How about a photo holiday in Romania? Transylvania region of Romania has imposing medieval castles, green rolling hills, snow-capped mountains and handy craftsmen practicing centuries old occupations.

You will have plenty of opportunities for portrait and candid photography as you will get in touch with locals and their everyday life, as well as breathtaking landscapes and wildlife.

• Visit beautiful medieval towns, such as Sibiu, Sighisoara, Viscri
• Sunrise and sunset shoots in the mountains & charming hill-towns
•  Photograph coppersmiths, glass makers, shepherds
• Capture bears in the wild
• Photograph Romania’s most famous castles (such as Bran)

Welcome to the capital of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca! To start your Best of Romania Photo Holiday you will be picked up from the airport and be transferred to the hotel located in the center of the city.

You will attend a welcome dinner and meet the other photo tour participants and the local guide.

Overnight in Cluj-Napoca.

Transfer time: 20’

You will leave Cluj-Napoca in the morning and make a first stop at a family of gypsy coppersmiths, which will give you plenty of opportunities for interesting portrait shots. You will get a unique chance to find out more about their lifestyle, handcrafts and how they kept their traditions alive.

Next on this day, you will have lunch at an organic farm and taste delicious dishes made of home-grown ingredients. They are not only savory, but they look great in pictures as well!

In the afternoon you will travel to Biertan village, a place built by the Transylvanian Saxons and one of the most picturesque villages of Transylvania. You will have a walk through the village and try to capture the magnificent Fortified Church, which is now part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, and the calm rural life.

Overnight in Biertan.

Drive time: 3h 30’

The third day of your Best of Romania Photo Holiday will start with a sunrise shoot on one of the hills surrounding Biertan. The imposing Fortified Church stands in the center of the village, on a hill, and you’ll have the opportunity to capture its best angles.

You will continue your tour with Sighișoara, one of Europe’s most beautiful medieval fortified citadels. It is a charming town, laid on a hilltop, with plenty of narrow cobbled streets and eye-catching historic buildings.

In the afternoon you will travel to Viscri village, one of the most beautiful and simple Saxon villages in Transylvania, known for being among the best places where you can learn about and photograph rural life in Romania.

Once there, you will travel to a nearby sheepfold in order to see and photograph how shepherds live, how they milk and take care of the sheep and learn about the way they make cheese.

Overnight in Viscri.

Drive time: 1h 30’

Charming Viscri is best observed during the mornings. This is when the animals: cows, goats and horses come out on the streets to go to the pasture or when the locals who just milked the cows go up and down the uneven roads with small milk carts. You will have a photo session just after sunrise to capture on camera this fascinating buzz.

Next, you will have the chance to shoot the Fortified Church of Viscri, a 12th century fortification painted in white and an interesting photography subject. Then, you will meet and photograph a local blacksmith. You’ll witness his work process still practiced like centuries ago and learn about the importance of this craft.

In the evening you will photograph bears in the wild at a bear observatory. You will be able to observe brown bears in their natural habitat, see when they come to eat from certain places located in the middle of the forest and photograph them.

For many this day could be their favorite day of the entire “Best of Romania Photo Holiday”.

Overnight in Pestera.

Drive time: 2h 30’

You will start your day with a sunrise shoot of the scenic landscapes of mountainous Transylvania. Winding dirt roads, wooden barns and wooden fences create an interesting environment to practice your composition skills.

No Photo Tour to Transylvania is complete without shooting its two famous castles: Bran Castle, known for its association with Dracula, which you’ll photograph from a distance to best capture the mysterious atmosphere enveloping it, and Peles Castle, former residence of the royal family and though by many to be one of Europe’s most beautiful examples of Neo-Renaissance architecture. You’ll capture Peles from outside, as well as visit the inside.

Your day will end with a sunset shoot of the most charming mountainous views of Transylvania.

Overnight in Pestera.

Drive time: 3h 30’

First on the day’s itinerary is an inside visit of the famous Bran Castle. Next, you will travel to Sibiu, stopping at a glass factory, where you will have a very interesting opportunity from a photographic viewpoint as you will catch on camera all steps of the technique of glass blowing. The final results are unique objects, used even for British Royal Family events.

You will spend the afternoon in Sibiu, where you will have a guided walk of this charming medieval town built by the Saxons and former European Capital of Culture. You will be amazed by the Old Town and you will get the chance to capture some of the most photogenic streets in Romania, at the blue hour.

Overnight in Sibiu.

Drive time: 2h 30’

In the first part of the day you will visit a local vegetables market in Sibiu, you will interact with vendors and photograph them on their everyday, ordinary life.

You will have the second part of the day free to explore more of the town. Sibiu is one of the best places in Romania to attend cultural or culinary events so it will be interesting to attend one.

In the evening you will have a review session of the pictures taken during this holiday in Romania/Transylvania followed by the goodbye dinner.

Overnight in Sibiu. 

This is the last day of your Photo Holiday of Transylvania in Romania.

You will be transferred to the airport in Cluj-Napoca, from where you will take the flight back home.

Drive time: 2h 30’

Daniel is a Romanian tour guide since 2011 and the very first tour he organized was for photographers. Since then he ran tours for several international photo tour leaders including a Pulitzer Prize winner so he became very aware of the specific needs of photographers.

He really loves the rural areas and people practicing traditional occupations and helps photographers interact with them. Previously he worked for Microsoft, Soros Foundation, Ecosistemi, Deloitte and AIESEC, lived in 4 different countries and traveled to another 30 on 4 continents.

This photo holiday in Romania is meant to offer a rich cultural experience, to be quite relaxing while offering interesting opportunities for photography.

We want to differentiate between a photo workshop which is usually very intense and a photo holiday which is much more about the cultural side and relaxation. A photo tour would fall somewhere in the middle.  

• Trip planning and assistance before and during the tour
• Local tour guide services of English speaking licensed guide for 7 days (accommodation and meals are included). The guide has good knowledge of photography but he is not a professional photographer or teacher. 
• Accommodation for 7 nights in standard double rooms with breakfast (B) included
• Transfer by sedan car for up to 4 people (Ford Mondeo or similar) or minivan for 5-8 people (Renault Trafic, VW Caravelle or similar; fuel, taxes and parking fees are included) on the itinerary mentioned above 
• Meals: 2 lunches and 3 dinners. The menus will be fixed and usually include a soup or starter, main dish, dessert and a drink. 
• Visits to craftsmen, workshops and communities mentioned in the itinerary
• Private transfers from the airport to hotel on arrival and from hotel to airport on departure

Services which are not included in the tour price

• Entrance tickets to tourist sites. Per person you are likely to spend up to 50-70 USD
• Meals, except those included above. On average you can pay for a meal 10-15 USD

For prices, please contact us for details.