Romania Road Trip: Old-School Villages & Painted Monasteries

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Planning a Romania road trip and want to avoid the touristy city breaks and go a bit off-the-beaten path?

This is a 10-day northern Romania road trip that focuses on the authentic little villages and painted monasteries of Bucovina and Maramures.

In my opinion, and you’ll see why, this is one of the prettiest regions of Romania, very close to the Ukrainian and Moldovan border.

What the heck do I know? Firstly, I was born in Romania and have spent countless summers and winter vacations at my grandparent’s place near Brasov. And this year, I spent two months traveling through the entire country, looking for the best of the best road trips and hiking destinations to share with you.

Here’s a quick guide to the highlights of each day of my Romanian road trip and where I stayed.

Daily Highlights	Where I Stayed
Day 1: Arrive in Cluj, Drive to Bucovina	Casa Baciu Colacu
Day 2: Hike in Rarau National Park	Casa Baciu Colacu
Day 3: Bucovina Monasteries & Views	Casa Baciu Colacu
Day 4: Maramures Villages & Old-School Train Rides	A Frame Cabin La Antigua (larger group)
Day 5: Village of Breb & Romanian Food	Casa Moroşenilor Breb
Day 6: Merry Cemetary & Hiking	Casa Moroşenilor Breb
Day 7: Drive Day & Turda Salt Mine	Conacul Secuiesc
Day 8: Village of Rimetea & Hiking	Conacul Secuiesc
Day 9: Cluj-Napoca City Break & Nightlife	The Square Hotel Courtyard Marriott Cluj
Day 10: Fly Home from Cluj

Now, let’s dive into the planning, logistics, and itinerary for my favorite Romanian road trip!

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Where To Start Your Romania Road Trip

If you’re coming from abroad, you’ll likely find a good flight to Bucharest International Airport (OTP), our capital. From there, I would connect to Cluj-Napoca International Airport (CLJ).

👉  TRAVEL TIP: Because we are focusing on the northeastern part of the country, I recommend starting your Romania road trip at Cluj-Napoca International Airport.

Here are the main airport hubs and their codes so you can start planning:

• Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP): Romania’s busiest airport, located in Otopeni, a suburb of Bucharest, our capital. Location-wise, this is in the southeast of the country.
• Avram Iancu Cluj International Airport (CLJ): Romania’s second busiest airport, located in Cluj-Napoca in the middle of the country. I recommend landing here.
• Iași International Airport (IAS): One of Romania’s oldest airports, Iaşi International is located in the northeast of the country, close to the border with Moldova. It’s the third busiest airport in Romania. 
• Timișoara Traian Vuia International Airport (TSR): This airport is Romania’s fourth-busiest and the main air transportation hub for western Romania.
• Oradea International Airport (OMR): Located in northwestern Romania, near the border crossing to Hungary. 

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Renting A Car In Romania

Renting a car in Romania is pretty straightforward. You will need to present your driver’s license and an International Driver’s Permit when you pick up your car, as well as the credit card you used to book the reservation.

➡️ I personally rent and recommend Discover Cars for car rentals in Romania. ⬅️

For this road trip, you don’t need any off-roading 4×4 or anything fancy. I made this whole trip with a small sedan, and it was fine, even on some of the unpaved village roads.

👉 PRO TIP: I recommend renting from a well-rated company, anything 7+. I rented from Klass Wagen, a local Romanian company, because it was cheaper than Alamo or Sixt, and it was great. The customer service folks spoke English, were nice, and really helpful. They had a shuttle pick us up to bring us to their office 5 minutes from the airport, and everything went smoothly.

Also, make sure to get at least the basic car insurance – you’ll want peace of mind since some of the roads will be more rustic, tree branches will be scratching the sides of your car, you might be parking in a field, and things like this.

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Driving in Romania

Driving in Romania is an adventure. I’ve driven in 40+ international countries, and in my opinion, the drivers are a bit aggressive in my country, especially when trying to pass you on the highway.

As far as road conditions, the highways and major roads are pretty good, which is a welcome surprise from the clusterfuck of 15 years ago when I used to visit. It’s good to see that some of the infrastructure has improved and that the EU funding is going to be of good use.

Another tough part about driving in Romania is the hectic traffic, especially around big cities like Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, and especially when you’re trying to exit the airport.

Traffic also backs up when a farmer drives a one-off horse and carriage in the middle of the road — yes, that’s still a thing in Romania.

That said, there are still dirt roads and plenty of potholes in some of the more rural villages; it is still Eastern Europe, after all.

❌ CAUTION: Stay away from “forest roads” or “drum forestier” on Google Maps. These are off-road hell for your car rental. We accidentally took a few of these in Maramureş, so I advise caution.

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My Romania Road Trip Itinerary

My Romania road trip itinerary will take you through two of the most beautiful regions of my country, Bucovina and Maramureş. Even Romanians will agree there is something special about this land, so close to the Ukrainian border.

Bucovina and Maramureş are known for their insanely gorgeous landscapes with rolling hills, valleys, and forest-covered mountains. 

They are also full of UNESCO World Heritage medieval monasteries and super old, beautifully painted churches. This region is very Orthodox.

Both regions are also known for their traditional village culture—these are called “safe,” where the old school traditions are still preserved. These include making your own cheese from cow milk, manually mowing the “lawn” with a scythe, butchering your own animals, and living off the land. 

Day 1: Arrive in Romania

Today is about getting to Romania and then up to the Bucovina area to start your adventure. We landed at Cluj-Napoca International Airport, rented a car, and drove 4 hours towards the small village of Fundul Moldovei.

It’s a pretty drive, and you can stop in Bistrita in the old town for a little break and snack.

We stayed in the town of Fundul Moldovei and loved it, but anywhere around Sadova (more central) is great.

Where To Stay (3 nights)

📍 La Baciu Colacu – Very authentic mountain cabin with an upscale vibe. My dad was saying only rich Romanians go here, and I think it’s true. That said, it’s so worth it for the beginning of the trip. Every meal is home-cooked, the area is walkable, and the views from the rooms are insane!

Day 2: Exploring Rarau National Park

After breakfast, we started the morning with a mid-level hike at Pietrele Domnului (God’s Rocks, loosely translated). This is a circuit hike and should take about 2 hours.

While I know people are scared of bears in Romania, we were prepared with little bells on our packs. There are tons of people hiking this trail in the summer, so it should be ok.

After the hike, I highly recommend driving through the TransRarau National Park.

Lunch was at Hotel Alpin Rarau – have the ciorba de vacuta (cow soup). It’s a Romanian specialty.

After lunch, we drove to Cheile Moară Dracului. Getting there, the last few kilometers are unpaved, but be brave and drive to the end of the road, where you will see a barrier. From there, walk 30 min to the “chei” which is roughly translated as little gorges through the mountains. This is a quick little back-and-forth walk through the woods, but it’s pretty next to the river.

The afternoon is all about the famous Bucovina Monasteries. Head to Voroneti Monastery, a UNESCO world heritage site. I’m not very religious, but this was incredibly pretty. Its exterior is painted with blue-colored religious scenes, one side being more bold than the other due to the sun and weather conditions.

It’s 10 LEI to get in per person, and you will have to make sure you’re not dressed like a little hoe.

Before you leave, you can walk down the main market street and shop for souvenirs.

TRADITIONAL COSTUME PICTURES: Don’t miss the opportunity to take traditional costume portraits – ODAIA BUNICI Photography Shop. We did it, and it is one of our favorite memories from the trip.

Day 3: Bucovina Monestaries

Another adventure day, we started the morning at the Panorama Bucovineana. When you get to the location, you have to call the number on the ad, and the lady will instruct you how to get up to the viewpoint. She speaks English.

We paid 25 LEI a person and left the cash in a jar at the top. It was super low-key but very pretty. We spent about an hour taking pictures and enjoying the view from the swings and tree house.

From here, we head up over the mountain to Putna Monastery. You’re heading really north, almost to the border of Ukraine now, and you’ll see the houses getting more and more elegant and rich.

Stops along the way to Putna Monastery:

• La Palma (The Hand) for zip lining, 4×4, and a small coffee. We stopped here to take a break from the serpentine road.
• Sucevita Monastery is one of my favorite monasteries and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It has the best roses and is run by nuns.

All that driving left us starving, so we had lunch at Krew Coffee. The coffee and sandwiches are amazing and cheap for a side-of-the-road Starbucks knockoff.

FUN FACT: On the way to Putna Monastery, you will pass through Voitinel, a rich commune with insane houses. Most of these folks are rich because they have shoe companies that sell shoes all over Romania. 😂

The afternoon was all about exploring Putna Monastery, another UNESCO World Heritage Site led by monks. The roses are so beautiful here, too! Stefan the Great, a Romanian hero and king, is buried here, which is why it also used to be a fort.

❌ CAUTION: Head back on the same road you came. DO NOT GO THE OTHER WAY, it’s a shit unpaved mountain road where we almost killed our car.

If you have steam left in you, on the way back, stop at Marginea, a town known for its black ceramics (here).

If you have one more church in you, the Moldavia Monastery is another UNESCO World Heritage Site with beautifully painted walls and run by nuns.

We had dinner at La Baciu Colacu Restaurant.

🥘 WHAT TO EAT: Here’s what we ordered, which is pretty traditional for the area: hribi soup (mushroom), pastravi (grilled fish) and mamaliga (cornbread). For dessert, I recommend the papanaşi (donuts with sour cherry compote).

Day 4: Mocǎnița Maramures Train Ride

Today, we left Bucovina and headed to Maramures, but with a day stop in Viseul de Sus for an incredible old-school train experience.

This is a full-day experience, so I recommend staying the night in the town.

• Website for booking the train ride: https://mocanita-maramures.com/
• Duration: 6 hours back and forth through beautiful landscapes & mountains.
• Cost: $20-30 a person
• Starting/Ending Point: Gara Viseul de Sus Train Station
• PRO TIPS:
  • Book the latest morning departure, which is at 10:30 am so plan your road trip from Bucovina accordingly.
  • Get there early so you have a parking spot, especially during the summer.
  • Sit on the left side of the train. It’s where the best views are.
  • I would also either pack snacks or get the “meal included package” because it’s a long trip.

Where To Stay (1 Night)

📍 Luxury: La Antigua – Big, beautiful house. It felt like we were back home in the States! This is great if you’re a bigger group since it’s got 4 big bedrooms and a giant living room & kitchen.
📍 Mid-Range: A Frame Cabin – LOVED! We’ve always wanted to stay in one of these, so we went for it. It was cozy, and again, the views from the swinging bench out front is what I think makes this part of Romania my favorite.

Day 5: The Village of Breb

From Viseul de Sus, we kept going the next morning into Maramureş. The drive is 1.5 hours, but we stopped a few times and took it slow.

One great stop was at Birsana Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a super pretty example of Maramureş wood architecture with its unique gates. You will notice there is a big difference in the Bucovina and Maramures styles of churches.

We got to Breb in the afternoon and had a chill lunch and evening.

My favorite restaurant was Breb 148. They speak English, and the food is fantastic and traditional. We also had dinner and beers here and just walked around the village the entire day.

Where To Stay (2 Nights)

📍Casa Moroșenilor – Breb – One of my favorite stays was in Breb. This little village home is totally remodeled, but they’ve kept the authentic vibe of the old Maramureş style alive. It was so quiet at night, and we were waking up to birds in the morning! Oh, and there’s a cute cat that comes along every day for pets!

Day 6: The Merry Cemetery

After breakfast in Breb, we spent the morning hiking around Creasta Cocosului. This is a beautiful end-to-end hike, but we didn’t do it all. We walked for about two hours, which is about halfway, and then turned back so we could have a late lunch in town.

Lunch was in Breb at the only other restaurant in town, Restaurant Traditional Casa lu Dochia, and it was super delicious. Their homemade lemonade is incredible!

In the afternoon, we drove 1 hour to the Merry Cemetery. This is a famous cemetery where all the tombstones have a funny little rhyme about the person’s life and death. It is all in Romanian, obviously, but it’s a cute spot. If you can snag a Romanian to do a little translation, that’s ideal.

You can buy tickets at the gate to go inside, and there are a bunch of little stalls in front of the cemetery itself selling traditional goods. I bought a cute Romanian traditional shirt here for $25.

MY EXPERIENCE: I was in Breb on a Sunday for Sînziene Celebration, and we went to the biggest church in town to watch the locals do their thing. Sînziene happens in June, and it is a pagan traditional summer solstice celebration. Still, the big thing I want to impart to you is that everyone dresses up in full Romanian traditional gear on Sundays. There’s usually always a little religious festival you can attend! It was magical.

Day 7: Big Drive Day & Turda Salt Mine

Today is a big drive day, and ultimately, we are ending up in the cutest little town called Rimetea. But first, we had to visit the Instagram famous Turda Salt Mine.

From Breb to Turda Salt Mine is a 3.5-hour drive. When we got to Turda, we had lunch in town first and then bundled up and went down into the salt mine (it’s cold down there).

• Turda Salt Mine Website: https://www.salinaturda.eu/
• Location & Parking here
• Cost: ~$10 for adults (30 LEI). You can buy tickets at the door
• Hours: 9 am-5 pm
• Duration: We spent about 2 hours wandering around
• PRO TIP: It’s cold in the salt mine, so we wore jeans, sneakers, and a jacket. Also, there are tons of stairs. By the way, there is no food or drink down there, just fun little games like ping-ping, boat rides in the dark, scary lake, etc.

After the salt mine, which I thought was pretty well-managed for a Romanian tourist attraction, we kept going to our destination village for the night, Rimetea. It was a short 45-minute drive to the village.

I loved the place we stayed in Rimetea (technically, the village right next to it is called Colțesti)—it is actually a Romanian-Hungarian lodge called Conacul Secuiesc. It’s like a tiny authentic resort, and I spent the afternoon in the rustic hot tub and had dinner overlooking the sunset and the mountains.

Where To Stay (2 nights)

📍 Luxury: Conacul Secuiesc – LOVED! I insist and highly recommend staying at this property. It’s a Romanian-Hungarian lodge, and the decor, food, and hospitality are beyond excellent. They have an authentic sauna, hot tub, games for kids, a local dog, homemade food things, and the best țuica made of both plums and pears I’ve tasted since my grandpa’s.

Day 8: Hike & The Village of Rimetea

After breakfast, we decided to head up Piatra Secuiului, which is the giant mountain in front of the lodge. This was a 6-hour loop hike, exhausting but beautiful!

All Trails Hike: This is not the exact trail, but close to what we did. The difference was that we started in Colțesti and went all the way up to the very top, looping back down to catch the trail at the foothills of the mountain.

That afternoon, another hot tub session, dinner, and sunset at the lodge.

Day 9: Cluj-Napoca City Break

For our last day, we left Conacul Secuiesc and went into the town of Rimetea. We spent about 2 hours wandering around the small village center and visiting the Ethnographic Museum to see all the old ways and costumes people wore.

From here, we headed up to Cluj-Napoca for our last night in the city. The drive from Rimetea to Cluj is about an hour.

We spent the afternoon walking around the city (which is not that big), and eating.

Places I Loved Eating in Cluj:

• Perfetto for some Italian food in a cute walking area
• Maimuta Plangatoare for a last traditional meal.
• Şi – Coffee Shops I loved in the morning

MY EXPERIENCE: While it’s a big international city in Romania, there’s nothing special about Cluj for me. Personally, I prefer Sibiu, Brasov, Oradea, and Bucharest. That said, it’s nice to walk around the old town. What I loved was the little coffee shop culture and cocktail bars hidden down the little streets of the old town. Otherwise, it’s the city where we land and take off for this little road trip.

Where To Stay (1 Night):

📍 Luxury: Courtyard by Marriott – For those points, people, this is a beautiful hotel right in the heart of Old Town Cluj. You can expect fancy treatment and wonderful service, as per usual, from a Marriott property.
📍 Mid-Range: The Square Hotel – This is more of a boutique hotel; we loved staying here and being back in the city for one last night before heading out. The beds are big and comfy, and it’s quiet at night!

Day 10: Fly Home

This is the day you return your car, write the postcards, pack your bags, and go home. Next time, you’ll be ready to go to a different part of Romania.

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Romania Road Trip Map

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My Best Romania Road Trip Advice

Before you go to Romania, here is some basic Romania knowledge so that you’re not the biggest newby in town:

• Capital: Bucharest
• Currency: Romanian Lei (RON)
• Population: ~20 million
• Language: Romanian (English is widely spoken except in the small villages)
• Gas Stations with Cleanest Bathrooms: PETROM first, and OMV second.
• Best Road Trip Food: When you see a HAN or PENSIUNE restaurant on the side of the road, that’s good homemade traditional food. Stop here to eat. 

Beyond that, from one traveler to another, there are some quirky things about most Eastern European countries, so here are some frequently asked questions and my travel advice when you’re in my country.

How Many Days Do You Need in Romania?

I think you need at least a week to 10 days to explore a region of Romania.

And because it’s a big country, almost the size of France, and very varied, there’s reason to come back and visit different sections – the mountains, the beaches, the delta (although not my favorite), and the cities and villages bordering Hungary.

What Is The Best Time of Year To Go to Romania?

The best time of year to visit Romania is either in the summertime, July to September, or the winter for its traditions around Christmas and New Year.

I would say the best and easiest time for a tourist to go on a road trip on their own without a local is the summer. If you decide to go in the winter, you really need to do an organized tour or have a local explaining everything. The country is just not built for tourism in this way, and so there are few guided tours and explanations, especially in the winter.

Is Romania Expensive?

No, Romania is not expensive. Here is our budget for this road trip:

• Lodging: $50-100 a night – we stayed in cute lodges most of the time, a few splurges, but mostly just mid-range central locations.
• Food: $20-40 a day – we always ate about and really well. Breakfast was usually included in our stay, so your money usually goes to lunches and dinners.
• Car Rental: $20-30 a day – this depends on the type of car you get and when you go (high season will be more expensive, so will an automatic vehicle).

Is Romania Friendly to Tourists?

Yes, Romanians are quite friendly, and almost everyone speaks English, except in the little villages off the beaten path. Grandmas and little old people generally only speak Romanian.

Not only did I find Romanians friendly, but also helpful. Because my Romanian is a bit broken, I found myself speaking English first, and everyone was super nice, helped me, and went out of their way to make me feel welcome.

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Final Thoughts: Romania Road Trip

Romania is a giant country, but if you take one piece at a time via road trip, there’s so much to explore and fall in love with.

When I was a kid, getting shipped back to my grandparent’s place near Brasov, I didn’t get to see much of my country – I just played around with my cousins in the village.

This past few years, I’ve been going back for a month at a time and really digging deep into the different regions and what they have to offer. Bucovina and Maramureş are my favorite areas in the country, and this road trip solidified this for me:

• 3 days: Bucovina painted monasteries and traditional life
• 3 days: Maramures steam train, wooden painted churches, authentic villages
• 1 day: Turda salt mine
• 2 days: Rimetea hike and Hungarian-Romanian villages
• 1 day: Cluj-Napoca city break

So what are you waiting for? Get planning!