We did a full day tour with our guide Marius. It was me, my wife and 3 grown up children. We were picked up from our apartment and did Bran Castle, the bear sanctuary, quick stop off at Palincaria distillery and finally Peles Castle. Marius provided us with water and umbrellas and the whole day was a fantastic experience. Every single thing we did was a lovely experience and the information / knowledge provided by Marius was fantastic and he was always happy to take photos and answer any questions. Nothing was too much trouble. Must also mention communication was brilliant before and during our trip and he provided us with lots of information and recommendations not only for our stay in Brasov but also for our onward journey to Bucharest. Would have no hesitation in recommending these tours and we will definitely be using again next time we visit Brasov and Marius is an absolute superstar 😊 Thanks for a wonderful day until next time.
Bran Castle & Bear Sanctuary from Brasov - Optional Peles Castle
+8 photos
At a glance
- Duration
- 5–9 hours
- Price from
- $183 / person
- Location
- Brasov, Romania
- Rating
- 5.0 / 5 · 9 reviews
- Languages
- EN, IT
- Group
- Private
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Hotel pickup
- Available
- Confirmation
- Within 24h
- Ticket
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operator
- Boutique Romania
Description
A highly recommended day trip for where you will discover the biggest brown bear sanctuary in the world and Bran and Peles. Two unique castles starting from Brasov, one of the most beautiful and visited cities in Transylvania. You will enjoy a guided tour at the Zărnești Bear Sanctuary, a 1-hour easy walk in the forest with views over the national Parks of Bucegi and Piatra Craiului. In only 30 minutes drive we switch from nature and wildlife to history and to the legend of Count Dracula at the famous Bran Castle. You will be astonished by the new perspective they gain when arriving in these Transylvanian territories and a lot of them find this tour mysterious and educative at the same time. Last but not least visit as optional you can visit the “Pearl of the Carpathians” at Peles Castle, the summer residence for the Romanian royal family. Peles castle, unknown to most travellers is definitely one of the most beautiful and underrated castles in Europe.
Schedule & prices
- Runs
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, and Sun
- Start times
- 8:00 AM
- Next available
- Tue, Oct 6
- Adult (ages 16+)
- $183
Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.
Prices are per person when two book together; a solo traveller pays $310.
Larger groups pay less per person.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 4.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti
To reach the Bear Sanctuary from Brasov, we drive for 45 minutes through picturesque towns and villages before reaching open countryside and gently rolling hills. Thanks to the relatively low level of human intervention, Romania is home to 60% of Europe's brown bears. When we talk about saving bears, we’re not talking so much about the wild Romanian bears, as the ones who have had a terrible existence, held captive by private owners and in small Eastern European zoo enclosures until fairly recently. This is where the Libearty Bear Sanctuary comes in, re-homing, rehabilitating and giving these captive bears a chance of ending their days in a more natural environment. Zărnești Bear Sanctuary is recognized by many specialists, as the most ethical brown bear sanctuary in the world. The Sanctuary has 69 hectares of oak forest, with trees where the bears can climb, swimming pools where they can splash, food according to their diets studied by the veterinarians and medical care.
Bran Castle
After we leave the Bear Sanctuary behind, we will immediately be arriving at the most exciting destination for most travellers: The Bran Castle or Dracula's Castle. If by any chance, you find yourself being a huge fan of Bram Stoker’s novel or you discovered “Dracula” from different cinematographic representations, we will make sure, to offer you a brand new perspective. You will discover historical insights related to Vlad the Impaler (Țepeș) and the history of the castle which starts over 800 years before and it’s mainly related to the crusades as well as to the Teutonic Knights. Travelers will be fascinated by the new perspective they gain when arriving on these Transylvanian territories and a lot of them find this tour mysterious and educative at the same time.
What's included
Included
Private transportation
Air-conditioned vehicle
Parking Fees
Not included
Lunch
Traveller Ratings
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
5.0
9 reviews
How it compares in Brasov
- Starting price $183 is 50% above the typical $123 for tours of similar length in Brasov
Excurgo comparison of 274 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
1+ days before100% refund
0–1 days before0% refund
Frequently asked questions
How long does this tour take?
Bran Castle & Bear Sanctuary from Brasov - Optional Peles Castle lasts about 5–9 hours. The itinerary has 2 stops.
How much does this tour cost?
Prices start at $183 per person for this Brasov experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. That is the per-person price when two book together; a solo traveller pays $310. There are 2 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
What days does this tour run?
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, starting at 8:00 AM.
Can I cancel this tour for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, pickup is offered. Pickup points include Monarch House, Mer Guest House B&B.
What languages is this tour offered in?
The experience is available in EN, IT.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 8 travellers can book together.
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Confirmation is sent by the operator within 24 hours of booking.
Is this tour worth it?
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 9 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Boutique Romania.
Reviews(9)
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
K
Brasov day trip
3
An amazing day out despite the weather!
We had a fantastic tour. The weather was bad but we still all had a great time. Our tour guide Daniela was so knowledgeable and told us the history of the areas. She made sure we got to the destinations on time whilst still having time to take it all in. She also gave us some great tips about where and what to eat which we followed up and was great. I would definitely recommend. All communication was easy and quick. Thank you for a great trip.
N
Transylvania tour
I used Boutique Romania for a group trip to Transylvania in September. They are trustworthy, dependable and knowledgeable. Our experience with them was faultless. Would highly recommend.
R
A beautiful day
We turned to Boutique Romania Tours for a day visit to Bran and Peleş Castles, as well as the town of Brasov. We were contacted by Ovidiu with whom we had a quick exchange of emails, organizing a private tour with a guide (in English), paying in advance a deposit of 120 Euro by bank transfer, while the remaining 180 Euro to be delivered cash to the guide. For the entrance tickets to the castles we have done it independently, booking them on the respective websites: the guide came directly to the hotel and accompanied us throughout the day, leaving us free time available. We want to congratulate the perfect organization of Ovidiu and the professionalism and kindness of our guide Ion who made sure we spent a beautiful day in Transylvania. We strongly recommend contacting this tour operator, who has proven to be serious and efficient.
M
Very good
Nice tour, well organized, castles and wonderful landscapes. Filippo competent and attentive guide! All good, good!
1 people found this helpful
G
Competent and Professional!
Tour Operator prepared and excellently organised! Nothing to say about any aspect... exceptional knowledge of history and places! they know how to move and where to go so that everything goes well, Codru our guide, kind and competent, even organized our next day even if it hadn't been planned with them! I highly recommend them!
U
Thanks Iulian
Our precious guide Iulian made us spend a wonderful day among the castles of Transylvania, telling, during the trip, the past and present of Romania and the history of the places visited Absolutely beyond expectations We truly thank him from the bottom of our hearts for the wonderful experience and we will recommend him to anyone who goes to Romania Hi Julian
I
a trip to Romania, a surprising country
11 day tour of Romania very well prepared. No problems arose, appointments with the scheduled events respected in particular for the Assumption in Maramures. Local Romanian guide, Ovidiu Botoni, perfectly kind, knows Italian very well, knows Romanian history and art and also a lot about Italy enough to make appropriate comparisons. The agency also offered us two excellent lunches that were not initially planned. I booked the trip with Azalai, an Italian tour operator, but I would recommend booking directly with them. Excellent hotels and beautiful setting country, all the more so as it is unexpected
D
The best way to explore stunning Romania
My husband and I recently took a dream trip to Hungary and Romania, and we were very fortunate to have Ovidiu Botoni as our private guide for most of the Romanian portion of our trip. It can be challenging when you’re spending several hours a day with a stranger, but we both quickly came to adore Ovidiu. Not only was Ovidiu incredibly knowledgeable about all things Romania – the past and recent political history, details on Bran and Pelles Castles, Vlad the Impaler, Brasov, the Carpathians, the Libearty Bear Sanctuary, and so much more, but he was also fun to be around and an absolutely lovely person. We spent three days with Ovidiu as he guided us through southern Transylvania and then drove us south to Bucharest. During that time we saw and learned so much that made our trip truly magical. Also, Ovidiu was quick to learn our likes and dislikes. I’m a vegetarian (and a picky eater), and Ovidiu took us to an absolutely delicious restaurant in Brasov and recommended more for us to try on our own. If you’re planning a trip to beautiful Romania, definitely work with Ovidiu. Romania surpassed our wildest expectations, and Ovidiu played a large part in making our trip such a wonderful experience.
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| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bran Castle & Bear Sanctuary from Brasov - Optional Peles Castle | 5–9 hours | 5.0 (9) | $183 | |
 Bear Sanctuary and Bran Castle from Brasov | 4–5 hours | 5.0 (87) | $63 | View |
 Bran (Dracula) Castle, Bear Sanctuary, Rasnov Fortress & Palinca Distillery | 6–7 hours | 5.0 (51) | $109 | View |
 Day Trip Bear Sanctuary, Bran Castle, Rasnov Fortress from Brasov | 6h 30min | 4.9 (18) | $71 | View |
 Bear Sanctuary, Bran Castle(Dracula) and Râșnov Fortress | 6–7 hours | 5.0 (2) | $52 | View |
 From Brasov: Bran, Rasnov & Peles Castles Small-Group Tour | 8–9 hours | 4.9 (983) | $78 | View |
 3-Castle: Peles,Bran,Rasnov,Sinaia Monastery from Brasov w pickup | 8–9 hours | 4.9 (429) | $78 | View |
from$183
5.0(9) Free cancellation