Rural culture in Romania Photo Tour
Focus on traditions, people, haymaking, weddings and heritage
10 Days, small group
You will also interact with coppersmiths, blacksmiths, shepherds and locals dressed in traditional clothes. Medieval towns and fortifications are also part of the itinerary offering a diversity of photo opportunities.
Tour Dates: Aug 13-22 2027 & 2028
Cultural Photo Tour of Romania Itinerary
This is a shared photo tour for a small group of photographers (3 to 6) and it can also be organized as a private tour. While its main focus is people photography it includes a lot more than that as it tries to portray a wider picture of Romania, its culture, nature and history.
Day 1 – Friday, August 13, 2027
Welcome to Romania! We will start this cultural photo tour of Romania from Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania region. Upon arrival you will be picked up from the airport and transferred to the hotel in the city.
You will go on a walk in the largest city of Transylvania, a lively place with historic buildings and a beautiful old town. Then, you will attend a welcome dinner and meet the other participants and the guide.
- Overnight in Cluj-Napoca.
Day 2
You will travel to Maramures, one of the most authentic rural areas in Europe, also known as the Land of Wood and we will stop by the tallest wooden church in the world.
Summer is haymaking time and we will stop and photograph people mowing hay, landscapes dotted with haystacks or locals working in the fields. After mowing the hay, farmers use pitch-forks to turn it, pile it up in haystacks or load it in horse-drawn carts to bring it home.
While enjoying a walk in a village you will observe locals coming back from working in the fields or children playing in the streets.
- Overnight in the Maramures region
- drive time: 3h 30β
Day 3
The day will start with a sunrise shoot in the countryside focusing on the haystacks, barns and rolling hills.
This is a special day for people photography as you will observe and photograph people dressed in traditional clothes coming and going from the mass for a very important religious celebration. On August 15, the locals celebrate Saint Mary and it is believed that itβs forbidden to work the fields on this day, as you can stir the anger of nature.
Next you will visit the special Sapanta Merry Cemetery It is a one-of-a-kind place, where the crosses are lively decorated with paintings and insightful poems telling about the life of those who passed away.
Optionally you will visit the Memorial of the Victims of Communism in Sighet, located in a former prison where communists detained their political opponents. Here you will get to learn about the impact of Communism in the development of the country.
Late in the day you will visit and capture the Ieud Wooden Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the 14th century.
On this day there will likely be also some traditional events and small festivals and the guide will make suggestions then depending on the events planned for the day.
- Overnight in the Maramures region
- drive time: 2h 30β
Day 4
In the morning we will go to a train station to shoot of one of the last fully-functional narrow gauge steam train in Europe known as the Mocanita. Itβs interesting to see the mechanics dealing with the trains, the passengers boarding the trains and as the train departs towards the beautiful Vaser Valley, following the course of the river and along bright green forests.
In Maramures, July-August is also the wedding season and while it is hard to promise that we will catch a traditional wedding, the chances are very high. The guide will research in the weeks before for such a wedding but we may also casually crash one that we find on the way; the guide knows where to look ο
And we will be looking for more people working in the fields, different characters and backgrounds.
- Overnight in the Maramures region
- drive time: 2h 30β
Day 5
We will be back in Transylvania and in the coming days we will explore the heritage left behind by the Transylvanian German Saxons.
We start with the medieval town of Sibiu, where you will have a guidedwalking tour of the town, Europeβs Cultural Capital in 2007. It is a great place for architecture and street photography and you will visit its 3 historic squares, admire and capture its architecture and enjoy its history. In the evening there is an optional blue hour photo shoot.
- Overnight in theΒ Transylvania region
- drive time: 5h 30β
Day 6
From Sibiu we will head towards the Transfagarasan road, one of the most spectacular roads in the world, also labeled as βthe Road to the Skyβ. Up in the mountains, above clouds, you will enjoy Balea Lake, at around 2000m altitude. You will have beautiful views of the sharp road turns and surrounding mountains to capture on your camera. It is also a road along which bear sightings have been common in the past years.
In the afternoon we will be back in Sibiu for more photography in this wonderful setting.
- Overnight in the Transylvania region
- drive time: 3h
Day 7
We continue the cultural photo tour of Romania with an encounter with a Roma (gypsy) family and you will get to know their way of life, work, traditions and crafts. They are called gypsy coppersmiths, which is an occupation that men have been passing down from generation to generation. They are friendly and open to be photographed.
We then move on to Sighisoara, a charming medieval town, located in the heart of Transylvania, also part of the UNESCOβs World Heritage Sites. Its cobbled streets, colorful buildings and the beautiful and pedestrian-friendly old town will make you step back into charming medieval times.
In the afternoon we will move to Viscri where we will spend the next 2 nights. As we get there, we will take a horse drawn carriage ride to a sheepfold. You will be able to capture shepherdsβ way of life, learn about the cheese making process, how they take care of the sheep and how they milk them.
- Overnight in the Transylvania region
- drive time: 2h30β
Day 8
The mornings in Viscri are truly fascinating to see, as you can capture the cows that come out in the streets to go to pasture, the locals who just milked the cows going up and down the streets carrying small milk carts, all set against the background of traditional historic buildings.
Then, you will meet a local blacksmith who still practice a centuries-old craft. You will get the chance to capture his work process and to learn more about this craft. Also, if the local bakery is baking bread that day, you will get to see the process of bread making in a very specific way which involves burning the bread.
In the afternoon we will travel to Bran where you will visit the famous Bran caste and photograph it from the distance.
- Overnight in the Transylvania region
- drive time: 3h30β
Day 9
As we travel back to Cluj we will make one last stop at Turda Salt Mine. There, at 400-feet underground, youβll find an incredibleΒ theme park that looks straight out of a sci-fi movie. The underground lake with paddle and row boats, the amphitheater, the bowling alley and the Ferris wheel will give you some unique phone shots.
On the last day together with our small group of photographers we will share the key learnings, the highlights and some of the pictures taken during this trip. We hope it will be very memorable trip.
- Overnight inCluj-Napoca
- drive time: 2h
Day 10 – Sunday, August 22 2027
Your Cultural Photography Tour of Romania will end today and you will be transferred to the airport in Cluj-Napoca, from where you will take your flight back home. We hope youβve thoroughly enjoyed Romania and you will bring back many great memories and pictures to prove it!
Why travel with us
- Get a real taste of the country
- Experience only what truly interests you
Upcoming Tours
Our interview for B&H Photo Video
In 2024 we contributed to a podcast hosted by the American company B&H Photo Video about picturing world cultures. We discussed what is interesting to photograph in Romania and you can listen to this podcast on the B&H site.
For more information about haystacks you can read these articles: Big, biodiverse and beautiful: can Romaniaβs centuries-old giant haystacks survive modern farming? (The Guardian) and Step back in time in Romania (The Times)
Cultural Photo Tour of Romania Itinerary Map
Included Services – Cultural Photo Tour Romania
- Local tour guide services
- An English-speaking guide for 9 days, with good knowledge of photography and expertise in planning each day and selecting the best locations for photography.
- Accommodation for 9 nights
- Double rooms with private bathrooms and breakfast included.
- 2 nights in Cluj at a 3-star central hotel:
- 3 nights in MaramureΘ at a rural guesthouse:
- 2 nights in Viscri at a rural guesthouse:
- 2 nights in Sibiu at a 4-star hotel:
We have chosen to stay mostly at rural guesthouses so that we are close to photography opportunities in the countryside.
Despite these differences, rural guesthouses offer a comfortable stay and a more authentic Romanian experience.
- Meals
- 7 lunches and/or dinners are included.
- Menus are fixed and usually include soup or a starter, a main course, dessert, and one drink.
- Transportation
- Transfers throughout the itinerary by SUV for groups of up to 3 people.
- Transfers throughout the itinerary by minivan for groups of 4β7 people.
- Visits and activities
- Visits to local craftsmen and workshops.
- Entrance tickets to attractions mentioned in the itinerary.
- Visits to the communities included in the itinerary.
- Photography review
- On Day 9, we may review a selection of photographs from each participant, provided everyone brings a laptop or tablet and selects a few images in advance.
- If an in-person review is not possible, we will schedule a video call 2β4 weeks after the tour to review and discuss selected images.
Excluded Services
- Flights.
- Travel and medical insurance.
- Meals not specifically included in the tour package. You should budget approximately β¬15β20 per meal, although prices may vary depending on the location.
- Any other services not explicitly mentioned in the included services section.
Payment and Cancellation – Cultural Photo Tour Romania
- Tour price
- The price is based on a group of 3 to 6 participants.
- β¬2,700 per person when sharing a double/twin room, for bookings made by December 30, 2026.
- β¬2,900 per person when sharing a double/twin room, for bookings made after January 1, 2027.
- β¬360 per person for a single-room supplement (one person per room).
- A discount of β¬100 per person is offered when 2 or more participants sign up together.
- Payment methods
- The tour price is calculated based on payment by bank transfer or Wise (wise.com).
- Payment by credit card or PayPal is also possible, with an additional 5.5% fee to cover transaction costs.
- If the final group size changes or modifications are made to the itinerary, the tour price may also change.
- Payment schedule
- A deposit of β¬700 per person is required to confirm your place on the tour.
- The remaining balance must be paid at least 40 days before the tour start date.
- Cancellation policy
- No cancellation penalty applies if participation is cancelled or postponed before the initial deposit is paid, or if a replacement participant is found.
- A cancellation fee of β¬700 per person applies when cancelling after the initial deposit has been paid and at least 40 days before the tour start date.
- A cancellation fee of 40% of the total tour price applies when cancelling 25β39 days before the tour start date.
- A cancellation fee of 60% of the total tour price applies when cancelling 4β24 days before the tour start date.
- A cancellation fee of 75% of the total tour price applies when cancelling 3 days or less before the tour start date.
- Minimum group size
- If fewer than 3 participants have signed up 90 days before the tour start date, all payments received will be refunded.
- We therefore recommend booking refundable flights or purchasing flights after this date.
- Alternatively, we can discuss running the tour for 1β2 participants, in which case the price will need to be recalculated.
Disclaimer
This is a cultural tour that provides additional photography opportunities by introducing you to interesting local people and events and planning visits around the best times of day for photography.
This means that on some days you may need to wake up early for sunrise or stay out late to photograph sunsets and the blue hour. Participation in these early-morning or late-evening activities is optional.
The itinerary is flexible and may be adjusted depending on weather conditions and photography opportunities discovered along the way.
The tour is moderately paced and strongly encourages cultural immersion. Photography is an important part of the experience, but we also want to make sure that, while looking for the ideal picture, we do not forget to enjoy the people, events, and experiences we encounter.
Since the tour includes meetings with local people, and their schedules cannot always be predicted, there may be occasions when someone is not at home or cannot confirm their availability on the planned day of our visit. The same applies to local events. In such cases, I will suggest alternative photography opportunities.
Most of the people photography during this tour will be candid. We will approach the people we meet as friends, respect who they are and what they do, and try to interfere as little as possible with their daily activities.
In addition to the planned visits to places of interest and local people, we have allowed time for 2β3 spontaneous stops per day as we drive through the countryside. These unplanned stops often reveal very interesting photography opportunities, especially for photographing people.
Since the days are long in July, we may take a break of a few hours in the middle of the day on some occasions. We will focus on mornings and afternoons/evenings, when outdoor lighting is generally better for photography.
Traveler’s Reviews
About The Tour Organiser
Since 2011 Daniel Rosca organized over 70 photo tours in Romania and more recently in Greece, Bulgaria, Poland and Czechia. Some of the photo tours were private. And most of them were done in partnership with well-known photo tour companies and tour leaders like Natural Exposures (Dan Cox), Jim Cline Photo Tours (Ralph Velasco, Tonya Colson, Jeremy Woodhouse), Strabo Photo Tours (Kathy Adams, Tom Bol), Light and Land (Paul Sanders, Astrid McGechan), Dan & Jill Burkholder, Julie & Alan Ross, Photo Quest Adventures (Deanne Fitzmaurice β Pulitzer Prize Winner and owner of ThinkTank, Mirjam Evers, Najat Naba), Raul Touzon, Beniamino Pisati, Tim Volmer, Juris Kornets, Sorin Onisor and more. From all those, Daniel learned, improved and developed his own approach to photography which is best described as travel photography. He enjoys experiencing and photographing traditions and old ways of doing things, quaint towns, sites of historic importance and charming landscapes throughout the seasons. He focuses much more on βseeingβ, approaching people, capturing stories, composing and simply enjoying the place and focuses less on camera technicalities.
He previously lived in Belgium, Poland, Turkey, Egypt and worked for Microsoft.Β
Learn about the photo tours we’re organizing in Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, and Czechia by:
Joining our Facebook Group
Following us on Instagram
Please click on the image to view it at the best quality.
