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Nairobi to Romania: Bucharest, Brașov and Sibiu through Transylvania

Nairobi → Bucharest → Brașov → Sibiu

Brașov
"Brașov,_Piața_Sfatului_-_Flickr_-_Jorge_Franganillo.jpg" by Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Hermannstadt Romania, the Small Plaza (Sibiu)
Photo: Zubi Travel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Transylvania Best season (general guide): Late May–Jun, Sep

Transylvania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains, is a region of Saxon towns, painted churches and fortified villages that have kept their medieval layout. This route travels from Bucharest across the mountains to Brașov and on to Sibiu. From Nairobi you'll connect via the Gulf, Istanbul or a European hub to Bucharest, and you can fly home from Sibiu. The itinerary spends two nights in Bucharest, three nights in Brașov and two nights in Sibiu.

How to pace it: Spend days one and two in Bucharest: day one, old town; day two, Palace of the Parliament tour, then Romanian Athenaeum. Then spend days three to five in Brașov: day three, through the Prahova Valley to Brașov; day four, Black Church and Council Square; day five, Bran Castle and Prejmer fortified church. Then spend days six and seven in Sibiu: day six, travel to Sibiu via Sighișoara or Viscri; day seven, Biertan fortified church, then Sibiu squares.

Bucharest is worth two days for its old town, the Romanian Athenaeum and a tour of the Palace of the Parliament, one of the largest administrative buildings in the world, built in the 1980s and 1990s. The road or train north climbs through the Prahova Valley to Brașov. Its Gothic Black Church, built in the 15th century, gets its name from a fire that blackened its walls. Day trips go to Bran Castle and the UNESCO-listed fortified church at Prejmer. On the way to Sibiu, it's worth stopping at Sighișoara's hilltop citadel or Viscri. Sibiu has wide squares, the Brukenthal museum and easy access to Biertan, another of the UNESCO fortified-church villages.

Late May to June brings green meadows and fewer visitors, while September offers harvest colours and cooler days. July and August are warm but busiest at Bran and Sighișoara. The high Transfăgărășan road only opens in summer and can close from October.

A hire car makes the villages much easier to reach. Opening hours at village churches vary by season, so check locally before a long detour.

Suggested outline

  1. Nairobi

    Start

  2. Bucharest

    By air · 2 nights suggested

    Romania's capital mixes belle-époque boulevards with communist-era monuments, above all the vast Palace of the Parliament, which can be visited on guided tours.

    Palatul Parlamentului Bucuresti
    "Avenida de la Unión, Bucarest, Rumanía, 2016-05-29, DD 58.jpg" by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

  3. Brașov

    Overland · 3 nights suggested

    A Saxon town beneath Mount Tâmpa, reached by train or road through the Carpathians. The Black Church and Council Square anchor the old centre; Bran Castle and Prejmer are nearby.

  4. Sibiu

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    An elegant Saxon city with two linked squares and rooftops with 'eye' windows. It's the base for the fortified-church villages such as Biertan. Sibiu airport (SBZ) is close.

    Sibiu
    "Hermannstadt_Romania,_the_Small_Plaza.jpg" by Zubi Travel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Bucharest — Arrive; old town· Nairobi → Bucharest (by air)
  2. Day 2 · Bucharest — Palace of the Parliament tour; Romanian Athenaeum
  3. Day 3 · Brașov — Through the Prahova Valley to Brașov· Bucharest → Brașov (overland)
  4. Day 4 · Brașov — Black Church and Council Square
  5. Day 5 · Brașov — Bran Castle and Prejmer fortified church
  6. Day 6 · Sibiu — To Sibiu via Sighișoara or Viscri· Brașov → Sibiu (overland)
  7. Day 7 · Sibiu — Biertan fortified church; Sibiu squares
  8. Day 8 · Sibiu — Travel home from Sibiu· Sibiu → Nairobi (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Bucharest

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Brașov

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Sibiu

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