13 Day Tour of Romania, Europe’s Best Kept Secret
I see a fair amount of “Romania? I’ve never really considered Romania before” in people’s eyes when I mention the country. Posts illuminating my love for this underestimated land can be found here, and you can check out Rick Steves’ love for Romania on his full show here, or the edited down finale to his “Europe Awaits” episode here. With as much beauty and history as more familiar destinations, but without the crowds or institutional tourism, Romania is the ultimate next European destination. Let’s enjoy it before everyone else notices!
For a complete write up of the tour, with more info and photos, check out the tour page here. In the meantime, here is a warm up:
When is it?
We’re going to go during the last week of August and first week of September. This moment maximizes the comfortable warmth at the end of summer, but escapes the peak tourism season (though most tourists in Romania are domestic, so we often won’t even know!) It’s when I first visited the country, and loved every day of it. The 2022 tour is set to go from August 25 to September 7, 2022! If you are interested in being part of this trailblazing trip, please let me know ASAP since the group will be small, 10-15 people.
What is included?
The tour will include all hotels, transportation around the country, and entrances. I will be your tour guide for the duration of the trip, and we will have local guides where applicable. All breakfasts are included, about half the dinners, and a couple lunches when something fits just right. Romania is an easy country to navigate in English, and I want to leave space for you to find your own unique experiences and personal connections. Airfare is not included. The trip begins in Bucharest, and includes easy transport back at the end from nearby Brasov (I found Bucharest’s Henri Coanda International Airport easy to navigate and less stressful than many Western European counterparts).
But what about Covid?
That is the big question, right? I take the health of my tour members extremely seriously and designed the tour with safety in mind. That’s why I am keeping the group small, only 10 to 15 people, have booked only top notch hotels, and we’ll predominantly spend our time in uncrowded, open-air environments. Additionally, the company I’m working with, Guided By, requires full vaccination for all tours. We will be monitoring the situation closely, and adjust if necessary as we get closer, but at present the signs look great for going back abroad this summer!
How much does it cost?
This itinerary is the most economical daily rate in the Guided By catalogue, coming in at $4550 for the 13 day tour.
Check out the FAQ on the tour page here for more information, where you can also send me a direct message with any further questions.





Hey Tim
Greatly you are going to Romania. I may be interested although considering N Macedonia snd Albania
Any other trips planned?
Joey (AKA Quirky Cuba Roomie 🤣
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Hi Joey!
Those are also great destinations, though in my experience, Romania has more to offer at the moment. (Skopje in particular is a peculiar place, with expensive new monuments to create a propaganda message, but beyond that…I prefer Romania’s history, cultural cross-currents, and beauty. Tirana seems to be on an upward path, but needs a little more time.) I anticipate being back on the road with Rick Steves tours in spring, but right now Romania is my only independent tour.
How’s Mexico these days?
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Hi Tim, what does it mean specifically when you say your tour is running in conjunction with Imprint Tours … wd we have our own dedicated bus? Do we all stay at the same hotels, do we have meals and activities together with Imprint?
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Great question Debby! I’ll change the wording…
Imprint is a great tour company run mostly by other Rick Steves alumni, and they’ll be providing just administrative assistance. The entire tour, group, transport, all of the tour member experience will just be my tour.
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Thanks Tim, appreciate the clarification. Miss seeing you !! Rex and I will never forget our 21day tour of Europe together.
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Thanks for the clarification, Tim. Rex and I miss seeing you and will never forget our 21-day tour of Europe with you.
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This is tempting, although we have been to Romania before. We have something booked to begin on 20 September 2022. Will consider logistics.
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Yes please! I want to hear your stories over dinner.
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