Hike to an isolated hide in the Carpathians – home to 60% of Europe’s brown bear population – to see these incredible creatures in the wild
Visit a pioneering sanctuary which rehomes and rehabilitates formerly captive bears in a beautiful and inspiring setting
Bed down in a characterful boutique hotel in the bustling town of Brasov and explore Bran Castle, the medieval stronghold also known as Castle Dracula
The perfect adventurous long weekend combining hikes, history and memorable wildlife encounters
Day 1
Arrive in Brasov and be transferred to your boutique hotel in the heart of this beautiful city. Brasov is a fantastic base for a trip, a cosmopolitan and lively place with an alluring blend of ancient and modern.
Day 2
Grab an early breakfast today before taking a short drive through the scenic Transylvanian countryside to the base of the Piatra Craiului mountains. Set off for a hike, and take in wonderful views over the Carpathians. Head back to Brasov and tuck in to some tasty lunch before a little free time to explore or relax before heading off bear watching. You'll drive to a remote trailhead at the edge of a forest and hike in (for around 20 minutes) to reach an elevated bear hide, tucked away on the edge of a clearing. Settle in and keep your fingers crossed for bears entering the clearing. The hide is ethically run by the local wildlife authority and is similar to a treehouse, so you are in the perfect spot to view the bears from the best and safest vantage point, should they show up. If you’re lucky you might even see cubs! Head back to Brasov for a late dinner to toast an epic day.
Day 3
This morning, you'll drive to Zarnesti, the site of an inspiring animal welfare project – Europe's largest of any kind. The Libearty Bear Sanctuary has been a beacon for change over the past two decades, as the founders campaigned to end bear captivity across Romania and to re-home and rehabilitate formerly captive bears. Many of these bears had been kept in awful conditions, but are now living in 70 beautifully forested hectares at the foothills of the Carpathians. You'll take a private guided tour around the sanctuary, walking the trails between enclosures and watching the bears swimming and playing together a short distance from you (the sanctuary is fenced). The sanctuary limits visitor numbers to give the bears space and peace for the majority of the day; your visit offers financial support and helps the sanctuary continue their important work. Afterwards, you'll head to the trailhead for your second hike of the trip in another part of the Carpathian Mountains. Postavaru Mountain is another stunning natural setting where you can take in the lush green valleys, fresh mountain air and sweeping views of the Carpathians. You'll be back in Brasov in the late afternoon, where you could grab a beer in the square to watch the light fade before sampling another restaurant for dinner.
Day 4
This morning you'll head to the legendary Bran Castle, better known as Dracula’s Castle, with its blood-red turrets, eerie rooms and creepy reputation. Enjoy a farewell lunch here before your trip comes to an end. Your host will transfer you to Brasov Airport in time for your onward flight later today. Those leaving on afternoon flights will head to the airport straight away and those leaving later in the evening can soak up a few more sights in Brasov before the adventure ends.
Konstantina P. May 2026
Amanda H. April 2026
Sam G. April 2026
Nicholas G. April 2026
Brigitta N. April 2026
Josephine P. April 2026
Kate S. April 2026
Philippa S. October 2025
Emma C. September 2025
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In the event of poor weather such as heavy rain, strong winds and/or storms, it is possible that conditions may become unsuitable to complete the planned hikes on this trip. Your guide will assess the conditions and weather forecasts and make a decision with your safety and enjoyment in mind. If it becomes necessary to make a change to the planned itinerary, an adapted hike will be offered.
Bear safety is carefully managed to minimise risk and disturbance. Brown bears are naturally shy and avoid humans unless provoked. Before entering the forest, rangers provide a full safety briefing, explaining how to behave and what to expect. You will be accompanied at all times and rangers carry professional bear spray (not firearms) as a precaution, though it is rarely needed. No food is permitted at the bear hide - only water - to avoid attracting wildlife. The hide itself is fully secure with solid walls and elevated windows which are out of the bear's reach.
At Much Better Adventures, we work hard to accommodate dietary requirements and allergies so your trip is safe, inclusive and enjoyable. That said, options can vary by country, location and accommodation, and in some places options may be limited or unavailable. The information below has been provided by your host so you’re fully informed about what will be possible on your trip depending on your individual requirements. This information should be read carefully prior to your trip to ensure that you are adequately prepared for the situation ‘on the ground’.
Once you have booked on your trip, please fill out your passenger information form asap with any dietary requirements. Once you complete your passenger information, your dietary needs and any allergies are automatically shared with your host and, in turn, your guide. Please submit this as early as possible so they can plan accordingly and deliver the best experience. Please also remind your guide about your dietary requirements upon arrival, as mentioning these in person allows your guide to comprehend individual preferences and limitations as soon as you arrive.
BACKGROUND Romanian food has been shaped by Carpathian farming, Danube plain harvests and a crossroads of Balkan, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian influences, so it’s often hearty, seasonal, flavourful and built around soups, stews, maize and preserved vegetables. Most traditional meals start with a soup, often made with meat or vegetables. Sausages are also popular, as well as meat and vegetable pies, goulash, stuffed cabbage rolls and cheeses.
SPECIAL DIETS
Vegetarian Vegetarian diets can be catered for on this trip, provided your host is aware in advance. There are plenty of appealing meat-free dishes to look forward to including smoky zacuscă (roasted veg spread), salată de vinete (aubergine dip), mushroom or potato stews, ciorbă de fasole (bean soup), mămăligă (polenta) with cheese, and sweet apple or cheese pies.
Vegan Vegan diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance, but you should expect fewer options and variety that you may be used to, especially in more rural areas where meals are traditionally built around meat and dairy. Vegan-friendly choices may include simple vegetable dishes and salads, sarmale with rice and mushrooms, ghiveci vegetable stew, fasole bătută (whipped beans), pickles and grilled peppers.
Kosher Fully certified kosher options are limited in Romania and are mainly found in larger cities. On this trip, kosher-supervised kitchens and ingredients may not be available, so vegetarian or vegan meals can be the most reliable alternative if this is acceptable to you. Please read the related sections above, and plan ahead with your guide.
Halal Romania is not a predominantly Muslim country so fully certified halal options are limited and are mainly found in larger cities. On this trip, halal-certified kitchens, meat and supply chains may not be available so vegetarian or vegan meals can be the most reliable alternative if this is acceptable to you. Please read the related sections above, and plan ahead with your guide.
INTOLERANCES
Gluten Free (for Coeliac, please see Allergies section below) Gluten-Free diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. However, options may be more limited compared to those without dietary requirements. While your local hosts will do their best, it’s worth knowing that gluten-free provision may vary as it can be difficult to source specialist products and some kitchens may be unable to guarantee no cross-contamination. Therefore, meals will more-often be based on naturally gluten-free dishes more often than specialist substitutes. That said, many standard meals already include several options without gluten, even without special preparation, including meats, potato dishes, rice, eggs and salads. Please do consider bringing your favourite snacks or food supplements from home to ensure that you always have enough fuel for your adventure.
Lactose Free Lactose-Free diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. Many traditional dishes are naturally lactose-free or can easily be prepared without dairy, such as vegetable dishes, rice and potato dishes, legumes, and salads.
ALLERGIES
Our host has confirmed that they are able to accommodate mild allergies to the 14 allergens identified by the UK Food Standards Agency, where these are disclosed in advance. However, if you have a severe or life-threatening food allergy (including Coeliac disease), please get in touch with our CX team prior to booking to discuss whether your requirements can be accommodated safely on this trip. This will allow us to carefully consider the sensitivity and severity of your allergy, the available provision on the trip and the accessibility of medical care should a reaction occur. Your safety is always our top priority.
*Please note that when travelling overseas, local ingredients, food preparation methods and labelling standards may vary, particularly in remote areas. It is also worth noting that any allergies may result in more limited options and repetitive provision in some areas. Whilst your guide will help communicate dietary requirements where possible, customers remain responsible for managing their own allergies during the trip.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
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All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way. Check out our Community Values – a shared code to make sure that everyone's experience is safe, inclusive and brilliantly unforgettable.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
This trip is offered from April to October (peak bear-watching season). In Brasov, the temperature usually ranges from 15–25°C during the day and cools off to 3–12°C at night between May and September. Most days are sunny with beautiful blue skies. In April and October, the weather can be more unpredictable and the temperature varies between 10–20°C during the day and 3–10°C at night.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 93kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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