The best Brasov itinerary with tips from a native

Last Updated on September 10, 2025 by Ioana

I was born and raised in Romania, and I moved back here in 2024 after living in NYC for almost 14 years. I am from Oradea and I visited Brasov many times in my life. In this blog post I will share the ultimate Brasov itinerary to help you plan your trip. I will give you options for a one day, two day, and three day Brasov itinerary so you can pick whatever suits your needs and travel style. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.

Are you looking for help with planning your trip? Check out these helpful resources:

• Flights​​
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• ​​Activities, tours, and day trips​​
• eSIM for international data

I’m really glad you’ll be visiting Romania and the city of Brasov! I highly encourage you to read this article I wrote about stereotypes about Romania and what my honest opinion is of them. It will help you understand our history and learn how things evolved and how the country developed over the last 35 years.

A bit of a fun fact: a lot of cities in Transylvania are Saxon towns. They were built by people of German descent who came to Transylvania to grow the economy of the place. 

Brasov is one of them. It is of the most famous cities in Transylvania, right in the heart of Romania. It’s also the closest one to Bucharest, so many visitors make a stop here when they visit Romania. And let me say it is absolutely worth visiting. It’s a stunning medieval town in the mountains.

Itinerary if you have just one day in Brasov

The Black Church

The Black Church (or Biserica Neagră in Romanian) is located in the center of Brasov and it is the largest gothic church in Romania. It is a Lutheran church that is still operating, but it can also be visited by tourists.

The church received its name after the 1689 fire, which turned the exterior of the building black from all the smoke. 
It has a collection of over 100 Transylvanian rugs, all hung throughout the church. It is the second largest collection of rugs after the one in Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.

Another cool thing about this church is that is still has the marks from the bullets that were fired during the 1989 Romanian Revolution that marked the end of communism for the country.

It’s a place with a lot of history, so I highly encourage you to visit it.

Council Square

The next stop is the gorgeous Council Square (or Piața Sfatului in Romanian), the main square of Brasov. It’s a one minute walk from the Black Church.

Here you can see the Old City Hall, plenty of cute colorful buildings, and a fountain. There are also many restaurants and cafes here where you can have some food or a drink.

If you want to eat in this area I recommend you go to Ograda. I ate there recently and the food was great. It’s the perfect place for lunch with a view since they have outdoor seating in the square as well.

Rope Street

Rope Street (or Strada Sforii in Romanian) is the narrowest street in Brasov and one of the narrowest streets in Europe.

The walls of the buildings that mark the two sides of the street are all covered in colorful graffiti, which makes for a great photo op.

At the same time, if you walk towards the middle of the street you’ll also be able to see the Brasov sign on the Tampa Mountain, so you can also take a picture that has the Brasov sign in the background.

Black Tower

The Black Tower is one of the 4 towers of Brasov. It was built on a hill and it was used as an observation tower to protect the city from enemies. You can also climb to the top of the tower if you visit.

White Tower

After you visit the White Tower you can take a stroll on Dupa Ziduri Street by the Graft river. It’s a very picturesque little street that connects Brasov’s medieval fortified towers.

And you’ll end to the White Tower, another defense tower in Brasov. It got its name because it was painted with white paint.

Catherine’s Gate

Also in this tower area you will find Catherine’s Gate, the only original gate that survived from medieval times. It is named after St. Catherine’s Monastery that was located there back in the day.

Lunch at La Ceaun

Brasov has many great restaurants where you can sample Romanian local cuisine. One of them is La Ceaun, in the old town. They have seating both indoors and outdoors.

Even though it’s a very popular restaurant, they will squeeze in without a reservation. The food is incredible. You can try sarmale, eggplant spread, bean soup in a bread bowl, and many other traditional dishes.

For drinks you can try palinca, the local plum brandy. It’s very strong, about 50% alcohol, but it’s a must when you visit Romania.

For non-alcoholic drinks I recommend socata. It’s an elderflower lemonade and it tastes exactly like the one my grandma used to make for me when I was a kid.

Hike to the Brasov sign on Mount Tampa 

After lunch you can start burning off some of the calories you ate at lunch by going on a hike to the Brasov sign. Alternatively, you could do the hike in the morning and sightsee in the afternoon. Totally up to you.

You’ll be able to see the large Brasov sign on Mount Tampa anywhere from the city center. It looks like the Hollywood sign. 

Once you get up to the sign, there is a balcony where you can take pictures of the view and rest a bit before going back down.

You can hike up there using two different hiking routes, or you can take the cable car if you don’t feel like working out. Make sure to check the Google reviews of the cable car before you go since sometimes it’s down for repairs. This way you’ll prevent any disappointment once you get there.

The Serpentines path

The Serpentines path is the easier path as it has a gentler, winding ascent to the top. Most hikers choose this path. It takes about 1.5 hours to reach the Brasov sign.

The hiking path is pretty narrow and it’s in the woods, so the terrain will not be smooth. Make sure you wear hiking boots or at least running shoes that have a strong grip to prevent falling.

There are no shops along the path, so make sure you bring a bottle of water with you, some snacks, and sun cream if you’re visiting on a sunny day.

You can stop as often as you need along the way to take pictures of the view.

The Gabony’s Steps path

If you feel more adventurous you can use the Gabony’s Steps path. As the name suggests it has stairs, so it is a more steep and strenuous path. But you’ll reach the top faster compared to the Serpentines path.

If you want to check out both paths, I recommend you ascend using the Serpentines path and descend using the Gabony’s Steps path. That way you check them out both, but you don’t exert yourself too much going up the mountain.

It should take only about 30-40 minutes to descend if you use Gabony’s Steps.

Itinerary if you have a second day in Brasov

I hope you have more than one day in Brasov because the attractions on days 2 and 3 of these itinerary are some of the coolest places you can visit in Romania. I think it would be a pity to miss out on them.

But in case you’re short on time, I guess it’s an excuse to come back and check out more places in Romania next time.

Dracula’s Castle

The legendary Bran Castle is popular because of Bram Stoker. In his novel about the fictional character Dracula, he describes a medieval castle that looks exactly like the Bran Castle. This castle in Romania was his inspiration for his novel.

Since Dracula is well-known all over the world, a lot of tourists come to visit the infamous Bran Castle. The castle has no connection with the real Dracula, Vlad the Impaler. He never lived there. 

But it’s a really incredible castle and I recommend you visit it. 

You can buy tickets at the machines by the entrance. The machines have multiple languages, so it should be easy to understand what you need to do.

I recommend you buy the regular ticket instead of the fast-lane ticket since it’s rarely that busy that you need to skip the line.

Also, if you need an invoice for the tickets you buy, there is a QR code on the machine that you can scan with your phone. Once you introduce the details of your company you will automatically receive the invoice in your inbox.

Eat at Sergiana in Brasov

After you visit the Bran Castle, you can return to Brasov for lunch since the drive is only about an hour. 

Another great restaurant in Brasov I highly recommend is Sergiana, right at the entrance to the old town. They have an extensive traditional Romanian food menu and the food is really good.

Peleș Castle

After lunch you can head to Peles Castle. The drive is also about an hour from Brasov, but in the opposite direction as Bran. That’s why I suggested you come back to Brasov for lunch.

Peles is my favorite castle in Romania. It was built at the beginning of the 1900’s for King Carol I in a Neo-Renaissance style.

He also commissioned Pelișor Castle, translated as “little Peles” for his nephew, the future King Ferdinand. 

In 2006 both castles became museums and tourist attractions.

He also commissioned Pelișor Castle, translated as “little Peles” for his nephew, the future King Ferdinand. 

In 2006 both castles became museums and tourist attractions.

It was also a very expensive project. It cost the equivalent of 120 millions USD today.

But for good reason. It truly is an architectural gem that you must visit at least once in your lifetime. Every single detail in that palace is incredible. And it’s location in the Carpathian Mountains makes you feel like you’re in a Hallmark movie.

You can buy tickets on site once you get there. No need to book anything in advance.

Bear Watching

Bear watching is one of the coolest activities you can do in Transylvania. It’s totally safe as you will be indoors in a bear observatory. The observatory has large windows so you can see the bears and take lots of pictures and videos.

On this guided tour you will be picked up from Brasov in the late afternoon and then the guide will drive you to the forest in the Carpathian Mountains. From there a ranger will escort you on a short walk to the hideaway. 

The ranger is armed and also has bear spray on him in case bears come close. But since they do this every day and bears are used to the ranger, they don’t come close. 

Then you spend about 2 hours in the hideaway marveling of these cute puppies of the forest. I thought only 1 or 2 bears would show up, but I think we saw over 10 of them.

We spotted both cubs and adult bears. Watching them scratch their backs by the trees or lifting themselves up on logs was adorable. One of the coolest things I’ve ever done!

Itinerary if you have a third day in Brasov

King Charles’ House in Viscri village

In case you didn’t know, the UK’s King Charles is directly related to Vlad the Impaler (aka Dracula). Because of his heritage and because he loved the Romanian countryside he bought a property in Viscri, which is now a museum.

You can visit both the house and the garden. I loved that they had a painting workshop where you could create your own Viscri postcard. They give you the paper, stamps with Viscri designs, pencils, brushes etc. 

And once you finish your painting you can either take it home with you or leave it at the museum as part of their art collection from visitors.

The activity is entirely free and it’s so fun.

Viscri fortified church

The Transylvania region has one of the highest concentrations of fortified churches from the medieval period. Viscri is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Seven villages with fortified churches are part of the UNESCO list and Viscri is probably the most visited one.

The fortified church in Viscri was built by the Saxons in the 13th century. You can visit the wooden church interior and you can also climb one of the towers for a panoramic view of the village.

These fortified churches are a big part of Romanian history, so I highly recommend you visit a few of them.

Lunch at Viscri 32

There are multiple good restaurants in Viscri, but I ate at Viscri 32. The food was really good, it came out fast, and I liked how much effort they put into plating it. It not only tasted good, but it looked good too.

I recommend the porc in bere (it translates as pork in beer). It’s a very tender pork marinated in beer and it is served with root vegetables. So good!

Rupea fortress

Rupea is a village that’s close to Viscri. While its fortress is not on the Unesco list, it’s still a very cool place to visit. You can park right by the entrance, and from there it’s only a short hike to get to the top.

You’ll be able to see the walls and also get an incredible view of the village. It’s the perfect spot for pictures.

Tips for visiting Brasov

What is the best way to visit Brasov: by car or by train/bus?

I think renting a car is the best way to visit Romania outside of Bucharest. That’s because you’ll be able to enjoy the scenic drives, explore at your own pace, and not have to worry about navigating the Romanian public transport system.

Should I visit solo or join a small group tour?

It depends on how you like to explore. Romania is a safe country, so you can definitely visit solo. But you’ll have more stress since you have to plan everything yourself.

I am hosting a Romania group trip every year. The tour date is the last week of August – first week of September. Except for 2 days in Bucharest, all other days are spent in Transylvania and the itinerary includes everything listed in this blog post.

It’s a great choice if you’re mid 20’s – mid 40’s and would like to explore with a like-minded group of people.

When is the best time to visit Brasov?

All seasons are great, but it depends what types of activities you’re looking for. 

The spring and summer months are great if you want to prioritize exploring the outdoors. Fall is perfect if you want to also see the leaves changing color. And winter is a good choice if you want to see the Christmas market, ski, and snowboard in the resorts near Brasov.

Where should I stay in Brasov?

I recommend you stay at Radisson Blu Aurum Hotel since it’s located in the Brasov Old Town and it’s close to most attractions. It’s a 5-star hotel and it also has a rooftop pool.

Do I need cash for my Brasov visit?

Yes, it’s a good idea to have some cash with you. Most places accept credit cards, but if you need to buy something from a village or you want to tip a tour guide then it’s better to have cash.

How many days should I spend in Brasov?

If you want to just visit Brasov then 1 day is enough. If you want to visit other attraction around Brasov, such as Dracula’s Castle or some of the fortified churches in Transylvania, then you should spend at least 3 days here.

I highly recommend you stay for a few days so you can visit these attractions around Brasov as well. They are some of my favorite places in Transylvania and I know you’ll fall in love with them too.

Is Romania safe for solo travelers?

Yes, Romania is safe for solo female travelers. This is probably the number one question I’m being asked about Romania, so let me give you the full answer here.

One of the stereotypes about Romania is that it’s not a safe country. A lot of people still avoid visiting because of this.

This was true in the first 10-20 years after the fall of communism (1989 – 2009). 

After the 1989 Revolution everyone was trying to make money and stop living in scarcity. And because there was so much corruption and no systems put in place to help people, some people had to resort to scamming and stealing.

Back in the day pickpockets would steal money from you at the airport, on the street, literally anywhere. There is even a song by Romanian rapper Puya saying something like “when you land in Romania, make sure to keep your money close to you”.

Taxi drivers used to scam tourists as well. They would always ask for more money than what the price actually was.

But things have evolved so much and are so different now. We are part of the EU and Schengen. The country developed tremendously and the economy has been growing consistently. 

So these things don’t happen anymore because people don’t need to resort to scamming and stealing to live a decent life. That’s why debunking myths about Romania is so important. 

I live in Romania again after being in NYC for 14 years and traveling all over Western Europe and I feel safer in Romania than I felt in Western Europe or the US.

How to get cell phone data when visiting Romania from abroad?

The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.

I use Airalo. You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.

You can activate it on your phone and the process takes under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.

What language do people speak in Romania?

The official language in Romania is Romanian. Contrary to popular belief, Romanian sounds nothing like Russian.

The Romanian language is a romance language. That means that it has Latin roots, and it is very similar to Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Catalan. For example, the word “good” is “bun” in Romanian, “bueno” in Spanish, “buon” in Italian, and “bon” in French. Do you see the resemblance?

Romanian has some Slavic influences, so there will be words that don’t sound anything like their Spanish or French counterparts. One example is the word for “snow”, “zăpadă”. This is a Slavic word, and it is quite different from “nieve” in Spanish or “neige” in French.

However, overall, Romanian is very similar to its romance language cousins, and it sounds nothing like Russian.

What is the currency of Romania?

While Romania has been part of the European Union since 2007, it is not in the Eurozone yet. Our currency is lei. 1 euro (or 1 dollar) = 5 lei.

Do I have to tip in Romania?

Tipping is not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged. I usually leave 5-10 lei (the equivalent of 1-2 euros) as tip when I eat out. They highly appreciate it when you do this.

Do I need to book tickets for attractions in advance?

You can book tickets online in advance of your trip if you want to have peace of mind, especially for activities that have limited spots and can sell out, like bear watching.

You can buy entry tickets to castles and other attractions from the ticket office on the day you visit. The chance of them being completely sold out is very small.

Do people speak English in Romania?

Yes, they do. Pretty much everyone speaks English in Romania nowadays, especially the younger folks.

Most people also speak a little Spanish because Latin-American soap operas were very popular in Romania at the beginning of the 2000’s. And since Romanian is similar to Spanish we all picked up Spanish. 

That’s how I learned Spanish. And I am also able to understand bits and pieces of all other romance languages.

What Romanian words should I learn before my trip?

• Buna (pronounced boo – nuh) = hello 
• La revedere = goodbye
• Multumesc = thank you. But you can also say merci (the short form of multumesc, pronounced exactly like the French word).
• Da= yes
• Nu = no
• Card = credit card

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Need inspiration for your next trip? Check out some of my other articles.

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Is Romania safe for solo female travelers in 2025?

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