From Bucharest: Bear Sanctuary, Dracula's Castle & Brasov
Description
Escape Bucharest for a full day in the heart of Transylvania — a journey through the Carpathian Mountains to three of Romania's most unforgettable places, with a passionate local guide. Your day begins at the Libearty Bear Sanctuary in Zarnesti, the largest brown bear sanctuary in the world. Spanning 69 hectares of forest, it is home to more than 90 bears rescued from captivity, now living freely. It is a moving experience and the most ethical sanctuary of its kind. Next, discover the legendary Bran Castle — known worldwide as Dracula's Castle. Perched dramatically on a cliff, this 14th-century fortress is steeped in medieval history and the myth of Bram Stoker's famous vampire. The day ends in Brasov, a beautifully preserved medieval Saxon town. Wander the cobbled old town, see the Council Square and the Black Church, and enjoy free time before the relaxed drive back to Bucharest.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The first attraction will be the Libearty Bear Sanctuary, a territory spanning across 69 hectares of coniferous forests where you will safely observe more than 100 rescued brown bears in their natural habitat. Since all bears have been rescued from poor conditions and here they can live freely in their natural environment, the sanctuary has been recognized as the most ethical one in the world.
The tour continues with a scenic one-hour drive through the Carpathian Mountains to Bran Castle, widely known as Dracula's Castle. This 14th-century fortress, perched dramatically on a cliff, is one of Romania's most iconic landmarks and is famously linked to Bram Stoker's Dracula. You will explore the castle's medieval rooms, narrow staircases and royal chambers, and enjoy the stunning views over the surrounding valley.
The final stop is the medieval city of Brasov, a beautifully preserved Saxon town in the heart of the Carpathians. Enjoy free time to wander the cobbled streets of the old town, admire the Council Square (Piata Sfatului) and the imposing Black Church, grab a coffee in one of the local cafes, and soak up the atmosphere before the relaxed drive back to Bucharest.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup is offered from your accommodation.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The Libearty Bear Sanctuary does not allow children under the age of 5 on site. This is a rule set by the sanctuary for the animals' wellbeing and visitor safety.
Reviews(90)
Had the pleasure of meeting Alex today who took us for a tour of Libearty Bear Sanctuary, followed by Bran’s Castle and a visit to the beautiful Braşov. Alex was super friendly and extremely helpful, a pleasure to meet, and we would highly recommend him to everyone.
Thank you for the lovely review! We're so happy you enjoyed the sanctuary, castle, and Brasov. Means a lot to us—hope to welcome you back!
Alex was an excellent host, very knowledgeable about all things and we really enjoyed the day out. The bears were definitely the highlight and the castle and Brasov were beautiful.
Thank you! We're so glad the bears stole the show—and that you loved the castle and Brasov too. We really appreciate the kind feedback!
Up early and a long day but worth every minute. Alex, our driver, was such a lovely person. Taking time to answer any questions we had and very informative. My son and I had a brilliant day.
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad you and your son had a brilliant day and that Alex helped make the experience enjoyable and informative. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again in Romania!
This was an amazing activity for myself and my family! Our driver and tour guide Bogdan was very friendly and informative. He had a lot of great facts and insights about the castle and Romanian history, it was fascinating! I loved the bear sanctuary, they do amazing work taking care of the bears. Would highly recommend to anyone visiting, I’m already on coming back with a few friends!
Thank you for your amazing review! We’re so happy you and your family had such a great experience with Bogdan and enjoyed learning more about Romanian history and Bran Castle. It’s wonderful to hear you loved the Bear Sanctuary as well. We truly appreciate the recommendation and would love to welcome you back again with your friends!
What an amazing day! Bogdan was easy to communicate with, picked us up right outside our hotel, felt very safe being driven through the mountain roads with stunning scenery. The Bear Sanctuary was interesting and very informative, the Bears were very relaxed and seemed happy. The meal stop was excellent and the village and castle everything you would expect. Thanks you to Bogdan for sharing your knowledge with us and answering so many of our questions. It was a pleasure spending the day with you .
Thank you for the fantastic review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the entire experience with Bogdan, from the beautiful mountain drive to the Bear Sanctuary and Bran Castle. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we truly appreciate your kind words. Hope to welcome you back again someday!
This was a great day from start to finish with Bogdan. We started off at the bear sanctuary whhich was an eye opening experience. Maria the tour guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. There was also other animals there such as dogs, horses, wolves, and a deer. Then we went to Bran's Castle and walked around with Bogdan who was knowledgeable. The entry for both was around £15 each. Then we had some lunch in a resturant recommended by Bogdan. We got back to our hotel around 5pm and was picked up in the morning at 6:30. We had so much fun. The drive was around 3 hours there and back but Bogdan made this a comfortable experience. Bogdan even recommended a place for dinner, which served traditional food, which was great.
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so happy you enjoyed the day with Bogdan and had a great experience at both the bear sanctuary and Bran Castle. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back to Romania again soon!
We got a message off Alex the night before our tour and our original coach had been involved in a crash which meant we couldn’t travel on this coach the next day. Instead of Alex cancelling the tour he sorted out new plans which upgraded us to a free private tour with Alin which was free of charge and brilliant! Alin was a great tour guide. So informative and taught us all about the Romanian culture, the bears, the castle and anything else we had questions on! Can’t recommend this tour enough. Please book!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We truly appreciate your understanding regarding the unexpected situation, and we’re so happy we could still make the tour happen for you. Alin will be delighted to hear your kind words. Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope to see you again in Romania!
Firstly, the two places visited were fabulous. We were lucky enough to see bears frolicking in the snow and Dracula’s castle was really enjoyable and well worth the visit. You are basically paying for a taxi service, nothing more. Admittedly our trip was on New Years Eve which may explain part of the poor experience. The night before departure the pick up time was changed from 7.30am to 6.10am, too late for us to cancel. We were also advised that it would no longer be a private trip for the 3 of us but we would be with 5 others, this was blamed on the snow in Transylvania. We were advised the difference in cost would be refunded - this never happened despite my messages to chase this up. Our guide, Alex, hardly said a word during the trip, which is very different to reports in other reviews. The bear sanctuary was great but we arrived at the castle to be told we had an hour, not the 2 hours advertised. After complaining about this we were given an hour and 30 minutes. Overall a poor experience and I have never received the promised refund. I cannot recommend this travel company at all sadly.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the bear sanctuary and Bran Castle, and that you were able to see the bears in the snow — a truly special experience. We regret that other aspects of the tour did not meet your expectations. As this tour took place on New Year’s Eve, conditions were exceptional. The earlier departure time was a necessary and preventive safety measure. During the holiday period, roads in the region can become extremely congested, and the bear sanctuary allows only two entry slots per day, both in the early morning. Leaving earlier ensured that your group did not risk missing admission altogether. Due to weather and road conditions, the tour was changed from private to shared, which you accepted. As clearly communicated, the price difference refund is handled exclusively by Viator, as they collect all payments and manage all refunds on behalf of local operators. We do not receive customer funds directly and therefore cannot issue or process refunds ourselves. For this reason, the refund must be requested and completed through Viator, with whom the booking and payment were made. We understand how frustrating delays can be and fully agree that this matter should have been resolved by now. However, any outstanding refund is entirely within Viator’s responsibility once the customer follows up directly with them. We’re also sorry if the time at Bran Castle felt shorter than expected. After your concerns were raised on the day, additional time was granted, and your comments regarding the guide’s interaction have been noted for internal review. While we’re sorry that the overall experience fell short of your expectations, we appreciate your feedback and wish you the best in your future travels.
Prior to leaving the U.K. Alex contacted us and made sure all the arrangements were in place and tickets purchased for the bear sanctuary. On the day our guide was Bogdan, lovely chap, helpful, informative, picked us up outside our AirBnB and couldn’t do more to help. Highly recommended - 5 ⭐️
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re delighted to hear you had a great experience with both Alex and Bogdan. It was a pleasure organizing your trip, and we truly appreciate your recommendation. Hope to welcome you again in Romania!
Alex was an amazing guide, very thoughtful. It was a very interesting and beautiful day! Would definitely recommend him
So glad you had a beautiful day with Alex! We agree, he's a fantastic guide. Thanks for the recommendation!
