Hiking and Bear Watching in Romania

Just got back from the hiking and bear watching trip in Romania, and it has easily been one of my favourite trips. Everything from start to finish was brilliant - excellent hosts/guides, easy transfers, and lovely accommodation. And then there’s the activities themselves! The bear watching was just amazing, I felt so lucky to get to see them out in their natural habitat just being bears. The bear sanctuary was another highlight, it was so humbling to see how much effort has gone into helping bears in need and then to see them in the sanctuary, it was so perfect! I have to give a special shoutout for our guides on this trip. They were brilliant and really made us feel so welcome and shared so much about Romania. Loved them!

Overall this trip was a brilliant way to experience just how beautiful Romania is and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.

Seamless from start to finish. Our guides were patient, friendly, knowledgeable and extremely helpful. The accommodation and location was lovely. The was my first MBA experience and definitely won’t be my last. Highly recommend this to anybody.

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Romania is a beautiful country. Our guide Alin was fantastic, his knowledge of the country was exceptional and he was happy to share that knowledge with us. All the restaurants that Alin selected were very good. Seeing bears in the wild was the highlight for me We saw 6 different bears. At one time we watched 4 ! The hiking was a little tricky. At times very steep but well worth it. Our group of 9 was great fun. I Enjoyed their company. Alin made the trip special for us by doing everything possible to make sure we had the best time Would recommend this trip

This was my first experience with MBA and I will be back for more. Everything was really well organised and seamless, whilst not feeling restrictive or rushed. Our guide/host Alin was fantastic, incredibly knowledgeable about every element of the tour and Romania and a lovely guy too. We had a great experience seeing wild bears from a hide and rescue bears at the sanctuary, two different perspectives which complimented each other nicely. We ate huge amounts of authentic Romanian food which was lovely and heavily meat based. The hotel was fine, as expected for this sort of trip I think. Our group was a lovely mix, from solo early 30s travellers like myself to adventurous retirees and by the end of the trip we had all gelled really well. My only slight negatives were the cost being quite high for just 3 nights and the late large dinners meaning there wasn't really an opportunity to explore any of Brasov's nightlife and the different social space that might offer.

I’ve just had the most amazing few days. Alin our guide was wonderful, he was very knowledgeable about Romania’s history, politics and of course bears and showed us the best of Brasov and the mountains. Romania is beautiful and would definitely recommend this tour

About two weeks earlier I finished my first Much Better Adventures which was also bear seeing themed called Rewilding Adventure in Italy's Abruzzo Mountains. From a seeing wildlife point of view, this one was much better. With that tour you hardly saw bears at all, and when you did they were on an adjacent mountain and you were seeing them through binoculars. Italy was worth doing but you're doing it more so for the great constantly changing scenery hikes.

With Romania we saw bears pretty close when we were in the bear hide in the forest (we saw five individuals, sometimes multiple times, up to four were in front of us at one time. And we saw another, a cub this time sitting on the side of the road but ethically we didn't stop to see that one for the bear's own good.

The hikes were short (compared to Italy) and didn't require as high a level of fitness. Not quite as scenic overall, nor traversing as wide a range of ecosystems, but they didn't need to be as we were here to see wild bears, and we saw bears!

Brasov was a nice little town to stay in (we stayed in the Safrano Palace Hotel which was next to the main square in the old town). Good hotel, hot water, good water pressure, good bathroom, nice buffet style breakfast (although they don't refill items so get up and go to breakfast when it opens for the best choices). All three meals a day being provided on tour was actually appreciated, and all the meals were great!

Dracula was sleeping when we visited Bran Castle, but understandable as we were there just after midday. Libearty Bear Sanctuary was also great, you get to see bears up even closer than in the hide, although granted the hide ones are more special since they are not in captivity.

On the downside though, the trip is really only a two and a half day tour as the first day you literally do nothing except arrive at the hotel. Unless you're flying from London (Luton) then Brasov airport is unlikely to be where you'll land in Romania, unless you're into wasting money flying there or on some obscure flight that lands at Brasov.

It is easy to buy a ticket (can only do so 30 days or less prior) for the train from Bucharest, and the train stations are easy to navigate, even if English is your only language, with the tickets coming with a seating map showing where your seat is on the train. But disappointingly this tour only picks up at Brasov airport and not Brasov train station. It was a short 40 minute walk to the hotel (would have been longer if it had been the original itinerary Prinz Gregor. On that, we need more notice than just the night before if it has been changed, as it was lucky I bothered to use the Bucharest hostel's wifi and check What'sApp).

For me there should be stuff happening on day 1, it's up to those booking to book flights etc to make it to those activities or just miss them. Likewise the final day, we don't leave for Bran Castle until 11am (it opens at midday). Surely we could have found something to do, another town to stop in or anything to fill in the morning. Since Brasov really only takes about ten minutes to walk the length of the old town and you can easily walk up the Black Tower, White Tower in an hour. Other than cafes and sitting with a drink, there isn't a great deal to do in Brasov that we don't do on the tour (such as hiking up to the Hollywood sign).

Note if you're reading reviews, a lot of the reviews of this trip are an old itinerary. Any mentions of castles plural, or Bucharest are not the current itinerary. I do think the trip would benefit from going to more castles and Bucharest (I spent a number of days there, has a nice old town, and plenty of other things to see outside of that area too). With the current itinerary I'd highly recommend flying in or out of Bucharest, even if you do live in London.

By the way our guide was Alin, who was an exceptionally good guide. Very knowledgeable, very friendly and always looking out to meet participants needs.

I went for the bears and we were lucky enough to see a couple of wild bears and the Bear Sanctuary was an incredible place to visit. The hiking was harder than I expected and the weather didn't help heavy rain so very wet and muddy underfoot.

It was a thoroughly interesting and, at times, challenging trip with some very special bear encounters. Great to learn more about these lovely animals while also experiencing some of the beautiful Romanian countryside. Just a shame that the weather wasn't better! Visiting the bear sanctuary was a great experience - distressing and uplifting at the same time.

Braşov was an amazing place to stay, such a beautiful town and base. This was a super trip, stunning hikes. The bear watching was incredible, we were very lucky with our sightings, Alin was an awesome guide and made the trip really fun. The restaurants we visited were all excellent. Highly recommended

The Hiking and Bears tour was exactly what I hoped for and more. First, I wanted to see bears-- and this tour delivered. We saw six different bears in the wild. Second, Ailin, the Romanian guide went above and beyond to be sure everyone was accommodated and happy. As the oldest member of the group, I never felt left out, alone or uncomfortable. As with all Much Better tours I have participated in-- the group was lovely- happy, generous, sharing and supportive. I would highly recommend this tour.

Beautiful scenery and walks. Viewing wild bears was an awesome experience. Guide was friendly and informative.

Well organised trip and good accommodation. Our host Alin was knowledgable and friendly. Castle was a little underwhelming as very touristy! Otherwise great adventure.

Our first visit to Romania and we very much enjoyed Brasov as a city and the activities we did over three days. We had an excellent group of people (12 of us in total) to engage with while hiking and bear watching and an excellent guide.

This was a great trip which we enjoyed. The guide( Alin) was excellent. We got to expedience lots of Romanian food, culture and tradition. Thank you

Brilliant trip with Alin and our group. Alin provided a really great insight into Romania as country and also brilliant knowledge about the bears 🐻 Food was a mix of familiar and cultural, some found it a bit challenging but you'll definitely find something new to try! Hikes were well paced, and a great mix of intensity vs reward. Bear watching was amazing, the anticipation in the hide was high and we were so fortunate to see 3 bears on our trip. Bran Castle was okay, great to see the inspiration of Stokers work. Overall a great mix of wildlife watching, hiking and culture. Brilliant!

This was our first trip with Much Better Adventures and our first visit to Romania. The trip was everything we hoped for and more. Our tour leader Alin was super helpful and knowledgeable and the sites and restaurants picked were delightful. We would not hesitate to recommend this company and in particular bear watching and hiking in Romania.

We are active 66 year old travellers who do mostly city trips that we organise ourselves. We often cover 3-7 miles per day on those trips. This was our first trip with Much Better Adventures and only our second group trip. With only 12 guests in our group, we felt extremely well looked after by our guide Alin. He knew everyone by name and was extremely knowledgeable about the city, bears, hiking, and local customs and lore. Our days were full, with some down time each day to relax or explore Brasov on our own. The first day hike was a bit tough for me as we climbed Tampa Mountain on a rocky trail with many switchbacks. Luckily, I had a pair of walking sticks with me which really helped. The climb down was much easier and a smoother trail. It was worth doing though as the views of town were wonderful! That evening we went to the bear hide to see bears in the wild. This is a test of being still and quiet, which not all of our group was very good at. After about an hour of wait we saw our first bear. Over the next hour we saw two others. The first two were young ones and the last was one of the oldest males in the area. It was a true life experience. Our visit to the bear sanctuary, Libearty, and the walk afterwards were both wonderful! Lots of wonderful work by the rescuers and a pristine woodland with undulating hills to wander through. The trip to Bran Castle was interesting but a shame the town has played up the Count Dracula tale so much. When it came time to leave, we took the train, our guide made certain we got onto the correct train to Bucharest. Without his help, we are not certain we could have done that alone as the station was co fusing and nothing was in English. We are vegetarian and the included food in the local restaurants was excellent! The only exception being the big name touristy restaurant (Sergiana), its meal was uninspired. Overall, Brasov is an amazing town, the experiences of bear watching and hiking were great and the package was a great value and well worth doing!

I had a great time bear watching and exploring Transylvania aka Dracula land. One of the highlights was going to the bear hide lying in wait to see the bears in the wild - we definitely got more than we bargained for when we ended up with one behind us!

If we hadn’t already booked the Hike, kayak, cycle Kerala trip for October (which was excellent!), think it highly unlikely that we could have done another MBA trip. Hotel was not as described and food was very poor.

My first experience with MBA & what a perfect adventure! From being greeted at Brasov airport by our incredible friendly & knowledgeable guide Drac, bonding over shared memorable bear encounters with a small diverse group, hiking scenic trails in the sunshine with beautiful views across the Carpathians to perfect evenings spent together enjoying traditional Romanian dishes in local restaurants! Would definitely recommend

Overall an enjoyable trip ! Had a bit of a close encounter with bears on the first night which was both scary and exhilarating at the same time . Hikes were pleasant and our tour guide Drac was very friendly. Highlight was the bear sanctuary. Would book again with much better adventures .

I can't recommend this trip highly enough.  It was a great mix of bears, castles and mountain forests.  All expertly guided by the fantastic tour guide, Drac, who brought just the right balance of knowledge and fun to trip.  Highlights were definitely bear watching in the forest dusk and the Romanian cuisine - really loved the Sarmale!  It helped of course, having a wonderful group of fellow adventurers.  It was my first time trying a tour like this and I am sold and would definitely travel with MBA again.

Highly recommend this trip. Dragos was an amazing guide and made sure we all had a really enjoyable experience. We were really lucky to see a bear from the bear hide and it was truly magical. The hotel was lovely and Braşov was a great town - recommend the cable car. The walks were great and a chance to see some beautiful Romanian countryside. The itinerary is well planned with a good balance of activities and free time.

Incredible scenery, amazing bear encounters and super well organised. Alin was a great guide. Can't recommend this trip enough.

This was my first-ever trip with MBA, and I can honestly say it was beyond amazing! Not only was this my first experience with this company, but it was also my first group tour of any kind, and I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction.

The tour struck the perfect balance between group activities and solo exploration. There was plenty of time to bond with other travelers, and I was fortunate to be part of a group that got along so well, but I also appreciated having enough free time to explore on my own.

Brașov, the city and its charming old town was absolutely beautiful, with their rich history and stunning architecture.

Dragoș, our guide, was incredibly thoughtful and went above and beyond to ensure that we all had the best experience possible. You could tell he genuinely cared about us having a great time—his sense of humor, kindness, and vast knowledge of Romanian history and the places we visited made every moment enjoyable. I couldn't have asked for a better guide!

The accommodation was comfortable and had everything we needed, including a great breakfast to fuel us before each day's adventures.

The trip exceeded all my expectations. It was an incredible mix of exploration, history, and connection with both the country and the wonderful people on the tour.This trip to Romania was an experience I’ll cherish forever!

This trip was was everything and more than I wanted.

It was the first time doing something like this on my own and I was nervous, but much better adventures and the guide based in Romania where happy to answer all my questions and were fast to respond and always professional. They really help put my mind at ease. From the moment I arrived and met Drac our guide I knew I had made the right decision about coming. I was in a group of 7, a mum and daughter, a couple,myself and 2 other females solo travelers. We all soon became firm friends and they were all brilliant. On the Friday we went to the bear hide, I had been dreaming about this since I booked it and tried really hard to keep calm but as soon as we arrived I got overwhelmed with excitement and cried, I would have felt silly but the whole group were so lovely about it. It did put pressure on Alex who runs the bear hide project as he really wanted us to spot them. Unfortunately we didn't, I was gutted but knew this was a possibility but Alex offered to bring us back in the Sunday which I will be forever grateful for!!! As we did see them the second time :) we saw a bug five year old male, and a teenager who acted just how you would imagine a teenage bear to act. It was absolutely amazing and surreal, I still can't believe it!!!! We also did Liberty Bear Sanctuary which was a bitter sweet place. The bears are so happy and healthy but their history is so so sad. As they say "it's a sad story but with a happy ending". Despite how sad the stories are this is something to not miss, you will not regret it and may even have a different way of thinking after. For me my view on zoo's has completely changed! The best moment for me was sitting less then a meter to a big bear who was happily enjoying some bread The noises he made were so happy and he had meat near by but he really enjoyed his bread. It was amazing. We also visited Brans castle, this was brilliant and Drac our guide was really knowledgeable about the history and I was shocked to hear that there was no real evidence that Vlad the Impaler even visited it!!! I did one of the holes due to only having 2 left boots. No idea how I managed this but yes I did the first hike in 2 left boots and decided I would do the second one. But after doing so much in such a short amount of time I really appreciated the nap :) it also meant I could stay at Bran castle a little longer and spend a silly amount of money on souvenires. My hotel was really nice and I was really glad I paid a bit more for my own room just to have that bit of rest bite before going to sleep. Breakfast was really good and they had many options and the coffee was perfect. The food I had was delicious, I asked Drac to pick for me as I wanted to try as much authentic food as I could and I was not disappointed once. Drac also recommended me some really good wine. I would highly recommend this tour and I would definitely check that you have Drac as your guide as he is really funny, smart and knows alot bout the history of Romania and the nature in the area. Drac really made sure we all had the best time! And I will forever be grateful to him and Alex for the best time. I actually plan to go back in April! One tip that I would to give is check your boots before leaving. Make sure you you have a right and left one hahahaha it will make hiking alot easier for you.

This trip really exceeded my expectations. We saw multiple bears, had very knowledgeable guides, learnt so much about nature and amazing / big portions of food.

MBA are really well organised, the guide Drac, was excellent. Brasov is a lovely old town in Transalvania with lots of good value restaurants. Everyone is amazingly friendly. A great way to spend a long weekend!

Great trip, busy itinerary and beautiful scenery, good food and drink,

We had such an amazing trip to Romania! Our guide, Dragos, was fantastic- very fun and personable. The hikes were all beautiful, we loved seeing a bear in the wild and were also really impressed with the sanctuary!

The food was also an unexpected highlight! This was much better than expected and Dragos chose some great meals at lovely local restaurants for us