress, and Vidraru Dam. An English-speaking guide such as Bogdan or Victor handles the day, with mountain views, Vlad the Impaler stories, and a demanding 1,480-step climb.

“An amazing trip - Fantastic views and great guide. Picked up on time and we visited all the spots on the itenerary plus Victor gave me a tour within the city centre too!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.2 Days Private Tour in Transylvania from Bucharest – 4 Medieval Cities

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $624

Spend two days exploring Transylvania by private car or minibus with an English-speaking guide-driver such as Daniel or Cristian Stan. Visit Peles and Bran castles, medieval Brasov, Sighisoara, Biertan, Sibiu, and Cozia Monastery, with Wi-Fi and flexible stops included. Accommodation and entry fees cost extra.

“Excellent guide and trip. Cristian was flexible, knowledgeable, courteous, and experienced. What a treat to have him as a guide for a beautiful and educational trip through Romania. He took us to places we would have never seen otherwise. Highly recommend him as a guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.3-Day Private Tour of Medieval Transylvania from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $648

Travel by private air-conditioned car or minivan from Bucharest with an English-speaking guide such as Claudiu, Cristian, or Diana. Visit Bran and Peles castles, Brasov, Sighisoara, and Saxon fortified churches, with two nights, breakfast, and hotel transfers included.

“We wanted to see Transylvania by land, not sea. Our tour guide, Claudio had 25-years of experience. He took us to the highlights — Pele’s Castle, the fort, Bran Castle and Dracula’s birth place. He knew the history. We stayed in Brasov at the Radisson Blu. We toured that city on our own. We took Claudio up on his extra bear tour on our way back to Bucharest. He loved the thrill of finding the bears — mostly young cubs hanging out on the side of the road. There were plenty! A papa bear actually ran after the car. We got away just fine. We also visited a beautiful lake…”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Medieval Transylvania: Shared 3-Day Tour from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $600

Travel from Bucharest with a small group of up to 16 people, stopping at Curtea de Arges, Cozia, Sibiu, Biertan, Sighisoara, Brasov, Bran Castle, Peles Castle, and Sinaia Monastery. English-speaking guides such as Boogie handle the driving and logistics, with two hotel nights included.

“Our guide, Boogie, was informative, entertaining and a good driver. He “made” the trip for us. The three days were through beautiful country side and small towns. In SIBUI we had our best sleep and shower of our entire trip. PELES was the highlight of our tour. It was the most unique of castles we have seen in Europe. We highly recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review