The 9 Best Transfăgărășan Highway Tours from Bucharest

1.Small-group max 7 – Top Gear Road – Transfăgărăşan Highway

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 391 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $143Our pick

Travel from Bucharest in a group of up to seven with an English-speaking guide such as Sebastian, Matei, Andrei, or Rosanna. Visit Curtea de Argeș, view Poenari Citadel from below, stop at Vidraru Dam and Capra Waterfall, then follow the Transfăgărășan toward Bâlea Lake when the road is open.

“This was an amazing tours. The vehicles were comfortable and guide was very knowledgeable. We saw several bears. Really appreciated that the company went out of its way to ensure that my pregnant friend was comfortable. Highly recommended.”

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2.Top Gear Road Transfagarasan Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 293 reviews · from $56Best value

Spend about 12 hours traveling from Bucharest into the Fagaras Mountains with an English-speaking guide such as Pavel, Paul, Alex, or Bogdan. Stop at Vidraru Dam, Capra Waterfall, and Balea Lake, then follow the winding Transfagarasan Road. Bear sightings are possible, but never guaranteed.

“Everything was just wonderful! Our guide shared interesting historical facts with us during the trip. The views were absolutely breathtaking. We were lucky with the weather, and it was sunny at the very top. We also had the good fortune to see a total of four bears. It was an amazing experience. Many thanks to the organizers!”

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3.Small group Bears ‘Safari’ on Transfăgărășan -max 7 tourists

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 159 reviews · from $101

Travel from Bucharest in a small group with guides such as Sebastian, Roxana, or Victor. Expect a long scenic day with roadside bear sightings, Poenari Fortress, Vidraru Dam, Capra Waterfall, Bâlea Lake, and Curtea de Argeș. Bears are wild, so sightings cannot be promised.

“It really was a very nice experience. We saw 14 bears and they came very close to the car so we could see them really good. The landscape is awesome and our guide Sebastian was very friendly and joked around with us.”

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4.Top Gear Road – Transfăgărășan Highway Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 68 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $58

Leave Bucharest at 7:30 am for a full-day mountain run with an English-speaking guide. You’ll visit Vidraru Dam, Capra Waterfall, and Bâlea Lake, follow the famous Transfăgărășan Highway, and watch for wild brown bears. Guides such as Emanuel, Pavel, Paul, and Alex have earned especially warm praise.

“The guide was really friendly and informative. He pointed out a lot of landmarks along the way and gave good information at the official stops. The stop at the top was really cool and he gave a good recommendation for where to get traditional food for lunch. My advice for future travellers is to bring a jacket and cash as there are stalls at some of the stops that only take cash. As for bears, there were heaps about after lunch. Unfortunately I only caught glimpses of them due to where I was sitting. They all seemed to be on the right-hand side of the van, if that helps.”

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5.Small group max 7, Transfăgărășan the Top Gear Road

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $130

Travel from Bucharest in a small group of up to seven with an English-speaking guide such as Sebastian, Roxana, Matei, or George. See Poenari Fortress from below, Vidraru Dam, Capra Waterfall, and the Transfăgărășan Road, with Bâlea Lake from June to October.

“The 4 star rating does not apply to our guide Victor, who would deserve a 10. He was so knowledgeable and attentive he really made the tour interesting. The reason for not giving a 5 star rating is because we were not able to go sledding as the snow had started to melt, then froze solid into sheet ice which made it impossible to sled. We were meant to take a ski mobile trip that day but the guide cancelled so we took this trip instead. It was for my husband’s birthday and whilst Victor made the day as enjoyable as possible we were very disappointed with the outcome. Maybe…”

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6.Transfăgărășan Highway & Balea Lake – Private Tour from Bucharest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $215

Spend about 12 hours with an English-speaking guide such as Alin, Vlad, Octavian, or Ionela, driving from Bucharest into the Făgăraș Mountains. You’ll see Vidraru Dam, Balea Lake, Capra Waterfall, and Poenari Castle from the roadside, with hotel pickup, Wi-Fi, and a private vehicle.

“Most memorable was the driver not wearing a seat belt, the driver texting and talking on his phone the entire return trip. I think he forgot he was at work. We thought him texting while driving was totally unprofessional not to mention illegal, If you get a good driver the views are lovely and treehouse restaurant for lunch was excellent.”

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7.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!”

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8.Transfagarasan Road Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 25 reviews · 12 hours · from $152

Spend 12 hours traveling from Bucharest into the Carpathians with a private English-speaking guide. You’ll stop at Poenari Castle, Vidraru Dam, the Transfagarasan Highway, and Balea Lake, with a short mountain walk and possible bear sightings. Groups are limited to 14 people.

“Pleasant host, beautiful scenery, great driving, flexible with what the group wanted to do/see. All around, a great day.”

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9.Transfagarasan Road – Small Group max 7 Tourists

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · from $170

Spend 12 hours with an English-speaking guide such as Alin or Ionela on a small-group trip from Bucharest. You’ll visit Poenari Castle, Vidraru Dam, Capra Waterfall, and Bâlea Lake, with long scenic drives, photo stops, mountain air, and possible brown-bear sightings.

“It’s an amazing experience ! We saw bears !!!great views through the mountain and on the top of it!!to do absolutely specially before bears go to hibernate ☺️!our guide was exceptional also ! Thanks”

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