Hiking and Bear Watching in Romania

Everything went smoothly from start to finish. Hotel and all our meals out in the lovely town of Brasov were excellent. The hiking was good but very hot so a few of us took our time but our super guide Alin said it was not a race!! We were blessed with having some good bear sightings from the hide, very special and the visit to the Libearty bear sanctuary the following day was very interesting and emotional. I found the trip to Bram Castle to be very well organised and we missed the big queues but it was not very interesting. Our trip was made by our guide Alin whose organisational skills and knowledge of local history made it a brilliant trip

Really enjoyed the short break. Dragos, our guide, was really helpful and good company and the walks were good stretch without being overly demanding. We saw 5 bears from the hide in the forest including a young cub and the bear sanctuary was a wonderful experience.

What an amazing weekend! From start to finish, it exceeded my expectations. My companions were aged between twenty-eight and fifty-eight but everyone got on tremendously! The bear watching was great, the Romanian countryside stunning, and our guide for the weekend was outstanding. I will definitely return to Romania at some point, and I will definitely book further trips with Much Better Adventures. Thank you to everyone for making this weekend so wonderful.

Just got back from this trip. My first time in Romania and it won’t be my last. It’s a beautiful country with friendly people. Our guide, Dragos, was fantastic - he was extremely knowledgeable, approachable, organised and humorous. The trip fits lots into a short space of time yet doesn’t feel rushed as there was also some ‘free’ time to do our own thing. The hikes were not strenuous and are within easy reach of anyone who does regular walking/hiking or keeps active in other ways. We saw 5 bears at the hide, including a mum and her cub. The bear sanctuary was both sad but heartwarming. Dracula’s castle was interesting and added a different dimension to the trip, which is otherwise outdoors based. Our hotel (Prinz Gregor) was a 5-10 minute flat walk from the main square in Braşov. I had a double room which I paid the solo supplement for so I didn’t share. It was spacious, looked brand new and the en-suite was roomy with a great shower. Breakfast included all the usual options in an international buffet style breakfast and was more than adequate. Our group was a mixture of ages; ours had. 8 women and 5 men and was a mixture of solos, couples and pairs of friends. The group dynamics were great. I would definitely book a trip again through MBA - thank you!

Very good trip. Our guide Allin was excellent.

A fantastic weekend from start to finish. The trip was set up really well with good transfers to and from the airport. The hotel was of a good standard and the breakfast good enough, the food at the other meals was great local restaurants serving good quality local food, just remember not to fill up on bread before the food arrives. The rest of the weekend was superb, our guide, Alin, was incredible and nothing was to difficult for him. His knowledge and professionalism, mark him out as one of the best guides I have come across. The hikes are good and the views of Romania are breath taking. Dracula's Castle (Bran) is good but if you don't like crowds it might not be for you. However, I save the best for last, the bear watching was an amazing experience, to see wild bears so close is an encounter not to be missed. Watching bears doing what bears do in the wild is incredible and worth the wait siting in silence. The trip to the bear sanctuary the following day just make the night before even more special. The work the bear sanctuary is doing is inspiring and to see how abused bears are being cared for is a gain a wonderful experience. Overall an amazing weekend that we will remember for a very long time.

You have done it again, Much Better Adventures, with a fantastic 3 day adventure in Romania. Our guide, Alin, was so knowledgeable, very kind and displayed a boundless generosity of time and experience. The group itself was a pleasure to be with, lots and lots of laughing, the meals were excellent as was the accommodation. But the highlight was the bears, both in the wild (we saw 3!!!!!) and the inspiring but heartbreaking Libearty Sanctuary where the ill-used of these noble creatures have been given safety and dignity. We packed so much in it seemed much longer than 3 days. A wonderful adventure. Thank you.

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.